Week 5 Analysis

            These days you have to life live to the fullest without getting into trouble with the law.  So many people are taking justice into their own hands.  Slightly due to the economy and lack of police, people feel that they should take crime into their own hands.  But even as we look back in time people have been committing crimes just to get what they need or want.  Some people have always felt that is they need money then rob a bank, or if they are being abused then kill your abuser. But can the courts really give people the justice they deserve regardless of sex or race.

            After reading the article The Killer inside me, by Seth Mnookin, I realized that jail time is a very controversial subject.  In this article Seth Mnookin talks about the life of Wilbert Rideau, in 1961 he is a 19 year old African American bank robber that murdered 2 of the employees of the bank and shot another.  “While incarcerated at Angola, Louisiana’s infamous state penitentiary, Rideau won his jailer’s trust with his good behavior and efforts to improve inmates’ lives” (Mnookin, 2005, 297).  Rideau was sentenced to death three times but because of his good behavior he was recommended for release.  But every time he is recommended the courts overturns it.  As of 2003 Rideau was still in jail behavior very well and still helping other inmates. 

            The next case to think about is the case of the “blue-eyed butcher” (Jakabsson, 2010). This Texas woman, Susan Wright, was sentenced to 25 years in jail due to the murder of her husband in 2003.  “Harris County District Attorneys alleged that Wright tied her husband to their bed during a seduction, dripped hot wax on his body and killed him. Susan Wright claims that she stabbed her husband to death after years of abuse” (Jakabsson, 2010). After 7 years Wright is getting another trail she is hoping for probation. 

            What is the difference with these two cases, in the first case the man is African America in the second case the woman in Caucasian. Even though in the first case the man killed more than one person, he has tried to rehabilitate him and helps those around him.  The woman in the second case has only claimed abuse and continues to justify herself and her actions. 

References

Jakabsson, L. (2010). Texas woman who stabbed husband to death gets second chance at

 sentencing. CNN Justice. Retrieved from http://articles.cnn.com/2010-10-

            22/justice/Texas.stabbing.resentencing_1_susan-wright-murder-trial-

            sentencing?_s=PM:CRIME

Mnookin, S. (2005). The killer inside me. In R. Browne, Profiles of Popular Culture (pp. 296-299). Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press.

Jouranl Analysis

Reality TV

            Reality television is a genre that people of all ages enjoy to watch, whether it is admitted or not.  Reality television is generally what society views as life.  We as society often watch reality television to find someone to associate with or to watch someone you could never be.  Reality television can last for just one season or multiple seasons. Reality television takes us into the world of the known and unknown. 

            In the book review by Kathleen LeBesco, she talks about different books in one article about the novel, Reality TV: The Work of Being Watched by Mark Andrejevic, it is said that when reality started in 2000, there were claims that it was not really reality TV because it was not “real”.  With the first reality TV being shows like Fear Factor, it is hard to say if it really is “real”. For those of you who do not remember, Fear Factor is the show when people would eat nasty things like cow testacies for money. Since this show reality TV has branched of into many different types.  Reality TV was brought along change television programming to start something new and upbeat. LeBesco states that according to Andrejevic “rather than empowering the people, digital interactivity has ushered in an era of proliferating media mergers and extreme concentration of wealth” (LeBesco, 2003, 1117).  Reality TV did change television but it also showed people how greedy and money hungry we as a society are.  People would sign up for these shows to either further their careers or just for the money.  But as a society why do we like to watch this people exploit themselves for money?

            After reading the article, Keeping it real: Why we like to watch reality dating television shows, by Robert Samuels, I began to realize that we watch reality television because of our own selfish reasons. For dating shows the number one reason that people like to watch reality TV was because “It’s fun to watch other people be rejected” (Samuels, 2007, 195).  We like to escape from the normal lives we live. We do not look at Reality TV as a payday for these people we watch it to see other people be humiliated because that is something that we have to deal with.  We enjoying know that other people go through the same things we do in our day to day lives.

That was the second reason people watch reality TV, “The people on these shows are just like us” (Samuel, 2007, 195). 

            Even though it is argued that reality TV is real because the people are not actors.  Reality TV is controlled just like any other program on television.  “By using real people and placing them real situations, reality television programs are thus able to lull the audience into misperceiving controlled situations as being spontaneous events” (Samuels, 2007, 196).  Reality TV is a genre of television programming that is going to increase due to demand.  We as a society will continue to watch because of the interest in the situations that this people are facing and people will continue to sign up for the money. 

References

LeBesco, K.(2005). Book Review: Reality TV: The art of being watched. Journal of Popular

 Culture, 38(6), 1116-1119. Retrieved from EBSCO database.

Samuels, R. (2007). Keeping it real: Why we like to watch reality dating television shows. In M. Petracca, & M. Sorapure, Common Culture (pp. 193-200). Upper Saddle River: Pearson.

Week 4 Analysis

“Heroes live close to the land of myths and serve as gatekeepers showing the rest of us the way to greatness.  They are larger than life and feed our desires to be more than we are, to succeed in being superior.  They inspire us and lead the way for us to develop outside limitations of our own skins and circumstances and become greater and more important individual. Spiritually and physically they are our role models” (Browne, 2005, 35).         This is true on many levels, as a society we look to the heroes for ways to improve our lives, and we just them as a how to for many other areas in our lives.  We often think of the heroes as role models because they are who we want to be like.  We as a society want to be popular and well-liked.  We are taught as early as elementary school that the popular people are the ones that are more well-liked and they tend to grow up and be better people.  So we look to the heroes and aspire to be just like them.

After reading about Heroes this week, the first hero that came to mind is rapper T.I.  To me he is not a hero but to some he is.  October 13^th, 2010, rapper T.I. reportedly stopped a young man from committing suicide.  “We’re told T.I. heard about the jumper on the radio — and called Ryan Cameron to see if there was anything he could do to help out with the situation” (tvoneonline.com, 2010).  Once he was at the radio station the police and T.I. made a video to play to the man, which made him decide not to jump.  Some people are very skeptical of these events since these happened only days before he was to appear in court for probation violation. “I’m sure now T.I. can tell the judge that maybe he can make up for his grievances by helping police fight crime. I’m sure his graphics team is already coming up with a Bat signal like image to use” (tvoneonline.com).   T.I. responded to the criticism by saying “The fact of the matter is, God put me in a position and in my spirit to help. I can’t take credit for that. I didn’t wake up this morning with the intentions of being a negotiator and talk someone off of a ledge” (tvoneonline.com).  But the question is if God lead him to help, why did he call the radio station first? This is why people are still skeptical of his motives.

Before these events rapper T.I. (Clifford Harris), was released from prison where he served a year for gun charges.  Upon his release he was on probation and had to submit to random urine tests.  In the latter part of  August, T.I and his wife were stopped on for a traffic violation and after the police smelled marijuana, the car was searched and so were they.  During this search the police found the drug ecstasy on both T.I and his wife.  Since T.I. was on probation he was sentenced back to prison for eleven months.  So this heroic act came right after he was in trouble with the law.  This is why I do not really believe that he is a hero.  T.I. called the radio station after hearing about this young man and asked the radio personality what he can do to help.  As stated in the article, The concept of hero against democracy by Ray B. Browne “The only hero who is not a figure of fantasy is that person who sees somebody in trouble, relieves him of that trouble, then goes silently on his way” he goes on to say “Most people who do an extraordinary deed call a press conference.  That’s the way heroes are created and live these days” (Browne, 2005, 52).  T.I in my opinion is an example of a modern day “hero”.

References

Browne, R. (2005). The Concept of Hero against Democracy. In R. Browne, Profiles of Popular Culture. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press.

TV one. (October, 2010). T.I. SAVES MAN FROM COMMITTING SUICIDE. Retrieved from

 http://news.tvoneonline.com/scandal/t-i-saves-man-from-committing-suicide-8187.htm.

Week 3 Analysis

                Stereotypes exist in all areas of life.  As a society we deal with what boys can do but girls cannot, what people of a certain ethnicities can do but others cannot.  We also encounter stereotypes according to the way we dress.  Sometimes these stereotypes can make people live their lives differently.  People have a hard time being associated with groups of people that they stereotypically should be with. 

One major stereotype that is starting to diminish is tattoos.  In the beginning tattoos were worn by people that had been to jail, bikers, and other types of roughens. But tattoos are starting to be embraced by allowing them to show their artistic side.  Even though people with their bodies covered in tattoos are still looked at and stereotyped as being weird. People enjoy getting tattoos to say that they love someone, or they miss someone. People even get tattoos to cover scars, wither the scar is physical or emotional.

One way that the world is starting to diminish this stereotype is by advertisement.  While reading the article, “The Cult You’re In” by Kalle Lasn, it is apparent that we live in a world that uses advertisement to help people make many decision. 

“A long time ago, without even realizing it, just about all of us were recruited into a cult. At some indeterminate moment, maybe when we were feeling particularly adrift or vulnerable, a cult member showed up and made a beautiful presentation. “I believe I have something to ease your pain.” She made is feel welcome.  We understood she was offering us something to give life meaning. She was wearing Nike sneakers and a Planet Hollywood cap” (Lasn, 2007, 53).

The people that we look up to often endorse brand name clothes or shoes or perfumes, so that society will see them and think that the product must be very good or very cool since this celebrity is endorsing it.  The world looks to the celebrities to see what is right and what is wrong, what is trendy and what is not. For example, pop star, Rihanna, got a tattoo of three stars behind her ear.  After the media stated showing this tattoo, people started getting tattoos behind their ears some of them even got stars. 

Even children are being shown that tattoos are okay to have, as stated by, Mary Kosut, in the article “An Ironic Fad: The Commodification and Consumption of Tattoos”, children are being introduced to tattoo just like adults. “New generations of American children are growing up in a cultural landscape that is more tattoo-friendly and tattoo-flooded than at any other time in history” (Koust, 2006, 1036). Children come in contact with tattooed people, toy, media, and friends covered in child friendly temporary tattoos.  With this new found acceptance, most children with learn to look past certain stereotypes, and even possible look at people for who they are inside.

This is a topic that I deal with often, my husband has 12 tattoos and I have 2. We both like to get them to do something artistic and unique.  We try to get different tattoos that have meaning to us.  Our children love the temporary tattoos and we often purchase them.  We are a family that embrace tattoos to show are individuality.

References

Koust, M. (2006). An ironic fad: The commodification and consumption of tattoos. Journal of

 Popular Culture, 39(6),1035-1048.

doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5931.2006.00333.x

Lasn, K. (2007). The cult you're in. In M. Petracca, & M. Sorapure, Common Culture (Vol. 5th

            edition, pp. 51-55). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Week 2 Analysis

            I have recently read an article entitled, “Measuring up: Obesity in Young Boys Is on the Rise, and So Are Eating Disorder. Whose Fault Is That? Try G.I. Joe” by Amy Dickinson.  This article was about young boys wanting to have the same body as G.I. Joe and other iconic action figures that most little boys play with or watch on television.  G.I. Joe is for boys what Barbie is for girls, both are toys but both have perfect, unrealistic bodies. 

            As stated by Dickinson, “women my age know whom to blame or our own self-loathing, eating disorders, and distorted body image: Barbie” (Dickinson, 2005, 70).  This is very true women often associate their problems with self-esteem to Barbie because as a little girl, we idolized Barbie.  That is why I decided to discuss this article I found it very fascinating.  Most of the time we hear through the news that Barbie has to change her image because so many little girls want to be just like her but the measurements of Barbie is unrealistic. I have never heard or read about any of the super heroes, which most little boys idolize, having to change their image due to the lower self-esteem of boys or boys feeling the need to look just like G.I. Joe or Superman.

            I believe that is a great article that everyone with little boys needs to read.  To know that sometimes boys need the same love and comfort to help their self-esteem as little girls is very amazing.  We look at boys as little men, we expect them to grow up and be strong just like G.I. Joe. Even though we only want them to have the same integrity as these “Super Heroes”, some boys tend to look at the whole package, wanting the same physique as well.

References

Dickinson, A. (2005). Measuring Up: Obseity in young boys is on the rise, and so are eating disorders. Whose fault is that? Try G.I. Joe. In R. Browne, Profiles of Popular Culture (pp. 70-71). Madison: The Univesity of Wisconsin Press.

Assignment 2-2: Icon Analysis

            The first idea that comes to mind when I think about Icons are things that have changed my life and shaped me to be the person that I am today. Everyone has an Icon or an Idol that helps to shape them to the person that they are or help them determine who they want to be.  I have had plenty of Icons growing up but the three that really stick out to me are Barbie, Sesame Street, and G.I Joe.  These are Icons that have changed many people’s lives and have changed my life tremendously.

            When I started with this paper the first Icon that came to mind was Barbie.  I love Barbie and so has the world since “1959” (Bellis, 2010). She has been my friend, when no one else wanted to be.  I have told her all my secrets and all my dreams.  I enjoyed her fashion with her heels, fabulous outfits, and glamorous cars.  I loved Barbie so much that I would run home to play with her and her friends. In our house one of Barbie’s good friends was G.I. Joe coming about in “1982” (O’Brien, 2010). G.I. Joe a great man, he taught all the boys how to be just like him.  Fighting for what’s right and making the world a better place. Even though Barbie and G.I. Joe showed us how to live, Sesame Street taught us everything else.  Since “November 10, 1969, the day the show first aired, blinking to life on public television stations nationwide” (Loredo,2010), Sesame Street has been teaching children of all ages how to share and care and most of all the letters and numbers that are needed to live in America.  These are all examples of why I chose this Icons they have not only changed my life but so many other lives as well. 

            Barbie means life to me, I have a daughter and she idolizes Barbie just like I did as a child.  Barbie has done it all she has been a princess, a teacher, and even a doctor, but most of all she has been a role model.  “There has been some controversy over Barbie's figure when it realized that if Barbie was a real person her measurements would be an impossible 36-18-38” (Bellis, 2010).  Despite these mechanically issues Barbie is a good role model because she let little girls know that they could do anything, just like Barbie. G.I. Joe was a role model as well.  G.I. Joe was so cool with his gun and various accessories.   G.I. Joe to me was the boy version of the Barbie.  He only found but he was good at it.  It just made boys want to succeed in whatever it is that they do.  The characters on Sesame Street were not really role models but children often wanted to be as smart as Big Bird or as friendly as Elmo.  Sesame Street was like going to school without leaving your home.  You could learn a different letter and number every day.  Sesame Street has been on air for almost 41years and the show still teaches children the same sharing and caring method that were taught so many years ago. 

References

Bellis, M. (2010).  The history of Barbie dolls. Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blbarbiedoll.htm.

O’Brien, R. (2010). Action figure profile: G.I. Joe 25th anniversary snake eyes. Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://actionfigures.about.com/od/actionfigurereviews/a/snake-eyes.htm.

Loredo, B. (2010). Sesame street: A celebration- 40 years of life on the street’s.  Retrieved on October 4, 2010 from http://www.sesamestreet.org/onair/history/articles.  

Week 1 Analysis

Lady Gaga is really an interesting person.  She is very infamous for her fashion and her music.  Lady Gaga is a woman that embraces her uniqueness as many people have seen on various award shows, magazines and even listening to the lyrics or her music.  Lady Gaga has an interesting way of making herself stand out.  This causes other people to idolize her because she has such a sense of herself.

The latest controversy would be her fashion at the 2010 MTV Video Music Award.  Lady Gaga had numerous wardrobe changes throughout the awards ceremony, just to show her unique sense of style.  One of which was the now infamous “meat dress”.  The controversy is with PETA and many of “PETA Pals”, which are celebrities that join with PETA to help get their point across (eonline.com, 2010).  The meat dress, shoes, and purse was designed by Franc Fernandez.  This meat attire was a shock to many people including Ellen DeGeneres, who had an interview with Lady Gaga, on the Ellen Show after the MTV Video Music Awards.  During this show Lady Gaga states “As you know, I am the most judgment-free human being on the Earth. However, it has many interpretations, but for me this evening if we don't stand up for what we believe in and if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones. And, I am not a piece of meat” (eonline.com, 2010).  Lady Gaga had a unique way of getting her point across but one of the biggest problems with wearing raw animal flesh under hot lights on stage is that it will begin to spoil and stink. This is an event that will stick out forever.  People will not soon forget the infamous “Meat Dress”.

References

Eonline.com. (September 13,2010). Ellen DeGeneres, PETA Carve Up Lady Gaga's Meatwear. Retrieved on October 1, 2010 from http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b200058_ellen_degeneres_peta_carve_up_lady.html#ixzz11K0f7Cbc