This semester we learned a lot about "popular culture." So what is it? That's a good question. My best answer to you would be that it consists of the things that affect/reflect on the state of the society as a whole. "Popular culture" affects/reflects the views, morals, needs, wants, and ideals of the society. It does this mainly through the mass media. Things such as the news, television, film, porn, and advertising show the views that our society feels are important and thus influences our views on what is important.
It is important to have some understanding of "popular culture" in order to find the meaning in many of the things happening in our society today. With recent advances in technology we are quickly approaching a sensory overload and it is more important than ever to be able to make sense of the countless messages you receive from the media in a day. We are under constant assault from advertisements and media on our phones, the internet, television, and from print sources. The study of popular culture helps you to understand a little about the meanings and messages behind the things you see and experience. While you may still just "go with the flow" most of the time and subconsciously absorb everything, it's important to understand that some things are deeper than face value in order to analyze them and make responsible decisions in your life instead of just doing what everyone else does.
A larger understanding of "popular culture" will then allow you to examine the things that are prevalent in our society to understand the views and morals of the society as a whole. This is important if you want to understand where we are, where we've been, and where we're heading. It's very possible that with the increases in crudity, desensitization to violence, and encroachment of new technologies in our lives, you may not like where we're going. You first have to understand those things if you want to make and changes. That's why the study of "popular culture" is important. Otherwise, you may as well be part of the herd.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Monday, December 3, 2012
The Daily News
In his article "All I Know is what I Read in the Papers," Chuck Klosterman talks about all the reasons people claim they hate the media. Klosterman feels people have a right to hate the media, but most people hate it for the wrong reasons. He explains a little bit about how the media machine really works and how most things come down to deadlines and timing. By doing so he gives some examples of what would make very good reasons to hate the media. I, however, have another, THE NEWS!
Last week in class we watched an episode of the NBC Nightly News. I found that the news has really become about 20 minutes of useless info that interests a small minority of the people who are reached by it. Many of the stories covered were just curiosity pieces with no real impact on peoples lives. One of the most covered stories was the Powerball Jackpot. Although interesting, outside the one or two people in the country who would win, that story provided no real useful information to anyone and it was not going to impact their lives outside the few who went out and threw away money on tickets because of the publicity the jackpot was receiving. Another story was about Obama and Romney having dinner at the White House. What real value or impact did that news have for the average person watching the news?
The worst story I saw was the story about the Mars Rover discovering something on Mars. They teased that it could be something big that would find it's way into the history books. They spent time speculating on what the find could be and questioning consultants, all the while having no clue what was found because NASA wasn't releasing the findings until the next week. This is a great example of a curiosity piece used as filler.
The only story I saw that most people needed to know due to it's potential impact on them or their loved ones was the story on Medicare. The story was covered at the beginning of the broadcast. It concerned pending legislation to raise the age of qualification for Medicare benefits. The topic seemed well researched and presented to the public. After that though it was mostly filler. And that's why I hate the media, wasting my time with so-called news that has no real impact on my life. The majority of news stories are just curiosities that I don't need to know.
Last week in class we watched an episode of the NBC Nightly News. I found that the news has really become about 20 minutes of useless info that interests a small minority of the people who are reached by it. Many of the stories covered were just curiosity pieces with no real impact on peoples lives. One of the most covered stories was the Powerball Jackpot. Although interesting, outside the one or two people in the country who would win, that story provided no real useful information to anyone and it was not going to impact their lives outside the few who went out and threw away money on tickets because of the publicity the jackpot was receiving. Another story was about Obama and Romney having dinner at the White House. What real value or impact did that news have for the average person watching the news?
The worst story I saw was the story about the Mars Rover discovering something on Mars. They teased that it could be something big that would find it's way into the history books. They spent time speculating on what the find could be and questioning consultants, all the while having no clue what was found because NASA wasn't releasing the findings until the next week. This is a great example of a curiosity piece used as filler.
The only story I saw that most people needed to know due to it's potential impact on them or their loved ones was the story on Medicare. The story was covered at the beginning of the broadcast. It concerned pending legislation to raise the age of qualification for Medicare benefits. The topic seemed well researched and presented to the public. After that though it was mostly filler. And that's why I hate the media, wasting my time with so-called news that has no real impact on my life. The majority of news stories are just curiosities that I don't need to know.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Young Witches and Wizards Unite!
For our last class assignment we read an insightful and informative article by Chuck Klosterman titled "Sulking with Lisa Loeb on the Ice Planet Hoth." In the article Klosterman detailed how the film trilogy Star Wars took the world by storm and influenced a generation. People were caught up in the spectacle of the movies, seeing them multiple times, buying merchandise, dressing as characters, and modeling themselves after the characters in the films. I believe mass media has provided us with a similar cultural force in the Harry Potter franchise that is having a similar impact on the current generation.
Harry Potter started off as a book series. It caught fire and quickly gained a large following that only increased in an explosion of popularity as more books were released. Unlike most books the series was constantly re-released as special editions and boxed sets while the series was being completed. The books were transformed, while the series was still being written, into a motion picture franchise that became a blockbuster. People turned out in droves to see the films and the series did incredibly well. The movies received similar treatment to the books. Each came available on dvd when released, but were being constantly repackaged as special editions and box sets as each film was released.
With the success of both the film and book series, merchandising became a lucrative venture for the franchise. You could buy any number of collectibles seen or used by the characters in the films. You could buy costumes to dress as your favorite characters. Video games, toys, theme park rides, almost nothing was immune from being touched by the Harry Potter franchise. It has enveloped our culture to such a point that references to many of the characters in the films are considered to be common knowledge, things everyone should know and understand, fans of the series or not. Star Wars defined the last generation, we have Harry Potter.
Harry Potter started off as a book series. It caught fire and quickly gained a large following that only increased in an explosion of popularity as more books were released. Unlike most books the series was constantly re-released as special editions and boxed sets while the series was being completed. The books were transformed, while the series was still being written, into a motion picture franchise that became a blockbuster. People turned out in droves to see the films and the series did incredibly well. The movies received similar treatment to the books. Each came available on dvd when released, but were being constantly repackaged as special editions and box sets as each film was released.
With the success of both the film and book series, merchandising became a lucrative venture for the franchise. You could buy any number of collectibles seen or used by the characters in the films. You could buy costumes to dress as your favorite characters. Video games, toys, theme park rides, almost nothing was immune from being touched by the Harry Potter franchise. It has enveloped our culture to such a point that references to many of the characters in the films are considered to be common knowledge, things everyone should know and understand, fans of the series or not. Star Wars defined the last generation, we have Harry Potter.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Reality TV
This week we read an article by Chuck Klosterman on the subject of reality television. In the article, Klosterman makes the case that reality tv, which was supposed to reflect reality, is actually affecting reality and turning reality into a reflection of it. He feels that this is being done in the ways that people's personalities are changing. Klosterman feels that people on reality tv have been distilled into one-dimensional personalities (i.e. the black guy, the gay guy, etc.). This has affected how people act in the real world. Many people are starting to act in the personality and character achetypes they see on tv, and are becoming shallow and one-dimensional themselves.
I believe media is affecting people's behavior in other ways as well. They're making fashion decisions that affect how they dress and what brands they wear based on what they're told is cool or fashionable by advertisers and celebrities. People belong to book clubs and read certain books just because celebrities like Oprah say they should. I believe popular culture has such a wide effect on people for a couple reasons. First, they think they things that are broadcast to millions of people are automatically cool, to be desired, and are perfectly acceptable to emulate. People are also gullible enough to do things just because a celebrity says. They do so either to fit in and be part of the "cool" group, or because they blindly think famous people know better than them.
I believe media is affecting people's behavior in other ways as well. They're making fashion decisions that affect how they dress and what brands they wear based on what they're told is cool or fashionable by advertisers and celebrities. People belong to book clubs and read certain books just because celebrities like Oprah say they should. I believe popular culture has such a wide effect on people for a couple reasons. First, they think they things that are broadcast to millions of people are automatically cool, to be desired, and are perfectly acceptable to emulate. People are also gullible enough to do things just because a celebrity says. They do so either to fit in and be part of the "cool" group, or because they blindly think famous people know better than them.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Music: Rap vs. Country
This past week we discussed popular music in class. The two forms we discussed, rap and country, are vastly different. They seek different audiences and represent disparate cultures and ways of living. Despite all their diffences though, there are a couple of ways that rap and country music are very similar.
The first way these two genres are similar is that lyrics are very important to both forms of music. The subject matter of the two genres are very different, but the lyrics are important to each genre's success. With rap, the lyrics tend to revolve around sex, violence, wealth, and misogyny. These lyrics play a large role in the genre's attraction to it's fan base. It's been said that one of the reasons the artist Eminem is so popular is that his lyrics are so clear and easily understood. With country music, the lyrics are also very important. It's been said that the lyrics in country music are "highly specific but secretly universal." That means the lyrics refer to a certain thing or even,t but those listening identify the lyrics with their own personal experiences or easily understand the experience being portrayed.
The second way these genres are similar is the need for authenticity in their artists. Fans of country and rap each want artists who have "been there, done that" and epitomize the fans view of what a star in that genre should be. In rap music, artists try to portray themselves as bad boys; thugs, gang members, criminals, etc. There is a need to "keep it real" and "represent" in order to build and maintain their fanbase. With country music, artists need to represent the country ideals. Country music fans don't want slick artists who grew up in the big city. They want country boys, cowboys. Almost all the popular country musicians you see reflect this, wearing blue jeans and cowboy hats.
As you can see, country and rap are different. They both are very popular though for some of the same reasons. The only difference is the content and messages that each form of music try to deliver to their fans.
The first way these two genres are similar is that lyrics are very important to both forms of music. The subject matter of the two genres are very different, but the lyrics are important to each genre's success. With rap, the lyrics tend to revolve around sex, violence, wealth, and misogyny. These lyrics play a large role in the genre's attraction to it's fan base. It's been said that one of the reasons the artist Eminem is so popular is that his lyrics are so clear and easily understood. With country music, the lyrics are also very important. It's been said that the lyrics in country music are "highly specific but secretly universal." That means the lyrics refer to a certain thing or even,t but those listening identify the lyrics with their own personal experiences or easily understand the experience being portrayed.
The second way these genres are similar is the need for authenticity in their artists. Fans of country and rap each want artists who have "been there, done that" and epitomize the fans view of what a star in that genre should be. In rap music, artists try to portray themselves as bad boys; thugs, gang members, criminals, etc. There is a need to "keep it real" and "represent" in order to build and maintain their fanbase. With country music, artists need to represent the country ideals. Country music fans don't want slick artists who grew up in the big city. They want country boys, cowboys. Almost all the popular country musicians you see reflect this, wearing blue jeans and cowboy hats.
As you can see, country and rap are different. They both are very popular though for some of the same reasons. The only difference is the content and messages that each form of music try to deliver to their fans.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Digital Nation
This week in class we watched the documentary "Digital Nation." The documentary concerned how much technology is impacting our lives. The documentary covered both positive and negative effects that people feel technology is having on people and society. Three main points that were covered in the documentary were; living faster, relationships, and virtual worlds.
The documentary covered how technology is speeding up our lives and causing us to live faster. One study covered in the documentary focused on the increase of multi-tasking in students. A growing number of students are attempting to do multiple tasks at a time. For example, sitting in a lecture with their laptop, listening to the lecture, taking notes, watching a video, and checking texts on their phone. The study found that these so called "multi-taskers" were actually doing each task poorly compared to doing one task at a time, therefore showing they were not really effective at multi-tasking. Some argue that all the new technology in our lives is leading us to sensory overload and that new technology is outpacing our efforts to research it's effects on society.
Another topic covered was relationships. Many people argue that technology has led to a distance and alienation in most relationships. For example, people used to meet face-to-face to talk and socialize. With phones, then even more with cell phones, people started talking long-distance without the social interaction of face-to-face contact. Now many people only communicate by text-based methods like texting and e-mail. The documentary also represented people who feel technology is beginning to help relationships. They claim technology gives people who feel the urge to connect to other people the ability to do so. People can reach out to friends and family in distant locales and maintain a relationship that would have been near impossible previously. With online video, you are starting to be able to have that intimacy of being face-to-face and seeing and hearing the other person.
The last main topic I saw was virtual worlds. A lot of the documentary covered the dark side of the issue. It claimed that playing video games is highly addictive and had led to the creation of classes to teach computer usage and etiquette, as well as rehabilitation programs for video game addicts. That is a potential downside. On the upside, video games give people access to a highly immersive and powerful vicarious life. Video games give you the ability to do, and experience, things that you may never be able to experience in real life. For some, this is no more than entertainment. For others, it allows them to unleash frustrations with real life in a more healthy way than doing those things in reality.
"Digital Nation" showed that technology is moving fast. We have no choice but to adapt. It is only going to become more integrated in our lives in the future.
The documentary covered how technology is speeding up our lives and causing us to live faster. One study covered in the documentary focused on the increase of multi-tasking in students. A growing number of students are attempting to do multiple tasks at a time. For example, sitting in a lecture with their laptop, listening to the lecture, taking notes, watching a video, and checking texts on their phone. The study found that these so called "multi-taskers" were actually doing each task poorly compared to doing one task at a time, therefore showing they were not really effective at multi-tasking. Some argue that all the new technology in our lives is leading us to sensory overload and that new technology is outpacing our efforts to research it's effects on society.
Another topic covered was relationships. Many people argue that technology has led to a distance and alienation in most relationships. For example, people used to meet face-to-face to talk and socialize. With phones, then even more with cell phones, people started talking long-distance without the social interaction of face-to-face contact. Now many people only communicate by text-based methods like texting and e-mail. The documentary also represented people who feel technology is beginning to help relationships. They claim technology gives people who feel the urge to connect to other people the ability to do so. People can reach out to friends and family in distant locales and maintain a relationship that would have been near impossible previously. With online video, you are starting to be able to have that intimacy of being face-to-face and seeing and hearing the other person.
The last main topic I saw was virtual worlds. A lot of the documentary covered the dark side of the issue. It claimed that playing video games is highly addictive and had led to the creation of classes to teach computer usage and etiquette, as well as rehabilitation programs for video game addicts. That is a potential downside. On the upside, video games give people access to a highly immersive and powerful vicarious life. Video games give you the ability to do, and experience, things that you may never be able to experience in real life. For some, this is no more than entertainment. For others, it allows them to unleash frustrations with real life in a more healthy way than doing those things in reality.
"Digital Nation" showed that technology is moving fast. We have no choice but to adapt. It is only going to become more integrated in our lives in the future.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Masculinity and Violence
This week in class we discussed masculinity and violence. What makes a man masculine? Some would say rugged good looks, tall, muscular, athletic, rough, tough, etc. One of the subjects we discussed as a symbol of masculinity was the "Marlboro Man." He has been used in television and print ads for decades to sell cigarettes and has been successful due to the symbols of masculinity people apply to him. First of all, he's a cowboy. Most people think of cowboys as tough and self-sufficient. They also generally think of cowboys as rugged and handsome. These are just some of the qualities often used to define masculinity.
We also discussed the prevalence of violent content in mass media. The two articles we read had opposing view on the impact this violent content had on our youth. One article felt that our youth were being harmed by the violence in TV, movies and games. This harm came in an increase in violent acts and a desensitization to violence. The other article felt that there were other factors that were to blame than violent media. They felt poverty, parenting, and other factors played a bigger role.
One thing is clear about violence and masculinity. That is the fact that mass media often uses violence to define masculinity. Look at all action movies. It is usually a large, muscled tough guy in the lead role. Every Arnold Schwarzenegger film is built around violence, and I doubt you would find anyone who would argue that he isn't masculine. In Pulp Fiction, a graphicly violent film, Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta play hit men. They are depicted as rough, tough, no-nonsense types who would be described as very masculine. In media, the maculine guy is the guy who never shies away from a fight, and usually wins.
We also discussed the prevalence of violent content in mass media. The two articles we read had opposing view on the impact this violent content had on our youth. One article felt that our youth were being harmed by the violence in TV, movies and games. This harm came in an increase in violent acts and a desensitization to violence. The other article felt that there were other factors that were to blame than violent media. They felt poverty, parenting, and other factors played a bigger role.
One thing is clear about violence and masculinity. That is the fact that mass media often uses violence to define masculinity. Look at all action movies. It is usually a large, muscled tough guy in the lead role. Every Arnold Schwarzenegger film is built around violence, and I doubt you would find anyone who would argue that he isn't masculine. In Pulp Fiction, a graphicly violent film, Samuel L Jackson and John Travolta play hit men. They are depicted as rough, tough, no-nonsense types who would be described as very masculine. In media, the maculine guy is the guy who never shies away from a fight, and usually wins.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Metaphors Present in "Football High"
We recently read "From 'Knockout Punch...'" by Ralph Donald. In it he discussed a dozen metaphors that were being interchangeably used between sports and war films, and the effect they had on male youth. In the video "Football High" we saw many of these metaphors used and the effects they had. Here are three examples:
First is "You gotta play hurt." Young men are taught in sports that their team is counting on them. If they are hurt, they need to keep playing as long as they can. This was especially evident in the video in a scene where the running back, Garrett Harper, got his bell rung on a play. When he came to the sidelines, he kept repeating "I'm OK, I remember everything." He was trying to convince everyone that he wasn't hurt so he could keep playing.
Second is "Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser." This is evident in the film with the team the video focuses on, the Shiloh Christian Saints from Springdale, AR. They started to receive all their recognition only when they improved their football program into a perennial powerhouse. They were consistently one of the top teams in their state and other programs started to try being like them. Then they played a larger Euless Trinity team from Texas in a nationally televised game. They lost, and that's what most people will remember. Because of that, instead of concentrating on what had made them successful, they wanted to model themselves more after the team who beat them. That way they would be winners and not losers.
Third is "Appreciate your interference, don't hog all the glory, and sacrifice for the team." This was in evidence with star recruit QB Kyle Frazier. As an undeniable talent, he had help prepping him for his college, and hopefully pro, career. In his interviews you could see the humility he spoke with. Instead of bragging about his talents, he praised his teammates and offensive line, sharing the glory and showing appreciation for the men up front who allowed him to do his job.
First is "You gotta play hurt." Young men are taught in sports that their team is counting on them. If they are hurt, they need to keep playing as long as they can. This was especially evident in the video in a scene where the running back, Garrett Harper, got his bell rung on a play. When he came to the sidelines, he kept repeating "I'm OK, I remember everything." He was trying to convince everyone that he wasn't hurt so he could keep playing.
Second is "Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser." This is evident in the film with the team the video focuses on, the Shiloh Christian Saints from Springdale, AR. They started to receive all their recognition only when they improved their football program into a perennial powerhouse. They were consistently one of the top teams in their state and other programs started to try being like them. Then they played a larger Euless Trinity team from Texas in a nationally televised game. They lost, and that's what most people will remember. Because of that, instead of concentrating on what had made them successful, they wanted to model themselves more after the team who beat them. That way they would be winners and not losers.
Third is "Appreciate your interference, don't hog all the glory, and sacrifice for the team." This was in evidence with star recruit QB Kyle Frazier. As an undeniable talent, he had help prepping him for his college, and hopefully pro, career. In his interviews you could see the humility he spoke with. Instead of bragging about his talents, he praised his teammates and offensive line, sharing the glory and showing appreciation for the men up front who allowed him to do his job.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Romance...How Movies Make Us Yearn for Love
Chuck Klosterman wrote a very good and thought-provoking article on mass media's impact on our feelings about romance, love, and relationships. He opens by stating that he will never be satisfied by a woman, or will he be able to satisfy her. He blames this on mass media and their portrayal of romance. In movies you see the people who have out-of-control, crazy-in-love romances. This makes you want that same romance. In movies, no matter the difficulties, everything always works out. He states that we are all moved by these depictions and measure our relationships against them. He calls this "fake love" because we are yearning after a fictional symbol of romance that is often unattainable. He also points out that these fictional portrayals cause us to "need something more than we want." Humans feel a need for a relationship and emotional connection to other beings. If you stop to think about the effects that relationship may have on your life, you may find that you are actually happier single. People even go so far as to fall in love with fictional characters they see in movies, and then measure potential partners against those fictitious creations.
There are several examples of these concepts to be found in movies. In "The Five-Year Engagement" you have two people who are madly in love until they are engaged. Then things start happening to postpone their wedding and force them apart. In the end, everything works out and they finally get married. In "Avatar" you have a good example of crazy-in-love. The main character is willing to give up his race, his world, to be with the girl he falls for. As for the "Twilight" series, it embodies fake love. The are groups of girls who are absolutely in love with Edward, a fictional character from the movie, and he's a vampire no less. These are just a few examples of how media shapes our views on relationships.
There are several examples of these concepts to be found in movies. In "The Five-Year Engagement" you have two people who are madly in love until they are engaged. Then things start happening to postpone their wedding and force them apart. In the end, everything works out and they finally get married. In "Avatar" you have a good example of crazy-in-love. The main character is willing to give up his race, his world, to be with the girl he falls for. As for the "Twilight" series, it embodies fake love. The are groups of girls who are absolutely in love with Edward, a fictional character from the movie, and he's a vampire no less. These are just a few examples of how media shapes our views on relationships.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Video 3
Please enjoy the video "I Wish You Would" by DJ Khaled ft. Kanye West & Rick Ross
http://www.vevo.com/watch/dj-khaled/i-wish-you-would-explicit/USCMV1200090?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=watch&utm_campaign=wp_djkhaled_iwishyouwould#/watch/dj-khaled/i-wish-you-would-explicit/USCMV1200090?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=watch&utm_campaign=wp_djkhaled_iwishyouwould
http://www.vevo.com/watch/dj-khaled/i-wish-you-would-explicit/USCMV1200090?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=watch&utm_campaign=wp_djkhaled_iwishyouwould#/watch/dj-khaled/i-wish-you-would-explicit/USCMV1200090?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=watch&utm_campaign=wp_djkhaled_iwishyouwould
Killing Us Softly 3
In the video, Killing Us Softly 3, Jean Kilbourne details many ways that advertising is harmful to women. Advertising subjugates women in a variety of ways. In ads you'll often see them portrayed as little more than sexual objects, infantilized, passive, silenced, etc. Very rarely will you see an ad portraying a woman as active and powerful. Ads also portray an unrealistic standard of how women should look. Studies show that only 5% of women have the same body type as the models seen in ads. This puts a lot of pressure on women to obtain an ideal beauty defined by society that is clearly unattainable. Below I have an ad for "Baby Lips" by Maybelline.
In this ad you see the overarching tones of the infantilization of women in today's advertising. The product is aptly titled "Baby Lips." While some may argue that it's just promoting soft lips, it's implying that your body has to be more youthful than your age to be appealing. The product packaging also does not make it seem to be a serious adult product. This is pandemic in the advertising industry today where we are making grown women appear more youthful and innocent, while making younger girls seem more mature and alluring, blurring the lines of what is good and decent. This has a very negative impact on women. Men, seeing these images propagated by mass media, are also affected. These images can warp people's views of women and the role they play in society. We need to start presenting women as equals in society, and advertising it, if we hope to create a future where everyone is equal and valued for their own worth.
In this ad you see the overarching tones of the infantilization of women in today's advertising. The product is aptly titled "Baby Lips." While some may argue that it's just promoting soft lips, it's implying that your body has to be more youthful than your age to be appealing. The product packaging also does not make it seem to be a serious adult product. This is pandemic in the advertising industry today where we are making grown women appear more youthful and innocent, while making younger girls seem more mature and alluring, blurring the lines of what is good and decent. This has a very negative impact on women. Men, seeing these images propagated by mass media, are also affected. These images can warp people's views of women and the role they play in society. We need to start presenting women as equals in society, and advertising it, if we hope to create a future where everyone is equal and valued for their own worth.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Video 2
This week we have a song from spring returning to the top of the Billboard charts. I happened to like this song when it came out. Now that it's receiving attention again I thought I would share it with those of you who may not have heard it. Below is a link to Whistle by Flo Rida.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSnkWzZ7ZAA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSnkWzZ7ZAA
Pornography
Pornography is something that has become increasingly common in society today due to the Internet. The Internet made pornography readily available to everyone in the comfort of their own homes. This easy and private access has led to the expression of ideals that were once considered taboo and not mainstream. Things like fetishes found on the Internet were not readily available in magazines at the newsstand prior to the inception of the Internet. Internet porn in a way has provided a deeper insight into the needs and desires of a variety of people because there are two benefits to communing online. You have anonymity, so nobody knows who you are or what you are doing. It also gives you a sense of community. If that video has already been viewed by millions of people, you're not an outcast or pervert.
Along with pornography, sexual imagery is becoming more and more widespread. The old saying, "Sex Sells", is more true than ever. Sexual imagery is being used to sell almost every product known to man. You can't read through a magazine or watch TV for an hour without encountering an advertisement using sexual imagery to sell it's products. This over saturation of sex on society has started to influence and/or desensitize people to issues of sexuality that were once considered aberrant. Ten years ago the imagery and topics discussed in advertisements today would have been considered too graphic. Also there has been growing support and indifference to topics like same-sex marriage. The more exposed and educated society becomes to sexuality is going to help people identify with each other and form a more cohesive society.
Along with pornography, sexual imagery is becoming more and more widespread. The old saying, "Sex Sells", is more true than ever. Sexual imagery is being used to sell almost every product known to man. You can't read through a magazine or watch TV for an hour without encountering an advertisement using sexual imagery to sell it's products. This over saturation of sex on society has started to influence and/or desensitize people to issues of sexuality that were once considered aberrant. Ten years ago the imagery and topics discussed in advertisements today would have been considered too graphic. Also there has been growing support and indifference to topics like same-sex marriage. The more exposed and educated society becomes to sexuality is going to help people identify with each other and form a more cohesive society.
Monday, September 3, 2012
First Video
In line with the title of my blog, I wish to share some music that I hope you will enjoy, and help you recover from the tiresome task of reading my blog posts, LOL. Below is a link to the video for Lil Wayne's Mirror-Feat Bruno Mars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZLUa8JUR18&feature=g-user-u
I hope you enjoy. As far as popular culture in rap and hip-hop, you can definitely argue Lil Wayne and Bruno Mars to be two of the biggest names in the game today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZLUa8JUR18&feature=g-user-u
I hope you enjoy. As far as popular culture in rap and hip-hop, you can definitely argue Lil Wayne and Bruno Mars to be two of the biggest names in the game today.
The Pursuit of Happiness
We all strive to make decisions in our lives that will make us happy. After all, isn't that what we all want? Despite that fact, studies have shown that we are not very good at making decisions that make us happy, or at least, not as happy as we thought we would be. One of the things these studies have shown is that people have an "impact bias" of how they feel future events will impact them. The "impact bias" causes people to think good things will be greater than they really are, and that bad things will be even worse than they end up being.
I have found this to be true in my own life. I have had a variety of jobs that have provided me with different levels of income. Some jobs I thought going in that I would like less, but since I made more money, I would be happy overall. Other times, I took less money to do a job I thought I would like more, and thought that would make me happy. The truth is, after the newness of the opportunity wore off, I found my happiness back where it was previously. If I enjoyed work more than making money, that made my personal life more stressful as I had less money for the things I wanted. If I did a job that I liked less but paid more, my personal life improved, but I grew to hate going to work and overall my happiness was the same. In each case I wasn't as happy as I thought I would be for as long as I thought I would be. This same bias applies to material possessions as well. Last year I bought myself a huge 73" 3D DLP TV. I thought it was my greatest purchase ever and loved it. What should happen? A couple months later they came out with their new model year and had a huge 92" TV. I instantly wanted the newer, bigger TV. I still have my 73", mostly due to finances, and love it. I still have that thought in the back of my mind that I would like that bigger one a lot more, even though I know the one I have is enough. Popular culture has had a big impact on how I, and others view happiness. Media is always promoting things on the cutting edge, usually meaning bigger and better, and thus has caused many people to think of happiness in terms of the things they have.
I have found this to be true in my own life. I have had a variety of jobs that have provided me with different levels of income. Some jobs I thought going in that I would like less, but since I made more money, I would be happy overall. Other times, I took less money to do a job I thought I would like more, and thought that would make me happy. The truth is, after the newness of the opportunity wore off, I found my happiness back where it was previously. If I enjoyed work more than making money, that made my personal life more stressful as I had less money for the things I wanted. If I did a job that I liked less but paid more, my personal life improved, but I grew to hate going to work and overall my happiness was the same. In each case I wasn't as happy as I thought I would be for as long as I thought I would be. This same bias applies to material possessions as well. Last year I bought myself a huge 73" 3D DLP TV. I thought it was my greatest purchase ever and loved it. What should happen? A couple months later they came out with their new model year and had a huge 92" TV. I instantly wanted the newer, bigger TV. I still have my 73", mostly due to finances, and love it. I still have that thought in the back of my mind that I would like that bigger one a lot more, even though I know the one I have is enough. Popular culture has had a big impact on how I, and others view happiness. Media is always promoting things on the cutting edge, usually meaning bigger and better, and thus has caused many people to think of happiness in terms of the things they have.
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