Friday, February 1, 2008
Blog #2- due 2/12: Reflect on how your current identities have been influenced by any particular popular culture...read below
Applying concepts from Baudrillard, Visual Rhetoric, class discussions, observations, your WIKIS and course readings, reflect, by selecting one popluar culture that has "SUCKED" you in and describe how your identity has been infleunced. Consider the space(s) you inhabit when you participate in that popluar culture(such as a sporting event, or a dance club...), the logos present, colors, your senses, presence, and the tools that rhetors have used to seduce and construct identity. What sociopolitical ideologies impact those spaces and how does that impact you?
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Some may argue that, based on the seeming difference between our mainstream culture and political culture, that politics is not popular culture. However, it is my personal belief that politics has been fully immersed in popular culture, ever since the founding fathers.
As far as colors are concerned, there are the age old favorites of red, white, and blue, the first and last being the most prominent as, besides being the colors of our national flag, they are the colors of our two major political parties. Having these colors shoved in our faces presents an interesting challenge, kind of like the differences between Pepsi and Coke: you have two similar items that are packaged differently. I've always seen the Republican Party as more aggressive, and maybe that is because of their choice of the color red...it seems to me that blue can be considered more passive. These colors are used to push agenda into the mainstream, create interesting twists and stories for the news media.
Take The Daily Show as an example: it is a satirical show based on popular culture and, above all else, politics. It is amusing that something that is supposed to be so serious can be turned into something so ludicrous.
My senses are often excited by the thought of being politically engaged, making me sweat or my face all red with passion. You can hear all the messages around you (e.g. P. Diddy's "Vote or Die" campaign, Christmas Greetings from candidates).
What is more interesting is, I suppose, the propaganda that is used to infiltrate popular culture to get in those more or less subliminal messages. You can see them when you read the newspapers (e.g. political satire cartoons), find them on television (sitcoms and cartoons will often reference politics indirectly, hell, just look at early Tom and Jerry cartoons and you'll see what I mean).
I believe that without politics, my life would be much less...exciting, in a sense of speaking. There is a certain aura that surrounds the ideals that come with politics...maybe some of it is a counterculture, but it seems to me that politics is now rooted in popular culture (media has become popular, so have TV shows, and they do the aforementioned). In some way or another, there has been something to turn me into a sort of...political activist, something I would not be if it were not for anti-corporate political propaganda or the lyrics in Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down songs. My personality has definitely been shaped by politics.
It would seem that, through study in this course, it has become obvious that my life is nothing but a series of different popular culture spaces that alter my identity and change how I view the world and the people in it.
I think that the most interesting of these cultures that has, in effect, managed to "suck me in" has been the all-too engrossing world of Guitar Hero. This game has taken the world of the musician and opened it up to include those of us who may not be able to grasp the guitar itself. No longer are we expected to know every fret, every chord. Rather, we can rely on a DDR-type world that is, basically, a follow-the-bouncing-ball game.
When entering this world, I am no longer Gary the English Major. I become something different. I become Gary the psuedo-musician. I am confronted with fellow players who are either better or worse that myself, as well as actual musicians who have no mastery of the game at all. This game itself is set up with various difficulty level. I play on the hard level and, thus, my identity changes to place me within the realm of an experienced person within the culture. Others look up to me and ask me questions, copy my techniques and turn to me for guidance. It is an interesting feeling because, in reality, i do the same to those who play at a higher level than i do.
Spaces shift when it comes to this culture. While one may be good at the guitar within the world of the game, the real instrument may be far out of reach. Thus, a second and thirdspace are both achieved. You can be a great musician, as well as simply a gamer, simultaneously. The self resides somewhere in the middle.
Color schemes go a long way as well. The game centers around bright flashes of light, loud music, and colored notes that fly upward as one struggles to follow along. Green, red, yellow, blue, and orange all devastate the senses. They are all "fun" colors and, thus, pull us, as players, deeper into the simulation.
One holds a replica of a guitar as one plays, rather than the traditional game controller, thus enhancing even further the experience of actually being their, of actually playing.
In the end, who i am is decidedly altered when taking part in these fake "concerts." I become the rocker that so many dream to be and it feels good. In fact, it rocks!
In reflecting on a popular culture event that has sucked me in, I have trouble narrowing it down to just one event. I enjoy doing a lot of things and now am starting to realize how many different levels can be analyzed on even the simple things I do, but I feel that the one that is an element in my life that strongly reflects my identity is playing the Nintendo Wii.
Although I am newer to this game, it was a Christmas present, I have taken fast to the fun and competitive environment that it creates. My favorite games to play are the sports games: bowling, tennis, golf, and baseball.
In terms of colors, the games have a great deal of colors, stimulating an environment that makes the player feel as if they are really in the game.
One holds the Wii remote and there is a sensor bar which picks up the movements of the person playing and this translates to the character on screen as they are swinging a bar or golf club, or bowling a ball down the alley. I feel that this provides more fun than traditional video games because it is you that is controlling the game, and the outcome so to speak.
In being that this game is a pop culture event that has "sucked" me in, I agree with Gary in his analyzing of the spaces that video games encompass.
I could relate to the classroom discussion that was based on colors. A year ago I redid my room, as I was searching through various colors to paint the walls I stumbled upon a coral color, almost like a light orange. In my notes I wrote down that orange resembled protection. Even my mom pointed out that the color of my room seemed to have a lively and safe presence.
I also immediately thought of the movie The Sixth Sense when the color red was described as evil. In previous english classes before we pointed out all the scences throughout the movie where something bad is about to happen and there are characters wearing red sweaters or lipstick or suddenly a red balloon is released. It is very neat to see when your actually paying attention to it all and how carefully it must have be planned out.
Like some of the others have said, this class really makes me think about how much popular culture truly does affect my life. I can relate to Marissa in being sucked into wii and the feel of the remote as your playing the games. For me, I've been sucked into reality television the most. I'll find myself watching a show and saying 'this is so pathetic,' but then again I'm not rushing to change the channel because it had become a form of entertainment in my mind. I'm watching it waiting to see how pathetic it actually can get.
I had to think for a minute about a popular culture event that has sucked me. Then when I was thinking what I did this weekend and the fun I had, karaoke came to mind. Karaoke is a very social activity that people partake in all over. At bars, clubs, parties, etc...
I always said that I would never ever sing karaoke. But then one of my friends got me to one time, and being the cliché person I am it was at the bar. However after I sang the first song with her I realized how much fun it really was. I ended up singing three songs that night. The type of setting I believe had a great deal as to why I had the courage to actually sing in the first place. We were at a very small bar in the middle of no where. I guess you could say it was a "hick town" bar. We were the youngest people there surround around people in their late 20's all the way to their 40's. I think if I were at a bar here in Indiana I would have not sang for my fist time there. The hick bar was small but since it was small everyone would talk to everyone and it was like everyone just knew each other and was friends before they came there. It was a comfortable setting so my friends and I could just let loose on the karaoke.
The lighting in the bar also had an impact on us. It was dim and the fact that the color scheme was neutral colors of beige and browns it made easy on our eyes and just felt like you were just hanging out at someone’s house almost. Because I was so comfortable the first couple times I've sang at the hick bar I then would sing just about anywhere if there was karaoke. I have sung at the bars in Indiana, at formals, weddings...whatever. Then for Christmas my Mom got me a karaoke machine has a gift. So now I can sing with my friends whenever I want.
Karaoke isn't exactly a video game; however there are games that are like karaoke that you can buy for your game systems. So karaoke could be part of the popular cultures that other people got sucked into going along with WII and guitar hero. I think that these are very addicting a social activity that everyone of any age can have fun at and that’s why it’s so popular.
It's hard to identify one particular pop culture phenomenon that has "sucked me in" as of late. there's just so many! i too have fallen victim to the pull of the wii and guitar hero, but not for extended periods of time since i don't own either of the systems or games.
one guilty pleasure i will eagerly admit to partaking in is the weekly ritual watching of the show LOST. this is the fourth season, and still i can't get enough, but after each show i'm literally angry because they don't answer any questions or give you any clue as to what is really going on on this crazy island! the characters are mostly jerks and i find them completely annoying, but i'm emotionally invested! you get so involved in these characters lives that you care what happens to them. there's also so many different personalities that you can identify with at least one person on the show, and you can see yourself in that situation and ask yourself the question, "how would i react in this situation?"
the colors also immediately draw you in and make you completely mesmorized by the show. the color scheme involves mostly around the lush green jungle forestation, the crystal blue of the ocean, and the brown/tan of the sand and trees. they're all so bright and contrasting that it makes the island seem like a perpetual paradise even though these people are stuck in a so-called hell and want nothing more than to escape. the calming, pradise like colors of the island are contrasted with the many mysteries on the island, one being the stark contrast of white with the killer polar bears and the black smoke that drags some characters to their deaths. the world created draws you in and makes you want to keep watching, to see what will happen and what the island will present next.
A popular culture event that "sucked" me in is reality TV. Specifically, the dating shows. It's ridiculous how 30 people get on the show and have to compete for one person's love. And once the show is over, there are usually commericals for season 2 because it didn't work out the first time. So the person gets another chance at finding "true love" by narrowing it down from 30 more people.
It's so ridiculous. I can't help but watch. I get so involved with the people. Usually, I can identify with one or more people on the show and I feel an attachment to the ones I hope will win. My preferred readings are usually that of a negotiated view. I usually agree with the people I feel a connection with and disagree with those I hope will get kicked off. I get "sucked" in over and over again when I see commercials for the new episodes.
Like everyone else so far, I too have been "sucked in" to way more then one popular culture. Guitar hero can get so addicting, and reality tv is a part of my everyday routine. My roommates and I sit and watch a reality show almost every night whether it be rock of love with Bret Michaels or intervention or john and Kate plus 8.
One popular culture that I have been "sucked into" would have to be the "college partier". I never was big into parties before college I liked just hanging out with close friends. Now being in college for four years things have really changed. I really love the atmosphere of going out, dancing,and having fun with the occasional drink. I would consider this to be popular culture because you are only a this age once and I know things will be different once I get out of school. I think the bar scene makes you appreciate the fact they we are still young and can stay out late and not have a job to wake up to at 6 in the morning.
Color plays a role in night life because it sets the bars mood. They are usually dark with table lamps. And bars that have dance floors are dark, and have flashing lights and effects and loud music.
Like many have said, we don't realize how many cultures we fall victim to and how they really do define us as people until we really think about it.
Reality TV is definitely a part of popular culture that has sucked me in. I too am obssessed with THe Hills, A shot at love with Tila Tequila, American Idol, I love NY, FLavor of Love,Life of Ryan, Celebrity REhab...to name a few.
These shows have actually became a part of me, shaping and reshaping my identity. While watching The HIlls i picture myself in those girls shoes, getting handed everything in life. On various dating shows i cheer on people that i want to win, because i get attached to their character on TV, even though ive never met them in person.
With each in every show, a different part of my identity is illuminated. American Idol i become the singer with the most amazing voice, something that i've never had. On competitive shows like Road Rules i become the girl who wants to make it to end to win that money. On the Hills i'm LC who has a amazing with a fashion magazine. I feel like these shows impact my identity by bringing out my identity.
Watching these shows is like a escape, just like we talked about with baudrillard and disneyland. Gives you a chance to experience other peopels identitys. WHen these shows come on i grab a coke, a snack and kick back and relax. I am no longer Tara, i am part of the show.And find myself wondering why am i so interested in other peoples lives so much. Why do i care who Tila Tequila picks to be her lover in A shot at love?
One thing the producers do in these shows and do well, is get the viewing audience attached with different visual rhetors. On real world they have the confessional room, where its almost like you are speaking one on one with the cast member. They furnish the houses these reality tv stars live in with crazy luxurious things. Many things that ordinary people could only dream of. And because many of these people on these were once ordinary people like you and me, it gives you a chance to believe "well hey, shes just like me, why cant i have all that stuff?"
EVen though you know you may never be able to live in a huge party house in sydney australia with 6 strangers, you can always "pretend."
Just the same as gary said with Guitar hero. That game allows me to be the expert guitarist that i am definitely not.
Last week I read the assignment for this blog. I could not decide at that moment which popular culture event had "sucked" me in, so I decided to ponder throughout the weekend. It was a good thing I waited because over the weekend I rented the movie "Across the Universe" and after watching it, I knew that it would be the topic of my blog.
I grew up listening to Classic Rock including The Doors, Led Zeppelin, CCR, The Who, and The Beatles - this music to me is definitely popular culture. But the movie "Across the Universe" is based on The Beatles music intertwined to tell a story. Throughout the movie the director glided the viewers through first and second space. The director used different transition styles; fade ups, fade outs, wipes, and cross-dissolves. She played a lot with her editing styles and camera movements.
The scene that "sucked" me in the most was during the song "Strawberry Fields". The main observation I made was the use of the color red and the multiple meanings it conveyed in that particular scene. The main character and the director used strawberries to create multiple images. The meanings red communicated were power, love, bloodshed, communism, evil and probably even more.
This course has opened up different creative views and shown that popular culture is everywhere and usually has some kind of effect on the individual. And I am noticing more and more things every time I am in a new environment or even just watching a movie.
Admittedly there are several pop cultures that I have "addictions" for. My favorite, I am ashamed to see is the Real World on MTV. I have watched it since its inception and have been fascinated by the shifting demographics and its attempt to be politically correct, almost to a point of embarassment. In the show's attempt to become more "diverse" and to illuminate different emerging lifestyles and identities, I find it tokenize people rather than to act as a celebration. I think Baudrillard would say that is typical of popular culture---I mean look at the TV show, "The View"- now two of the spokespeople are white and two are black. It seems they are striving toward balance rather than valorizing or tokenizing ethnicity. Perhaps in RW did that, I might be less of a critic, but until then, I hate to say it y'all, I will keep watching and praying for change. Great work here- keep it up. Hugs to all. Dr. Miller
I couldn't think of a pop culture activity I partake in at first, but after going through some of the other responses I decided to go with the activities of gaming and movies.
Both are forms of entertainment where the person in a matter of sense 'escape reality' and immerse themselves into a fictional world.
It's pointless trying to analyze the surroundings at a theater or darkened room, because once the lights dim, none of that matters. The theater or game designers want you to focus on the video in front of you. As Gary and Ashley mentioned, its the colors that the developers and directors place in the game/movie that matter. The people who made the media, even if it's not in first space, control the world we enter where they use certain colors or techniques to make us feel certain ways. While the editing that happens does force us into a linear way of seeing things, there is so much not revealed that allows us to take the media in countless other directions.
I don't think that video games or movies have changed my identity much, because I am merely viewing it, but I'm certain that it impacts ways I perceive or view situations.
As the question was raised last class, I don't think that many people use games or movies as a way of escape because reality bites, but to leave a mediocre world behind, if even for a few hours. After a boring day of classes and work, who really wants to sit down and study when they can lose themselves in a great film or by trying saving a princess?
Society forced my identity to change because when you try to be yourself not caring about what others think, society lets it be known that it is unacceptable. In the case of going to the movies to see Juno, my identity shifted. I am a city girl who comes from Philadelphia; therefore I am used to much bigger theaters. The theater was vey small with nothing but silence space all around me. Yes, back home people go to the movies as while to see a film, but the atmosphere is so much different. I am to the natural atmosphere of cell phones going off, and people yelling when they are introduced to an exciting part or people telling other people just to be quiet. Therefore, the Indiana Theater forced me to adapt to their norm of just watching the film; which the theater is not just about the movie but about what goes on in the movies. Baudrillard would probably ask while what is the perfection setting and what would you call natural. In my case that would be a hard question to ask, however I would respond that the movies helps me to see what goes on in other people lives giving me a break from worrying so much about mine own.
I totally agree with Emily. "LOST" sucked me in over Christmas break. Not until I began this class did I understand why.
I believe the reason this show has sucked me in like the infamous black smoke is because of the array of rhetoric used in the plot. The writers prey on the need for things to be binary such as good and evil, the sexist portrayal of males and females, the notion that identity can shift, and stereotypes. Color symbolism is also used by dressing the doctor in green, the ex-Iraqi solider in black and the most evil person on the show has bright blue eyes.
I believe the reason the show has the capacity to draw people in is because of the complexity of the characters as well as the constant struggle between good and evil. Throughout time popular books, movies, TV shows have been about that struggle between good and evil. This show asks that questions that go through everyone's mind: Is there really good in everyone? Does everything happen for a reason? Does God exist? It shows the struggles that the characters go through which most people can relate to in their own lives. The show does not answer these questions and the plot only creates more questions in the minds of the audience. Everyone is searching for the answers and that is what keeps the audience "LOST".
Every since I was a young kid I was immediately sucked into the world of sports. For years and years my dad and I would take bus trips to watch the penguins and pirates play. My dad was a very good athlete during his teenage years and I tried to follow in his footsteps. And the same is true now for my brother.
Growing up I shared a lot of the same interests as my dad, such as baseball, basketball and golf.
This past summer we both got the opportunity to experience our first US Open at Oakmont. It is something that I will never forget. Being able to watch the best golfers in the world compete on a stage like Oakmont where so many other players of the past walked those hallowed grounds was so special for me.
When you are able to share a common interest with someone so close to you it makes it even more special. This is why sports sucked me in at a very young age.
Gameday is like no other both as an athlete and a spectator. In both cases many nerves rush through your body in excitement of what is about to happen. Fans waving signs and wearing their favorite players jersey as the cheer on the home team.
Tom Hanks said in "A league of their own": "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great." Professional athletes are a phenomenal to watch because so many kids grow up wanting to be like them, therefore they work extra hard to be like their heroes.
I feel that I’ve also been sucked in by the video game culture. Over the past few years, video games have become a part of my daily routines and I’d have to say that my identity has been affected. Gaming has made me a more intense and competitive person. I really do hate losing and a loss is tough to swallow. I enjoy playing sports games the most with the most obvious one being Madden ’08. I also like NBA 2K8 as well as the NCAA version. Here at my apartment we have all the major game consoles: (2) playstation 3’s, an Xbox 360, the wii and the old dreamcast. Playing these types of sporting games gives me the opportunity to become an actual professional athlete and simulate games which have outcomes depending on how good or bad you controlled the players. The decision making that goes on in these types of games is important, because mistakes that are made could end up costing you the game in the end.
There are many different colors in these types of games. The fans in the stands actually look like real people now, wearing their team’s colors and waving signs in the air makes you feel a part of the environment. The players in these games look as real as ever, most players have their signature moves just like in real life. I’ve actually had people come into my apartment and mistake a game for a live televised game, that’s how real games look these days.
So I’d have to say that I’ve been sucked in hard by the video game culture. My kids will be fortunate enough to have a father that likes video games just as much as they do. I’ll never get tired of gaming, only way I put down the “sticks,” is when I’m dead and buried.
So I pretty much get sucked in everything and anything that deals with popular culture. But the first thing that comes to my mind is the whole entertainment industry. If i pass by a news rack in the grocery store, my eyes immediately stare of either the new issue of People or Us Weekly. I spend 3.50 a week on a magazine, not for class but for my own enjoyment. I really don't know what is it about reading about other people's success, problems and life.
My whole identity through the years has changed because of the entertainment industry. I am the youngest of three girls, so when i saw that my older sister had an interest in these magazines. It first started with Teen People, Seventeen and YM and eventually turned into the more "mature" versisons of People and Us Weekly. i changed my own identity to be like hers. Ever since then, my friends and family know what i want for my birthday.. a subscription to any celebrity magazine.
But what is it about reading about other people? Why do people care about what designer they were wearing to the Grammy's last night, or or what drug that was scene at the DUI crime scene? I really can't even answer these questions but I can say that I am a fan of these magazines and the details that are inside of them and I'm not going to lie that it is an addiction of mine that has influenced my own identity in the world of popular culture.
Trying to figure out if one specific popular culture idea has impacted my identity was hard. After making a list of all the things that have left a huge impression on me, the one I kept coming back to was music.
My parents met through music. My dad played percussion in a band, and my aunt dated his best friend. My dad met my mom one night when my aunt brought her to a show. My aunt introduced my mom to my dad and the rest is history. I've been surrounded by music all my life, even before I was born. With my dad's band and trip to the first Woodstock, to the musical intruments around our house and the few I played throughout high school, music has a huge part in my identity.
I love muscials and television shows that have music intertwined. My favorite drama is a television show called "Instant Star." The main character, Jude, wins a contest similar to American Idol. The series follows her through the completion of her album - one album per season. Each episode is titled using a famous song title - "Lose Yourself" for example. The names of Jude's family members are all inspired by the Beatles.
I pay attention to details, just as composers do when writing symphonies. I love the fashion in the "rock star world" and dream of owning clothes just as cool. In addition to music, I can agree with TaraJ in her reaction to reality shows.
It is very easy to get "sucked in" to a television show and have different parts of your identity come out. I know that certain shows bring out my softer side, like "John and Kate Plus 8." Where shows like "The Guantlet" bring out my competitive side during the team challenges. When I would watch "The Hills" with my friends, we would also pretend that we were rich and could wear expensive designer clothes everyday.
Then, after the shows end, reality sets back in reminding me that I am a college student at IUP that enjoys spending time with her friends and escaping the daily grind with some tunes. I am who I am, and aspects of pop culture may bring a temporary change. But in the end, I always find my way back.
For the last few years of my life, I have consciously striven to avoid subjecting myself to certain potentially "distancing" or "passive" types of popular culture, with the possible exception of the internet. I refuse to buy cable (why not have a real experience?), I hate telephones (let's just hang out and chat), and "movies" excepting "le septieme art" are out of the question (I'd rather read a book). But for as much as I judge and shun the bells and whistles of society, I must inevitably operate within that society, and with those who are affected by it. The result is akin to what Sharlamaine said: society doesn't let you forget about it.
Now that we've been examining popular culture and how it works, I sense a bit of my own naïvité. I'm rebelling against something, perhaps even because I cannot adequately and consistently define how it offends me. As soon as I think I have it all figured out, it morphs right through the cracks between my fingers. But luckily, I'm not so naïve as to be blind to the artistic value of such a quality.
There is a medium that I have admittedly not "escaped," and that would be music. I have a friend who emphatically declares that music is her life. While I don't have such a claim of utter ardor for the genre, I'm serious enough about it to be a radio DJ.
Like Ashley, I grew up with classic rock. It is an inexorable part of my identity; when I think of my parents, I think of the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, Black Sabbath, and many other bands that now have franchised t-shirts. I also think of my parents when I hear alternative or rock music. Classic and modern rock inspires a certain discourse for me; it conjures notions of informality and relaxation.
Classical music is another favorite of mine. But I have found that when I express my fondness for it to another classical music lovers, I sometimes feel that I'm being quizzed on the extent of my knowledge. Thus, I usually enjoy Vivaldi and Mozart alone in my car or apartment. The effect of listening to such music, for me, is a transcendence. Since I became exposed to studies of whiteness, however, I'm beginning to suspect symphonic music as a tool sometimes used by institutionalized whiteness. Classical songs are often used in juxtaposition of luxuries marketed to white people. Many of the targeted consumers probably don't think pragmatically, but make the correlation to privilege without disturbing the invisibility of whiteness.
My radio show is neither classic rock nor classical compositions, but post-modern music that might best define where I dwell in the margins. I prefer surprising tones and instruments: a new perspective on classic approaches from bands like Radiohead and The Mars Volta to assure me that music can outrun codification. To satisfy my recurring issues with gender, I indulge in strong "feminine" singer/songwriters such as Madonna, Joanna Newsom, and Antony and the Johnsons. And, as a throwback to nostalgic simulacrum, I spin some songs that are specifically reminiscent of an assumed moment in the past, thus simultaneously killing and consecrating my classic rock youth.
One aspect of popular culture that has sucked me in is tattooing. After years of admiring ink on my favorite rock stars and celebrities in magazines, I got my first tattoo at 17. I associated tatts with rebellion, freedom, and individuality. I saw them as exotic and anti-establishment. Bosses, parents, teachers hated tattoos. So the more I was inundated with images of tattoos, the more I wanted my own. In this case rhetors prey on people’s notion that identity is fluid and shapeable. People realize that by getting a tattoo they can shape shift their identity. They allow you to defy the box culture has put you in, in my case middle-class white suburbanite, and this realization can be liberating.
There is definitely a “tattooed” community around the world that shares a fascination with this form of body art. Having tattoos has shaped me by placing me as a member of that discourse community. Other tattooed people are usually the first to inquire about my tattoos. As part of this community I often find myself in conversations with other tattooed individuals about the “high” of a new tattoo or discussing ideas for future tattoos or cool ones we’ve seen done. Each of my tattoos could lead a person to make assumptions about who I am and what I’ve been through, so they not only shape the way I view myself, but also the way others view me.
I think Baudrillard may argue that all tattoos are simulacra. Tattoos are signs that aim to duplicate and simulate the reality which we feel we experience. We put these signs on our bodies permanently and as others encounter them, the signs are perpetuated further until the reality they were meant to represent is lost. The draw in tattoos is the allure of control. We find ourselves in a world of sociopolitical ideologies imposed upon us, having control of something we put on our bodies permanently gives us an instant rush of power.
I also agree with the statement above regarding the entertainment industry. When I first read the question about what “sucks me in” I started to think about what I do everyday. I believe I get sucked into a lot of different parts of popular culture in our society. One in particular is the entertainment industry. I find myself also buying celebrity gossip magazines and watching E! as well as other celebrity gossip shows. Sometimes I will watch them all day without realizing it. I get sucked into the drama like an addicting drug and I can’t just break the habit.
I consistently stay up to date with baby news, crazy Britney incidents, and scandals. I even find that when I am not reading or watching things about celebrities I am chatting about them with my friends. When we talk about them we use first name basis as if they are an actual part of our social circle. It’s strange to think why do we become so obsessed with these individuals? We feel it is our right to know every detail of their personal lives. I think for me it’s an escape from reality. When I watch or read about their lives it’s like a vacation from mine. Their lives are filled with interesting escapades, luxurious houses and cars, and an endless amount of money to blow on clothes, partying, trips, etc. It makes life seem so much more glamorous then the real world most of us live in.
These misconceptions of the perfect life and wonderful lifestyle affect my identity. Depending on what I am reading or watching it affects my mood. When I watch Lives of the Rich and Famous I almost feel depressed. I know I most likely will never own a million dollar yacht in the Gulf of Mexico, but for some reason I can’t turn the channel. In the same sense after watching these types of shows it makes me want to do well in school so I can get that fabulous job with the not so average salary. For me watching and reading about celebrities allows me to escape the real world and enter a world where dreams do come true and encourages me to become successful in my own life.
When thinking about what popular culture has "sucked" me in I would have to say that the lastest thing would have to be CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (the original). I never used to watch this show because I thought that it was unrealistic and over-rated. Then over Christmas break when I had nothing but time to kill I started watching it, and I was hooked. Now I don't know why I never watched it before, it's such a good show. Although you do have to take it for what it is...entertainment. It's a nice little break from the world, where you can escape for an hour and help solve a crime. Well not really but I like to think that I can solve the case before they actually do. In my opinion it's a good way to spend an hour.
As for how it effects my identity, it makes me feel secure, because I hopefully one day will be out there helping people by combating crime. It's comforting to see how they help people, solve the crime, and at the end of the day catch the bad guy. While I know that this is hardly ever the case, I can't wait to get out there and do my part. In a way I guess you become some what like a superhero, and how can that not make you feel good?
I normally watch the show in the comfort of my own home wrapped up in my favorite blanket with whatever snack I have found for the night. I'm comfortable and ready to watch the show. Even though the color and lighting schemes of the show are dark and foreboding; so that they help add to the effect of the show, my living room is light and bright helping to combat the destablizing effect that the show may have on me. I'm not scared or effected by the show in the same way that I would if I was watching it alone in some big dark theater. So it's been my experience that while something from what your doing may destablize you, you always have something that brings you back, something that stablizes you.
In responding to a popular culture event that has sucked me in, and using to to analyze in class duscussions, a few ideas came to mind. I definately agree with Marissa and Gary about the current video game trend and how it has impacted popular culture today. As I noticed, video games do have a tendency to pull you in quickly and keep you there. Especially with the evolution of televisions and color definition, graphics have become nearly perfect.
Athough I find a great deal of interest in video games, I feel that Texas Hold Em has sucked me in even more. Perhaps the greatest aspect of poker that led to my decision on this matter is the anticipation of every hand. I, in particular, enjoy a suspenseful moment, as is a reason for some of you to like movies. However, to get the full effect of poker, I feel that one needs to try playing at an actual casino. The lighting plays a major role in the setting and mood of the game. They are typically bright and contain an array of colors. In my opinion, bright colors add to the mood of that particular environment. With that an gambling combined, one can be put in a good mood, as the casinos want, and enjoy a game of poker.
Whether playing to win or just for fun, poker can be act as a time to socialize and make it possible to get lucky. It is one of my favorite popular culture events today.
When questioning a popular culture event that has “sucked” me, what immediately popped into my head was the amount of drinking, particularly binge drinking, that I have done throughout my years here at IUP. In high school, drinking was something to do on the weekends after a football game, or whenever someone’s parents went out of town- it was always a way to let loose, create memories, and lose the many inhibitions that teenagers have. Now though, drinking has become so routine and intertwined with my daily activities and lifestyles that it almost has a simulacra effect, in a sense that I have lost touch with reality outside of the college world. My reality is going out three or four nights a week, staying up until the early morning, and sleeping until the afternoon. Outside of college, this is not a normal or realistic lifestyle at all.
Drinking in college is a way of life, not just a choice. You rarely, if ever, encounter someone at IUP who says, “oh, I don’t drink.” The majority of kids here identify themselves with drinking. It’s interesting to see how drinking can change a person’s identity. Beyond the obvious reasons of lost inhibitions, physical impairment, and weakened sense of judgment, drinking really does affect a person’s identity. For example, when I go out and drink, I maintain my original identity, but take on other forms as well. I dress differently when I’m going out to the bar than I do while attending class, and for the most part I associate with different people than I do during the day. People I associate with in class are intellectually stimulating and maintain a calm demeanor, while the friends I tend to go out with at night love to get wasted and make unhealthy decisions. I identify differently with these friends than I do with my classmates, or even my family.
Spaces affect my identity while drinking as well. For example, I’ve been drunk in front of my family before during the holidays or weddings, but I’m not going to whack down jaeger bombs and dance on the bar like I would with my friends here. My identity changes as I drink with different types of people in different settings. I noticed that d.joseph’s blog plays on the theme of college drinking as well, and I agree with his point of color setting a tone for drinking. Bars are almost always dimly lit, with themes of dark hues like black, dark green, or navy to perhaps set a guilt-free zone, as if being in the dark hides you from your actions more so than a brightly lit bar would.
What popular culture has sucked me in? It's hard to think of some popular culture that I have found in our campus atmosphere that would appeal to me enough to suck me in. I guess that I have been "sucked into" my major, English Ed. After all, I spend most of my day thinking about courses that revolve around Education.
I have however found a popular culture outside of school that has totally sucked me in. I have always been an animal lover and have owned dogs and horses for about ten years. My boyfriend and I have been together now for about a year and a half and he is heavily into livestock production. He owns cattle and Boer goats. His best friend breeds and raises pigs and lambs. I have always been interested in livestock but my dad was more into horses so we never bought any.
I now spend my summers at livestock shows, my winters helping out in the barn awaiting baby goats, and early spring awaiting baby pigs.
Livestock people are so different from "city folk." Farmers are patient and helpful. I have never seen so many people, in the midst of a competition, be willing to help their oponents.
One thing that I have noticed is that, by listening to older farmers who have been there, done that, you learn so much. I love to listen to experienced livestock producers as the judge places the animals. It seems as though, like everything in life, the perfect market animal is in fact, a simulacra. The perfect market animal used to be the one that produced the best product or offspring. Like popular body image theories, the idea of the perfect animal changed over time too. Soon, overly muscled animals that could barely walk or produce a good product were the popular culture. However, unlike those ideals put in place by media, the livestock industry is striving to get back to the basics. They want animals that look natural and not like they're pumped full of steroids.
There aren't necessary many colors associated with livestock; however, one color that is heavily associated with 4H is green. Green is of course representative of Nature. However, it is also the color of money. I believe that this is an attempt to convey that livestock production is a lucrative business. This is important because farmers are considered the "dying" breed and it is vital that more people are drawn to it at an early age. At the end of each fair, participants receive a check that usually amounts to a few thousand dollars when they sell their animals.
I'm sure that livestock production isn't quite as popular as say, I don't know, Guitar Hero, but it's what has sucked me in. It's a great way to stay outdoors too. Plus, getting to play with baby goats is pretty damn cool.
When thinking about one thing that has “sucked” me in regarding popular culture was shopping. It was so hard for me to pick just one thing that would identify me. After thinking about what I like to do the most I always like to shop. Reading other peoples responses, I too am influenced by guitar hero, Nintendo wii, reality TV shows, and movies, but the one thing that I identify the most with is shopping. When I see a large mall, I am immediately drawn to it. Outside a large mall, you can see different store signs to draw you in. As soon as I see the store logo of forever 21, I get very excited and anticipate going into the store.
Forever 21 is the leading teen apparel retail store that sells trendy clothing at an affordable price. The forever 21 store that I normally shop at is located at Ross Park mall in Pittsburgh, PA. This store is new to the mall opening this past black Friday. I feel that this gives a great feeling when entering the store because it is new and pleasing.
As you are approaching Forever 21, you see displays in the windows with the latest trendy clothing. Entering this huge store, you see a ton of different clothing styles and accessories. The lights are very bright in the store with white walls and glitter on the floors. The white walls are a new beginning and symbolize a pure new start. The glitter on the floor to me symbolizes a glamorous life style that young individuals want in the future.
As I glance around this store, I feel like I could have many identities, from causal to dressy. I feel that the clothing we choose to wear sets us a part and we can all create our own identity. For me, Forever 21 allows me to escape from my daily lifestyle and enter a world of fame and fortune. Since their clothing is very trendy it always me to create a personal style of how I want others to see me. I want to be successful in the fashion industry upon graduation. Forever 21 allows you to escape from the life you lead and be someone else for the day or experience something new, similar to Baudrillard and Disneyland. We can live in a fairytale for an hour or a couple of days. As stated previous, this class has allowed me to view social spaces in a new light. I never realized that the activities we participate in and places we go create so many different identities.
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A current popular space I'm sucked into is the movie industry. I started writing, directing, and producing movies as well as my own personal favorite, acting in movies. This is an interesting space for me because for the first time I feel like I'm alone in this space. Most popular spaces I'm involved with currently or have been in the past have been with a group of friends. I have no one to share this space with. Maybe my dream is to big for them, but nothing is to big for me.
Like I said earlier since I've become involved with the movie industry I've been practicing my the skills that I hope will make me famous someday. I read magazines and books that I would not normally read. Is funny, even though I knew about color techniques like the one bwalsh mentioned, I pay a'lot more attention to that stuff now in movies and tv shows.
I believe that this new identity as a aspiring movies actor, producer, director is shaping future identities of mine...one of a professional and an adult. Cause right now I still feel like a slacking college student who really doesn't care to much about anything except the movie industry. The evidence is right here in this comment with the lack of relation to that crazy guy who wrote that book I'm suppose to be reading...
JD
After reading some of the posted comments and pondering the various venues of popular culture to choose to dissect, I'm going to have to go with the culture of wedding planning. Ironically enough, after we discussed the idea of wedding plans in class last Thursday, I myself became engaged this past Saturday. Eventhough it's only been three days, I'm finding myself being "sucked" into the bridal magazines and advertisements. The advertising and commercialization of the event has even gone as far as bleeding into the internet. Just last night I took a quiz on the Brides Magazine website that was supposed to tell me what 'type' of bride I was (i.e. romantic, classic, etc.) I'm finding myself stuck between the culturalization and popularization of the entire event and what I feel is the true beauty of the event.
I think Gee would find it intersting to dissect this idea of claiming you as a particular bride. This little ten question quiz was supposed to place a labeled identity on myself and my wedding day. What a far out concept. Yes, I want our wedding day to be perfect and yes I want it to be beautiful. Perhaps I should even admit that I want it to be some form of a simulacra. As Baudrillard would say, I want the guests to be able to escape from the trubulations of their own realities. However, I don't want it to be a reproduction of a bridal magazine. I will expect, and I hope, that our wedding will be a representation and a symbol of our relationship. I don't think a situation can get much more realistic than putting one's relationship, the good and the bad, on display.
a popular culture event or events that have sucked me in are sports. I love all sports and the competition that comes with them. I am also influenced by other things such as movies and reality tv shows, but the one thing that gets me going are sports. in school I tried everything; golf,basketball, football, baseball, wreslting, soccer. as I entered high school I was limited to what sports i could play. i chose football basketball and golf. as I entered college I picked golf because Its the least harmful sport yet it is extremely difficult. also with this sport I dont have to be done right after college i can still try to persue a career with it. so these activities have greatly influenced my life since i was three. its quite astonishing if you sit down and think of all the different ways one can be influenced.
Immediately, my thoughts run screaming toward the idea that movies have been an entertainment form that has really popped my culture.
Once I stop to think, though, it seems so obvious. The media.
As a proud Journalism major, I have been thrust into the open arms of newspapers, magazines and television (I have no hopes of pursuing a life in radio). Any and all three are parts of my daily routine. I watch way too much TV (damn TiVo), receive two magazines weekly and try to catch up on my newspapers online (I realize I'm doing nothing to save my dying form of future hopes and dreams).
By far, Entertainment Weekly has been a, well, weekly staple of my life for years. One of the [sadly] few credible entertainment magazines (die, tabloids, die) - R.I.P. Premiere magazine - I spend hours intensely reading the pages of EW, studying and absorbing more than I learn in most classes daily.
I have had a deep-seeded fascination of the film business since I first saw "You've Got Mail" (I know ... I don't understand it, either). It's so thrilling to me to open each glossy page, discovering a new untold story or intimate detail about the world I hold probably too dear.
My greatest dream in life (after winning a Pulitzer and creating my own entertainment magazine) is to write for EW. I admire, envy and sometimes hate the writers and reporters who grace the pages of EW each week. I am so desperate, I applied for a [luckily paid] internship with the magazine for the summer months. (I'm keeping my fingers crossed so tightly sometimes I lose all feeling in my hands.)
I look forward to the end of each week, just to find the word "Entertainment" in big blocky letters hanging out of my mailbox. Sometimes I applaud the magazine's ideas (Conan's Strike Survival Guide was knee-slappingly funny); other times I want to wring the columnists' necks. (Seriously - you're giving the "Perfect Strangers: Seasons 1-2" DVDs a C+?)
I am guessing Baudrillard wouldn't be an avid fan of the magazine, or most forms of the media, for that matter. Media is a drawn-out form of communication, requiring approval from different parties, and the general understanding of implied trust; it is just a formulated place for opinions and, in some cases, gossip and untruths.
Reading this magazine every week has slowly and somewhat subconsciously created a monster in me. Via the pages of EW, my identity has been, and continues to, be molded into the great entertainment connoisseur I already like to pretend I am.
So, thank you, Entertainment Weekly, for helping to create my identity and ultimately sucking me into your world of popular culture. (And next time try to be nicer to Diane Keaton's post-Woody I-am-trying-too-hard-to-still-be-funny films. "Because I Said So" was a somewhat valiant effort.)
Many of the blogs that people have put up here have had some type of affect on me as well. A couple people wrote about Guitar Hero and I could easily see how that could "suck you in", (and I too was a little sucked in) but a main reason I "pulled myself out" so to speak is that im a drummer and the first couple times I played the game I didnt realize that you could hold the colored "frets" in instead of hitting them everytime, and I did horrible at the game haha. So I kind of regressed from the game.
I saw that a few other people wrote that Wii has taken a hold of them. I can relate a little more to this ha One of my roommates recently purchased a Wii and weve played it alot lately. Well go out to the bar or come back late night from a party and bowl a few games or shoot a couple holes of golf. haha its much more competitive and interesting that way we think.
There was also some talk about how colors represent things and remind you of things. Ive always believed in this aspect of life. In every apartment or house that Ive ever had I put up practically all the posters and tapestries in the house because I believe that bare walls, with plain white coloring, bring you down and make you feel mundane everyday. I also understand that with the same posters and tapestries up it can get to be that way too so the other day my roommates and I changed around all our posters and metal signs and lights and what not just to change it up a little.
I know this may sound like a cliche of a college mail from Pittsburgh... but the Steelers and Penguins have always been a huge popular culture area for me. When its football season, there is hardly a Sunday that goes by that I'm not with my friends in front of a TV somewhere watching the Steelers. I can barely remember the last time that I missed an entire game of Steeler Country Football. Even if were on a losing streak anything can happen every week and pretty much every game is important to set the tone of a season or a division finish. Penguins games have also been pulling me in a lot more lately because of Sidney "Sid the Kid" Crosby. He and a bunch of other 20-something(or younger) year old players have rejuvenated our team and they are getting better everyday. Pretty soon I believe that the Pens will go the distance in the playoffs again and bring home the Stanley Cup. The Steelers brought excitement and "Black-n-Gold fever" back to Pittsburgh two years ago by winning the Super Bowl and I think the Pens will do it again soon as well.
1I know for me, one popular culture item that has sucked me in has been gaming, such as computer or video games. As was said previously, gaming can help us transcend and get out of our own life for a while. In a sense, this could almost be a simulacra. No longer are we Gary the English Major or Craig the Nursing student, but instead we are a hero or warrior of yore, or a resent parolee trying to get back into the good graces of those that sent him to prison in the first place. The game may be so removed from our life, or anyone’s life for that matter, that the original is no longer visible, and all that exists is a fantasy world in which weapons float with bright colors surrounding them, and the best way to defeat a foe that is closing in on us is to jump on his head. Video games takes us from the first space and put us in the second space. It is this movement that puts us almost in an entirely different world. There is a strong emphasis on color in these games. The rhetors – those that design the game, want the best possible experience from us, the consumers. In intense scenes, they will use bright colors, and in the varying scary/mysterious scenes instead we are presented with dark and dreary palettes.
I feel that my identity has always been impacted by video games. Many times I find myself engaging in conversation about these games, whether it was something I learned from a game or merely conversation with another fan. These games shaped me who I have become by showing me the good and bad simulacras for life, and how I should treat the real one I have away from the screen.
I'm been sucked in by so many aspects of popular culture. I'll try to break down to only one or two.
The first one is definitely Star Wars which I've mentioned before. It's honestly the first movie that I remember as a child. I was born one year before the initial Star Wars release and it's been a part of my life since I was probably 2-3 years old. I've been completely immersed in it...everything from single player Star Wars video games to also their MMO called Star Wars Galaxies which I just reached my 39th month of continuous play. I also collect some of the toys and particularly the preschool toys which I actually like moreso than the regular figures. I have a Darth Vader helmet and two lightsabers. Lego Star Wars toys, Christmas ornaments, glasses to drink from, soundtracks and 9 differing versions of the original trilogy which include each rerelease since 1995 (both wide and fullscreens).
Next week, I'm going to Philadelphia to the Franklin Institute to go to a Star Wars traveling museum exhibit.
Most of my friends aren't as into Star Wars as I am. I know that when I'm with friends that don't like it I act differently than when I'm with friends that do. I speak differently and I can speak a totally different lingo with those who enjoy it then those who don't. I'm sure at the museum exhibit I will act differently then I will if I'm in game. The museums space itself calls for a different behavior and I usually go into that mode when I enter a museum.
I'm really excited about the Star Wars exhibit and I'm even spending the night in Philly so that I'm there bright and early. I will again act differently in the hotel space because that is what will be called for. Society basically tells you what is appropriate and what isn't when you enter specific places.
My personality has been forever shaped by this phenomenon called Star Wars and because of that I go to great lengths to see that I may never get to see (such as the museum exhibit).
My experience as a student at IUP is a piece of pop culture that has most impacted my identity and continues to influence it on a regular basis. Not only does my status as an IUP student mean an educational experience, but it is also a living experience. As I entered the university as a freshman, I found myself constantly defining myself, and I believe I did this to create some form of familiarity; nearly everyone around me did not know me or my upbringing. I also noticed as a college freshman that I did not feel as though I was the same person at school as I was at home. The two geographic locations seemed to change who I was -- or maybe it was the experiences and the people and the entire transformational experience.
During a short span of time, I began to trust some of these people, and they became my "family." I no longer spelled out my identity to them. I defined more of my outside influences to them, such as family, friends at home, etc. -- people they soon met.
Being a college student at IUP is the pop culture that has impacted me most and continues to influence me every day.
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