Assignment 1-4-6

Synthesis and Application

Josh Dusenbery

Popular Culture HUMN 240

Professor Hamlin

November 5, 2011

Synthesis and Application

            This module relates to everything being interlinked. Mainly it talks about the link between pop culture and business culture. This fits really well with my pop culture topic. Extreme sports started off as just people having fun and pushing the limits. It then started to catch on and people realized they could cash in on it. The media created icons of extreme sports and the business side of extreme sports started to flourish.

            It’s hard to believe that in the beginning extreme sports wasn’t commercialized. People participated for the rush or the fun of it. The business aspect seemed to come into play when ESPN adopted the X Games. This extreme sport Olympics started in 1995 and has lasted to this day. They hold a summer and winter competition every year for the top people in the most popular extreme sports. Recently they have started to promote this pretty heavily for people to watch on television which is when the real money comes into play through advertisements.

            Extreme sports not only set the stage for the X Games but it also aloud a few of the icons to flourish with their own shows and in some cases their own shoe line or video game. These people have become household names like, Tony Hawk, Travis Pastrana, Dave Mira, but none more than Rob Dyrdek. Rob has taken on his own business model through shows like “Rob and Big” and “Fantasy Factory”. If it wasn’t for extreme sports we would have no clue who this guy from Kettering, Ohio even was.

            Pop culture and business culture run hand in hand. In most instances pop culture comes first and then the business side. Good businesses are able to predict pop culture and create business around it before anyone else can. To be good in business you would first need to understand pop culture.

Reference

X Games. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Games

           

Assignment 5-1

Formula Analysis

Josh Dusenbery

Popular Culture HUMN 240

Professor Hamlin

October 30, 2011

Formula Analysis

            I have always noticed that most movies seem to follow a similar pattern, but was never aware that this was actually done on purpose and that it had a name. The path that movies follow is referred to as a formula. The movies that I chose to compare were Bad Boys and Independence Day. Even though these are two completely different movies; the pattern, or formula, that they follow are somewhat similar.

            After filling out the grid I was able to more easily compare the two movies. I chose two action-adventure movies that contained spurts of comedy. On the surface they seem to be two completely different movies. Independence Day’s main plot is about aliens taking over Earth; Bad Boys on the other hand is about two cops in Miami, Florida trying to recover stolen drugs from their evidence storage and also avenge the death of a woman. So as you can see, two totally different movies, but after digging deeper they do have a lot more in common than one would think.

            To start, both movies involve the myth good vs. evil. The good guys try to stop the bad guys from creating havoc. The next thing that they have in common is that heroes are not likely heroes in the movie sense. They don’t have special powers or huge muscles. In Independence Day the heroes are David and Steven. David is an air force pilot who rises to any challenge and Steven is a nerdy computer geek that has to be coaxed into going into a dangerous situation. In Bad Boys, the heroes are both cops but not typical cops. They are best friends but bicker constantly. They get the job done but the bend a few rules in the process. Both movies use the heroes bickering to cause comic relief which is part of a newer formula for action adventure movies.

            Both movies share a similar formula. They start the movie by setting the scene. All is calm and then the main conflict happens. This happens in Bad Boys very early in the movie when the bad guys steal the drugs and then a little bit later Max is killed which is part of the sub conflict. In Independence Day the first minor conflict arises when the alien communication is discovered and then the ships are seen. The main conflict happens a little later when the aliens declare their intent by blowing up buildings. Both movies then let you believe that everything will be alright by having the good guys win a small battle but then evil prevails and the good guys are sent back to the drawing boards. Both movies end with someone coming up with a long shot plan and it works. The heroes save the day and good triumphs over evil.        

            There are many commonalities in each column of the graph. In the beliefs column both movies must overcome obstacles to reach the common goal of defeating evil. The myth column points out that both movies follow the good vs. evil myth because the good guys must defeat the bad guys to make the world a safer place or in the case of Independence Day, a place altogether. The hero column specifies that there are two heroes to both movies. The cops in Bad Boy and the Air Force pilot in Independence Day are already heroes to many and even the genius computer nerd in that movie would be a hero already to some. The heroes in both movies are fighting for the greater good and for the most part just doing what they signed up to do. The settings are a little different. In Bad Boys they are mainly in Dade County in Miami, Florida with real life situations. In Independence Day the settings are mainly in major cities in the beginning of the movie and then Area 51 for the rest of the movie. They also do some flying around in an alien spacecraft which, to our knowledge, is fictional. Both movies focus on the ritual of revenge against a fallen comrade or loved one. They also fight to make the world a better place.

            I think that movie formulas today are based on the formulas from the past but like everything in life they must evolve by adding twists and turns. If they deviate too much from the formula you usually see the movie become a huge bust. One director that has strayed from the pack is M. Night Shyamalan. He strays as far as to have the unthinkable happen in the ends of his movies like having evil prevail over good or adds a huge twist to the end that no one saw coming like in Sixth Sense. For the most part though movies follow the normal formula that was developed when movies were first being made. In The Wizard of Oz they had a minor conflict in the beginning with the old lady trying to steal the dog and then the major, main conflict happened of Dorothy ending up in the Land of Oz and trying to get home. In the end the conflict is resolved and she makes it home to Kansas and like many Disney movies a lesson is taught; “there is no place like home” (Fleming, 1939).

Reference

Bay, M. (Director), Simpson, D., & Bruckheimer, J. (Producers). (1995). Bad Boys     [DVD]. Santa Monica, CA: Don Simpson/Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

Emmerich, R. (Director). (1996). Independence Day [DVD]. Culver City, CA:            Centropolis Entertainment.

Artifact	Beliefs	Myth	Hero	Setting	Ritual	Stereotype	Formulas
Movie
Bad Boys	1. Mike and Marcus must find out who took the drugs. 2. Mike needs to avenge Max’s death. 3. “Ride together, we die together; bad boys for life.”	The good vs. evil myth.	Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett. They are detectives for the narcotics division in Miami. Already in a hero role.	Miami, Florida	Mike doesn’t get to mourn the death of his friend because he is trying to get revenge. Marcus complains the whole time about not getting to spend time with family because Mike has to stay with them. After Mike finds friend dead; Marcus vows that they will find killer.	Not typical cops. They don’t really go by the book. Special Agents, DEA, usually are portrayed as doing what they want. Bad guys are chasing Julie and they are trying to protect her, damsel in distress. Due to movie location, Miami, Florida, the characters are racially diversified.	Action-Adventure with comedy Main plot of drugs being stolen from evidence. Sub plot of Max getting killed due to Mike asking for a favor. Mike tries to avenge death of Max with the help of Marcus and also tries to recover the drugs all while protecting Julie who saw Max get killed. Good conquers evil as they kill the bad guy and get the drugs back while keeping Julie safe. Constant bickering between partners, like brothers, creates comedy relief.
Independence Day	1. Protect Earth from Aliens. 2. People put aside differences for the greater good. 3. Originally they many believe that the aliens are here for good but find out that they are here to eliminate us.	Good vs. Evil Myth	Two heroes. David Levinson discovers alien signals. Captain Steven Hiller captures alien and drags to Area 51. Both take alien spacecraft to mother ship to upload computer virus.	Washington, D.C., New York City,  Area 51 All areas are surrounded by alien ships.	Ritual of revenge. Rites of humans to live.	Nerdy guy is computer geek who discovers alien transmissions. American Air Force pilot is hero. Aliens trying to take over world and humans prevail.	Action-Adventure with comedy Discovery of alien communication. We think they are good and they attack. Feel like we losing battle. Someone come up with plan that seems like a long shot and it works. Heroes save the day. Heroes bicker with each other creating comic relief.

Assignment 1-4-5

Extreme Sports and Formulas

Josh Dusenbery

Popular Culture HUMN 240

Professor Hamlin

October 28, 2011

Extreme Sports and Formulas

            When you I think of a formula I either think of a math problem or something that a baby drinks. I recently found that it has another definition. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary has a definition that closely matches the one we learned in this lesson; “customary or set form or method allowing little room for originality”. The example in that I keep seeing is with movies and after thinking about it, it makes sense. It seems that almost all movies of similar genre follow the same pattern. I tried to apply the term formula to the pop culture artifact that I chose, extreme sports, and was not able to do it very easily.

            The closest that I could come to using formulas with extreme sports would have to be with the X Games that ESPN puts on every year. It seems that every year the same people try to out do each other with some crazy trick. This happens in most of the freestyle competitions. The X Games started in 1995 and since then the tricks have become insane especially with the motocross freestyle. Back when they first started a back flip was unheard of and then in 2002 Mike Metzger lands the first every back flip in the competition and everyone when crazy. About four years later Travis Pastrana lands the first double back flip.

            Extreme sports gains popularity mainly due to the extreme adjective. The more crazy the stunt or trick, the more people tune in to watch. It seems like just as I start to get bored watching the tricks they start to promote a new, unseen trick that catches my attention and pulls me back in. So I guess the formula here would be that every year they use a new unseen trick to hype the X Games so that everyone will tune in to watch. This doesn’t quite meet the definition of formula that we are talking about but it’s the best that I could come up with.

Reference

“formula.” 2011. In Merriam-Webster.com.

            Retrieved October 28, 2011, from http://www.merriam-           webster.com/dictionary/formula

X Games. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 28, 2011, from       http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_Games

Assignment 1-3-2

Journal Article Analysis

Josh Dusenbery

Popular Culture HUMN 240

Professor Hamlin

October 26, 2011

Journal Article Analysis

            The journal article that I chose to analyze was Marge Simpson, Blue-Haired Housewife: Defining Domesticity on The Simpsons and was written by Jessamyn Neuhaus. The article’s overall main point was the argument that The Simpsons cartoon “satirizes the mythology of sitcom suburban families and that Marge Simpson’s character reveals the fictionality of the televised housewife in subtle and blatant ways” (Neuhaus, 2010, p. 762). In so many words, the author is trying to point out that the televised housewife is unrealistic and basically not humanly possible.

            The author starts their argument stating that when The Simpsons came out in 1990, they were completely different than any other sitcom families and behaved in almost the exact opposite way as we, as viewers, were used to. The author makes reference to shows like The Donna Reed Show, Leave it to Beaver and Father Knows Best. I could actually throw in a couple shows there myself like The Brady Bunch or pretty much any sitcom based on a family on television before The Simpsons came around. Since The Simpsons start in 1990, especially in the present, there seems to be a trend of shows that are following this formula. Shows like Home Improvement or Family Guy showcase the same formula in the fact that the dad of the family acts like a bumbling idiot and if it weren’t for the mom the family would fall apart.

            Another point that the author makes is that the show also pokes fun at many parts of the American family and work life that was portrayed in the 1950’s sitcoms. Jessamyn backs this up with many examples within the make believe town of Springfield. She points out that the teachers of the town squash any signs of creativity that is shown by the students (Edna Krabappel), the elected officials are corrupt (Mayor Quimby), the police officers are incompetent (Chief Wiggam) and the town is basically owned by a evil, wealthy old man who owns the only source of electricity to the town (Mr. Burns).

            The author does defend the show by showing a few positives that other shows did not portray. The town of Springfield is a very tight knit community where everyone knows everyone else and also the Simpsons regularly attend church, even if they do complain about it. This is a difference that I have never noticed between this show and all the others. I have never seen a sitcom where the family regularly goes to church. She then points out the main positive about the family; that they have one of the most valuable family values of all: a solid nuclear family. As much fighting as they do, they always seem to make up in the end and for as much as Homer messes up, he always finds a way back into Marge’s heart. The author points out many examples of this. Just when Marge hits her breaking point due to one of Homer’s many escapades or blatant neglect for his family, he finds a way to pull her back in again.

            The author then moves on the main point of the article, pointing out how the show uses Marge’s character to poke fun at the housewife role in sitcom families. The author makes her point about this again by stating “There are many aspects of Marge’s role as a wife and mother that deliberately, and brilliantly, satirize the televised stereotype of a preternaturally cheerful homemaker” (Neuhaus, 2010, p. 765). Jessamyn then starts to show examples to support her claim about Marge. The first of these examples is the fact that Marge’s patented blue bee hive makes her 8’6”. Also, in regards to her trademark hair, Homer on occasions finds away to chop it off and in the next scene it somehow has grown back but when the kids shaved their heads Marge had to take them to get wigs. Another example the author uses is that Marge’s voice is the opposite of what you would hear from a televised family sitcom from the 50’s. Instead of a feathery, musical voice; you get a scratchy, rough voice.

            The author finishes up the article by addressing the fact that even though Marge’s role in the show is poking fun at the fact that the sitcom moms’ roles are almost impossible and would never work in the real world. Jessamyn ends the article with the following statement:

            The writers and creators of The Simpsons, like so many of us, have trouble even          

             imagining a home (at least, a televised sitcom home) without a female homemaker.

             Even on one of the most innovative and certainly the most broadly satirical shows

             on television, a woman’s place is in the home. (p. 775)

            When I first read the article I thought to myself that the author was just reaching for something to write about. I thought she was reading too much into the show, but after reading the points that she makes I agree with a lot of the things that she talks about. She shows many examples that support her claims about how The Simpsons basically broke the mold of a typical family sitcom by poking fun at the “normal” families on previous sitcoms. Many of the sitcoms before The Simpsons portrayed the mom as the perfect house mom or “Suzie Homemaker”. Marge Simpson basically goes above and beyond this concept because of everything she has to put up with (Homer) and she is still able to hold down the fort.

            This article, in my opinion, is not a very important one; it is however a good read. I liked all of the reference to different episodes that the author made, but as far as the importance of the context, I felt that it had more of an entertaining value. The only important piece of information that I took from this article is that The Simpsons did change the rules for how a sitcom family should act. Instead of being like the Cosby family, they made the show sort of the opposite. The author even makes reference to The Simpsons creating their own formula, an antisitcom of sorts.

           

Reference

Neuhaus, J. (2010). Marge Simpson, Blue-Haired Housewife: Defining Domesticity on The Simpsons. The

          Journal of Popular Culture, 43(4), 761-781. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5931.2010.00769.x

Assignment 4-2

Heroes and Celebrities

Josh Dusenbery

Popular Culture HUMN 240

Professor Hamlin

October 21, 2011

Heroes and Celebrities

            To start off my depiction of heroes and celebrities I am going to give a dictionary definition of both. Celebrity is defined as “a famous person or a renowned person” (The American Heritage Dictionary, 1994). I found a more in depth at what the word actually means in a book. “The contemporary celebrity will usually have emerged from the sports or entertainment industries; they will be highly visible through the media; and their private lives will attract greater public interest than their professional lives” (Turner, 2004, p.3).

            The word hero is a little more complex and has a more in depth definition. The word hero is defined as “a person celebrated for his bold exploits” or “a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose (The American Heritage Dictionary, 1994). The literal meaning of the word hero is protector, defender, or guardian, which I thought was really neat. The literal meaning of the word celebrity is basically celeb which sums up, in my eyes, the whole meaning of a celebrity; someone that is famous for being famous.

            Most of the time there is a clear cut difference between a hero and a celebrity, but sometimes that line gets grayed a little. Very few people do become a celebrity from being considered a hero, but most heroes are not referred to as celebrities and sometimes not even recognized as heroes. The best example of a hero, to me, is any one that puts their own life in danger to protect others. The best example of a celebrity is Kim Kardashian who, like I said earlier, is famous for basically being famous.

            Many people need use fictional heroes as teaching tools for young children. Usually in movies with a hero, the hero will defeat the villain but just as the villain is about to fall to his demise the hero tries to save him. As an adult we use heroes to show that there is good in the world and it gives us hope for the future. Without heroes people may look at life through eyes of not caring and might give up.

            Many people are obsessed, for many different reasons, with celebrities. They watch smut television just to get the inside scoop or read the magazine in the checkout aisle of the grocery store just to see what the celebrity is going to do next. This is what I would refer to as cult of celebrity. The celebrity doesn’t create the cult. I believe that we, the cult members, create the cult by hanging on every word that comes out of the celebrity’s mouth. If we didn’t follow them then media would stop covering their stories and in a sense the cult would disperse.          

            Like I said in the previous paragraph; there are many different reasons people are obsessed with celebrities. Some people use them to escape their own lives. As we get older we lose touch with our imagination. By following a celebrity it starts thoughts in our heads like “if that were me I would do….” or “man if I had that kind of money I would buy….”. Other people may be obsessed for the simple reason that it gives them something to do. They may be bored and this provides a sense of entertainment to them.

            We, as a society, need heroes and celebrities both in our lives. They provide entertainment, hope and sometimes help us teach our kids about right and wrong. If we see a hero on television we can tell our kids that they should strive to become more like them. With celebrities we can teach our kids to do what they have done because of how it can ruin your future. Whether or not we want them to; our kids use celebrities, sometimes heroes, as role models and want to emulate their lives. With this being said, celebrities and heroes play a huge part in our culture here in America even though many people don’t realize it.

Reference

“celebrity.” Websters-online-dictionary.org. 2011. http://www.websters-online-/            dictionary.org/definitions/hero?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01-            tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=hero&sa=Search#906 (21 October 2011).

The American Heritage Dictionary (3rd ed.).(1994). New York, NY: Dell Publishing.

Turner, G. (2004). Understanding celebrity. Retrieved from             http://site.ebrary.com/lib/franklin/Doc?id=10080904&ppg=9

           

Assignment 1-4-4

Heroes and Celebrities

Josh Dusenbery

Popular Culture HUMN 240

Professor Hamlin

October 17, 2011

Heroes and Celebrities

            This assignment really made me think about the difference of heroes and celebrities. The simplest definition that I could come up with is that celebrities are, most of the time, famous for being famous. They haven’t done anything that defines a hero but they are widely known and we care about the most trivial parts of their lives, which is where the cult term enters the picture. The best example that I can come up with is that if a war hero, in every sense of the term, started a twitter account he would have far less followers than someone like Lady Gaga.

            In extreme sports there aren’t many heroes, per se, but it all depends on how much you are into the individual sport. People that are really into freestyle motocross would consider Travis Pastrana a hero and in many eyes he would be a hero to the sport because he basically laid the foundation for many to follow. In this case he would also be a celebrity because he is well known and people care about his daily life.

            With celebrities we can become obsessed to the point of many people following the persons every move or hanging on their every word which in a sense would be termed a cult. The best example of the term “the cult of the celebrity” in extreme sports would be Rob Dyrdek. People watch the television show Fantasy Factory and also the new show Ridiculousness just because he’s in it and he’s the star. At the time of me writing this he has 1,407,109 twitter followers (http://twittercounter.com/robdyrdek) which I think is a perfect way to so how big a celebrity is. This guy does do things for the community so in a way you could say that he’s a hero to many but not in the way someone like a firefighter or a soldier would be.

            I have learned a lot by doing this assignment but the biggest thing that I learned is the difference between a celebrity and a hero. To be a hero you need to have done something to help people, over come a challenge or something similar but you definitely don’t have to be famous and in most cases you aren’t. To be a celebrity you need to have money, be in the spotlight and in almost every case, be famous. So, in my eyes, the biggest difference between the two is that a celebrity is famous for being famous and a hero has done something to earn the title.

           

Reference

McCartin, J. (2006, March). The difference between heroes and celebrities. Seacoastonline.com. Retrieved from http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060321/LIFE/303219939

McCracken, B. (n.d.). The insidious cult of celebrity. Relevant Magazine. Retrieved from

            http://www.relevantmagazine.com/culture/tv/features/22238-the-cult-of-celebrity

Twitter. (2011, October 17). Twitter counter. Retrieved October 17, 2011, from http://twittercounter.com/robdyrdek

Assignment 1-4-3

Extreme Sports Rituals and Stereotypes

Josh Dusenbery

Popular Culture HUMN 240

Professor Hamlin

October 13, 2011

Extreme Sports Rituals and Stereotypes

            An extreme sport could be anything from freestyle motocross to base jumping off a building and everything in between. Something all of the people that participate in these extreme sports have in common is that they are all crazy. This may be true in some cases, but this is a typical stereotype of people that take part in extreme sports. Many people on the outside look at someone jumping off a building and their first instinct would be to think that person is out of their mind, I included, but most people taking part in extreme sports are sort of the opposite of crazy. Most wouldn’t participate in the sport if they thought that it wasn’t safe. A lot of calculating and safety standards go into these sports, for the most part. Another stereotype that people chastise extreme sporters with is adrenaline junkies. I have seen on television where this is true in some cases. A man participated in base jumping because it was the only thing that made him feel real. One last stereotype that extreme sporters are labeled with is that it’s nothing but men. There are plenty of women that participate in these sports as well.

            I found one example of a ritual in regards to extreme sports. The sport of bungee jumping was actually a ritual started by native tribe. It was a coming of age ceremony from a boy to a man. They would jump from a platform in the trees with vines tied around their ankles. Some people so this on a ritual video and decided to try it with rubber and nylon cords tied to their feet.

            I learned through my research that women play just a much a part in extreme sports as men do. Stereotypes, especially in extreme sports, are usually negative. People don’t have to be crazy to jump from a cliff. In my eyes that would make them crazy but that’s just because I wouldn’t do it my self. Maybe they enjoy the attention or the rush; it doesn’t mean they belong in a psych ward. I have also learned that bungee jumping was created by natives with vines wrapped around their legs to become a man. In this tribe I would still be a boy because I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t take part in that ritual.

Reference

Fletcher, J. (n.d.). About Extreme Sports Bungee Jumping. Retrieved from             http://www.ehow.com/about_4657241_extreme-sports-bungee-jumping.html

Robinson, V. (2008). Everyday Masculinities and Extreme Sport. Oxford, GBR:

            Berg Publishers.

           

           

Assignment 1-4-2

Popular Beliefs, Myths and Icons

Josh Dusenbery

Popular Culture HUMN 240

Professor Hamlin

October 5, 2011

Popular Beliefs, Myths and Icons

            The pop culture topic that I chose to write about is extreme sports. Many people have different definitions of extreme sports and in my opinion I think that it would be hard to assign it one. What is “extreme” to one person may not be to the next. Still this type of sport has become so popular these days that ESPN has even created The X Games to crown the top people in each of their extreme sports. There are many popular beliefs about extreme sports along with many myths and most of all icons.

            Many people have popular beliefs as to what is considered an extreme sport but I want to take the approach of why do people do it. According to a study on Australian surfers showed “that voluntary risk-taking is done for a variety of reasons. These can range from the need for thrills and excitement, to overcoming personal fears and to exercise personal agency as well as for emotional engagement, control and self-improvement” (Robinson, 2008, p. 147). I believe that this sums up many peoples popular beliefs about why people participate in extreme sports.

            One of the main myths that surround extreme sports is that it has to be dangerous to be considered extreme but I found a website that shows horse racing as the most dangerous sport around and I don’t know of anyone that would consider that an extreme sport. Also this same website mentions that most “extreme” sports are packed with safety tips and ridiculous amounts of safety gear. This would also cut down on the whole dangerous factor.

            I have found that most extreme sports have their individual icon that has helped their sport rise in popularity. Take Travis Pastrana for example. No one really knew, or at least I didn’t, that freestyle motocross was even a sport until he came around. Now I watch the X Games on television every year just to watch that competition. Most of the time in regular sports the sport helps the star become an icon; with extreme sports it seems that the icon helps the sport become popular.            

            I gained a lot of insight into extreme sports by applying these terms to it. I’ve learned that many people believe that people do it for the adrenaline rush. I have also learned that a common myth about extreme sports revolves around whether or not it is dangerous. The biggest thing I took from this assignment would definitely be that the icons in extreme sports usually make the sport that they do more popular instead of the other way around.

References

Appleton, J. (2005, August 30). What's so extreme about extreme sports?. Spiked Online. Retrieved from http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/0000000CAD26.htm

Robinson, V. (2008). Everyday Masculinities and Extreme Sport. Oxford, GBR:

            Berg Publishers.

           

Assignment 2-2 Icon Analysis

           

            The three contemporary icons that I chose are Michael Jordan, Eminem and The Ultimate Warrior. All three of these icons were popular in the 1990’s. They all rose to the top of their sport (even though wrestling is fake) during this 90’s. Michael Jordan became, arguably, the best professional basketball player of all time. During the 1990’s he led the Chicago Bulls to 6 NBA titles during the decade. Eminem didn’t come around until towards the end of the decade but once he came out with his first album in 1999. He quickly became one of the biggest icons in rap. Even though everyone, or at least I hope everyone, knows wrestling is fake the superstars in it are real. Wrestling has a following comparable to a cult. The Ultimate Warrior was a huge icon in the early 90’s with his high energy entrance and his finishing move the gorilla press. I chose these three icons because I feel that they represent three of the bigger contemporary icons in   the 1990’s. They fed into peoples' emotions which I feel is a big factor in popular culture. Michael Jordan dazzled people with his moves on the basketball court leaving people wonder what he would do next. The Ultimate Warrior also excited people with his high energy entrance and his finishing move the gorilla press. Eminem also excited people with his ability to get people’s adrenaline going with his raps.

            I chose Michael Jordan because, in my eyes, he was the ultimate icon. While growing up in the 90’s I was borderline obsessed with Jordan. My room was covered in memorabilia and when I played basketball I really did “try to be like mike”. Regardless of what many people think, I believe that Michael Jordan will forever be the best NBA player ever.

            The Ultimate Warrior brings back memories from my childhood. I think that is why I chose him. I remember watching wrestling after church on Sundays around noon. I remember hearing his entrance music come on and seeing him run to the ring and violently shake the ring ropes.    

            Eminem is still a pop icon today. Hearing his music reminds me of my final years of high school. That is all anyone listened to when we took our senior trip to Myrtle Beach, SC. I even went as far as to dye my hair, along with most of the people in my grade, platinum white for graduation.

            I guess the main reason that I chose these three icons is the fact that they bring back fond memories of my childhood. They were the people that were popular when I was growing up and they are icons that I will never forget.

Assignment 1-2

What is popular culture, and what does it mean to you?

     Popular culture is basically what is popular around you. Popular culture to you could be different to popular culture to someone in another area of the world or even an hour away from where you live. Something as simple as wearing sweat pants to high school could be popular in your school, but in a nearby school it could be looked at as ridiculous. So to put a definition on popular culture is not as simple as saying "it is .....". There are other variables at stake when defining popular culture, but the most generic definition of popular culture is "what is popular around you everyday".

    

Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant to you in a business environment and in your present and future career?

     In many businesses it is essential for them to understand popular culture. They need to know what popular culture is, how it starts, and signs that it is coming to a close. The reasoning is that many businesses base their products on popular culture. By being able to recognize what is popular culture they can come up with new products that would appeal to consumers. They would also be able to recognize the warning signs of popular culture products coming to a halt. A good example of this is something that I can remember when I was in fifth grade. Everyone was sporting a snap bracelet. The fad was very short lived and I'm sure many businesses started manufacturing tons of these things and then the demand for them phased out. By understanding popular culture they may have been able to see that this was going to be a short lived popular culture product and not have wasted their resources.

     I now work for the Ohio Department of Taxation so I can't really see popular culture being relevant in my work but I am going to college to get an associates in computer science. I believe that my decision to go into computers was influenced by popular culture since computers seem to be the new "in" thing.

What would you consider to be an example of a pop culture artifact? And why would you choose it?

     I believe that the NFL itself is a popular culture artifact or more generally, American football. American football has been a part of popular culture since way back before I was born but I believe it is more popular now then it ever has been. There are many reasons why I would consider it to be an example of popular culture. One big reason is that it appeals to our senses. For many people Sunday's during football season are spent watching game after game of professional football. The thrill starting from the singing of the national anthem all the way through til the final whistle. Another new way that professional football has appealed to our senses is fantasy football. This brings a new element to watching football and getting excited about it. I used to just watch the Green Bay Packers and whatever random game is on television but now I will watch many games and get really excited about players on my fantasy team scoring a touchdown. Because of fantasy football I now set in front of my television (with NFL ticket, so I can watch all of the games) with my computer on so I can get live scoring updates of my fantasy team.

     Another reason it is an example of popular culture is the exposure. During the fall its hard for you to walk into any public place and not see someone wearing a football t-shirt or jersey. Everyone that likes watching football also enjoys supporting their team. So even if you don't watch the games you still could be exposed to it just walking through the mall.