Assignment 1-3; Journal Article Analysis

The Twittering of Twilight

            The article chosen for this assignment is one written by Joseph Natoli which is titled “The Twittering of Twilight” (2010).  To summarize the article in one simple statement, it is the writer giving his thoughts on how most of the people in our society live in the here and now with total disregard to history and no concern or thoughts of the future.  His message comes through loud and clear through his analogies of two current day popular culture artifacts; the movie Twilight and the social network Twitter.

            He begins his article with a quote concerning how great it would be if social networks, such as Twitter, could differentiate between what the user deems important and worthwhile of reading, and that which is viewed as written noise and immediately worthy of  the delete button.  According to the writer of the quote, Jamais Cascio (“Get Smart”, The Atlantic, July/August 2009:97) it would allow us to move from a society that only half pays attention to one which is continuously aware ( Natoli, 2010).  Natoli uses this quote as an introduction, or starting point, to his article in order to get the reader on the same page.  In other words, he wants to get the reader in a similar frame of mind. 

            Considering the tone of his article, as well as, continuous use of question marks following a referenced persons name of the past, as if the current day twitter and Twilight lover would be clueless as to whom they were, is suggesting that his targeted audience are those who are highly educated and apt to consider themselves the “scholarly” type.  The normal everyday person, like myself, would most likely find this article condescending, insulting, and quite frankly, irritating. 

Simply put, Natoli believes that those into twitter, and those who love the movie Twilight, are people only concerned with the here and now.  He arrived at this conclusion because according to him, twitter basically has no meaning.  It is just a vehicle for people to comment on what they are doing or thinking about in the moment.  Once it is said, it’s done and over with.  No one looks back; the history of what was said is irrelevant.  Additionally, no one thinks of, or cares about, consequences or issues that could arise in the future from what is said.  Nor do they care or think about the future of our country, our economy, or anything else.  Only the here and now as it effects them.

Those who love Twilight are one in the same.  They love this movie because of what it stands for; the here and now.  As exampled in his article, vampires live for today.  They don’t care about the past as it is irrelevant to them today.  They have no concerns about the future as they are immortal; the forever powerful.  The success of the movie is due to the desires of people wanting to be like Vampires; like Edward.  Immortal and forever powerful; only concerned with today, with themselves.  According to Natoli, it is Bella’s character that people relate to, because in the movie, that’s what she wants.  She wants to be the Vampire, she wants to live forever, carefree, and in the moment.  Further, she only wants to be concerned with herself with no regard for the past, and no fear or worries of the future.  According to the writer, that’s what twitter and Twilight stand for.  Neither have any ties to the past, no cares for historical anything, and no concern for the future; just the here and now.  By the tone of the article, Natoli feels that both are pointless and huge waste of time.

On a personal note, I disagree with Natoli’s thought process.  I believe that the success of twitter is due to a lack of time, rather than simply wanting to live in the here and now with total disregard to the past and future.  Life is very fast paced compared to that of years past.  It is difficult to find time to converse on the phone or plan weekly visits for face to face conversations.  Although I am not one who uses twitter, I believe that the majority of people use it as a vehicle to have continued conversations with old friends and acquaintances.  In other words, it is the current day spot for small talk.

Concerning the movie Twilight, I don’t think the popularity of the movie is due to people wanting to be like vampires, and only being concerned with the here and now.  I believe the movie is successful because it is the ultimate love story.  It follows the romance formula, which by the way has much to do with history; the success of its past is the reason it is still used today.  Additionally, women love Edward because he is the ideal romantic partner.  He is sensitive, sincere, loving, and the ultimate protector, which is the same reason many men want to be like him.  All in all, the relationship that Bella and Edward have is one that most people desire, and in my opinion, that is why the movie is so successful.

         

    

Natoli, J. (2010). The twittering of twilight. The Journal of Popular Culture, 43(4), Retrieved from http://0-journals.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ejc/article.cgi?issn=00223840&issue=v43i0004&article=671_gettot doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5931.2010.00764.x

Weekly Analysis 5

       

 Chuck

            For this weeks analysis I chose the television show Chuck, which airs on Monday nights at 8pm Eastern time on NBC.  The series began with Chuck, a computer geek who worked at an electronics store called The Buy More.  He accidentally downloaded government secrets into his brain (The Internet Movie Database, 2010), which gave him special abilities; not only can he obtain specific information about a person or object by viewing it, but he can pull up a program within his brain, such as martial arts, and actually physically do it.  The government, knowing that this occurred, sent two spies to not only protect him, but utilize his new found abilities to their advantage.  Needless to say, his once simple, geeky life turned to that of action, danger, and heroism.

            The cast is full of characters that are stereotyped into specific roles.  For example, Chuck is a computer geek.  Although he is now a spy, lives a dangerous life, and performs weekly heroic actions, many of his initial responses and dialog still mimic that of a naive computer geek, which is intentional to bring humor to the show.  Sarah, the female spy sent to protect Chuck, is beautiful, sexy, alluring, and very intelligent.  Chuck is in love with her and currently, the two have a romantic relationship.  John, the male spy also protecting Chuck, is the typical he-man.  He is strong, dominant, and fearless, detached from emotion, and thrives on danger.  Morgan, Chucks best friend and co-worker, is somewhere between a nerd and a geek trying desperately to break out of the mold.  Although he has his shining moments, his reactions and dialog many times revert back to that of an inexperienced nerd/geek.  Then there is Lester and Jeff, Chuck’s co-workers.  They think that they are the coolest of cool, but in reality, they are the ultimate loser nerds.  They are quirky, have low intelligence, poor interactive skills, and lousy with women.  Their over-the-top personalities are simply there for laughs.

            I really like this show because it has it all; Action, humor, romance, and suspense.  The stereotyping used give the viewers a quick synopsis of who everyone is, as well as, provides the writers with an endless amount humorous material to lighten the show.  The romance, action, and heroism, which are core to each weekly show, fulfill the fantasy and emotional ties within the viewer.  All in all, this is a great show that has writers who know how to grab the viewer’s attention and keep them coming back for more.

The Internet Movie Database. (2010). Chuck. Retrieved from

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0934814/

Picture retrieved from http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,26425,26637,27060,27113,27182,27284&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=chuck&cp=2&qe=Y2h1&qesig=ngmMemVWz33bVLn8_bqi2w&pkc=AFgZ2tlbFMu_p3DkEcfoxL0WvRfScGj_uKmu4VW84s6vbndtZyZDikrb-kA6PYCtUhOQo474nY2BUzRUuHxTzPIXGf6B3v9U1w&wrapid=tljp128836670502207&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=841&bih=422

Weekly Analysis 4

  http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?&p=                                                             

  fred+the+movie+2010&rs=0&fr=yfp-t-701&fr2=tab-web

                       “Fred the Movie”  


                                                                 

My analysis for this week’s assignment is on Fred the Movie.  I ended up watching this made for television movie with my twelve year old daughter; she said that I was going to love it because it was hilarious.  Evidently this is the latest “cult” movie for preteens.  To give you some background; Fred was an internet sensation and thousands tuned in to YouTube weekly to watch his latest entry.  Eventually he landed a part on I Carly (a Disney show) in which his popularity soared; now we have a movie.

The movie is about Fred, a high pitched speaking preteen who is portrayed as the stereotypical nerd.  He has few friends, no fashion sense, and the one who either everyone picks on or laughs at.  The plot of the movie is based around his love for Judy; the girl who lives across the street.  At the beginning of the movie he heads over to see her and finds that she has moved, so he begins his search to find Judy.  He faces many challenges during his search (which is almost the entire movie) and when he finally locates her he finds that she is having a party in which he was not invited.  All of the kids attending the party give Fred a hard time because he is a loser and not wanted there.  Judy is unsure of why he came and told him he should go.  After a few minutes of being bullied, Fred vomits on Judy and then leaves in horror.  By the time he returned home, the town bully had posted the entire incident on the internet.  This motivated Fred to get even.  He enlisted one of his friends to help him make it appear like he had a huge party and everyone, who was anyone, had attended.  They set up the party area and began filming.  They changed multiple times, which included the use of his mom’s wigs, to look like different people.  When they were finished Fred sent the video to his entire class which resulted in gaining instant popularity and of course, winning his girl. 

To be honest, it took everything I had to sit through the entire movie.  But then again, I am not twelve.  The entire movie was based on stereotypes; Fred being the nerd, the bullies who gave Fred a hard time, and the beautiful girl whom he was in love with.   However, the stereotyping was not intended to offend anyone; it was intended to promote laughter.  The writers were successful at their attempt, at least with the preteens, because they exaggerated the stereotypes to the point of being ridiculous.  There was also romance in the movie, with Fred winning his dream girl’s affections at the end.  In conclusion, I would not recommend this movie for an adult; however, the kids seem to get a charge out of it.

Weekly Analysis 3

 

                                                    

            Helping others is very prevalent in today’s culture.  One can easily find groups of people in any community who have gathered together to make someone’s life better and/or easier.  Although helping others has always been a core value to most, action is taken more often due to public awareness and acknowledgement initiated from the media.  For example, there is a television show on Sunday nights that airs on ABC in which a family, who is typically facing some sort of devastation, is chosen to receive a new home makeover.  The show is appropriately called Extreme Makeover Home Addition.  

            The show is not as simplistic as it sounds.  First, the show focuses on a chosen family and gives the viewers a synopsis of why they need help.  This includes background information on the family, seeing their current living situation, and information on what would happen to the family if they did not receive help (Extreme makeover, 2010).  In most cases the family’s situation is devastating, such as the family having a seriously ill child and being overwhelmed with medical bills.  Because of this situation, home repairs have been neglected to the point that the house should not be lived in.

This immediately results in the viewer having an emotional connection with the family and wanting to see them receive help.  The family is then sent on a week long trip, typically to Disney World, while the house is torn down and replaced with a home that mirrors that of the American Dream.  The best part about the show however, is that the entire community in which the family lives, comes together to help build their new home.   Not only do the viewers get to see the family receive a new home, they get to watch the show’s cast, and the families community, build it. 

Once the home is complete, the family returns.  The family’s reactions and looks on their faces when seeing their new home brings much satisfaction and heartfelt emotion to the viewer.  At the beginning of the show one feels empathy and sorrow for the family.  They are faced with hard times and can barely make it by.  At the end of the show, one is elated to see the once broken hearted and down on their luck family receive what everyone wants; a home equal to that of the American Dream. 

Shows like these play a major role in influencing others to get involved.  Seeing how a community can come together and help an entire family live a better life in a matter of days is motivating.  Shows like this help turn thoughts into actions.  More important, shows like this help create popular culture that is worth talking about. 

ABC. (2010). Extreme makeover home addition. Retrieved from

          http://abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-home-edition/

Weekly Written Analysis 2

2009 was a year that caused much fear; it was the year of the Swine Flu (H1N1) Pandemic.  Many people became ill with this strain of flu and some actually lost their lives.  It was a new strain of flu that appeared resistant to the normal meds; the best defense was prevention.  It was then that the disinfecting wipes became a household item, as well as, a common item found in the office.  The entire purpose of these wipes is to kill the germs to prevent the spread of illness.  Today, we have a vaccine for H1N1; however, the popularity of disinfecting wipes still remains.  In fact, many grocery stores, such as Wal-Mart, have boxes of disinfecting wipes hanging near their grocery carts for their customers, in the event that they feel the need to wipe away the germs.  Disinfecting wipes are not going away soon; using them to prevent illness has become a norm in today’s society.  The H1N1 flu was a scare, and marketing teams took advantage of that fear and created a best seller.  Many people, including myself, still purchase this type of product; I guess we believe that if it kills germs and potentially prevents someone in our family from getting sick, it is money well spent.

Picture retrieved from http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&expIds=17259,25567,26425,26856,26994,27006,27015&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=image+of+disinfectant+wipes&cp=27&wrapid=tljp1286510346375152&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1346&bih=562

Icon Analysis- Assignment 2-2

The three icons chosen for this assignment are Money, McDonalds, and Michael Jordan.  Each is very different from the other; however, each maintains a status which is recognized and familiar to all.

Money; the almighty dollar; everyone knows what it is; everyone wants it.  One must have these paper documents in order to survive.  People work their days away trying to get as many of these paper documents as they can.  People cheat, steal, and kill for it; they beg, plead, and pray for it.  Money is power. Those who own the most are placed upon a pedestal, and they themselves too, become icons.  To me, it is a necessity.  It allows me to feed my children and provide them shelter.  It is also a desire; the more I have, the more of the finer things in life my family and I can have.  Perhaps one day we will not have money; rather services will be exchanged for all of life’s necessities.  But for now, money is something needed, wanted, and a must have for everyone.        

The Golden arches are recognizable to everyone: over 60 million people visit one of McDonalds 32,000 restaurants every day (McDonalds.com, 2010).  This company truly changed the norms concerning eating out, and played a large role in creating what we now call fast food.  It’s not just a fast food restaurant, home of the Big Mac, it’s McDonalds; the creators of the Hamburglar, Grimace, and most important, Ronald.  It’s not only the happy meal, but the special toy inside; in which many have built into collections.  To me, McDonalds is fond memories; saving my babysitting money and walking three miles to buy a cheese burger and fries for my brother and me was a big deal.  It wasn’t just lunch; it was a special event.  Today it’s still special, but now it’s a special treat for my grandkids.

Michael Jordan, “the five time NBA most valuable player” (NBA.com, 2010), is truly a current day icon.  He changed the face of basketball by creating excitement throughout the country over his playing abilities.  Everyone knows the saying “I want to be like mike”.  Although he is now retired, he is still holds his position within people’s hearts and maintains his placing on one of the highest pedestals.  Even today, much money is spent on Michael Jordan shoes and video games.  To me, mike has been, and is a great role model; especially for kids.  To many, he represents success, and the making of a dream. 

McDonalds, . (2010). Our story. Retrieved from http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/our_story.html

NBA.com, . (2010). Michael jordan bio. Retrieved from http://www.nba.com/playerfile/michael_jordan/index.html

Money picture retrieved from http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0WTb_otzK1MMD0AswuJzbkF?p=US+Currency&fr=yfp-t-945&ei=utf-8&x=wrt

McDonald’s picture retrieved from http://money.howstuffworks.com/origins-of-12-modern-icons.htm

Michael Jordan picture retrieved from http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Michael+Jordan&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-945

                          

Weekly Written Analysis 1

    

            Popular culture is the here and now; it’s what’s going on in 2010.  If a time capsule was sealed today, and its contents were that of popular culture, an example of YouTube would be included.  YouTube is an internet forum where individuals, regardless as to who they are or where they come from, can upload video for the world to see.  It is as popular as bread and water.  Unless one lives in isolation, even those who have never owned a computer have heard of YouTube. 

            YouTube was created in February of 2005, and then purchased by Google November 2006 (YouTube, 2010).  Its popularity quickly soared as more and more people realized its capabilities; YouTube gives even the most unknown individual the ability to share their thoughts, talents, or whatever they want, with the world.  According to its website, “People are watching 2 billion videos a day on YouTube and uploading hundreds of thousands of videos daily.  In fact, every minute, 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube” (YouTube.com, 2010).  No longer is it just a vehicle to keep in touch with family and friends, it is also an opportunity for those who hope to become the next big star.

            Much talent has been discovered on YouTube, the most current is Justin Bieber: “Justin was discovered on YouTube when his mother started posting videos of him singing at the age of twelve for his friends and family to see.  Three years later he is one of the world’s youngest pop and R&B singers with his own album, music videos, and celebrity friends and fans, including Usher and Taylor Swift” (O’Neill, 2010).  Justin’s success has given many the hopes that perhaps someday their own talents will be discovered.  Further, it has opened the door for those looking for talent; for example, many televised talent shows, such as America’s Got Talent, allowed people to audition on YouTube rather than travel to an audition site (America’s got talent, 2010).

            Of all the positives that YouTube brings, one still must be cautious.  Although YouTube has many guidelines in which to follow to ensure a safe and pleasant experience for its users, those guidelines are not always followed.  One must keep this in mind when downloading and viewing videos, as well as, remembering that the entire world has the ability to view whatever it is that they upload.

References

America’s got talent. Youtube auditions [Television series episode].

                   (2010). In the United States, America's got talent. NBC.

Google. (2010). Youtube Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/

O'Neill, M. (2010, April 19). Is youtube the new American

idol?. Retrieved from http://www.socialtimes.com/2010/04/is-youtube-the-new-american-idol/

Interesting Popular Culture Artifact

I read your blog and was fascinated by the item you chose. I had never heard of it before. About an hour after reading your blog, I was talking to my son, he is 13 years old, and he was wearing some of them on his wrist. I asked him what they were and he said silly bands. It is strange that I did not notice him wearing these over the past few weeks until someone points it out as a popular culture item. I also wanted to just add how interesting it is that things like this become a fad, whether for a short period of time or a long period of time. But now with technology, fads are spread in record time.

So what is Popular Culture anyway?

According to the book Profiles of Popular Culture, “Popular culture is the system of attitudes, behavior patterns, beliefs, customs, and tastes that define the people of any society” (Edited by Ray Browne, 2005, p. 3. para. 2).  To me, it is the here and now; the television shows we watch, the music we listen to, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the cars we drive, and the homes we want to live in.  It’s what we do for fun; it’s the latest and greatest.  Simply put; it’s the current norms of mainstream society.

Understanding popular culture is not only relevant, but imperative in a business environment; one must know what the consumer wants in order to be successful.  For example, I am in retail; my business depends on having the right products at the right time.  In other words, if we do not have the products that the consumer wants to buy, nothing will sell; without sales, the business will quickly go under.  However, staying in tune with, and understanding popular culture ensures that the business has the right product at the right time.  

An example of a popular culture artifact is that which is pictured above; Silly Bandz.  This is the latest and greatest of juvenile bracelets.  They are pliable bracelets that come in many shapes, such as animals and stars, and come in many colors, including neon and glow-in-the-dark.  I was very excited to see them arrive at my store as I knew they would immediately sell; they were gone in a matter of days.  It would be difficult to find a preteen that was unaware of, or did not own, these bracelets.  Many people call these bracelets a fad; retailers call them a money maker; I call them an artifact of popular culture.      

Browne, R. (Ed.). (2005). Profiles of popular culture. Madison, Wisconsin:  The University of   Wisconsin Press.