Blog 12

*Respond to the film Killing Us Softly.  What impact does advertising have on how people view themselves?  Can you describe or include in your blog an ad that perpetuates some of the messages Killborn describes?

- Killing Us Softly was a very good video to watch, it shows a lot about how advertising tries to make people look perfect.  All the women in this video were beautiful, thin, and had perfect features.  I think this can have a poor impact on people that see these advertisements because they think this is what beauty looks like and strive too look like that, when really it took a lot of editing to make those girls look that way. 
Killborn explains that women look more like things than human beings.  She says that most of the time just one part of the woman's body is shown such as her breasts, or her butt.  She shows an ad that is supposed to be for fishing line and it has a picture of a woman's bra that is snapped.  The main focus of this picture is the woman's breasts, and then at the very bottom of the picture it says something about it being a really strong fishing line.  I think that this shows people, especially men that women can be treated like things because they don't have feelings.  It is sad that the market can treat and show women like that but the even more sad part of it is that some women believe that they should be treated like things.  Advertising has a very big impact on people today, it is sad that they can't change the way they show people.

Blog 10

*How does reality television relate to and affect people who watch it?  What makes reality television shows so popular?  What is the largest archetype that you see being used in reality television shows?

-I think that the reason why reality shows are so popular is because people think that they are supposed to be able to relate to it.  They think since its "reality" television its all real, when in truth it is sometimes scripted and set up.  The largest archetype in reality television is usally that there is one person of color, a homosexual, or a total prissy girl.  The reason why this is the largest archetype is because these people are the type the most drama.  For some reason drama seems to sell a lot more than just normal people living their everyday lives.

Blog 9

*Select a popular culture artifact (company, celebrity, brand, sports team, etc.) that you can discuss in terms of "religification."  How has this artifact been "religified"?  How do people discuss this in reglious terms?  What people follow this particular "religion"?  Who are the people who directly oppose this popular culture "religion"?

- I think that Disney is a perfect example of "religification".  Disney is literally everywhere in the world.  The founder Walt Disney even had christ-like characteristics about him.  People often talk about Disney like it is the promise land and the one place they want to make it to in life.  Even famous athletes often say that "they're going to Disney World!" People all around the world follow Disney, but right now people are so confused about their religion that they kind of like to mix and match.  I think that a lot of people feel as though Disney is a lot like Heaven on Earth.  People who would be opposed to Disney as being "religified" would be people who are still set in the traditional ways of their religion.

Blog 8

*Make a connection between popular music today and one of the other themes we've talked about this semester, such as women & sexiness or men/masculinity & violence.  Can you find examples of popular music either support the standard message of those themes or working against them?  How important do you think popular music has been in spreading these ideas?

- When I read this my first thought was how rap music relates to masculinity and violence.  In most rap songs there is talk about men killing another man, how women are basically there to provide for their sexual needs, and how they have so much money.  It seems like people think that these male rap stars are more masculine because they talk about killing people, and calling women names.  I think that this is sending people the wrong message when women are willing to sleep with these men that talk about them like they are dogs, and the murder rate is going on.  They see all these rap stars making lots of money and having all these material things so they think that if they act like them they will be cool.  When in reality they will end up in jail or killed.  I'm not going to hide it, I listen to rap music and hip-hop music, but I do not always agree with the lyrics.  I think that it is very important that people don't take into consideration all the things that are said in these songs, because it seems like every year America's crime rate rises a lot.

Blog 7

*Look at readings for hip-hop AND country.  Where do you see similarities and/or connections between these two music genres?  What do they have in common?  Where are they fundamentally different?

-I think that hip-hop and country music are similar because people can relate to both of them.  The two groups of people may be completely opposite of each other though.  These two genres are both very popular in American Society, and top all of the other musical genres, they have their popularity in common.  Although they may have some things in common they are very different.  Country music hits home to a lot of people, it is the most popular genre in America.  Country music is easy to understand and the singers talk about the different stages of life.  Where hip-hop is more about misogyny and materialism.  Country musicians sing about treating their lovers with respect, and hip-hop singers talk about cheating, beating them, and leaving them.  I think that they are very different genres, but I enjoy listening to them both!

Blog 6

**Today we discussed how popular culture media might be making us smarter, stupider, nicer, meaner, healthier, unhealthier, gentler, and more aggressive.  In your blog post, address which of these changes to human behavior you believe to be the strongest in modern society as a result of popular culture media.  Make sure you explain your answer and include examples.

- I think that all of these can come out of popular culture.  The one that sticks out the most to me is healthier and unhealthier.  You see all these famous women who are thin, toned, and beautiful, but they have personal trainers, and dieticians that they can afford to pay.  A lot of women see these stars and think that they have to be skinny for men to want them or to be accepted in society.  They can't always afford the trainers or dieticians they need so they begin to starve themselves.  This is very unhealthy and can lead to death.  I just read an article today about a woman who got down to 82 pounds because she wanted to be beautiful and thin like all of the stars.  Starvation and bulemia is not the way to go, but it seems to be a big problem in America right now.

Blog 5

Reflection:
Today I watched a video called "'Tough Guise".  This video talked about how men look tough when they commit violence, and how men need to be "tough, independent, and respected".  I found this video very interesting because it showed the rates of murder, rape, and domestic violence, and men were the main causes in all three.  I learned that masculinity is just a pose, and that as the years go on its starting to get worse.  Toys, professional wrestlers, and actors have all gotten more muscular over the years and this makes them look more masculine.  I think that people should be concerned on the relationship between masculinity and violence.  As all the rates show men were the leading factor in violence, simply because most men believe they have to put on this strong front, and you cant be strong unless you cause some sort of violence.  Not all men believe this, but when television and even children's toys are showing violence and muscles, it seems like there isn't a very good model out there of what masculinity is all about.

Blog 4

How important are the top two responses on the masculinity graph?  Should we be working to take into
account other characteristics?

- The top two characteristics on the masculinity graph was muscles being number one, and athletic/sports coming in at number two.  I don't think either one of these really has a lot to do with masculinity, but in today's world in America, that is what its all about.  I haven't really grown up in a world where masculinity isn't muscles, athleticism, nice cars, etc.  I think that is really pathetic that men have to be judged on characteristics like those.  I think that other characteristics should definitely come into play.  To me a good personality, being independent, proving for a family, and things along those lines make a man more masculine.  I don't think material things should matter at all.

Blog 3

Which one of the articles that we have read in class provides the most provocative/interesting information? Is this information important for readers to know?

-I think that the most provocative and interesting reading is "10 Seconds to Love".  I think that this article shows how famous you can become by just being a sex symbol.  Pam Anderson and Marilyn Monroe are what this article is all about.  Most people would think that they are nothing alike, but this article shows that they have a lot of similarities.  Pam Anderson comes off as more of a "dirty girl" to the world, and Marilyn Monroe comes off as very classy.  This article shows that if you let people see that you are normal then you're no longer what people want to see.  These two women knew what they were doing to keep people entertained.  The information in this article isn't really that important, but it is interesting and shows a lot of good points.

Blog 2

What is the proper role of pornography in America?
- I think that pornography is for people to find pleasure by looking at other nude people.  I think that some people may have fantasies about the porn star, and they get arousal from it.  Pornography is very popular in America but many people find it inappropriate.

Who benefits from porn?
- I believe that people who benefit from porn are those who need to find pleasure in fantasies.

Who is harmed?
- I would say that the main crowd that would be harmed by pornography are children.  If children watch or see pornography they could get ideas when they are too young, which could cause teen pregnancy.  Other people that could be harmed by pornography are people that do not believe in sex or people have certain views of sex.

My first blog

How do you respond to the arguments that have been made in this weeks reading?
- I agree and disagree with the arguments that we had this week. I agree that America seems to be all about looks, and that nothing else really matters.  I think that is why we have so many issues in America is because we see all these women who have had plastic surgery or can afford to have a personal trainer, and that's not realistic for most people.

Is our popular culture healthy in regards to beauty?
-I think our culture doesn't really have the priorities straight when it comes to beauty.  Its all about looks in our culture, and to me that isn't what beauty is all about.

Do we focus on physical appearance too much?
- I think we focus on appearance way too much.  In some careers you may have a better chance if you are really pretty, even if the woman next you is just as qualified but not as pretty, in most cases the prettier person will get the job.  I don't think that is how it should be.  Beauty can be on the inside too, but in our culture many are only focused on appearance.