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