Weekly Analysis Week 5

This week in honor of my birthday, I’d like to talk about the popular culture icon known as the birthday cake. Birthday cakes are so commonly used that most grocery store bakeries decorate and sell them. As do most ice cream shops make an ice cream version of the same thing. They’re usually decorated with bright colors and sometimes flowers, balloons, or confetti. This is because celebrating is associated with bright colors. The cake most likely goes back to the time of feasting as a sort of celebration. Also, in the past, many people couldn’t afford confections on a regular basis so the only time they got sweets was on a special occasion. There are so many birthdays in my family during the month of June that by the time mine comes up on the 24th… I’m sick of cake.

Assignment 1-3

For this assignment I read the article Psychotropia: Media, Medicine, and the Virtual Asylum. By Lawrence Rubin. Here's a link to it - http://0-search.ebscohost.com.olinkserver.franklin.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=20068908&site=ehost-live

In this article the author talks about the over-medication of our society. How it's become chic to be on psychotropic drugs. He says that the media has convinced us that there's something psychologically wrong with each of us. I know for a fact that there is in my case. I don't know about the rest of the world though. I don't really agree with the author's point of view. I think these drugs should be available to those who need them. Like me! Speaking of which I need to take my meds and go to bed. Nite nite!

Weekly Analysis Assignment 4-1

This week, in accordance with the heroes or celebrities paper and discussion, I’d like to talk about celebrity reality shows. It all started with The Osbournes I think. Now we have Hogan Knows Best, Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels, Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood, the list goes on. Do people actually watch this stuff? I admit watching Gene Simmons argue with some dr’s assistant about wearing underwear was a little amusing. I caught that while flipping through channels; I don’t watch reality tv…. Ever. Reality is honestly enough reality for me. Since when do we need to watch other people’s lives instead of living our own? Then again I’m not much of a TV viewer, unless it’s educational or game shows. I need more stimulation than TV normally offers. I don’t even understand why people would agree to have someone film them. There’s money involved, I’m sure. Most celebrities complain of paparazzi but some let them move in. What’s the difference if it’s going to be on TV? More people would see it on TV than in a magazine… wouldn’t that be a bad thing if it was personal? All around, I don’t understand the point of reality shows. I’m going to stop here before I start discussing COPS.

Picture taken from www.cops.com

Assignment 3-1

The popular culture icon I’d like to examine this week is the color pink. Pink is generally associated with girls and all things feminine. It’s traditionally emasculating for men to wear pink. Luckily this double standard is slowly but surely coming to a close. It’s becoming more and more OK for men to wear pink ties and shirts to work. It still isn’t seen as the most manly color but it’s getting to be less taboo. It’s also becoming more acceptable for girls to not wear pink, or for women to wear just as much pink as they did in their childhoods. When I was a child most adult women didn’t wear pink very often. Especially the light bubble gum/baby pink, this was viewed as childish. Women considered themselves “too old” for the color. Pink has a lot of concepts associated with it. There is a musical artist named Pink, a song called Pink, not to mention a few cartoon characters whose names or trademarks involve pink. I’m glad that people are seeing colors as less of a pop culture icon as the time goes by. Maybe eventually we’ll be able to wear whatever color we want without stereotypes being associated with them.

Assignment 2-1

For this week’s pop culture topic I’d like to address EBay. The website EBay.com and its subsidiaries have made auctioning over the internet mainstream. Using EBay is relatively simple, anyone can do it. It’s convenient to search listings, whether you’re shopping or just checking prices. I tend to look at something on EBay a few different times a week. With their payment company PayPal, it’s safe and easy to pay for your purchases. You don’t have to worry about giving someone else your credit card information.

EBay recently had a memorable TV commercial claiming that they have “IT”. Whatever it happens to be. They mean that basically if you can’t find something on EBay, you probably won’t have much luck finding it anywhere else either. They make finding that missing piece of china or that toy from childhood a possibility.

EBay sells everything from cars, to real estate, to advertising on human bodies. People are selling things that they never thought possible to do. From the seller’s end, they make it possible to sell just about anything. Collections have been sold on EBay for thousands of dollars; whereas at a garage sale some items would only be sold for a dollar or two. EBay attracts not only the casual buyer, but people looking for something specific. When I’m looking for something, I know that if it’s not on EBay or Amazon.com, I probably won’t find it at all.

Picture taken from Ebay.com on June 1, 2008

Assignment 2-2 Icon Analysis

The first pop culture icon I chose was Ronald McDonald. He’s the mascot for McDonald’s fast food restaurants. McDonald’s is really popular with little kids, and Ronald McDonald is the face of McDonald’s for children. All of their playgrounds, happy meals, and any other child related offerings feature Ronald and his pals as the theme. Even the charity McDonald’s founded for family housing while a loved one is in a children’s hospital is named after Ronald.

Picture taken from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_McDonald on May 29,'08

The second one I chose was the Nintendo DS. This portable video game system is not only marketed for children but for adults as well. This is one of the first portables that offer a variety of programming for adults. Whether it be brain building or adult themed games, the DS offers a number of games aimed just at their adult audience. With its pen shaped stylus it has a wider range of possibilities for game play. Especially with the brain building games, the DS has learned to recognize numbers and letters, allowing the user to input their answers with the pen rather than pushing a button to select an answer from a multiple choice. I even had to go buy one for myself. I <3 that it came in pink. :D

Picture Taken from a search result linking to Circuit City's website.

The third pop culture icon I chose is the "totally organic" Clairol Herbal Essences commercials where women moan and make a lot of noise while taking a shower. I still think of that commercial every time I go by an Herbal Essences product. I tend to ask my boyfriend if he will be moaning like that if he uses this product. Hahaha I doubt that I’m the only one that remembers this commercial line. It was extremely memorable.

Here's a link to one of the commercials on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkD6EmeDYOY

Assignment 1-4

This week the topic I’d like to discuss is the cellular phone. I can remember a time not so long ago when your average person didn’t have a cell phone. Only business people had them, and they came in a briefcase sized bag and had a cord attached from the handset to a large unit. Then came something that looks similar to the cell phones we have today. They were still something that people didn’t feel they needed. Now every child over the age of 10 seems to have one. If I could go back to the early 90’s and tell people that in 2008 small children and people at the welfare office had cell phones they wouldn’t believe me.
Cell phone commercials are a popular culture icon in their own rite. The phrase, “Can you hear me now?” is well known by most people. You can’t watch TV for an hour without seeing at least 2 mobile phone company ads.
With today’s cell phones and plans becoming more and more affordable it’s becoming a reasonable alternative to paying long distance phone charges. People are abandoning their land lines and going completely wireless.
Today’s cell phones have replaced the camera, day planner, and personal music device. Why carry a lot of hardware if you can carry just your cell phone. You know you’re going to be carrying it anyway. I can’t leave my house without mine. If someone calls and I don’t answer it, they automatically think I died. Texting has become a part of my life. Just as sending pictures without using the computer has. Not to mention that I feel much safer when I’m driving or walking somewhere. It’s nice to know that both mommy and 9-11 are just a push of a button away.