...Pop Culture: an essay First, a definition. You will notice that the phrase is made from separable units: popular, and culture. Popular, I think, expresses the essential character of a high-tech, media-dominated age. Hence, by popular culture, I do not mean a culture everyone “likes” — as common usage would have it (“she’s the most popular gal in grade nine!”). If the media are correct, this is emphatically not the character of popular culture. No: pop culture is a “popular” one because it addresses itself to and thereby captivates the attention of The People. Every day each person is addressed by cultural institutions — television for instance — which assume as their audience nothing short of the Collective Man. It is the nature of popular culture to get into one’s daily life, whether discussions, chat, entertainment, or sex. And it does not matter who one is, popular culture makes few rhetorical distinctions, for we are all “of the people.” Innovations in technology guarantee that this will be the case not only in North America, but increasingly also in (for examples) Tokyo, Paris, and Beijing, each of which is becoming increasingly “Americanised.” Another way of saying this: the world is increasingly adopting the trappings of mass-produced popular culture, a culture “of the people.” And we are all of us of the people. By Culture I intend those instituted actions and objects expressing that which is held in high esteem. For the public articulation of personal beliefs is never...
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...The genre of “The Cat’s in the Cradle” is primarily folk rock. Folk-rock is described as taking “the simple, direct songwriting style of folk music” and then combining it to a “prominent rock & roll backbeat” (Pop/Rock, n.d.). Some of the more distinct parts of folk-rock “is the chiming, ringing guitar hooks, coupled with clear vocal harmonies” (Pop/Rock, n.d.). Therefore most folk/rock is primarily composed of release patterns. During the 1950s and ’60s, American folk music became more and more popular (Holden, 2007). It was inevitable that folk music would become intersected with more mainstream styles of music like pop and rock.. Rock music also was transformed by its intersection with folk. Although previously rock “had been perceived...
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...Popular culture embraces ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images and phenomena highly influenced by mass media that cater to a large number of common people irrespective of social class and status. It is sensationalist, virtual and consumerist in nature celebrating superficiality. Pop culture expressed through visual images has always been plagued with fetishisation and hyper-sexualisation of bodies represented. Right from the inception, the gendered nature of image culture has invited a sea of criticisms and opinions. Thus the represented space in popular culture, especially if it is in the optic means, can be a useful lens to explore the ideological constructions of a society. Much of popular culture continues to represent women and men in overtly stereotypical ways reproducing predominance of hegemonic masculinity and over-emphasised femininity, placing all other forms of masculinities and femininities in the shadowy background of covert representations. Expressing a serious concern for politicised representations, my thesis focuses on unraveling the ambivalent portraiture of superheroines in the phantasmal world...
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...Fan work is a complex form of self-expression that utilizes components of pre-existing works such as television shows, films, games and other forms literature as the basis of these new fan made creations whilst incorporating personal interpretation. This practice is unique because it allows for the fanwork creator to voice their own personal opinions and create alternate universes, scenarios and timelines in which character from the original text would have the opportunity to explore. Typically, these works are not for profit and are not considered canon in the source that it is derived from. There is a struggle for legitimacy for fanwork creators, as fan work, especially fan fiction, is generally interpreted to only contain explicit sexual...
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...In Bruno Mars’ “Gorilla” for example the woman is on the pole while men sit around watching. As learned in this unit self is mainly self-image and self-awareness. It is known that self is not something everyone is born with, it develops while we grow and experience the world. If children are being born into a society where women are constantly sexualized in the media and always left in the background for the purpose of fulfilling men’s fantasies the self’s that will be built are young girls who think that is their purpose in life and young men who build a “self”, believing that is how women should be viewed and this is what leads to the rape culture our society has built today. This goes along with the theory of the looking-glass self. If women see other women like them portrayed this way they will view themselves in the same way. The way my sources represent relationships are in a way that men are meant to be the main focus while women are there for their entertainment when they want but other than that they are there to be put behind men. This message will lead to an awful moral development for the youth of today’s...
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...An objects does not possess the power to control the norms and values within our culture. However the structures within art culture are in fact controlled by elitist ideology and the ruling class. It is those who control the galleries and exhibitions, such as museum directors, collectors, critics and curators that possess the power to exclude groups and make art an elitist subject. When looking at the arts and art history it’s clear that in the past, particularly during the renaissance period, art was dominated by white wealthy men. This was due to the wealthier having easier access to art materials, schooling and better access to museums and other art establishments. However when looking at other historical periods, for example ancient Greece, the arts where more widely available to everyone because of the open theatres and stadiums, meaning that most people could participate in the arts. It could be argued that the introduction of the critics and curator as well as the other positions of power have created the elitist ideology so often associated with the arts. Visual artist Rozendaal (no date) argues that many people in these positions of power use ‘intimidation to achieve authority’ as a way to keep art an elitist subject. So very few people control what we do or do not see as artwork and rather than being seen as something that reflects our culture, art has become more of an investment and a ‘playthings for the bourgeoisie’. Kurtis (no date) However...
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...The birth of hip hop was one of the most important cultural movements that continue to impact the lives of those who hear the music. With its history deeply rooted in the music styles of West African griots, the elements of hip hop represent the suffering and painful journey slaves faced. The culture of DJing, rapping, graffiti and breakdancing was later integrated into this new music genre. As a result, many stereotyped hip hop as music that was particularly popular among blacks, which could be affiliated with radical black groups and gangs. Even today, many hip hop songs are negatively known for their message about drug use, sexual desires, and violence. REACH is a dance team affiliated with Rutgers University that focuses on the glorification...
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...Introduction “If I have to, I can do anything. I am strong, I am invincible, I am woman.” Though simple, these lyrics from the song “I am a Woman” contain a powerful message of female empowerment. Songs like this challenge the traditional devaluation of women as incapable and weak. With the rise of feminism, many more female artists have started to include feminist ideas in their songs. Thus, the topic on how popular music has helped bring forth the idea of feminism is of great relevance to our world today. Literature Review The personal struggles and triumphs that female artists portray in their songs and lives, relates to and in turn empowers females in patriarchal societies. Nelson (1993, p. 77), a rap music journalist, commented that female rap artists in the 1980s had to fight harder than their male counterparts in the industry and yet never replicated the male artists’ success. (As cited in Keyes, 2000, p. 265) Similarly, Madonna worked hard to prove her worth as a female artist in the male dominated pop music industry. (Lugo-Lugo, 2001) The struggles of these two female artists in their respective male dominated trades are parallel to the struggles of females in patriarchal societies. These females desire gender equality and look to female artists and their songs as a source of hope. Female rap artists use rap as a medium to advocate gender equality and in turn created spaces for themselves and other ‘sistas’ as well. (Keyes, 2000, p. 274) In the song lyrics of "The...
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...COMS 354: The Visual Culture of Crime Kristina Ezhova 260454703 April 9, 2015 “Monster”: Misogyny, Racism, and Popular Culture Kanye West is a prominent figure in popular culture nowadays and his reputation is quite complicated and conflicting. West is acclaimed as one of the best rappers of this era, and is celebrated as a successful entrepreneur and fashion designer. However, he is also frequently condemned for his outspoken personality and offensive attitude. From numerous acceptance speech interruptions to questionable interviews and statements, Kanye West has created a contradictory image for himself in the media and is often characterized as a misogynist. The music video for his single “Monster,” in which he collaborated with Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Bon Iver, and Nicki Minaj, was released in 2011 and almost immediately became known as deeply controversial: the six-minute clip, which depicts dead women hanging from ceilings and scantily clad in lingerie, was banned by MTV for its violence and explicit content toward women (Vassar). Undeniably, the misogynistic theme runs throughout the video, however, West has defended himself by stating that “the concept of models hanging or people being eaten alive or [other] type of visuals for a horrific video was purely artistic” and addressed the ignorance of misogynistic accusations by claiming that “they [women’s rights activists] couldn’t understand how a rapper can have a taste high enough to do something like that without being...
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...encourage student commitment. This paper examines the integration of videogames into classrooms, as it can benefit students to improve cognitive skills and reach curricular education goals. Thesis statement “The integration of videogames into classroom learning process can allow students to reach curricular learning goals and develop critical thinking skills” Historical background The rapid development of gaming industry is on its way to outdistancing television and film industry. A movement was started in the year 2003 to use videogames in training and teaching process. This movement is known as serious games. The significant range of representations of worldwide people and society in the field of video games created a huge opportunity for cross-cultural learning and education in any field of study. In the world of globalization, screen culture plays a vital role in defining the work and need of people. The young generation of people is gaining further...
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...Flex.boston.com jpeg Flex.boston.com jpeg Andy Warhol Red Car Crash (Death and Disaster Series 1963) It is important to note that Andy Warhol’s Red Car Crash Piece was part of a series of car crash images produced in different colours and repeated and put in groups of the same image and colour. Warhol was a serial artist that used the same image again and again in different pieces and so the red car crash image can be taken to be self-contained but also as part of a bigger picture. Warhol’s Pop Art style was clearly deadpan; it was often the endless repetition of mass media. He consistently, unlike the likes of Pollock (who ironically died in a car crash) used Commercial images in a commercial way. This somewhat removes him from his work emotionally. The Red Car Crash image is no exception and for me this is what makes it so violent and morbid. Warhol takes a violent subject matter and makes it look like a commercial image. The piece is conventional in form, however Warhol chooses a media image of a car crash; which is a violent subject matter in its own right and then paints over it, removes emotion and turns it into ‘the normal’ everyday image, which alone is violent and disturbed. The actual process of printing can also be seen to remove him from the process and in the same way take away any empathy from him towards the piece, which again is dark. Warhol makes the piece as a whole more powerful by being unconventional in taking himself away from the process. This...
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...English 379 March 12, 2013 In the movie easy A, a teen comedy, the main character Olive is initially presented to the viewers as the virginal and feminine high school student who dresses like the average high school student, mostly in pants, and turns out to be transformed into the sex object/pin-up girl to resemble her counterparts in the movie. One being her best friend Rhi and the other Marianne, both whom which throughout the entire movie are always in very short skirts and/or extremely revealing tops, especially Rhiannon. Nonetheless, the one normal, dressing female in the movie, Olive, is then in turn forced and presented as a skank, a whore, and a home wrecker. Although one of the central themes of the movie is the loss of virginity, there are no sex scenes and it does displays a witty, contemporary, modern day spin on Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel, The Scarlet Letter. Moreover, the message depicted throughout the movie is that an innocent, little white lie can get blown out of proportion and that teenagers in general are concerned of how others perceive them in their day to day lives. The movie starts off with Olive being portrayed as a virginal, down to earth, average high school student with no cares in the world but is hastily transformed into the slutty female character very commonly used throughout Hollywood films to depict females nowadays. When a little white lie about losing her virginity meant for her best friends ears only gets out of hand and...
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...David Saldívar 2. The White Scourge: Mexicans, Blacks, and Poor Whites in Texas Cotton Culture, by Neil Foley 3. Indians in the Making: Ethnic Relations and Indian Identities around Puget Sound, by Alexandra Harmon 4. Aztlán and Viet Nam: Chicano and Chicana Experiences of the War, edited by George Mariscal 5. Immigration and the Political Economy of Home: West Indian Brooklyn and American Indian Minneapolis, by Rachel Buff 6. Epic Encounters: Culture, Media, and U.S. Interests in the Middle East,1945–2000, by Melani McAlister 7. Contagious Divides: Epidemics and Race in San Francisco’s Chinatown, by Nayan Shah 8. Japanese American Celebration and Conflict: A History of Ethnic Identity and Festival, 1934–1990, by Lon Kurashige 9. American Sensations: Class, Empire, and the Production of Popular Culture, by Shelley Streeby 10. Colored White: Transcending the Racial Past, by David R. Roediger 11. Reproducing Empire: Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto Rico, by Laura Briggs 12. meXicana Encounters: The Making of Social Identities on the Borderlands, by Rosa Linda Fregoso 13. Popular Culture in the Age of White Flight, by Eric Avila 14. Ties That Bind: The Story of an Afro-Cherokee Family in Slavery and Freedom, by Tiya Miles 15. Cultural Moves: African Americans and the Politics of Representation, by Herman S. Gray Cultural Moves African Americans and the Politics of Representation Herman S. Gray UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Berkeley . Los Angeles ...
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...Historical Body of Art "Tattooing" James M. McDermott COM/150 March 21, 2010 Comfort Ugwuh Historical Body of Art "Tattooing" In 1936, Life Magazine provided information from an independent study showing approximately 6% of the nation's population had a tattoo; the Harris Poll conducted in 2003 showed that approximately 15% of the population had acquired tattoos (Swan, 2006). A similar study in 2005 revealed approximately 24% of the population then had at least one tattoo (Ford, 2010). Those two studies revealed statistics that illustrate the number of people in the United States with tattoos increasing astronomically. In 67 years the number of people with tattoos increased 9%, in just two years between 2003 and 2005 the United Stated witnessed the number of individuals with tattoos increase another 9%. Tattoos are still gaining acknowledgment in society today; the number of people with tattoos is increasing exponentially with athletes, musicians, and actors ushering a wave of acceptance. Figure 1 Tattoos have been evident in societies and the human race for thousands of years. Scientists have uncovered Egyptian mummies evidently preserved in the period as early as 2000 BC, analysis revealed evidence of tattooing and other forms of body art on their mummified bodies. The Egyptian tattooing thought to be one of the earliest appearances of tattoos came into question in 1991 with the discovery of Iceman (Lineberry, 2007). A pair of hikers in the Austrian Otztal Alps stumbled...
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...In the contemporary century where the world is metamorphosed to a global village, the concept of national culture and national literature is certainly belied. The World literature, today, simultaneously represents an important multicultural perspective within individual national literatures as well as more global perspective taking in the phenomena of transculturalism and diaspora confluence. Centripetal and centrifugal forces can be discerned as both antagonistic and complementary forces in cultural development. Raymond Williams develops a theory of relation between culture at large and cultural products like literature. Culture is manifested in human artifacts and activities such as music, literature, life-style, food, painting, sculpture, theatre and film. It can be said that arts and the world of science with their moral systems come to form culture. These are constantly in a spatio-temporal flux that renders an inexhaustible range of meanings and a catalogue of the elements. In this process of evolution a particular aspect dominates or fades off at some space-time coordinate. The pattern of human activity and the symbolic structures give such activities significance and importance. Rushdie, like other postcolonial writers not only reflects upon the political aspects of history but also deconstructs the interrelationships between history and individual to delve into the moral and psychological tensions of the native homeland. His novels are the fine example where ethics of...
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