Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
Games for me
For me video games mean working with other people to achieve a big goal. In my favorite game, Guild Wars 2, there isn't really a way to troll players because without others they have a few very big battles that without a group are impossible for someone alone to defeat.
When I was little, I remember Zelda and Mario games teaching me basic puzzle solving games. These days, playing games with others teaches me how to work in a group and that cooperation is key.
This being said, I've seen pretty good people become not nice when playing games, even going to the extremes of insulting their own friends. I this sense I believe that video games can be very negative to people. Games have ratings which should be stuck to by kids and reinforced by parents, this can prevent kids from taking the wrong things away from more violent video games .
p.s. I am so sorry I had a family thing pop up and posted this as quickly as I could
When I was little, I remember Zelda and Mario games teaching me basic puzzle solving games. These days, playing games with others teaches me how to work in a group and that cooperation is key.
This being said, I've seen pretty good people become not nice when playing games, even going to the extremes of insulting their own friends. I this sense I believe that video games can be very negative to people. Games have ratings which should be stuck to by kids and reinforced by parents, this can prevent kids from taking the wrong things away from more violent video games .
p.s. I am so sorry I had a family thing pop up and posted this as quickly as I could
What is normal anymore?
when you think of something being normal, you automatically think that its that way for everyone else around you, right?
well... in a perfect world, maybe.
What happens, when there are people different than you? That don't have the same hair color as you? Don't wear the same clothes? You'd probably see past those differences
What about if that person was gay? things get a little bit more complicated there.
We all have grown up with this thought of heteronormativity surrounding us, and not even being aware of it. The fact that girls need to like ponies and pink and boys like sports and blue. Anything against that is considered wrong and immoral, and when someone goes against it, it causes a stir.
I think that we should throw out our preconceived ideas about what normal really is, and not let socially acceptable practices dictate what is right for people.
well... in a perfect world, maybe.
What happens, when there are people different than you? That don't have the same hair color as you? Don't wear the same clothes? You'd probably see past those differences
What about if that person was gay? things get a little bit more complicated there.
We all have grown up with this thought of heteronormativity surrounding us, and not even being aware of it. The fact that girls need to like ponies and pink and boys like sports and blue. Anything against that is considered wrong and immoral, and when someone goes against it, it causes a stir.
I think that we should throw out our preconceived ideas about what normal really is, and not let socially acceptable practices dictate what is right for people.
Fourth wave feminism?
Recently, I have heard about the "fourth wave" of feminism coming out. This wave however, is an internet hoax. But although this satire pokes fun at modern feminist movements with the use of parody and exageration, is this wave actually doing good? While Wikipedia and 4Chan are not always a credible source, I did find that these two sites had the most unbiased and valuable information. Particularly for the two biggest topics "bikini bridge" and "free bleeding". Yes "free bleeding" is exactly what it sounds like.
the first, Bikini Bridge, is essentially the gap that comes between a bikini bottom and the woman's stomach when lying down. The two hip bones create a "bridge". An example picture from google is below. This fake trend was meant to make fun of the "thigh gap", although the parody of it is starting to be lost among young girls.
"Free Bleeding" again is just that, a "feminist" form of self expression in which the woman refuses to use feminine hygene products during mensturation. To be perfectly honest, I couldn't read much of it. Not that I am against the idea of a movement towards equality such as this...I just...can''t... The link to the article is also posted below.
http://bikinibridge.tumblr.com/
http://modernwomandigest.com/disturbing-new-feminist-trend-free-bleeding/
Food culture. A global force for good?
Check it!
First off, what a cool idea, right? not only is coke using this commercial as a clever way to bring people together on what may possibly be the most awkward day of their lives, but they advertise their products to us almost subliminally. Never once did you see someone telling you to "enjoy a coke" or was there a celebrity endorsement. I guess it wouldn't hurt that coke is donating all their money that would have been spent on advertising either?
More now, then ever we are seeing a paradigm shift with food companies. There was a bad stigma between the consumer and the producer because we didnt know what we were getting. There was so many unknown ingredients, harmful sugars and additives and the companies didnt inform consumers. The power has shifted to the consumer, giving them the upper hand. They get better products, for better prices, and now companies are beginning to become more honest with their consumer base and letting us know what is actually going into everything.
A slow culture jam.
When you think of culture jamming, what's the first thing that comes to mind?
...is it the people throwing pies in the faces of senators?
...or people switching the voice boxes of Barbies and GI Joes?
Culture jamming exists mainly to throw the scent off of what we believe as mainstream media and counterculture. I can expect to see an advertisement for, say... an NFL football game or something of that nature, I am expecting to see certain stereotypical behaviors from the commercial. A deep manly voice from the announcer, lots of loud noises and possibly even some scenes from the field of people getting hit and hurt.
An example of jamming would be taking the advertisement and using unorthodox stereotypes to get a different message across. So someone could take those same images from the NFL commercial, and then possibly use it for a commercial against overly agressive sports, completely changing the message that the original advertisement had.
Switching gears a little bit, I like to think of the cartoon South Park as a good real world example of culture jamming. Trey Parker and Matt Stone use jamming throughout many of their episodes to make light of current events, or even make fun of pop culture icons...even 9/11 isnt safe...
...is it the people throwing pies in the faces of senators?
...or people switching the voice boxes of Barbies and GI Joes?
Culture jamming exists mainly to throw the scent off of what we believe as mainstream media and counterculture. I can expect to see an advertisement for, say... an NFL football game or something of that nature, I am expecting to see certain stereotypical behaviors from the commercial. A deep manly voice from the announcer, lots of loud noises and possibly even some scenes from the field of people getting hit and hurt.
An example of jamming would be taking the advertisement and using unorthodox stereotypes to get a different message across. So someone could take those same images from the NFL commercial, and then possibly use it for a commercial against overly agressive sports, completely changing the message that the original advertisement had.
Switching gears a little bit, I like to think of the cartoon South Park as a good real world example of culture jamming. Trey Parker and Matt Stone use jamming throughout many of their episodes to make light of current events, or even make fun of pop culture icons...even 9/11 isnt safe...
Heteronormativity - Is it good or bad?
This article had several interesting pointsd for me. first, being the Bechdel Test. "The test is an extremely simple one: A work of fiction "passes" the test if it 1) includes two female characters 2) who talk to each other 3) about something other than a man. Yet, if you take any individual movie, it is likely to fail the test".
This is an interesting concept to me. While I'm not sure if this test excludes any movie that includes this sort of behavior or not, I do klnow that it is very difficult for me to think of a movie where there are two female characters talking about something other than a man. The first film/show that came to mind was Game of Thrones. I probably thought of this show because not only is it my current favorite and the finale is coming up, but also because the show itself has been considered on the cutting edge of sexuality. But of course, after not much thought, I remembered that in fact there is much discussion between women about men. It's a huge story line in the show!
I guess I find this test so interesting because of the idea of a movie/show/work that doesn't include the typical "wives bitching about stupid husbands" aspect. But alas, it is harder to find a work that does not incloude that. Below if the article in which I found the Bechdel Test.
Here's a topic we are all familiar with ... MUSIC.
As this summer Pop Culture class is coming to a close, there is one topic that I wish would have gotten more attention, a topic that many people if not all can relate to... Music. I was thinking about it the other day and trying to connect the dots between music and pop culture. When most people talk about music they probably think entertainment and the latest popular song, but I believe that the discussion about music can go much further and incisive. I have definitely learn a lot throughout the course of these five weeks, one of them includes becoming a more critical receiver in relations to the messages being sent out through different types of mediums/media and as well as determining their rhetorical stature. One of the ways I believe music can connect with pop culture is in relation to commercialism and promoting. An example of this can be experienced through the radio. Have you ever stop to wonder why you hear the SAME songs played over and over and over ... and over on the radio? The songs virtually get stuck to head, leading to exposure of the artist or the songs and trends that lead to popularity, while there are some songs that don't even get a chance or barely get talked about. Pop music seems to be the most popular genre in the world and is undeniably getting more exposure and rising in the charts more faster then its competitors. I did a little research online and discovered that many radio stations and most media outlets are controlled by a few companys that prevent the diversity of music and media. (http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2012/05/the-sad-truth-of-media-consolidation-infographic.html)
Sports vs. Pageants
Today in class after watchiong the video about how the NFL incorporates militaristic aspects and encourages the "All-American" male stereotype, I couldn't help but think about how similar this situation is to that of women in the Pageant world. In this video, Chris Rock makes some interesting points. Men are rewarded based on their physical performance, while women are based on their physuical appearance.
One Counter Culture to Rule Them All.
I’m reserving my right to an opinion right now. Right
reserved. We discussed counter culture in class and there seemed to be an
overall consensus that there was no such thing as counter culture because as
soon as a culture forms that is against societal norms, it gets co-opted and
becomes a sub culture.
I’m evoking my right to an opinion right now. Right evoked.
After a little bit of thought, I’ve decided that punk culture, the way I have
known it, is a counter culture. Punk culture thrives on subverting societal
norms. To the point where even federal and state laws come second to the laws
one creates for themselves. Punk, or anarchist, movements scorn society for a
variety of reasons, and therefore reject current culture patterns. The only
thing that could be co-opted from punk culture is the aesthetic, which, as we
discussed in class, doesn’t mean that the culture itself is being co-opted,
just the look.
For example. Blink 182 was considered a punk band, and one
of the greatest punk bands in history until they signed a record label. The
current punk generation rejected Blink 182, the heroes of punk, for being
sellouts. As soon as Blink 182 entered the mainstream market, they were no
longer true punk rock stars. They became posers. They had the feel, the aesthetic,
and the appeal, but they had been kicked out of their own culture for breaking
the most fundamental rule of that culture. That rule being individuality above
all. The idea that cultural norms and patterns are something to be destroyed,
not followed. Signing a record label put Blink 182 into the hands of the man.
It made the band subservient. Which made them no longer punk.
Reality Check!
One of the biggest topics concerning the vast, everyday-impacting world of pop culture is the theme of TV shows, specifically reality TV. Most if not everybody has seen one, if not it is impossible not to hear about them, as reality show make the story headlines and are hitting up the news feeds frequently. Many people that are faithful viewers of these dramas are not aware of the types of communications signals and messages being flashed at them, because of this many educators of the pop culture genre and scholarly experts like to point out the negative implications of these couch loafing shows. As many people will agree a lot of these shows are blown out of proportion, depicting stereotypes and focusing on lifestyles that aren't common or "real" as their title of reality indicates. In class we analyzed and dissected a few of these shows to see what types of setbacks they are causing or will eventually cause if they are exposed with the same stylistic approaches (stereotypes) in large showings to audiences. As much criticism or even culture jamming that reality TV programs have endured, could there be any positive things to take from them? In my option I think we can take a 180 degree turn and say YES, lets look at the POSITIVE side of things for a change. Currently I am not a big TV person nor do I watch as much reality TV as I use to. My peak for reality TV shows was right around 12 years old, I remember watching random shows on random networks including; VH1(Survivor and celebrity gossip), HLN (anti-crime/prison related Stuff), Spike (anti-crime/prison related stuff), CW (drama mix with relationships) and Discovery (how to fix random stuff), ... yes pretty normal 12 year old shows right? I would say that that those shows didn't necessarily have a"negative" impact, specifically in terms on my out look on reality, if anything it taught me what I should be avoiding when making decision in life. Back at that time I was pretty limited when it came to hobbies so reality shows rescued me from boredom and I'll tell you some of those show I get a kick out of watching (as bad as it might sound, seeing two people going at it for ridicules reasons made my day). I also believe reality TV can be educational teaching people about new ideas (although not the best ideas) and a glimpses into other cultures. so to reiterate, positives of reality tv include,
1. Teaches you how not to do things in life/ promotes lessons and morals by means of plots.
2. Strives towards discovery of many cultures and education about diverse ideas.
3. .... "There's nothing wrong with pure entertainment" - (TV Guide)
1. Teaches you how not to do things in life/ promotes lessons and morals by means of plots.
2. Strives towards discovery of many cultures and education about diverse ideas.
3. .... "There's nothing wrong with pure entertainment" - (TV Guide)
spirit animal = parasocial relationship?
so, in typical white girl fashion, you may have eavesdropped a conversation that included the phrase "such and such is my spirit animal!"
besides the obvious oversized-starbucks and selfie taking, the only thing that really seemed out of the ordinary was the terminology that was being used here. Spirit animal is a term that I, myself have seen pop up more and more recently to define that one special someone that you share almost everything with...
...except the one crucial part of actually having met each other.
Sound familiar?
I my mind's eye, someone's 'spirit animal' can be considered a synonym for a parasocial relationship; they're practically the same thing in multiple facets.
So, in that case, my 'spirit animal' is Jim Halpert from the office.
besides the obvious oversized-starbucks and selfie taking, the only thing that really seemed out of the ordinary was the terminology that was being used here. Spirit animal is a term that I, myself have seen pop up more and more recently to define that one special someone that you share almost everything with...
...except the one crucial part of actually having met each other.
Sound familiar?
I my mind's eye, someone's 'spirit animal' can be considered a synonym for a parasocial relationship; they're practically the same thing in multiple facets.
So, in that case, my 'spirit animal' is Jim Halpert from the office.
What's everyone's 'spirit animal'?
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Cool or weird
To decide what is cool seems very
difficult and a boundary between cool and weird seems very subtle. From the articles,
being different can be considered as cool. However, at the same time, it can be
risky to be different, because those who are different can be also hated.
However, I think this is also related to their ideas or beliefs behind the
surfaces.
For example, a singer Lady Gaga has been
considered both good role model and just weird. Her outfits were often very different
from majority. Someone might say she is cool, because she is different from others.
On the other hand, someone might say she is weird, because she is different
from others. People react what they are not familiar with. Being different can
be cool, but if people are “too different”, they might be discriminated or
segregated. People who are with her way of expression seem to argue over not
how her outfits look nice or good, but what she expresses by outfits. Her
thought or belief captures some people’s mind, and they support her. I think this
seems just like branding. People act for something or someone because of “the
ideas rather than the products”. I think people also tend to praise her courage
that she is not afraid of being different from others, because probably they
know being minority is hard to be in our society.
It is interesting that many icons in
media have perspectives of what we have talked about in class. We might not be
so surprised even if people copy her outfits because of her belief and it
becomes main stream.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)