Assignment 9-1

This week I have chosen to analyze the popular culture artifact of People Weekly magazine. People is probably the most popular and most credible magazine devoted to celebrity gossip and sells millions of copies weekly to both subscribers and off the newsstands.

People is not only an excellent example of the cult of celebrity at play but also an important artifact of popular culture. The magazine can be found in airports, malls, drug stores, and grocery stores. It is practically everywhere! And it’s published weekly so it is constantly keeping the public updated on pop culture topics, especially the cult of celebrity.

And consumers can’t get enough of it – People sells millions of copies a week and continues to thrive as a top-selling product even in today’s tough economic times. Their readers are fascinated by their stories from heroic tales to celebrity gossip to the inside scoop of the latest murder story. Basically, People is a magazine that keeps people updated on the latest popular culture topics.
Proof of this is the latest topics they’ve covered on their website – there was an arrest in the Hudson murders; Britney Spears talks about fitness; and Liza Minnelli checks into rehab. These are the types of stories People Weekly covers all the time.

Assignment 1-3 (Summary)

The article I have chosen to analyze for Assignment 1-3 is “Moments of Zen in the Art of Fake News”. It is a book review on a book that praises the television program, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”. The program airs on Comedy Central late-night along with the similar program, “The Colbert Report” hosted by Stephen Colbert.

The article compares Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert with famous historical figures such as Socrates, Benjamin Franklin, and Sam Adams. While most people would write these shows off as mere comedy acts, the article points out that they are actually much more. They are evoking critical thinking skills in their audiences and are awakening a healthy level of cynicism in their viewers. This is because they are constantly exposing the many ways politicians and the mainstream media “are trying to hide, spin, or manipulate the facts.”

This article is a fascinating take on the “art of fake news” and really opened my eyes to the impact Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert have on society. While it is impossible to measure how much they influenced our election this year, I think it is safe to say a lot more people voted and made an informed decision because of these “fake” news programs.

Reference:Saul, M. (2008). [Review of the book The Daily Show and Philosophy: Moments of Zen in the Art of Fake News]. The Journal of Popular Culture, 41(4), 737-739. Retrieved from OhioLink Electronic Journal Center on October 6, 2008.

Assignment 7-1

The artifact I have chosen to discuss this week is Global Positioning System, or GPS. This is an important part of popular culture because it is beginning to shape the way we do things. GPS was first developed by the U.S. military and has now evolved into an everyday convenience for civilian Americans.

One of the most common uses for GPS is aid in navigation – like Garmin. These devices are often hooked to the windshield of one’s car and can show the driver his or her absolute location. Since a satellite detects the location of the car and the destination the driver enters, the mechanism simply has to use an automated voice command system to direct the driver to their final destination. The tool can even detect when the driver makes a wrong turn and recalculate the directions.

Another useful way GPS is changing our lives is through the tracking of criminals. Police can now use GPS devices to detect the absolute location of criminals and stolen property. This has had a huge impact on the solving of crimes. And since some cell phones have GPS systems investigators can now tell where suspects were located at the time of their phone calls.

Another use of GPS is for the location of children and animals. Parents can have their children carry a device with them that allows them to be located at any time. If a child is lost, the parent simply has to press a button and the mechanism will locate their child for them. This has saved many kidnapped and lost children. Also, pet owners can have a chip placed underneath their animal’s skin that can locate them if needed by the pet owner calling a hotline. No more posting handmade signs on neighborhood telephone poles for some pet owners!
Overall, GPS is an incredible technology that is changing our lives in so many ways. In fact, it has even saved some lives – children that may have bee in danger, pets that may have ended up getting hit by cars, etc., etc., etc.!

Assignment 5-1

There are many huge websites that are beginning to define our culture – some examples include: social networking sites like myspace and facebook, discount travel websites like hotwire and travelocity, and search engines like google and yahoo. One other website that is beginning to shape contemporary culture is youtube.com.

Youtube is a website where users can upload all kinds of videos. As long as they are not pornographic or owned by someone else they can be uploaded to the website. Users can then search the site for what they want to see – i.e. political speeches, standup comedy, music videos, or homemade videos. There are millions of videos viewed each day on youtube.

There are many ordinary people that have created homemade videos for youtube. Some of these videos have even won some ordinary people their fifteen minutes of fame. There have been several musicians and comedians who have received much of their fan base from youtube watchers. There have also been several youtube videos that have sparked controversy. Several of them have included bullying and fighting and received a great deal of media attention because of it.

Youtube presents new issues to Internet users since it relies on its users to flag inappropriate usage. This policy has not been entirely thorough and has caused many problems with copyright and inappropriate use. Many offensive and copyrighted videos continue to slip through the cracks due to this policy.
Overall, I think youtube is an excellent example of a pop culture artifact because it is something that many people use in their everyday lives. It has made it extraordinarily convenient to access music, comedy, news, etc.

Assignment 3-1

"I got so brave, drink in hand
Lost my discretion"

"I kissed a girl and I liked it
The taste of her cherry chapstick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it"

"No, I don't even know your name
It doesn't matter,
You're my experimental game
Just human nature"

Above I have posted some lyrics from Katy Perry's smash hit, "I Kissed a Girl". I'm no conservative but I found this song and the general direction of today's pop music rather disturbing. While I understand her scheme to get famous and the business side of things, I have to admit it kind of makes me sick! She appeals to preteen and teenage girls and many of them are going to mimic this behavior. I don't expect pop stars to be perfect role models these days but I think this is just ridiculous.

Girls are easily influenced by what they see in the media - we already know this by the huge number of young girls with eating disorders in this country. We can also tell by the way they dress or emulate other behaviors seen on television and in movies. I think it is safe to say that this song is bound to have an impact on the behavior of teenagers. Even the boys will be influenced because they might feel more inclined to pressure vulnerable girls into these types of acts.

Overall, I think this song is awful and I feel bad for the vulnerable young girls that will be impacted by it. It is sad to me that otherwise straight girls are being persuaded to do things they don't really enjoy just to get the attention of boys.

Assignment 3-2

An icon can be loosely defined a symbol. These symbols can take the form of objects, images, or even important people. In terms of popular culture there are countless icons that come to mind, mainly famous people. The first three icons I thought of were Marilyn Monroe, Elmo, and the McDonald's golden arches logo. These are examples of popular culture icons because they are not only famous but household names - thus they are excellent representations of American popular culture.

Marilyn Monroe was an extremely famous - and extremely controversial - model and actress of the 1950's. She is known for her platinum blonde hair, pouty lips, and curvy figure - a look young women still try to emulate today. Her sexy looks and publicized love life have led to her being named one of the most influential sex symbols ever. Though she died of a drug overdose in 1962 her fame lives on. Pictures of Marilyn can still be seen all over the place today, including the famous portrait by Andy Warhol above.

The red furry monster known as Elmo is pracitally an obsession for today's toddlers! He is a "muppet" on the famous children's television show, Sesame Street and another great example of a popular culture icon. The show has aired for over twenty years. Elmo's character has become increasingly famous in the past decade with a special segment dedicated to toddlers and several children's movies where he featured as the lead role. Elmo's great fame can also be credited to the many Elmo toys on the market, especially the infamous "Tickle Me Elmo" doll.

When you're on a road trip and hunger strikes you may find yourself scanning the landscape for the next popular culture icon I thought of - the McDonald's golden arches. Fast food is a huge part of today's popular culture and McDonald's is probably the most popular fast food chain. The golden arches don't just symbolize cheeseburgers, though. The logo is seen by many as an icon of capitalism and globalization, too.

Assignment 1-2

Popular culture is defined in the course’s textbook as "the shared knowledge and practices of a specific group of people at a specific time". It includes things such as ideas, fashions, and devices that are popular during a specific time period and can be influenced by current events such as political campaigns, natural disasters, wars, and technological advancements.

When I think of popular culture I tend to think of it in terms of decades. For example, I might think of how poodle skirts were popular in the 1950's or how hippies created their own subculture in the 1960's. I might also think of the 1970’s “disco era” and so on. Today I think the Internet and other technologies determine much of what is popular culture. For instance it is becoming popular in our culture to earn a college degree online.

An understanding of popular culture is important in the business world because it can help a company better understand the wants and needs of their clientele. As a human resources manager, it would also help me to understand employee relations. Employees and prospective employees may be more vulnerable to certain things dependant upon the cultural climate. I think that today it is important for those in the HR field to recognize the economic hardships employees and potential employees are facing so that they can find ways to boost morale and thus boost profits.

I think Google is a popular culture artifact of today’s world. Google is probably the most commonly used search engine on the Internet and has become a household name. When someone wants to know something they simply jump online and “google” it. One can find almost any kind of knowledge they can think of using Google – examples might include news, weather, flight schedules, shopping information, or directions from place to place. Google has revolutionized the way people retrieve information.