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.