The Culture of American Football
Over the years, American football has become more than just a sport. Instead of looking at football only as a source of entertainment, it has become an integral part of American culture. Football displays classic American attributes such as unity, hope, community, diversity and capitalism. It is a phenomenon that affects everyone from young children watching the game with their dad to senior citizens across the country rooting for their alma maters. Even those removed from the world of sports are influenced by athletes because many transcend their sport and become icons in the larger American culture.
Unity is considered a quintessential American value. Immigrants that come to America are welcomed to maintain their sense of identity by keeping many of the customs that they practiced in their former country. Similarly, some Americans maintain a sense of identity by uniting with other football fans from across the state or the country. For numerous Americans, events around the football season have become a tradition. Born in the college football town of Norman, Oklahoma, I was brought up to park cars at our rental properties near campus, tailgate, and then go to every home football game. This became my family’s tradition, as well as many other families. There is a phrase in the fight song for the University of Oklahoma that says, “I am Sooner born and Sooner bred and when I die I’ll be Sooner dead” (“Boomer Sooner”, 2009). It is sad but true that I was born to be a Sooner and my whole family was bread to be sooners. Even though I now go to the University of Arkansas, I am still proud to be a sooner because it represents my home and part of my identity. There still is an ever present peer pressure to support the Razorbacks. Football keeps me unified with my family and the friends of my childhood. Even though I am away from them I still feel connected through football. Whether it’s talking on the phone about the prospects of a championship, or about how well a player I grew up with is faring on the team, or getting to attend a game when I am home in Norman for a weekend, it kindles those feelings of unity with home.
It is likely that students attending the University of Arkansas have the same pride that I have for OU. Being a part of college life at the U of A, I have had to compromise my identity in order to fit in with the students around me. Actually, football games had the same result of helping me feel a part of the University of Arkansas culture. Learning the fight song, going tailgating and to the games with my new college friends, helped me feel a sense of unity with my college peers and made the adjustment to college life easier. Some people cling to the things that remind them of when they were young. In many cases, going to football games at the same stadium or cheering for the same team will bring back memories of growing up. It is not so much the sport but what the sport represents. It symbolizes memories with family, old friends, your hometown and many more things depending on the person and unifies you with your family and friends, no matter how far away you are. The feeling of going back after leaving for a long period of time is indescribable, but holding onto something that represents home, like a football team or an immigrant’s old family custom, keeps a person united.
Hope is what makes the “American dream” real for many in the United States. Every person in America has the opportunity to do what they want to do in life and have the hope of realizing their dreams. Every child is offered education which in turn gives them the hope of obtaining their goals. Football has the ability to give communities that are going through tough times something to count on and look forward to. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina came ashore in New Orleans, Louisiana and left 500,000 below sea level. The natural disaster destroyed the city and forced residents to evacuate to other states (Drye, 2005). The disbelief accelerated due to the massive amount of damage to New Orleans but there was always some hope. One resident of New Orleans, Gilbert Haynes, was left with almost nothing after Hurricane Katrina but decided to buy season tickets for the New Orleans Saints football team. Haynes said, “This football team has become an inspiration for this city… without them, we would be reduced to jazz and drinking and food” (Carpenter, 2006). The people of Louisiana watched their state’s professional football team rise above the disaster and it motivated them to never stop trying. Football has the power to give hope to people when hope is a rare commodity.
Football has brought communities together to form a sense of kinship and/or belonging with a specific team. For instance, college football is a way for students attending a university to root for their school’s team so that they have something in common with one another. Tailgating before a game has become essential to the football ritual. It includes a number of America’s (stereotypically) favorite activities such as eating greasy food, drinking lots of beer, being lazy, and watching sports (Enestrom, 2003). Gathering around the preparation and eating of food is something that has been a central focus for the sense of community in American culture. Examples of food being the center of a gathering would be during holidays, family reunions, and weddings. Football, reflecting American culture, has developed a tradition of gathering around the tailgate of a car and preparing and eating food that is almost as important as the game itself.
Honoring diversity came slowly to football, as it did to our American culture. Geographically, the northern United States were ahead of the game in integrating black players into college football, (the NFL was even slower). No conference was more resistant than the Southwest Conference. Even after northern team's rosters included blacks, many southern college teams not only continued to include only white players, but most southern conferences either chose to play only non-integrated southern schools or had "gentleman's agreements" with the northern schools to sit out their black players during games with southern teams. Naturally, this put the northern teams at a disadvantage and northern coaches and administrators started resisting (Dumas, 2007). As is true in many cases in our American culture, the tail wags the dog. The influence of the black football hero (and more famously the black baseball player Jackie Robinson), helped facilitate integration in our general society. Now, blacks make up about fifty percent of the NFL and have approximately 848 active players who are black. Not to mention eighty percent of starters in the NFL are African American (Bryson, 2003). The existence of black athletes that Americans can idolize changes the mindset of those who have attitudes of discrimination that have so permeated our culture. In addition, when a fan feels they are part of a “team”, and that team includes African American players, it influences the fan’s acceptance of African Americans in our culture. In football we have seen a rise in the number of black coaches and quarterbacks, who are leaders of the football team. Fortunately, we have now seen the election of a black president, as our American culture slowly follows suit.
Clearly, the influence of American capitalism has had a tremendous impact on college football. In the beginning, college football was a campus activity that brought exercise and provided events on campus for college students and faculty to enjoy. It has now evolved, through capitalism, into a multi-billion dollar business, some would argue to its detriment. The ABC network made a deal with the BCS and has paid countless millions of dollars to schools from the conferences involved (Hart, 2008). College athletics have developed into involving so much money that critics say it has become a professional sport. For example, Yale University has received 106,000,000 dollars for football from prospective students and donors. This amount of money raised for their football program was equal to the combined budgets of its medical, divinity, and law schools (Duncan 2004).The average annual salary for major college coaches, a USA Today study find, has topped 1 million, with many breaking the 3 million dollar level. Interestingly, college presidents’ salaries pale in comparison. These teams are paying coaches high salaries for a reason, and that reason is football is a big money game. CNN Money.com reports in 2006, the Texas football program had revenues of 53.2 million, and a profit of $38.7 million. The capitalistic ideals of American culture are about people making things bigger, better and making more money and those values have influenced American football into a business.
Football has become a fundamental part of American culture. In addition to our enthusiasm of watching sports, Americans cherish the idealistic values that football brings to everyday life. Football has the ability to gather unity among a university, state, and/or country by getting different groups of people together to support a common goal. For communities with little to believe in, a football team can inspire hope. Football can be credited with helping to bring about acceptance of diversity in American society. With many contributions that helped evolve American culture, football has emerged from just a sport to an American way of life.
Works Cited
"BOOMER SOONER." Welcome To The City Of Norman. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://www.ci.norman.ok.us/links/boomer_sooner.htm>.
Bryson, Patrick. "The NFL and Racial Bean Counters." Intellectual Conservative.com. 20 Jan. 2003. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://www.intellectualconservative.com/article2096.html>.
Carpenter, Les. "The Saints Bring Hope to the Faithful." The Washington Post 24 Sept. 2006.
Demas, Lane. "Beyond Jackie Robinson: Racial Integration in American College Football and New Directions in Sport History." History Compass. Feb. 2007. University of California, Irvine. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://www.blackwell-compass.com/subject/history/article_view?article_id=hico_articles_bpl412>.
Drye, Willie. "Hurricane Katrina Smashes Gulf Coast." National Geographic News. 29 Aug. 2005. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0829_050829_katrina.html>.
Duncan, Joyce. Sports in American Culture. ABC-CLIO, 2004.
Enestrom, Peter. "Football, American for Beer." The Yale Herald. 26 Sept. 2003. Yale University. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://www.yaleherald.com/article.php?Article=2370>.
Hart, Derek. "A Proposal to (Finally!) Have a College Football Playoff." Bleacher Report. 21 July 2008. CBSsports.com. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://bleacherreport.com/articles/39699-a-proposal-to-finally-have-a-college-football-playoff>.
Levy, David W. "University of Oklahoma." Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. 28 Mar. 2007. Oklahoma State University. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://digital.library.okstate.edu/encyclopedia/entries/U/UN010.html>.
Figure 1: http://images.google.com/images?q=american%20football&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&oe=utf8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi
America's Culture Involving the Controversy of Drugs
America’s Culture Involving the Controversy of Drugs
The controversy of the double-standard regarding drug use has been a problem in American since the 1700s. Back in those days opium and whiskey were considered the evils of the world. Now we are dealing with the most common drug marijuana, which has its side effects, but isn’t lethal from overdose like other drugs. “Usually marijuana is inhaled (smoking a “joint”) for its psychological effects. Within the first few minutes, it produces a sense of heightened well being and relaxation. Now that sounds good. But with continued use, the mental effects include short-term memory loss, shortened attention span, impaired learning, social withdrawal, and decreased motivation” (Q&A/Articles.) There are also the more intense drugs such as, cocaine, heroine, and acid, but those aren’t as commonly used. America’s problem isn’t that there are drugs circulating its states, its problem is how it reacts when those drugs are brought into the public eye. I recently found an article about Michael Phelps smoking out of a bong and the huge controversy that followed. There are many people in America who are idolized and looked up to who have openly admitted to doing different kinds of drugs. Some are known for doing them and no one seems to care, like Willie Nelson, while others are punished in some way and looked down upon by society, like Michael Phelps. Drugs have been around for centuraries coming in different forms but the controversy is the same, how it’s accepted by the younger generations, yet the older generations and the people in power only view it as immoral and corrupt.
The most recent case of celebrity scandal regarding drugs was the Michael Phelps situation. Some photos were released of Michael Phelps, who had just won eight gold medals in the 2008 Olympics, smoking out of what appeared to be a bong or marijuana pipe. This caused a huge controversy to take place. USA Swimming placed a three month ban from competing on Phelps and one of his main sponsors, Kellogg’s, refused to sponsor him anymore because of the drug scandal. Apparently Phelps was at a party and someone took the picture of him smoking out of the pipe and leaked it to the press. The situation did not violate any anti-doping but USA Swimming decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people. The Olympic swimming star issued an apologetic statement after the photo was published. Phelps will not face any criminal charges even though it wasn’t his first incident regarding exposure of illegal drug/alcohol use; he was arrested in 2004 for drinking and driving and was on parole for 18 months (Saltz.)
Phelps wasn’t the only person in the public eye to get caught smoking marijuana. The number of our presidents who have either admitted to, or gotten caught drinking, smoking pot, or doing cocaine is astounding. Barak Obama mentioned smoking pot and doing cocaine in a book he wrote called, Dreams of my father. In a 2007 interview he stated “Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow (cocaine) when you could afford it. Not smack (heroin), though,” (Obama Admits Marijuana and Cocaine Use.) Everyone knows about the Clinton scandal with his quote of, “I smoked but I didn’t inhale.” He was the first president to openly admit to smoking marijuana. George Bush was known for drinking a lot and smoked marijuana and snorted cocaine occasionally. Even the most popular president of all time, George Washington grew marijuana on his farm. (Obama Admits Marijuana and Cocaine Use.) All of these presidents, who were literally the face of America, have at least tried a substance that America is trying so hard to exterminate.
Our presidents turned out to be great men in history. They helped shape our country to what it is today. But Americans refuse to see all the good they’ve done as soon as they find a flaw. We believe that the face of our country should be nothing but perfect, that we sometimes forget that they’re just human, and can succumb to peer-pressure just like everyone else. Just because they had a bad habit or experimented with an illegal substance doesn’t make them a bad person or any less capable of accomplishing great things. That’s one of the problems of our culture. For the younger generations, drugs and alcohol are just accepted. It’s almost impossible to go into the average party in today’s time and not be offered a beer or have someone try and pass around a blunt. Should we look down upon people when they succumb to peer-pressure and actually try pot? It is not going to be the end of the world to be experimental from time to time. But we look down upon them for doing so. How can you think for yourself if you never experiment or decide things on your own terms? Michael Phelps is only twenty-three. He just graduated college and yet he is expected to behave like a forty year old because people view him as a role model. Just because he got caught smoking out of a bong doesn’t take away from the amazing feat he accomplished in winning eight gold medals and setting a world record. He should be punished because it is considered illegal to do any kind of drug including smoking pot. But that doesn’t mean we have to loose respect for him for making some mistakes. If he had been caught using steroids that would have been a much bigger ordeal, they could have taken all of his Olympic medals away. America would still have reacted the same way as it did when he got caught with a bong. It is kind of hypocritical to think that we made just as big of a deal because he did something that the average American has at least tried. To how we would have reacted if we had caught him using steroids and cheating in the Olympics.
It is amazing how many rappers make millions of dollars for writing songs about smoking weed or doing blow. Why is it that we pay to listen to their music because we like the sound of it, when they’re talking about something that we view as immoral? Willie Nelson is famous for smoking weed. He claims that he smoked it in the Whitehouse. But we don’t condemn him for doing it; in fact we actually find it humorous and pay to go see him in concert. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are one of the most famous rock bands in history and some of their most popular songs are about drugs. “Don’t Forget Me” was about Anthony Kiedis’ drug addictions, “Snow (Hey Oh)” is about cocaine, and “Under the Bridge” is about heroine. And let us not forget about one of the most famous classic rock songs of all time, “Cocaine,” by Eric Clapton. This song is clearly about the addiction of cocaine. “If you got bad news, you wanna kick them blues; cocaine. When your day is done and you wanna run ‘round; cocaine. She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie; cocaine” (Stanza 2, Lines 1-3.) Clapton did a lot of drugs in the seventies before getting clean. We view these artists as geniuses because of their lyrics and yet they are talking about one of the things that America despises the most.
There are good reasons for why drugs should be illegal. Addiction and overdose are the main ones. Many have died young because of accidental overdose; Heath Ledger is a perfect example. Bon Scott of AC/DC, River Phoenix, and Marilyn Monroe are some others. The age twenty-seven is actually feared by many celebrities because numerous musicians have died at that age, including, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain (Hoffman.) And the after affects of many years doing drugs can lead to mental problems, Ozzy Osbourne is a perfect example. But people who do drugs aren’t looked down upon because everyone is worried about their health; they’re looked down upon because they don’t fit the image that America wants its citizens to have.
Why is it that one of Michael Phelps sponsors is taken away because he got caught smoking marijuana, but when Barak Obama openly admits to doing the same thing he gets elected president? We pay musicians millions of dollars to write entertaining songs and when they write them about drugs we like it, yet when one dies from them we loose respect for them as an artist. It’s a never ending cycle of hypocrisy. Our parent’s generation knew all about the era of drugs. It was the in the sixties and seventies that drugs became popular. Our parents knew all about them and a lot even did them, but now that our parents are older they look down upon drugs and view them as corrupt. They don’t want their children to have the same experiences as they did or have the same kind of culture that was going on back in those times. Our generation just accepts most drugs even if most choose to abstain from them. Drugs and alcohol are apart of our culture and we can’t seem to figure out a way how to deal with them.
America has started what we call “The War on Drugs.” The War on Drugs is a prohibition campaign undertaken by the United States government with the assistance of participating countries, intended to reduce the illegal drug trade—to curb supply and diminish demand for specific psychoactive substances deemed immoral, harmful, dangerous, or undesirable. This initiative includes a set of laws and policies that are intended to discourage the production, distribution, and consumption of targeted substances (Wikipedia.) We are finally taking the right step to do something about it.
We will never completely rid the United States from illegal drugs, they are a part of our culture whether we like it or not. But we need to end the cycle of hypocrisy. Everyone should be treated equal in how they are viewed or judged because of the choices they make. Let us not lose respect for people because they made a bad choice, but commend them for making the right choice in realizing their mistakes and learning from them. People go through horrors in life and drugs are the only way they see to escape the world for a little while. We must help them be strong and not to give in to the easy way out. Kurt Cobain was one of the most talented song writers of all time but he couldn’t escape his addiction and it took his life in the end. For people who couldn’t find a way out let us remember what they offered the world, not what took them out of it. America needs to end the controversy regarding how we view drugs. Our culture needs to grow and take a step forward. I’m not saying that we should just accept that people do drugs and get over it. I’m saying that we shouldn’t judge them for doing them, and help them see that the consequences aren’t worth how good they make you feel.
Our vices aren’t what make us, how we overcome our vices and what we offer the world is what defines us. Our society and our culture will continue to change and grow overtime not only in regards to drugs, but in regards to life. We can either change and grow with it and look past what people have experimented with and see them for the person they are, or we can stay stuck in our ways and refuse to see the good in people just because they made a few mistakes.
Works Cited
Eric Clapton. "Cocaine.". Polydor/Umgd, 1988
Figure 1-http://blogs.eveningsun.com/sportingword/Michael%20Phelps.jpg
Hoffman, Paul. "Fear of 27". thepHtest. 4/12/09 <http://paulhoffman.wordpress.com/2009/03/16/fear-of-27/>.
"Photo of Obama Smoking Marijuana? Obama Admits Marijuana and Cocaine Use.". 4/12/09 <http://www.antiobamablog.com/2009/02/photo-of-obama-smoking-marijuana-obama-admits-marijuana-and-cocaine-use/>.
"Q&A/Articles". 4/12/09 <http://www.ask.com/bar?q=is+marijuana+bad+for+you&page=1&qsrc=19&ab=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.teengrowth.com%2Findex.cfm%3Faction%3Dinfo_advice%26ID_Advice%3D948>.
Saltz, Jessica. "Has swimming star's career gone to pot?". 4/12/09 <http://www.bild.de/BILD/news/bild-english/sport-news/more-sport/2009/06/michael-phelps/olympic-swimming-star-banned-for-marijuana-bong-scandal.html>.
"Wikipedia". 4/12/09 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_on_Drugs>.
Ask Not
On January 20, 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered what is debated as one of the greatest American speechesin history at his inauguration as the 35th President of the United States. The late 1950s and early 1960s were burdened with crisis with the spread of communism and the escalation of the Cold War to the increasingly violent civil rights movement. Despite the trying times, President Kennedy delivered a speech filled with hope and confidence in the American people. President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address to the nation embodies the freedom, unity, and service that definesAmerican culture.
President Kennedy begins his speech by acknowledging the former Presidentand Vice President, the Speaker, theChief Justice , the clergy, the future Vice President, and finally his fellow Americans. He immediately explains that amidst challenges the nation faces, America will do whatever it takes to ensure their God-given freedom and also the dignity of mankind. President Kennedy then goes back in time to the first revolution where Americans won their freedom. He then explains that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, who must come together across party-lines to ignite a global movement of peace and prosperity. With the challenges the world faces, Kennedy warns the damagesof divisiveness and isolation. Kennedy then thanks America’s current allies in the world for their commitment to freedom, and he says now more than ever we must come together to face the growing threat of communism. He does this also by reaching out to nations in South America by welcoming them to the ranks of the free nations. President Kennedy explains that America is reaching out to the poor and needy not because the communists are, not because he wants their votes, but because it is right. Freedom should be guaranteed to all. President Kennedy then acknowledges the reality of nuclear war and the growing conflict with theSoviet Union. He does not call the Soviet Union America’s enemy but instead our adversary. He then says we must quest for peace with our adversaries. Both sides must explore what unites them as opposed to what divides them. The President then says all nations must discover the wonders of science as opposed to the terrors of science, referring to nuclear proliferation. With his famous line, “ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do your country,” (Kennedy) President Kennedy calls on the American people to act. He then wraps up his speech by asking for God’s help and telling the American people that God’s work must truly be their own.
President John F. Kennedy begins his inaugural address with the words: “We observe today, not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom” (Kennedy). He immediately puts aside the big victory for the Democratic Party for more something more important: freedom. This sets the tone of the rest of the inaugural address. Every inaugural address in our history focuses on the importance of liberty and being American. But in 1961, it meant something more. With civil rights yet to be enacted and the threat of communism around the world, many Americans were eager to be reminded of their freedom because so many Americans were either living with out it or feared losing it. President Kennedy spoke directly to these people: “the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world” (Kennedy). It was not only music to the ears of every communist-fearing American, but also to every African American yearning for the day to be truly free. Kennedy fulfilled this commitment and used executive powers to enforce civil rights. Although he was unable to live to see the day, the Civil Rights Act of 1964was passed by his successor, President Johnson, less than a year after Kennedy’s assassination. Furthermore, one may ask how could one live freely on the brink of nuclear extinction? Kennedy answered this in his speech with the basic belief in human rights, the foundation of American culture. Liberty and human rights can only be salvaged through cooperation with adversaries to reduce nuclear proliferation. Kennedy stated clearly, “let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to negotiate” (Kennedy).By 1963 steps to reducing arms were on its way with the first Limited Test Ban Treaty, a major accomplishment of the administration (Nevins 562). Kennedy saw that the world must cooperate in order to find common interest and begin trusting one another in order to survive. Kennedy helped form American values in a nuclear age and challenged the new generation that if they really believed in liberty, life and the pursuit of happiness, they had to come together. (Silvestri 177).
Unity among the American people has been around longer than America has itself. America would not be here today had the colonists not united against the British during the Revolutionary War. No one understood this better than President John F. Kennedy, who said in his address, “we dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution” (Kennedy). For yesterday it was colonists who united to fight for freedom for all future Americans, and on January 20th, 1961 John F. Kennedy reminded the American people that they too must unite to ensure liberty for future generations. An active word in the Kennedy’s speech is the world Let. He uses it twelve times in his 1,365 word speech. Let “is the perfect Kennedy verb, a liberal’s term, a predicate of permissiveness” (Lubin 94). The term is encouraging yet it does not demand. It employs agreement and brings about consensus. “Let every nation know,” he says; “let us go forth”; “let us begin anew.” Kennedy uses the term to unite the American people together. He also uses it to try to unite other nations together: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we will pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty” (Kennedy).Also notice that Kennedy never refers to himself as “I” but instead “we.” He does not view himself as the liberator but instead we the people. President Kennedy hammers away in his speech the importance of the people to come together as one to combat communism and uphold civil rights.
The most quoted line in his inaugural address is perhaps President Kennedy’s most famous quote: “And so my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country” (Kennedy). This call to service is one of the most prominent themes in the President’s speech because it is what makes America great. It’s not our government, it’s not the politicians, but it’s the spirit of the American people. It is the love of country that motivates one to sacrifice. President Kennedy established the Peace Corpsin 1961, but was unfortunate not to be able to live to see 12,000 volunteers answer the call to service by 1965. The above quote is concluded with President Kennedy summoning people all over the world: “My fellow citizens of the world: Ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man” (Kennedy). By 1965, twenty-three other nations answered President Kennedy’s call to service by establishing their own peace corps initiatives. Today there are roughly 200,000 volunteers in 139 different countries.
Almost fifty years later, Americans are still talking about President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address. Themes of freedom, unity, and service continue toresonate with every generation. Today one can still see these themes embodied in American culture. We no longer have a draft because so many young men and women are dedicated to serving this country in defense of its freedoms. Since the Civil Rights Movement of 1964, African Americans have continued to live freely. Today we even have the first African American president. After the attacks onSeptember 11th, 2001, America was never so united as one. We came together Democrat and Republican to stand as one to defend our American ideals. President Kennedy’s themes of freedom, unity, and service also continue to echo around the world. Since President Kennedy delivered that very speech, the Berlin Wallhas come down, the Soviet Union has collapsed, and Iraq has had free elections. The world has come together to fight AIDS, global poverty, terrorism, and help with natural disaster relief like that of the tsunamiin Southeast Asia. To this day hundreds of thousands of men and women are still volunteering around the world for service in the Peace Corps founded by Kennedy. President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address is part of our nation’s history, known for a time of great tension when America held to its ideals of freedom, unity, and service to answer the challenges facing the world.
Works Cited
"Address to Southern Baptist Leaders." About America. <http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.about-america.org/images/pictures-presidents-USA/johnfkennedy.jpg
"Fast Facts." Peace Corps. Peace Corps. 13 Apr. 09 <http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.whatispc.fastfacts>.
Kennedy, John F., and Ted Sorenson. "John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address." Presidential Inauguration. U.S Capital, Washington, D.C. 20 Jan. 1961.
Lubin, David. Shooting Kennedy: JFK and the Culture of Images. London: University of California P, 2003.
Nevins, Alan. A Pocket History of the United States. 8th ed. New York City: Washington Square P, 1986.
Silvestri, Vito N. Becoming JFK: A Profile in Communication. Wesport: Praeger, 2000.
Soccer: America vs. England
Where in the world is soccer more important than anything, where do millions of fans flock to the stadiums to see the biggest soccer legends of all time, and where in the world can kids and grownups alike come face to face with some of the greatest athletes alive? England, where soccer is everything and the athletes are treated like gods. Meanwhile many Americans play soccer as well but never really get noticed as much as they would if they lived in England therefore creating the many differences between the soccer world of England and that of America. These differences are the geography, the lack of passionate fans, the way the athletes are treated, the lack of communities who are enriched with soccer players, and the lack of televised viewing.
For many years, different cultures have played games similar to soccer, but no one can give a definite answer on when and where soccer originated. One of the earliest forms originated as far back as 1004 B.C. in Japan and the Munich Ethnological Museum in Germany has a Chinese text from approximately 50 B.C. that mentions games very similar to soccer that were played between teams from Japan and China (Recruiting, 1). Although these are great examples of soccer through history the one that resembles modern day soccer the most is that of the Romans. The early Olympic Games in Rome featured twenty-seven men on a side who competed so vigorously that two-thirds of them had to be hospitalized after a fifty-minute game. Who could guess that the most popular game on earth would ever be banned? In King Edward’s reign, he passed laws that threatened anyone caught playing would receive imprisonment. Soccer was seen to be vulgar and indecent so the English sheriffs who followed royal orders by describing the game as a useless practice at times suppressed it. The laws however failed to stop the sport and by 1681 it had gained official sanction in England. By the 1800s soccer had become so popular that in certain annual contests large groups would roam and rage towns and villages and by 1829 there was an account of a match in Derbyshire that spoke of "broken skins, broken heads, torn coats and lost hats." The earliest rules were founded in 1815 at Eton College located in England perhaps implying that chaos was preferred over order, but gradually order was brought to the game and the standardized rules known as the Cambridge rules were adopted by England’s most major colleges. Now the sport has been exported to other countries and now every continent in the world.
The difference between America and England that affects the sport of soccer is the geography. America has a vast geography, like that of the western plains of Arizona and Nevada, rolling through the prairies of Nebraska or driving up Pacific Coast Highway, that has a major impact on the way America plays soccer. In England soccer is so entrenched in the history and culture that there are thousands of games being played out to millions of people on all levels. These levels include the 4 main leagues, then the massive ladder of leagues, then the obscure regional divisions where teams of boilermakers and panel beaters play out 90 minutes of brutality against the miner’s welfare club 11. Soccer in England is endemic throughout society and there is no escaping it even for those who hate the sport.
The second difference is the lack of passionate fans. It’s not that America doesn’t have people that have a love for soccer it’s just that other sports over shadow the sport of soccer. In America where more people care about football, basketball, and baseball England’s major sport is soccer. Even in California where a lot of soccer is played the culture of soccer is marked differently from that in England. In America soccer is seen as a middle-class, white collar game where as in England soccer is seen as more a sport that has its roots deep in the working class. Many of the games in America lack the atmosphere of vulgarity, swearing, and chanting that many of the games in England have and the fans take it for granted (EPL, 1).
Another difference is the way the athletes are treated. In America the athletes who choose to pay soccer are not treated as an athlete of the sport but are more noticed as a celebrity who has no personal life and therefore are not noticed for the accomplishments they make in their field of sport. England treats their athletes as just that, a person who is great at a sport so they decide to play professionally. Maybe if America would treat their soccer players as athletes and not as celebrities the sport might get noticed for what it is.
American soccer and soccer in England differ in the fact that most communities don’t have a strong backbone for the world of soccer to flourish. In most American communities soccer isn’t the most played sport and the roots to make better American players aren’t there. If soccer is going to truly stay in America then it needs to permanently increase in popularity. England has the roots that make soccer there one of the most important sports.
Last but not least a difference between American soccer and soccer in England is that it lacks the televised screenings that football, basketball, and baseball get. What most people don’t realize is that it isn’t just about playing soccer it’s about watching it at every level and discussing it on places like ESPN. If soccer were to be dissected and analyzed by the press and media 24 hours a day, 365 days a year then it would become a major sport and rank up there with the other major sports of America. One thing about soccer is that it is an unrelenting, restless, ever changing beast that needs to be fed every hour.
Although soccer is different between America and England, it is still undisputedly the most watched and played sport in the world, enjoyed by more than 8 million people. The past World Cup which took place in the United States was watched by an amazingly 33 million people around the world for almost 27 days. This evidence of viewers makes soccer the most watched single sports event in the world not even surpassed by the Olympics. This sport is bigger than baseball, football, and basketball combined.
Works Cited
"The Cultural Differences Between Soccer in the UK and USA | EPL Talk." Premier League News from EPL Talk. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://www.epltalk.com/the-cultural-differences-between-soccer-in-the-uk-and-usa/560>.
http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2005/writers/grant_wahl/05/17/howard/p1_howard2.jpg." Google Image Search. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://images.google.com/imgres?
"The History Of Soccer. How Soccer Was Invented." College Sports Recruiting | Scholarships Athletic. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://www.athleticscholarships.net/history-of-soccer.htm>.
Culture of Seattle
Nestled around the coast of Northwest Washington, lies the coastal city of Seattle. It thrives off its location in the Pacific, being a major location and hub for national and global trade. “In 1852, the town was named for the chief of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes, who were paid $16,000 for the use of his name” (Seattle Culture pg 2). The various pronunciations of his name include: See-alt, See-ualt, See-yat, Sealth, and Se-at-tlh. The chief remained a friend of the white settlers until his death in 1866. Much of the nation’s seafood comes from the Seattle bay area as well as many other products from China, Japan and eastern countries. I believe the culture in Seattle consists of physically active people who are more conscious of health and technology. Most of the people that live in Seattle, for example, love outdoor recreation and take care of themselves by trying to remain physically active. Technology somewhat originated in this region, producing a software technology giant such as Microsoft, and the creation of Amazon, an online shopping website similar to eBay. Music and coffee drinking go hand-in-hand, making it the base of culture in the downtown area. Due to the cities’ location on the coast, Seattle gets lots of rainfall. Rainfall could range from 31 to 37 inches of rain a year. “Seattle has many different cultures because of the mixing pot of immigration from the eastern countries across the Pacific” (Seattle Washington pg 5). Some cultures that are present in the city and surrounding areas include: white Americans, Asians, Pacific Islander people and Canadians.
Seattle is the birthplace of rock legend Jimi Hendrix and grunge music, including the following bands: Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, The Presidents of the United States of America and Nirvana”(Seattle’s Music Scene: The Aftermath of grunge pg 1). Seattle culture is incomplete without music. Seattle music is a way of life. The diverse variety of music in Seattle ranges from old soulful scores to modern pop, and rock and roll. Annual musical concerts featuring performances by world famous singers are held in Seattle. Operas are also popular in Seattle. “Seattle has a reputation for heavy coffee consumption; coffee companies were founded or based in Seattle includes Starbucks,Seattle's Best Coffee,and Tully's” (Arts and Culture in Seattle pg 2). There are also many successful independent artisanal espresso roasters and cafes. “Researchers at Central Connecticut State University ranked Seattle the most literate city of America's sixty-nine largest cities in 2005 and 2006, second most literate in 2007 (after Minneapolis), and tied with Minneapolis in 2008” (Seattle pg 4). Additionally, survey data by the United States Census Bureau indicated that Seattle was the most educated city in the U.S.; with 52.4 percent of residents aged 25 and older having a bachelor's degree. “In terms of per capita income, a study by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked the Seattle metropolitan area 17th out of 363 metropolitan areas in 2006” (Seattle Washington pg 3). Even though Seattle is old enough that railways and streetcars once dominated its transportation system, automobiles are now the main mode of transportation. Seattle is also serviced by an extensive network of bus routes and two commuter rail routes connecting it to many of its suburbs. Seattle is also one of the most congested cities in the United States because of traffic. Among Seattle's prominent annual fairs and festivals are the 24-day Seattle International Film Festival, Northwest Folk life over the Memorial Day weekend, numerous Seafair events throughout July and August (ranging from a Bon Odori celebration to hydroplane races), the Bite of Seattle, one of the largest Gay Pride festivals in the United States, and, perhaps most notable of all, the art and music festival Bumbershoot, which programs music as well as other art and entertainment over the Labor Day weekend. “All are typically attended by 100,000 people annually, as are Hempfest and two separate Independence Day celebrations” (Seattle Culture pg 3). In the past, the Gay Pride parade and festival have been centered on Capitol Hill, but since 2006, festivities have been held city-wide, and the parade has followed a route in Downtown from the retail core to Seattle Center. Seattle has the cosmopolitan outlook of a port city with its strong civic, cultural and personal relationships abroad. It is open to new influences and perhaps first landing site for those seeking adventure, or starting a new life. Seattle has a long established gay community, and boasts the nation’s longest running gay bar, the oldest lesbian resource center, the oldest gay counseling service, and the second richest foundation devoted to gay issues. Despite a cosmopolitan outlook, Seattle remains unpretentious, and even low-key. Folks who wear jeans to work, and prefer backpacks to briefcases are also those who appreciate the finer things in life, and are open to new influences in food and art. All of these events that go on usually every year represent the rich and vibrant culture of the arts in Seattle. For the most part the people that live in Seattle love their city and the events that take place in it.
Seattle has many historical land marks in the downtown area, such as the Space Needle. The Space Needle, dating from the Century 21 Exposition (1962), is Seattle's most recognizable landmark, having been featured in the logo of the television show Frasier and the backgrounds of the television series Grey's Anatomy and iCarly, and films such as Sleepless in Seattle. “The Smith Tower was the tallest building on the West Coast from its completion in 1914 until the Space Needle overtook it in 1962” (Seattle pg 1). “The late 1980s saw the construction of Seattle's two tallest skyscrapers: the 76 story Columbia Center (completed 1985) is the tallest building in the Pacific Northwest and the fourth tallest building west of the Mississippi River; the Washington Mutual Tower (completed 1988) is Seattle's second tallest building”(Seattle Culture and History pg 1). Other notable Seattle landmarks include Pike Place Market, the Fremont Troll, the Experience Music Project (at Seattle Center), and the Seattle Central Library. All of these buildings and markets attract tourists to the city. It is a major part of Seattle’s culture, making it a great city to visit as well as live.
Seattle is a major port city for trans-Pacific and European trade. “The Port of Seattle is the fifth largest container port in the United States and the 25th largest in the world” (Seattle Culture pg 2). You can see heavily laden container ships with exotic ensigns making their way through Elliot Bay transporting some of the $36 billion worth of products that cross the Port's docks each year. “A drive across the West Seattle Bridge places you above Elliott Bay's Harbor Island for an aerial view of all this shipping and transportation activity” (Seattle Washington pg 1). The Southern approach to the city center via US Highway 99 passes through the area and is so lined with shipping containers that the area appears to be like some kind of anteroom for downtown’s commerce. The Port also owns and operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; Fishermen's Terminal and Marine Industrial Center; Shilshole Bay Marina and the Bell Street Pier. The Bell Street Pier is an 11-acre complex on the western edge of downtown that includes an international conference center, marina, cruise ship berths, shops and restaurants. It is an attraction in itself.
As for me, I was born in Seattle Washington in 1990 at Northwest hospital in the downtown area. I spent the first five years of my life in Seattle, having the best childhood a child could dream of. On Sunday’s, instead of going to church, my family headed out to Alkai Beach, a beach that had lots of fish and chip restaurants and bars on the beach. The beach was also kid friendly and I spent most of my time eating seafood or playing in the sand. There were endless activities to participate in for me because of the school I attended. I attended a Catholic prep school where I met most of my friends. Today, I still keep in touch with them and some of my best friends that still live there are now involved in extracurricular things such as kayaking, swimming, canoeing, hiking, backpacking in the Olympic Mountains and biking. Over the past year I have also embarked on backpacking trips with my dad and my uncle on Mt. Rainer, a 14,000 foot mountain that lies in the uppermost left corner of the state. Its beauty attracts guests from all over, and is known as one of the best tour spots in the Northwest. These activities started to play a major role in my life, and ultimately shaping the activities in which I participate in today.
Seattle is a vibrant and a throbbing city rich in its culture and tradition. Downtown Seattle is the seat of Seattle arts, culture and entertainment. Several art exhibitions, musical concerts major sporting events and theaters are all present, creating such a diverse metropolitan area.
Works Citied
Seattle Washington. 26 Aug. 1997- 15 Sep. 2009. Seattle Visitor Information Descriptions. 14 April 2009. <http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/seattle/description.htm>.
Seattle. 23 Mar. 2008. Seattle Arts, Culture and Entertainment. 14 April 2009. <http://www.mapsofworld.com/cities/usa/seattle/arts-culture-entertainment.html>.
Seattle Culture. 4 Nov. 2009. World Travel Guide- Seattle. 14 April 2009. <http://www.worldtravelguide.net/city/112/culture/North-America/Seattle.html>.
Arts and Culture in Seattle. 13 Jan. 2007. Cultural Tourism from Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. 14 April 2009. <http://www.visitseattle.org/cultural/>.
Seattle- Culture and History. 13 Feb. 2009. The Seattle Traveler. 14 April 2009. <http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-factsheet/seattle--culture-amp-history-20081128- 6m40.html>.
Seattle’s Music Scene: The Aftermath of grunge. 7 May 2008. 10 Best Guide. 14 April 2009. <http://www.10best.com/Seattle,WA/Articles/124/Seattle%7Cs_Music_Scene:_The_afte rmath_of_grunge/article.html>.
-Pictures, musical artists, gay pride marches, and movies are hyperlinked.
(Pictures)
1. http://www.bumbershoot.org/
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SpaceNeedleBasePanorama.jpg
3. http://www.seattle-wa-hotels.net/images/mt-ranier.jpg
Cultural Crisis
Parents, siblings and teachers are all considered to be role models for young people. In today’s society, some of the most influential role models in a young person’s life are people in the entertainment industry. They are regular people whose lives are broadcasted for the world to see, every smart decision looked up to and every mistake to be questioned and criticized. They are actors and musicians whose every action is judged to a high standard, and when they make mistakes that question their morality it is hard to explain their decisions and validate it to young people who look up to them. The recent issue between the musical artists Chris Brown and Rihanna is a perfect example of this. Chris Brown, 19-years old, is currently pleading not-guilty to convictions that he allegedly beat his 20-year old girlfriend, singer Rihanna. “The alleged domestic violence incident involving R&B stars Chris Brown and Rihanna has stirred serious discussions about abusive relationships among teens,” reported NPR. He was arrested on February 8 after a call to 911 reported the alleged domestic disturbance in a car. The article “Chris Brown, Rihanna and the image problem” by Harriet Ryan and Richard Winton of the LA Times explains and describes how culturally this question or the morality of the two popular artists will affect the impression Americans take from them as role models going through this terrible and complicated situation. "Good boy, good girl. It's something we'd never expect," reported the article.
This article published by the LA Times generally describes how the incident that occurred is not culturally accepted in any way. It presents the argument that when a tragedy like this occurs and the people involved do not deal with it in the way the public wants them to, they are criticized and ridiculed. “Beyond the courtroom and the hospital, both performers have millions of dollars at stake in terms of possible damage to product endorsement predicated on
reputations that no longer exist.” When the story first broke into the public eye people were filled with shock and anger at Chris Brown. On the other hand people felt sorry for Rihanna and supported her while she took time to recover. But, the second it hit the news that the couple was still talking and trying to work things out the public seemed to turn on the alleged victim. People across the nation condemned Rihanna for taking her abuser back. Most notably, celebrities began speaking out against the pop sensations mistake. Oprah said, according to the article “Oprah 'Sends Love' to Chris Brown and Rihanna, Dedicates Show to Abuse” that, “…a woman who returns to a man who hits her does so because “she doesn’t think she is worthy of a man who won’t.” She has taken this situation so far as to create show themes around the crime committed, by having men who claim to once have been abusers on her show to talk about it. Rapper 50-cent has spoken out in the article “50 Cent on Rihanna Beating: 'It Was More Than I Could Do'by saying that although Browns music/acting career will most definitely be affected by the altercation, “He can't have that clean-cut image anymore,” he said that he doesn’t “think she [Rihanna] needs to hide. She didn't do anything wrong," he said. These two celebrities, along with many more are speaking out and trying to influence the important decisions that the couple makes.
But, regardless of the countless celebrity interviews and news articles commenting on the issue, normal every day people are also affected by the situation. Little girls and little boys have looked up to the artists for the past few years. Their music was fun, not offensive or vulgar, and the lyrics for some of Rihanna’s latest music could be given word for word by most girls over the age of 5. So, when a pop idol like that is put in this terrible situation, how is it explained to the people who look up to them but don’t understand why it’s ok? Culturally, abuse is not accepted,
and for good reason, it shouldn’t be. But, I personally don’t believe it is the position of the public to criticize a young couple for living their life and making their own mistakes. We all make stupid decisions, but that is part of life. For Rihanna and Chris Brown though they are making decision that may have a greater effect then they realize. For us, our family and friends are the ones who confront us and say stop when we mess up, but for them they have a nation full of people sharing their opinions. “She must deal with physical and emotional wounds; he must deal with a criminal case and potential time behind bars,” said the article reported by ABC.
The article assumes that the public will no longer accept the couple as role models at all. Brown may have trouble recovering from the incident, but there are many celebrities that have made terrible mistakes who have come back and recovered. I don’t think it is fair to judge Rihanna from this incident. She is the victim and will only need time to recover. "If people perceive that these two very successful, young, wealthy individuals turn out to be irresponsible . . . then it's absolutely going to hurt them.” Every decision that they make this next few weeks and months will determine how they public will perceive them in the long run. Brown has already been dropped from advertising campaigns like Doublemint, while Rihanna hasn’t. It presents an image problem that is as simple as black and white. Advertisers don’t want to be associated with such a scandal. Abuse is wrong, and accepting abuse is wrong. So, a shallow audience will not be responsive. It may not be fair to judge the victim of the situation, but in our society it’s going to happen. People grow up in abusive relationships all the time, but we are taught that they are bad and not acceptable. In a blog by a Princeton Professor she explains that “They have mocked and critiqued Chris Brown every day and repeatedly asked why in the world Rihanna has chosen to reconcile with her abuser. I've even cringed and almost cried when reading the comments
section on Bossip where dozens of readers have expressed the belief that women "need" "deserve" and "like" to be beaten and abused.” That is where our country is culturally, we will criticize the victim no matter what, when most of the time we know someone personally that has gone through the exact same thing.
The issue of domestic abuse is one that has always been a problem in America and we will continue to deal with it. It can happen to your neighbor, cousin or friend, but when celebrities go though it, it is so much easier to judge. As role models, the two entertainers will be forever changed in the public mind, but with time they may be able to recover their “good girl good boy” image.
Works Cited
"Both Chris Brown, Rihanna could be facing career fallout - USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. 23 Apr. 2009 <http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2009-03-08-brown-rihanna-careers_N.htm>.
"Chris Brown and Rihanna." THE KITCHEN TABLE. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://princetonprofs.blogspot.com/2009/03/chris-brown-and-rihanna.html>.
"Chris Brown, Rihanna and the image problem - Los Angeles Times." Los Angeles Times - News from Los Angeles, California and the World. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://www.latimes.com/business/custom/admark/la-et-chrisbrown16-2009feb16,0,1330443.story>.
"Chris Brown pleads not guilty in Rihanna abuse case | Reuters." Breaking News, Business, Financial and Investing News, Personal Finance & More | Reuters.co.uk. 23 Apr. 2009 <http://uk.reuters.com/article/chinaNews/idUKN4642493620090408>.
"50 Cent on Rihanna Beating: 'It Was More Than I Could Do' - ABC News." Online news, breaking news, feature stories and more - ABC News. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/WinterConcert/story?id=6968515&page=1>.
"FOXNews.com - Oprah 'Sends Love' to Chris Brown and Rihanna, Dedicates Show to Abuse - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment." Breaking News | Latest News | Current News - FOXNews.com. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509040,00.html>.
Figure 1. http://thevisualpoetssociety.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/cr-blog1.jpg
"Teens Closely Watching Chris Brown, Rihanna : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101085930>.
"YouTube - chris brown and rihanna." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 23 Apr. 2009 <http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=chris+brown+and+rihanna&aq=f>.
Tiger's Impact
J. Blackburn
Comp. 2
March 31, 2009
Virtually all sports have a public icon, such as Michael Jordan for basketball, or Pele for soccer; Tiger Woods is unarguably the public representative for golf. Golf is one of the oldest and most widely played sports in the United States, and the world. Tiger has changed the culture of golf more then any other individual in the history of the game. His aggressive style, athleticism, and great skill have changed the game forever.
Tiger was born with unbelievable natural talent. Born in December 30, 1975 Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods began playing at the age of two, with his father as his teacher and mentor (wikipedia.com). It did not take the public long to discover his talent. As a child he appeared on multiple television shows, including Good Morning America and The Mike Douglas Show, to showcase his unnatural golf skills (biography.com). Woods began his professional career at the age of 21. The first thing Woods did as a professional was sign multi-million dollar investments from Nike inc. and Titleist (wikipedia.com). After winning several events during his first year Tiger was selected PGA tour rookie of the year, along with several other awards (wikipedia.com). He rose to the number one position in the world with in his first year on tour (wikipedia.com). At the age of 33,
considered young in golf, Tiger is on pace to break virtually all records, that he has not already. He holds the record for the most wins after 100 starts, youngest player to achieve the #1 world ranking, lowest 18-hole score, most prize money along with many other records that can be found at http://www.thegolfexpert.com.
Many people also feel that Tiger Woods has greatly increased the popularity of golf in America. Sports need an icon for the spectators to follow. Whether someone idolizes or despises Tiger Woods they most likely know who he is. Woods has clearly become a household name and has an ability to appeal to minorities, something that the golf game lacks. Woods’ ethnic background consists of African- American, Asian, and Native American. This allows people of different backgrounds to identify with Tiger.
Tiger also brings an intensity to the game that few can match. Along with his unmatched skill Tiger possesses the ability to make “cold-blooded decisions” in the clutch (sports.espn.go.com). He discusses his intensity and focus in several interviews over the years. These interviews can be located at http://www.biography.com/video where Tiger discusses his victories and intensity and focus. Tiger also makes a great role model. He trains as hard as anyone on the P.G.A., Professional Golfer Association. Woods is also one of the most athletic and physically fit, especially compared to some of the other players on tour. His ability to perform in the clutch, along with many other gifts allow Tiger to bethe “greatest force in the modern history of the sport” (sports.espn.go.com).
Tiger Woods great impact on the culture of golf is undeniable. He takes the game to another level of performance that no one can match when he is at his best. He has made the P.G.A. what it is today, making the game more popular and bringing more respect to the game with his style of training and athleticism. Tiger’s training, focus, and natural ability have allowed Tiger Woods to re-sculpt the culture of golf.
WORKS CITIED
· http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blackhistory2007/columns/story?columnist=kreidler_mark&id=2763296
· http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_fw7iF68JR8k/SEZIzNMK6tI/AAAAAAAASGU/qbkeS5ccMDk/s400/200px-Tiger_woods_on_Mike_Douglas_show.jpg
· http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Woods#Early_life_and_amateur_career
· http://www.biography.com/video
· http://www.thegolfexpert.com.
"Real Beauty"
Growing up, I never really felt beautiful and when I looked in a mirror I didn’t see my what I liked about myself, I only saw my imperfections. In my mind, there was always someone prettier than me, someone with a better body, and there was always someone that made me feel plain and ugly. It is not as if I had family members or friends telling me that I wasn’t this or that, or that I was not pretty. So where did these negative falsified feelings that reside in my consciousness and shape the way I felt about myself come from? It is the beauty industry and the media in our American society that has completely distorted how girls feel about themselves and how we, as a country, perceive what beauty really is. Our culture has come to know beauty as perfection; therefore, most people in America think that beauty is the six-foot Victoria’s Secret model with a perfect body and a flawless face. In reality though, that is one in a hundred thousand women. So the question is, what about the rest of us? Are we not beautiful? This brings me to the Dove for Real Beauty Campaign, which is an international campaign that promotes true beauty in ordinary, everyday women without pounds of makeup or computer generated photos. Launched in 2004, this worldwide campaign entails of videos, workshops, sleepover events, and even the publication of a book.
On their website Dove states,“ We want to help free ourselves and the next generation from beauty stereotypes. It’s this message that’s at the heart of our Campaign for Real Beauty and Self-Esteem fund, and it’s why we continue to create thought-provoking ads, confidence-building programs and messages that embrace all definitions of beauty”(Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty). Seeming to be an uplifting and culture changing campaign, it was criticized in the media, proving that my ideas that a corrupt beauty industry does indeed exist. After showing a few close friends of mine three videos from the campaign their reactions were amazing along with their enlightening feedback on how media portrays beauty. On the opposing end, I then showed them a Victoria’s Secret model filming at a photo shoot. Their reactions were obviously polar opposite to that of the dove commercial in which the way they felt about themselves. After the Dove ads they felt normal and beautiful but after seeing the beauty ads they felt dissatisfactory and inferior to the perfect women on the commercials. It is obvious that our culture has a distraught perception of beauty and perfection, and the beauty industry is becoming an unstoppable force that affects our society, mostly women and their harmed and perturbed perception of themselves.
My sole reason for picking this topic is because I know from personal experience how the media can affect young girls. I know what it is like to wake up every morning, look in the mirror, and wish with all your heart that you could be someone else. Growing up, I was a competitive gymnast training over 30 hours a week starting at age five. After serious injuries and eight years of hard training, I had to quit and I soon after became a competitive cheerleader. I developed curves which I was never used and as a young teenager I felt overweight and incomparable to the women that I looked at in the magazines. On the outside, I was in shape. I had a flat stomach, a toned body, and no cellulite but I still felt hideous. Like every other girl, I did not want to be an athletic looking 5’4 girl with brown hair. I wanted to be a lengthy, tall, blonde gorgeous model that for some insane reason, I idolized. For five years of my teenage life, I wanted I tried my hardest to become something that I was not. I wanted to be the kind of “beautiful” they show in the beauty industry, not the “beautiful” that God made me. A few years back, I saw a commercial for Dove’s Campaign for real Beauty where women with curves, women with imperfections, women that looked like me were used to show their products. Dove went against the rest It opened my eyes to the cold hard facts. The girls I see in the diet commercials and on billboards is not reality, it is just a marketing tactic to make me buy the product. The beauty industry single handedly made me feel inferior and hideous, and for what price? It is obvious that our culture has been brought up and brainwashed to think that if you use this product, you will look like them, but only in suspense to the women and young girls in our society who only “2%”, find themselves to be beautiful.(Case Study)
It is hard to believe that only that slim of a number of women would describe themselves as beautiful. According to the Media Awareness Network, “More than sixty eight percent of women strongly agree that the Media and Advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women could never achieve and seventy five percent went on to say that they wish media did a better job portraying women of diverse physical attractiveness, including age, shape, and size” (Media Awareness Network). On top of that, there are more effects to the beauty industries falsified perception of beauty than women having low self esteem and no confidence. According to Dove’s website “ 75% of girls with low self esteem reported engaging in negatives activities, such as disordered eating, cutting, bullying, smoking, or drinking when feeling badly about themselves, compared with the 25% of girls with high self esteem”(Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty). This goes to show that more than women and young girls self perception is damaged, but in reality, their actions and outlook on life differ because of our cultures perception of beauty.
With these statistics, it would seem that Dove’s campaign would be an absolute success, but it was actually criticized in various newspapers and magazines across the nation. Richard Roeper in Chicago Sun Times states that “Chunky women In their underwear have surrounded my house. I find these Dove ads a little unsettling. If I want to see plump gals bearing too much skin, Ill go to Taste of Chicago, OK? If that makes me sound superficial, shallow, and sexist- well yes, I’m a man” (Case Study). This is an outstanding example of how our culture and society has shaped the way that men especially, perceive beauty. It is not as if the women in the commercials are horrid or morbidly obese, there really women with curves, color, and shape. For Roeper to print a statement like that shows that our culture gives men the excuse of being superficial and sexist just because, as if that is how they are suppose to act in America to a situation like this. Another criticism of the campaign was also printed in the Chicago Sun Times where Lucio Guerrero comments on the ad saying, “Really the only time I want to see a thigh that big is in a bucket with bread crumbs on it…ads should be about the unrealistic, the ideal or unattainable look, for which so many people strive” (Case Study). Guerrero proves an excellent point, in that women only “strive” to look a certain way because of the billboards and ads of perfect. If the ads were not unrealistic, women in our culture would have nothing to compare themselves against to make them feel unbeautiful. So the underlying question of many people in our culture is, are the women in Dove’s new ad campaign too big to sell beauty products, or have our minds gotten to small?
Hoping that my peers could provide a special and personal intake on the criticism of out distraught perception of beauty, I interviewed Sarah Giffin and Kaley Harrison after showing them a few commercials and short films that is proportionate with the subject. The first three films that I presented was a short film in which it showed a normal looking woman who undergoes an extreme makeover and then she is completely computer generated before she is put on a billboard for a makeup company. At the end it states “No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted” (Dove Evolution).
Sarah was shocked and annoyed, commenting, “ half the stuff you see now a days is computerized and photo shopped to personify what beauty is, but beauty is natural, and people would be able to see it if our culture did no send out the message that beauty is perfection” (Giffin). The second commercial begins with the face of a little girl, and then suddenly it flashes to images of diet commercials, girls dancing in almost nothing, posters of skinny models, and multiple women getting various types of plastic surgery and then it states “Talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does” (Dove Commercial).
Kaley responded, saying, “It is unbelievably sad that the media in our culture today always says that there are so many different things that you can get done to look and be better. My mom told me that I was put on this earth for a reason, and that Gob made me beautiful as who I am. If we all try to look the same by being skinny and getting plastic surgery, what is the point? (Harrison). Lastly, I had my friends view a commercial of Gisele, the Victoria’s Secret Model, taping a photo shoot for GQ magazine, and their reaction was a quite different to the ones from the Dove ads.
I asked them how they felt about themselves after watching it. Sarah said, “that’s just not normal, it’s just not fair. I wish I could get paid for being perfect”(Giffin). Kaley said, “ Wow, I am fat. How about I don’t eat for a week or ever. Maybe a piece of lettuce a day with ice as my dessert”(Harrison). Although it is obvious that Kaley is mocking how skinny Gisele is, I could tell that there was truth behind her abrupt statement. All three of us agreed, that while our media and culture shows women like Gisele as images of beauty, it will be almost impossible to ever feel beautiful ourselves.
Personally struggling from self esteem issues and always looking at magazines with my friends saying “I wish I looked like that, I wish I had her body, why can’t I be her?” I have come to accept the fact that our culture has completely manipulated what beauty is. Seeing the Dove for Real Beauty ads made me feel normal and good about myself. It helped me realize I am who I am. I do not need to be anyone else and I need to learn to love myself and not compare to what our culture and society says is beautiful. Never in my life will I ever be what society perceives as perfection or beauty. That is exactly why our culture can be brutally criticized, because in actuality, the everyday women looks nothing like they do on magazines, so why should the beauty industry have women strive to look like someone that they could never be. So the final question remains. What is “true beauty”? If anything from writing this paper I have come to know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is not plastic surgery, an airbrush tan, or a photo shopped image of a 6ft anorexic model. Like my mom use to tell me every day, “Jessica, always remember this, beauty is, is what beauty does”. I have come to realize and grasp that true beauty is not skin deep, it resides in your soul.
Work Cited
Campaign for Real Beauty. 2009. Dove. 9 April. 2009. <http:// www.
dove.us/#/cfrb/>
“Case Study: Dove Campaign for Real Beauty”. 5 March, 2007. Public Relations
Problems and Cases. <http://psucomm473.blogspot.com/2007/03/
dove-campaign-for-real-beauty-case.html
“Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty”. Teachable Moments. 2009. Media
Awareness Network. 9 April. 2009. <http://www.media-awareness.ca/
english/resources/educational/teachable_moments/campaignrealbeauty.
cfm>
“Dove Evolution” 6 Oct. 2006. You Tube. 13 April 2009.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U>
“Dove: Campaign for Real Beauty”. 5 Feb. 2006. You Tube. <http://w
ww.youtube.com/watch?v=RADYaTvTGts>
“Dove Commercial”. 18 Oct. 2007. You Tube. 13 April 2009.
<http://www.youtube
.com/watch?v=321Kb8pBu5s
Figures 1-6. http://images.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi
Giffin, Sarah. Personal interview. 13 April. 2009.
“GQ: Gisele”. 1 July. 2008. You Tube. 13 April. 2009. <http://www.youtu
be.com/watch?v=zLPP0_PyTKk
Harrison, Kaley. Personal interview. 13 April. 2009.
"Celebrities on Capitol Hill"
In today’s society the growing development of the internet has allowed politicians to be treated more like celebrities. The American celebrity driven culture has forced politicians to gain celebrity status in order to run for office. The country’s growing fascination with celebrities seen through the media outlet of internet effects the choices of American citizens for their government representatives.
One major internet outlet of celebrity news is US Weekly. These articles are unpaid advertising and exposure for who they are written about. Typically this magazine focuses on celebrities, but politicians are frequently the topic of these articles, most recently with the 2008 election. During the campaign season the magazine ran numerous articles about McCain and Obama. Some headlines for McCain were “Cindy McCain's Half Sister: ‘I'm Voting for Barack Obama’”, “John McCain Uses Idol Makeup Artist!”, and “Heidi Montag: I'm Voting For John McCain”. Comparatively Obama’s titles included “Barack Obama: He’s Just Like Us!”, “Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel Rally for Obama”, “Oprah Winfrey ‘Euphoric’ Over Obama”. When I interviewed several peers on their thoughts on the titles for each presidential candidate they all agreed that the McCain titles were subtly more negative compared to the Obama headlines. When viewing these articles separately and over time it can be difficult to see the slant a website has for a candidate. Also when searching for the candidates on the site, there were sixty hits for Obama compared to only ten for McCain. This stat shows that more information is available about Obama and the public is exposed more to him than McCain (usmagazine.com).
Similar to the way US Weekly reports on celebrity’s everyday lives, they also provide personal information on the candidate’s lives to the public. This intrusion brings to the forefront of the election the candidate’s private lives instead of his or her stances on issues. For example, US Weekly reports on Obama and his wife Michelle’s wardrobe and their choice for a family dog which can be interesting bits of information, but distract from the bigger issues. Another example is the story of McCain and that his makeup artist is from American Idol. To some, including interviewees Jeff Sherwood and Lauren Young, this topic seems irrelevant but it was viewed by many and even discussed online in the comments section. Another issue with the politicians being featured in US Weekly is the question of modesty. There are numerous pictures of Obama in his bathing suit which I do not really think is appropriate for a president of the United States (usmagazine.com).
The line between celebrity and politician is blurred not only on the internet in US Weekly, but also on the various Youtube and TV clips that fill the web. Youtube contains homemade videos that when viewed enough can turn anyone into a celebrity. Some politicians have used this to their advantage. Obama has taken full advantage of the site and FOX news commented on a video posted about him, “Barack Obama really is a rock star now. A racy new music video making the rounds on YouTube puts 2008 Democratic presidential hopeful Obama back in the spotlight, not only as the man to solve the nation's woes, but also as an object of young lust” (YouTube Video). John McCain also took advantage of Youtube with his endorsements at http://www.youtube.com/johnmccain.
Also, the availability of television shows and movies on the internet has helped celebrities to become politicians. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger became the governor of California in November of 2003, but he began acting in 1970 and gained infamy with this accent and strong build. These movies are now widespread on the internet allowing millions of people access to them, boosting his ratings and helping him to become governor. Another actor turned politician is Ronald Reagan who began acting in 1940 in performances such as Knute Rockne—All American, King's Roa, and Desperate Journey all can be seen on the internet. He first used the SAG (Screen Actors Guild Award) for political pull when he became the president of the union 1947 (Ronald Reagan Acting Career). Next, Fred Thompson used his fame as an actor to help his political career as well. He is best known for his role of New York District Attorney Arthur Branch in the series Law and Order. Thompson began his acting career in 1985 and used his fame to enter the political realm when he “won a seat in the U.S. Senate from Tennessee in 1994 and served until 2003. He began his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2007” (Fred Thompson Eyes Returning to Acting). Fred Thompson’s highlight reel can be seen at http://television.aol.com/news/story/_a/fred-thompson-eyes-return-to-acting/20080324121509990001?cid=461. Stephen Colbert is another interesting case that exemplifies the blurred line between celebrity and politician. Colbert began his career in comedy after graduating from Northwestern. He began his fame as a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and he helped the show win numerous Emmy and Peabody Awards. Consequently, he started his own show on Comedy Central in 2005 entitled “The Colbert Report”. In 2007, he used his fame to enter the writing world with his book I AM AMERICA (And So Can You!). Then in the 2008 presidential election he announced on his show that he would run for president. He was not able to due to some campaigning regulations, but with his fame from television and his celebrity status he gained a great deal of support and it would have been interesting to see the outcome if he actually ran for the presidency (Colbert Nation). His website can be seen at http://www.colbertnation.com/home. Some might argue that these politicians’ backgrounds in acting are the perfect practice for becoming a elected official.
The internet and its celebrity culture impacts American voters a great deal, but society impacts the content on the internet in return. Society’s want to learn about celebrity news fuels the media to give us what we want and politicians have picked up on this and are capitalizing on it. Jeffery Sherwood and Lauren Young both agreed that the amount of celebrity news covered compared to other news seems unreasonable. “It reflects the interest of Americans to be shallow and superficial, caught up in the celebrity drama instead of the real issues that American is facing today like the economy and the War in Iraq”, said Jeffery Sherwood when interviewed about celebrities and politics.
Also, society’s obsession with scandal creates an internet filled with reports and posting focusing on people in the lime light’s down fall. This can be seen in politics with the examples of Bill Clinton and Larry Craig. These reports give these politicians exposure which can be spun to aid or hinder their campaigns for his or her respected offices. Bill Clinton’s affair scandals landed him all over the internet and perhaps most infamously his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Many YouTube videos were created pertaining to this topic including http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiIP_KDQmXs in which he denies his relationship with Ms. Lewinsky in his famous quote, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky”. A more recent political scandal involved Larry Craig was splashed across the internet. With a scandal this big most politicians are forced to resign but one article states, “by signaling that he might reconsider his decision to resign, the humiliated Republican has extended his party's pain” (Harwood).
The celebrity driven culture on the internet can be seen on many websites including US Weekly, YouTube, and FOX News. Americans view these celebrity reports daily and politicians have taken full advantage of this by becoming celebrities themselves. Also the availability of television on the internet gives these politicians more portals to receive exposure by creating their own celebrity image. The country’s increasing attraction with celebrities shown through the internet effects the decisions of American citizens for their government representatives.
Works Cited
“Colbert Nation: About the Show”. 7 March 2009. 13 April 2009. <http://www.colbertnation.com/about>.
Hardwood, John. “Sen. Larry Craig Creating pain and Headlines”. CNBC. 5 Sept. 2007. 13 April 2009. <http://search.live.com/images/results.aspx?q=larry+craig&p1=OneRow&FORM=IGRE4#focal=6d008cbf652f2a8d852071d339d8c6f1&furl=http%3a%2f%2fmedia.cnbc.com%2fj%2fCNBC%2fSections%2fNews_And_Analysis%2f__Story_Inserts%2fgraphics%2f__POLITICS%2fcraig_larry_90507.standard.jpg>
“Picture 1” http://www.usmagazine.com/news/john-mccain-uses-american-idol-makeup-artist
“Picture 2” http://www.usmagazine.com/photos/obamas-puppy-bo-moves-into-white-house
“Picture 3 and 4”http://stemcell.taragana.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/arnold_schwarzenegger_bio.jpg
“Picture 5” http://www.colbertnation.com/about
“Ronald Reagan”. Profiles of US Presidents. 13 April 2009. <http://www.presidentprofiles.com/Kennedy-Bush/Ronald-Reagan-Acting-career.html>
Sherwood, Jeffery. Personal Interview. 13 April 2009.
Us magazine.com. 2009. 13 April 2009. <http://www.usmagazine.com/>
Young, Lauren. Personal Interview 13 April. 2009.
“YouTube Video Emphasizes Obama Sex Appeal”. FOX News. 14 June 2007. 13 April 2009. <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,282495,00.html>
The Culture of Crime in America
On the website rapalotrecords.com, the page makes many assumptions about what its American audience wants to see<http://www.rapalotrecords.com/ >. This site is one of many rap related websites glorifying many negative aspects of human society that in turn negatively affects its audience revealed through the four music videos featured. Rapalotrecords.com speaks volumes about our culture in America, which could explain why the United States has the largest crime rate in the world <http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri-crime-total-crimes>. In fact, rap has been linked to many violent acts in our country since its rise to popularity beginning in the 1980s <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n3_v44/ai_6932678/>. Nearly every rap music video, like the four shown on the front page of rapalotrecords.com, is a symbolic text of our American culture, one of violence and crime.
On the rap website, rapalotrecords.com, the songs “I’m Tired” and “Top Notch” by Z-ro, “Love Me” by Damm D, and “Can’t get it Right” by Scarface are featured. The videos and lyrics for each song promote either violence, drug use, womanizing, or inappropriate language. Starting with “I’m Tired” <http://www.icelebz.com/lyrics/z-ro/crack/tired.html> by Z-ro the artist states he wants to “rob a bank sometimes” and uses profanity throughout. Are diehard fans that look up to Z-ro supposed to believe that it could be right to sometimes rob a bank? In Z-ro’s other song “Top Notch” the chorus repeats the lines, “Top Notch Hoes Get The Most Not The Lesser, Top Notch Hoes Get The Most Not The Lesser, Trash Like The f**k With 40 Dollars In The Club” <http://www.icelebz.com/lyrics/z-ro/crack/top_notch.html> This signifies the rappers promotion of trashing clubs and getting “hoes”, or women. Z-ro then says that we “can’t f**k with us” possibly insinuating that he will violently confront people he believes to be impacting him negatively. Z-ro later states that “We moving behind tent and if the coppers harass Man, I better my mother with J and put my foot back on the gas” leading us to believe that he has no respect for “coppers” or police and will illegally evade arrest if the situation calls for it. He ends his song stating that after partying he “went to sleep on the bitch, but I woke up on the King Size, Now everyday of my life I see so many green guys.” The term “bitch” is not only another derogatory term towards women, but the line reveals to us that he objectifies women by falling asleep and waking up to use her for sex. Woke up King Size means he awoke the next morning with an erection (which was “King Size”) and then proceeded about his business with his “bitch.” As we leave the rapper Z-ro we proceed to the next song, a delightful melody by the artist Damm D, called “Love Me.” The song begins “Damn Ni**a She just love me Watch me ride by wanna f**k me see me in the club wanna suck me guess that's why ya mama wanna f**k me” <http://www.urbanlyrics.com/lyrics/nflboyz/dammdloveme.html> Obviously, this song is another rap song objectifying women, as Damm D makes us aware of the women that would supposedly like to pleasure him, through sex and oral sex. Nearly every lyric in this song is about the rapper obtaining sex from various women and glorifying it into the nature of this song. The final song, clean simply by comparison to the aforementioned ones, is “Can’t Get it Right” by Scarface <http://www.metrolyrics.com/cant-get-right-lyrics-scarface.html>. In this song Scarface claims that the government went to war against Sadaam Hussein for oil and that CVS is “slangin’ dope on every block worldwide.” Not only does Scarface entice listeners to agree with his thoughts on the government but he later justifies selling dope because he has “to go get mine.” The explicit videos in all four songs try to give audiences what they want to hear. These rappers make millions of dollars a year, which tells us that audiences indeed do want to hear and enjoy what these rappers have to say. The popularity of the songs say that part of American culture does indeed enjoy hearing about violence, sex, and drugs. If you argue that this does not embody American culture then how are these artist making millions of dollars a year? Rapalotrecords.com simply symbolizes that the negative topics discussed through these songs is indeed a part of our American culture.
The United States of America has the highest crime rate by total crime at 11,877,218 than any other country in the world (Nationmaster.com). The United Kingdom is second at 6,523,706 (Nationmaster.com). That means that the U.S. is nearly double in crimes reported than its next closest competitor. That alone should solidify the fact that as unfortunate as it may be, violence and crime are a part of the American culture. The disturbing thing is that we support it through sources like Rapalotrecords.com. The lyrics in the four songs featured on the site do not preach peace and harmony; instead they explicitly glorify violence, sex, and crime in general. Obviously, rap is not exclusive to the United States meaning this website or rap in general can be blamed solely on America’s crime rate. Rap can be found in any country but we have the suffering crime rate. This is because violence and crime is part of the American culture, and Rapalotrecords.com is simply a symbol that encompasses our way of life, not the cause. One obvious example to our culture’s love of violence can be found by simply dipping into the world of American sports. Kevin Quinn, writer for the Marist News Watch writes, “Violence is craved by America’s entertainment industry and the same goes for America’s sports industry. In sports such as, hockey, football, and even baseball, violence has become an accepted part of the game” <http://www.academic.marist.edu/mwwatch/spring03/articles/Sports/sportsfinal.html >. As a sports fan myself I must agree that the fighting in sports brings me back again and again, and most Americans will agree. Perhaps this can be explained when Quinn writes, “A common theory behind the appeal of violence in sport is that it serves as a release of pent-up feelings of hostility. For example, by watching two hockey players pound on each other, fans are able to release feelings of aggression without actually throwing any punches” (academic.marist.edu). We love to watch violence, so why wouldn’t we like hearing about it in the videos on Rapsalotrecords.com? Perhaps the best explanation for why our culture is one of violence and crime is summed up by John Hemphill in an editorial for Associated Content. Hemphill says, “ The truth is we live in a society that advertises freedom but in the cities the question is does the government care and are we to free by allowing our society to be ill responsible and censor free” <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/314868/crime_and_american_culture.html>. Perhaps the fact that we live in the land of the free is why we have taken it upon ourselves to encompass crime and violence into our culture.
Although I have defined the rap music on Rapalotrecords.com as simply a symbol of our criminal culture, rap songs like the ones featured on this site have been responsible for some crime in this country. A study conducted by the Prevention Research Center suggested that young people listening to rap and hip hop are more likely to abuse alcohol and commit violent acts < http://www.tribalwar.com/forums/archive/t-432871.html>.This could mean that while rap may be a symbol of crime in our culture it may also be a direct cause. You could argue then that rap music is helping this culture stay the way it is, by influencing listeners to commit violent acts. If you say that any kind of music could be responsible for this I would point you back to the Prevention Research Center’s study that found “Nearly two-thirds of rap songs mentioned illicit drugs as compared with one-tenth of songs from other genres. Rap and rock music videos depict violence twice as often as other music genres. The PIRE study, entitled “Music, Substance Use and Aggression,” also found that young people who listen to reggae and techno used more alcohol and illicit drugs than listeners of other music, with the exception of rap. Rap topped all other genres in association to alcohol and drug use and aggression” (tribalwar.com).Without realizing it, we may be psychologically processed to embrace crime into our culture through the viewing or rap videos evidenced by studies shown by free-lance writer Jennifer Copley <http://cognitive-psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/rap_musics_psychological_effects>. In Copley’s article she researched studies on the psychological effect rap had on listeners. The results of the study showed that young people watching rap were more accepting of violent actions (particularly against women) and were more favorable to potentially acquire possessions through crime (psychology.suite101.com). People with a history of behavioral problems were found to have been fans of rap (psychology.suite101.com). Perhaps the most surprising study revealed that women who were subjected to viewing a rap music with women in sexually inferior roles were more prone to express acceptance of violence against other women (psychology.suite101.com).The study proves that our violent culture embodies females as well, not just the males. This helps us to understand that not only do rap songs like the ones featured on Rapalotrecords.com help embrace our culture, but may also have a part in keeping us from changing our way of life.
Rapalotrecords.com is but one example of crime and violence that has become our culture. The four explicit videos featured on the site endorse sex, drugs, alcohol, and various other criminal activities. By nearly doubling the crime rate of our next nearest competitor it can be observed that violence and crime is an avid part of American culture, as symbolized by Rapalotrecords.com. Furthermore, it can be said that by serving as a symbol for our criminal culture Rapalotrecords.com and violent rap in general has also become a source of crime. As long as these violent music videos and lyrics continue to be distributed it will help keep the criminal culture of America alive.
Works Cited
Copley, Jeniffer. "Rap Music's Psychological Effects." Suite101. 8 May 2008. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://cognitive-psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/rap_musics_psychological_effects>.
"Crime Statistics>Total Crimes by Country." Nation Master. 2003. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_tot_cri-crime-total-crimes>.
Damm D. ""Damm D Love Me" lyrics." Urban Lyrics. 2006. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://www.urbanlyrics.com/lyrics/nflboyz/dammdloveme.html>.
Gogek, Jim. "Rap Music linked to Alcohol, Violence." 09 May 2006. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://www.tribalwar.com/forums/archive/t-432871.html>.
Hemphill, John. "Crime and American Culture." Associated Content. 20 July 2007. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/314868/crime_and_american_culture.html?cat=9>.
Mckinney, Rhoda E. "What's Behind the Rise of Rap?" BNET. Jan. 1989. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_n3_v44/ai_6932678/>.
Quinn, Kevin. "Violence has become a part of American sport's culture." Marist News Watch. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://www.academic.marist.edu/mwwatch/spring03/articles/Sports/sportsfinal.html>.
Scarface. "SCARFACE-CAN'T GET RIGHT." Metrolyrics. 2004. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://www.metrolyrics.com/cant-get-right-lyrics-scarface.html>.
Z-ro. "Z-ro Tired Lyrics." Icelebz. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://www.icelebz.com/lyrics/z-ro/crack/tired.html>.
Z-ro. "Z-ro Top Notch Lyrics." Icelebz. 14 Apr. 2009 <http://www.icelebz.com/lyrics/z-ro/crack/top_notch.html>.
Image 1 http://www.mixmatters.com/hot/2008/images/Z-Ro-Crack.jpg
Image 2 http://blogs.houstonpress.com/rocks/Z-ro%20medal.jpg
Kirby Dick: Fighting For Your Constitutional Rights
The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) controls the ratings a film receives before it is released in theaters. The documentary, “This Film Is Not Yet Rated,” directed by Kirby Dick and released in 2006, explains how the MPAA rating system works. The Film describes the MPAA as a fascist system that rates according to the raters own morality. This documentary interviews many filmmakers whose movies were hardly seen by the public because the MPAA gave their movies an NC-17 rating instead of an R rating (Dick). The intended audience for this film is anyone interested in movies and any advocate for the first amendment. The documentary, “This Film Is Not Yet Rated,” shows that in the American culture, people do not like to be censored because of their first amendment rights.
The MPAA rating system uses 5 different ratings: G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17. These ratings are designed to inform parents of graphic material that a movie might include. A G rating stands for general audience. A film with a G rating has no explicit material, according to the MPAA. A PG rating warns parents that there might be questionable material. The MPAA warns parents to look into films with a PG-13 rating before letting their child watch it. An R rating contains “adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously,”(MPAA). A NC-17 Film is not appropriate for anyone under 17. There is a very thin line between an R rated film and a NC-17 film. If a movie is slapped with a rating of NC-17 instead of R, it could make a difference of millions of dollars in the box office.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDqxuGlxbWc
Dick’s documentary explains how movies that receive an NC-17 rating are barely even noticed in Hollywood. A movie with an NC-17 rating is not allowed to advertise on national television, and hardly any movie theaters will play a movie with an NC-17 rating. When the MPAA rates movies NC-17 it goes against a film makers 1st amendment rights; because, it is making movie makers censor their own artwork. The MPAA’s NC-17 rating keeps many great movies from being seen, and this is making film creators all over America very angry.
“This Film Is Not Yet Rated,” also explains how the MPAA rates movies based on their own morality. Some movies are given an NC-17 rating because of one brief scene of sexual content while other movies can still receive an R rating when there is extreme violence throughout the entire film. Most of the people who rate movies are Christian and either do not have children or their children are already adults. There are even two clergymen in the MPAA ratings board (Snider).
The movie talks about how the MPAA keeps the names of their ratings board members secret. During the documentary Kirby Dick hires a private investigator to find out about all of the MPAA ratings board members. The Private Investigator finds out that most of the raters have no children and are not qualified to rate movies, as stated previously, 2 of the raters are clergymen for the catholic and Episcopal Church (Dick). This makes the audience question if the way the MPAA works is right. Members of the MPAA cannot rate movies based on their own morality.
This documentary shows how the MPAA is clearly censoring movies. The MPAA believes that everyone in the United States is like them, conservative and Christian. Many film makers are interviewed in this documentary; they talk about their bad experiences with the MPAA’s ratings board. Most of the movies that were given a NC-17 rating were not given that rating because of violence, but because of short scenes involving sexual activity. Almost any movie with a plot involving homosexuals is given a NC-17 rating. Even though homosexuality is a very real subject matter that affects people around the country, MPAA wants to censor what movie makers have to say about the homosexual culture in America. The MPAA says they do not censor movies, but they are actually forcing movie makers to censor their own artwork. If a film maker does not change their movie it receives an NC-17 rating. The MPAA is clearly censoring movies because they do not agree with the topics involved in the movies. The way that the MPAA rates movies makes film makers feel like their 1st amendment rights are being questioned (Dick).
The documentary also explains how movies that are backed up by independent film companies are more likely to receive NC-17 ratings. Although some big name movie companies have extremely graphic content, the movies they produce always have their desired ratings. The reason why big time movie companies do not release NC-17 films is because these companies are the ones funding the MPAA. People creating independent films usually do not have enough money to appeal to the ratings that the MPAA gives them (Dick).
The documentary ends with the director, Kirby Dick, sending a copy of, “This Film Is Not Yet Rated,” to the MPAA ratings board. The MPAA gives the film a rating of NC-17 and does not accurately describe why the film receives that rating. The members of the MPAA feel threatened by Kirby Dick’s documentary. All of the ratings board members are identified in this film and they contact Dick in anger because their identities were revealed in this film. This says a lot about the MPAA ratings board, they know what they are doing wrong but they refuse to change the way they treat movie ratings (Dick).
Kirby Dick’s Documentary, “This Film Is Not Yet Rated,” shows the dark side of the MPAA. When in theory it seems like a good thing to assign ratings to movies for parents to notice, it is also a great way to censor an artist’s work. When movies are given a NC-17 rating they are not seen by as many people as R movies. Some R rated movies even have more questionable content then movies with a NC-17 rating. Movie makers all across the United States are angered by the MPAA rating system; because, The MPAA is basically taking films and censoring them for their own selfish reasons. Film makers are being censored and feel like their first amendment rights are being taken away from them. This documentary shows a lot about American culture. People that feel like they are treated unfairly in America will fight back.
Works Cited
1. Dick, Kirby. This Film is Not Yet Rated. The Independent Film Channel, 2006.
2. Sylvester, Sherri. "MPAA ratings system gets 'F' from critics, filmmakers." CNN 23 Aug 1999 Web.14 Apr 2009. <http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9908/23/mpaa.ratings/>.
3. Snider, Eric D.. "News Flash! The MPAA Rating System Is Complete Crap!." film.com 09 Jan 2008 Web.14 Apr 2009. <http://www.film.com/features/story/news-flash-mpaa-rating-system/17954107>.
4. Minow, "The MPAA rating system turns 40." Web.14 Apr 2009. <http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/2008/11/the-mpaa-rating-system-turns-4.html>.
5. Topel, Fred. "Filmmaker Kirby Dick Discusses This Film is Not Yet Rated." about.com Web.14 Apr 2009. <http://movies.about.com/od/directorinterviews/a/notrated082806.htm>.
6. MPAA, "What do the ratings mean?." Motion Picture Association of America Web.14 Apr 2009. <http://www.mpaa.org/FlmRat_Ratings.asp>.
7."nyr-poster.jpg." www.blakeleyh.com. 14 Apr 2009 <http://www.blakeleyh.com/images/nyr- poster.jpg>.
Smoking Rat Poison
“Say goodbye to the rodent!” This is one of many slogans seen on the outside of rat poison containers. What most people do not know is that this exact slogan could be placed on the outside of cigarette boxes; with the word human in place of the word rodent. Uninformed people that deserve to know the truth about what is being done to their bodies carry out the smoking trend in America. In the truth-rat anti-smoking commercial by Infect-truth, a statement is made that American society does not take the time to learn about what they are clueless smokers, and if people were to
around him, with disgusted faces, he holds up a sign that says “There’s Cyanide in cigarette smoke, same as in rat poison.” The point this commercial is trying to make is that people do not know what they are putting in their bodies when they are smoking cigarettes. All of the faces shown in the commercial are disgusted because the focus is on a repulsive looking rat, and it is asking the question “should we treat ourselves the same way we treat these nasty rodents?” According to the commercial, in American culture, people do things without furthering their knowledge. The infect-truth slogan is “Knowledge is contagious,” which means people need to take the time to learn the truth about cigarettes and then spread the word. All of the people shown in this commercial are teenagers and young adults because that is their main target. The number of college smokers is continually increasing, but the knowledge about smoking is staying the same.
Every single close up during the Infect-truth commercial is of a young adult who looks as if they are in college or right out of college. The reason that the commercial is targeting college students is because according to the article “Action on
Smoking and Health,” “almost fifty percent of college students use tobacco” (Par. 1, line 1). This is an outrageous amount of students who are “putting themselves at risk of a lifelong addiction to nicotine”(Par. 3, line 2). The commercial is stating that younger generations are beginning to care less and less about what they put in their bodies, and instead only focus on the enjoyment that comes from this nasty substance. The worst part about it is, is that people are so uninformed because smokers are beginning at a younger age. The American Lung Association website shows that “each day nearly six thousand children under the age of eighteen start smoking” (Par.2, line 1-2). Another article, “Number, says this due to the fact that there are “fewer anti-smoking campaigns, and more frequent smoking in Hollywood movies” (Par. 7, line 2-3). This is another assumption that is told about American culture. Americans do what is seen on television in order to look and act like the celebrities. If the young generation would look at the facts about smoking rather than looking at celebrities, knowledge would be spread, and smoking would be decreased. There are so many aspects of cigarettes that people look right over when going to buy their next pack.
The commercial tells smokers of only one nasty substance, rat poison, that is used in the making of cigarettes, but if one were to take a look at the infect-truth website, they would find many other nasty ingredients that would never be expected to be in cigarettes. It is funny that the American culture looks completely over these facts. According to the “useful cigarette” fromthis website, cigarettes contain all kinds of ingredients that come in handy for many different types of things. For example, there is acetone, which is also in nail polish remover, hydrazine, found in rocket fuel, and toluene, used in dynamite. So, if any nails need to be cleaned, rockets needing to be launched, or buildings to be blown up, just turn to the chemicals people are putting in their body through cigarettes! It is ridiculous the way people, mainly college students, ignore the substances they are putting in their bodies. Maybe it is not them ignoring, but more of the fact that no one knows exactly what they are doing. The point of the truth-rat commercial is to spread the knowledge that no one has about cigarettes, and that no one cares enough about to look up for themselves.
This commercial really strikes the public because it is throwing information in their faces that makes them see how bad they are actually hurting themselves, and at the same time how gross it is. The reason it is showing how gross it is, is because it has a rodent, an animal that most people in America find disturbingly nasty, paired with what an addiction a lot people enjoy doing in their spare time, smoking. So, it is allowing two messages to be sent to clueless, uninformed people. With culture the way it is today, people do not like to hear that what they are doing is wrong. By putting the message in the breaks of some of the most popular shows on television, people are forced to hear a message they would regularly ignore. At the end of the commercial it says, “Knowledge is contagious.” This anti-smoking campaign believes that once the knowledge begins to spread, smoker will begin to make smarter choices.
Infect-truth states, through their commercial, that Americans, mainly younger generations, have no clue to what they are putting in their bodies when they are smoking cigarettes. People in society today do not take time to gain knowledge about what they are doing to their bodies, so the infect-truth anti-smoking campaign is taking it upon themselves to force it onto the public. If this information began to find its way into the mind of smokers, eventually it would spread through the whole culture and the smoking percentage would decrease. Americans need to use more of their time figuring out what they are doing to themselves and less time doing it. Society is clueless to what they are doing to themselves, and now is the time to change that.
Work Cited
“Action on Smoking and Health” ASH. September 2008. 10 April 2009. http://no-smoking.org/august00/08-09-00-3.html
“Adolescent Smoking Statistics: N-O-T” American Lung Association Site. 2009. 10 April 2009. http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=39868
Infect-Truth. Advertisement. Ad Land Online 10 April 2009. 10 April 2009 <http://commercial-archive.com/commercials/truth-rat-anti-smoking-ads>
Infect Truth.2009. The Useful Cigarette. 10 April 2009. www.thetruth.com
Picture. http://whyquit.com/Youth/Messages/Reggie.jpg
Tomlin, Kim. “Survey: Number of College Smokers Increasing in the US.” The Michigan Daily. 10 April 2009. http://www.michigandaily.com/content/survey-number-college-smokers-increasing-us
Celebrity’s Culture = America’s Culture
The definition of a role model is “a person who serves as a model in a particular behavioral or social role for another person to emulate” (Answers.com). So do celebrities have affect on culture? According to a Boon and Lomore’s 2001 study they have a significant impact, “admirer-celebrity relationships among young people reported that 75% of young adults had at some time in their lives had a strong attraction to a celebrity, and 59% of the young people under study stated that their idols had influenced some aspect of their attitudes and beliefs” (drugpreventionevidence). Celebrity’s fame, fortune, and power have affected America’s society and culture in several different aspects. Not only do we try to copy their lifestyles with clothes and looks, but we also imitate their political views. Many members of society have started to let celebrities affect them more than family and friends.
Many Americans have based their lifestyles on how celebrities live. Society has some type of infatuation with people who are on television; although, some celebrities are famous for just being rich. No talent, skill, or hard work needed to be an American icon, yet society still places the celebrities on a pedestal above average people. Most Americans emulate Hollywood super-stars, and not even know realize it. When you put on a trucker hat on that Paris Hilton made “cool”, when you wear your pants saggy, like many rappers, or when buy an identical outfit as a celebrity, this how they affect the American culture.
This imitation of celebrities is not just a recent activity of Americans; it has been going on since the 1930’s and 40’s, when people saw actors and actresses smoking cigarettes. Celebrities have a major influence on Americans, especially teenagers, with regards to drug and alcohol use. Marijuana has become a socially accepted drug amongst stars consequently making it the most used drug among teenagers, “marijuana is, by far, the world’s most commonly used illicit drug” (acde). Celebrities also use much more serious and dangerous drugs than marijuana. This use of more serious drugs is typically seen among musicians, especially rock bands. Society’s view is that one cannot make it as a rock star if one does not use drugs. So the first step for any wannabe rocker to stardom is to take drugs. Celebrities’ use of drugs has an extremely strong impact on society. One of the leading ways that authorities get teenagers to not smoke marijuana is by stating how much it affects your athletic performance. Since many teenagers care so much about their athletics, they refrain from doing any drugs. After seeing Michael Phelps, one of the world’s greatest athletes ever, smoke marijuana, teenagers come to believe that it will not affect them either.
Celebrities have not just influenced the American society in a negative aspect. They have also generously donated their time and money to many charitable funds. When your average person reads about a celebrity giving money to charity, fighting for equal rights, or protesting for a cleaner environment, those average people want to do the same. Society realizes that these celebrities have all the things one could possibly want, and they still care about these issues. Then these issues must be very important, so they begin endorsing these issues also. More importantly than just giving money and endorsements many celebrities give the gift of time. They work to build houses for the homeless and travel to many different third world countries to volunteer. This has an even stronger effect on society, because they see a celebrity spending so much time giving back. Consequently, this makes society feel like they could make some time to volunteer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kmgRVo5NCg
In many cases celebrities are famous for how attractive they are. It also seems like the more attractive a celebrity is, the bigger the star he or she is. So along with society looking up to them and trying to act like them, they also want to look like the stars. Americans spent 14 billion dollars on cosmetic surgery in 2007. Each of the surgeries might not have been to look exactly like their favorite celebrities, but we get our standard of attraction from celebrities. We get liposuction to be thin--thin is attractive. Thin is attractive because celebrities are thin. So while you might not want to look exactly like a celebrity, they are still indirectly affecting your choice to cosmetic surgery. This has become such an addiction in America that many Americans have made cosmetic surgery precedent over real medical problems, “Botox and microdermabrasion beat out diabetes medication and treatment of chronic disease -- at least in the wallets of an increasing number of health care consumers” (findarticles).
Celebrity’s impact on society extends past one’s personal life, and intrudes on our political views as well. Celebrities play a huge role in politics in America, especially lately. They can use their fame, fortune, and power to sway society not only with their words, but they can also give massive amounts of money to campaign funds. Oprah Winfrey endorsed Barack Obama in the past political election, “Obama is the first candidate she has endorsed in her 25 year career. She's campaigned for him, with him and threw a celebrity fundraiser at her California home that collected an estimated $3 million”(huffingtonpost). Oprah raised three million dollars for his fund, and most likely attained millions more votes for him, just by endorsing him.
We trust celebrities so much in out political decision that we do not even need to know if they have any type of college education. In fact, only three of the top ten celebrities that supported Barack Obama even went to college. So even though many of the celebrities have no college education, we still revere them for their smart political decisions. Yet most people still refer to as previous President George W. Bush as dumb, but Bush not only went to college, he graduated from an Ivy League school in Yale, and then graduated from Harvard Law School. Another example is that Al Gore has been screaming about global warming for over a decade now, but why has it only recently become mainstream concern? Celebrities have been putting in their word on global warming, and assuring people that by their calculations it is real. Immediately when a couple celebrities say that global warming is happening, then society starts to believe it is really happening. It makes you wonder how far celebrities could lie to us and get away with it.
The top celebrities that endorsed Barack Obama in the latest presidential race were: Oprah Winfrey, Robert DeNiro, Chris Rock, Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Aniston, Samuel L. Jackson, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, and Ben Affleck. The top celebrities that endorsed John McCain were: nobody. The best John McCain got was Jon Voigt and Jerry Bruckheimer came to one of his fund-raisers, but did not donate any money, and did not endorse him (HuffingtonPost). Is it a coincidence that the presidential race went from being neck-and-neck to a blowout by Obama? Before the celebrity endorsements McCain and Obama were very close, but once he got them the game was over. Obama ended up crushing McCain. While Obama might have still won without the endorsements from celebrities, he would have almost certainly not won by a landslide.
Society is influenced by the political decision of celebrities, because they do not care as much about politics or current affairs as they do about their favorite television show, “Even the presidential race is not as popular as some television shows, “In the past "American Idol" finale, there were more votes placed for the next American Idol then there were for the past Presidential Election”, that speaks volumes for American society” (Hartfordinformer). The reason celebrities have so much of an impact in all of our lives is because society pays more attention to entertainment television then the major decisions in our own country.
Celebrity’s fame, fortune, and power affect are thoughts, actions, and decisions. We try look like them, talk like them, act like them, and make decision like them. Society has gone to great lengths to be like celebrities. We would believe just about anything they say, and do just about anything they tell us, whether it be in a negative way or positive way. Celebrities have an influence on almost every aspect of our life from hairstyles to the presidential race. While some affects can be positive, many have a negative affect on society. Whether or not the affect is positive or negative, society should not let celebrities affect that much of our life. How much do they influence you?
Works Cited
"Americans making cosmetic surgery higher priority than necessary | Colorado Springs Business Journal | Find Articles at BNET." Find Articles at BNET | News Articles, Magazine Back Issues & Reference Articles on All Topics. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4190/is_20070831/ai_n19502805/>.
"Celebrity Influence On American Society - Entertainment." Informer. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://media.www.hartfordinformer.com/media/storage/paper146/news/2006/10/19/Entertainment/Celebrity.Influence.On.American.Society-2377643-page2.shtml>.
"Celebrity drug use." Drugs and Alcohol Prevention Website. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://www.drugpreventionevidence.info/web/Celebrities244.asp>.
"Top 10 Celebrity Obama Supporters." Breaking News and Opinion on The Huffington Post. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/20/top-10-celebrity-obama-su_n_96313.html>.
"role model: Definition from Answers.com." Answers.com - Online Dictionary, Encyclopedia and much more. 16 Apr. 2009 <http://www.answers.com/topic/moral-example>.
Caffienated Culture
Paragraph.
America is the land of the free and home of the craze. The “coffee culture craze”, as it is described and exposed in Vicky Lucia’s article from The Heights magazine. The article illustrates a multitude of situations that can be observed in any American city today. In this article about a Starbuck’s coffee bar, there is scene after scene highlighting people and how their lives are forming around a cup of coffee. This unbroken stream of events presented in Lucia’s article is produced by our own American culture. The article asserts from our culture that we (the people of the United States of America) require Starbucks to operate, want Starbucks for socializing, and are becoming a dysfunctional society in the vicinity around Starbucks.
One of the biggest parts in the makeup of culture is the food and beverages consumed. This is of no exception in America, where fast food seems to be a trademark of American culture. What is significant about America, is that the king of fast food; McDonalds, actually has less sales per square foot than Starbucks. This internet link illustrates what America treasures from a foreign perspective http ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1vLu2EOW8U. The fact is, we are drinking it by the gallon in America. Because of this reality in our culture, Lucia’s article portrays that we are becoming dependent on Starbucks. We feel we need an extra boost of energy in order to function properly, and we think
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we can get it at Starbucks. The Article puts much emphasis on student customers, as shown here: “…a student is desperately trying to find initials on a skim vanilla latte on one of the 20 cups neatly aligned on the Hillside coffee bar. Glancing at her watch she realizes that she's going to be late to class, but she just can't leave without her morning caffeine fix” (Lucia). This student has a bizarre need to be secured for her day by Starbucks. Not only does she feel she will be fixed, but she “just can’t leave without” the caffeine found at Starbucks (Lucia). This common behavior with caffeine and Starbucks in America should be classified as an addiction. The definition of addiction found in the Princeton dictionary is, “being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming” (WordNet). Whether it is a physical or psychological need is outside of the point; It may be both, but the article does expose this dependence on Starbucks and caffeine through many more scenes of Starbucks consumers. Another example in this article revealing an additional instance of this is, “… [Megan] prefers to get her coffee midday rather than in the morning because it helps her pull some late nights… I always add tons of sugar and it helps me get through the rest of the day” (Lucia). Once again, Starbucks saves another day in the life of an American consumer. These stories are not uncommon and are all very representative of our culture. Instance upon instance, people seek Starbucks to assist them. It is not just the students in America, but the people in the workforce of America, as shown here: “Starbucks is the only way I can keep my eyes [open] while I enter data all day long. I'm usually the one waiting outside Hillside before it opens, just so I can dash to the counter before everyone else and I won't be late to work” (Lucia). It is safe to say that this person requires Starbucks to operate. It seems almost ridiculous that a person would rely so much on Starbucks at work, but this is a real trend in our culture. Whether it is physical or psychological, Americans have a growing need for Starbucks.
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Our culture also socializes through coffee and Starbucks. There are places all over America, like local gas stations and McDonalds, where senior citizens gather every morning to sip a cup of coffee as they participate in fellowship. This is nothing new, and has been going on for years around the world. The article acknowledges this by saying, "Whether you're alone or with a group, there is a certain bond between coffee drinkers… Students congregate at Hillside or the Perch for meetings, social gatherings, and to study” (Lucia). This has been a timeless certainty in our culture. There has been coffee shops in existence since the 1400’s, so coffee shop gatherings are nothing new to the social factor of coffee on society. Here is a link showing one fanatic’s tour to many different shops: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwYxuV2dVzw.
What is new to the social factor of coffee is the image it brings to its consumers. If being dependent on its caffeine and sugar content is not enough for everybody to get captivated by the Starbucks movement, then the image it brings draws Americans to it. “People use it as a fashion accessory to their outfits. Even the cup holder is for decoration because most of the time the drinks aren't even that hot" (Lucia). It seems comical that this remark was made, but it is true that
image is one of the biggest parts of social trend. This further shows the impact Starbucks has on our culture, and how this impact produced and sculpted this article.
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In American culture, we go from one thing to the next. On our blackberry cell-phones, time is scheduled to the nearest second. We work longer days, and sleep less at night. Our busyness turns out to be repulsive in the Starbucks line. It is at Starbucks that impatience and dysfunctional behavior manifests itself in our culture and is shown in the article. Whenever there is a need, people become irrational because of their deep desire to satisfy it. In the article, a Starbucks employee stated this about her job serving Starbucks customers: “People get really impatient. I get nervous when I'm making 10 drinks at a time and people start watching me. It's the worst when they think that I'm making their drink and I'm really making someone else's “ (Lucia). It is not pleasing that this sort of dysfunctional behavior is found in our culture, especially in a location to purchase a beverage. It is also because of our filled schedules, that people pursue energy intake more. People in our society sacrifice good behavior to abtain the energy found in Starbucks. “Not everyone can drag themselves out of bed in time for Hillside's opening. Those that do are groggy and so desperate for caffeine that stealing drinks has become common. Some preferring to do whatever it takes to get a cup of Starbucks…” (Lucia). People will do anything to find some relief in Starbucks beverages. Although it is used lightheartedly here, this is an example of theft; much like the theft seen in serious drug addicts. Although the theft and addiction is not nearly as strong and potent, the behavior is comparable. Starbucks’ mission statement on their official company website
states that they have this goal: “To inspire and nurture the human spirit— one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time” (Starbucks). They are certainly doing “one person, one cup, and one neighborhood” successfully. In truth, it should be one billion cups at a time (Starbucks). The
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picture below was taken of a Starbucks in Vancouver, from the inside of a Starbucks across the street. On the contrary, the “inspire and nurture” part that Starbucks wishes to achieve is not completely what is signified in the article. The article represents a dysfunctional and impatient culture. Either way, it works out for Starbucks because people keep coming back.
In American culture, people are drawn into Starbucks because of their reliance on it and the social factor it has. Unfortunately, this can be bad because of the large agendas and lack of time that we live according to. People are going to Starbucks in increasing measure, and it is becoming a large part of what American culture is. We have a “coffee culture craze”, as it is said and exposed in the article. All of the situations and topics discussed in the article illustrate a major point in our society and are representative of a typical Starbucks coffee shop. Because of this, events in the article are completely produced by our own American culture. As we get busier, more addicted, and follow social trend, Starbucks will thrive in business; both in America and around the world. The shaded regions in the map below have Starbucks:
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Works Cited
"The Evolution of the Coffee House." About.com: Coffee/Tea. 12 Apr. 2009 <http://coffeetea.about.com/od/history1/a/shophistory.htm>.
Laljee, Faisal. "8 Facts About Starbucks." 12 Apr. 2009 <http://seekingalpha.com/article/28771-8-facts-about-starbucks>.
Lucia, Vicky. "Starbucks craze, culture rampant." The Heights 30 Mar. 2004.
"Or Starbucks Mission." 2009. Starbucks Corporation. 12 Apr. 2009 <http://www.starbucks.com/mission/default.asp>.
"What is Caffeine?" Effects of Caffeine. 13 Apr. 2009 <http://www.mycaffeineaddiction.com/>.
"addiction." WordNet® 3.0. Princeton University. 15 Apr. 2009. <Dictionary.com <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/addiction>.
Image 1: greenvilledailyphoto.com
Image 2: http://www.mmlab2.rlc.dcccd.edu/rchs/images/starbucksIV.jpg
Image 3: http://blog.costapacific.com/files/2009/02/coffeeshop.jpg
Image 4: http://healthhabits.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/coffee-you-can-sleep-when-youre-dead.jpg
Image 5: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_cpBD3XGD2T8/SUciiaI2pBI/AAAAAAAACbo/Q9kTPoz6QBc/s400/Starbucks.jpg
Image 6: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Starbucks.png
"He Will Hit You Again"
“One out of every three teenagers has experienced some type of violence during a dating relationship” (ACADV). Violence that occurs during one’s relationship can happen to anyone and violence can cross all racial, economic, and social lines. Rihanna and Chris Brown are an example of an idolized couple, who took a bad turn. This Hollywood couple symbolizes what many abusive couples are going through today and also represents the stress and pressure that celebrities are put under.
The warrant says, on Sunday, February 8th 2009, Robyn Rihanna Fenty, also known as Rihanna and Chris Brown were together in Los Angeles on their way home after hanging out a Clive Davis’s pre-Grammy party. Around 12:25 a.m., Rihanna answers Chris’s phone and comes across a three-page text message from a former lover of his. Rihanna and Chris have been together for a year and a half now and after Rihanna reads this message, the couple gets into a verbal argument that suddenly becomes much more than just words being expressed. Chris Brown pulls over his silver Lamborghini and tries to push Rihanna out but is unsuccessful. However, she suffers an injury from being pushed causing her to strike the window. Chris then repeatedly punches Rihanna’s face with his right hand while his left hand is on the steering wheel trying to keep the car in drive. Rihanna’s mouth fills with blood due to the punches and spills all over her clothes and the inside of the car. Brown threatens Rihanna by saying, "I'm going to beat the [expletive] out of you when we get home! You wait and see!” (The Insider). After this, Rihanna calls her personal assistant and pretends to reveal what was happening. Brown then says, “You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I’m really going to kill you! (The Huffington Post). Brown still repeatedly punches her, bites into her ear and fingers, holds her in a head lock, and applies pressure to the arteries around her neck, while still attempting to drive with his left hand. Rihanna tries to fight back by gouging Chris Brown’s eyes. She also is able to take the car keys out of the ignition and sit on them. Rihanna then begins screaming for someone to help her, so Brown gets out of the car and walks away leaving Rihanna who slips in and out of consciousness, behind. A neighbor hears the screaming from Rihanna and calls 911. Rihanna was taken to the hospital with major contusions on both sides of her face, serious swelling and bruising.
Around 7 p.m. Brown walks into the Los Angeles Police Department confessing what he did. He was interviewed by many detectives and released on a $50,000 bail. Three weeks after this incident, the couple was seen together and rumors circulated that they had reunited. Rihanna decides that she does not want Brown to be criminally punished for this assault and she is no longer assisting investigators in their case against him.
A video by DoSomething.org has launched an online PSA which was found on YouTube reenacting the incident between Chris Brown and Rihanna using a white couple to act out the scene and a man’s monotone voice in the background telling the audience what exactly happened that night. The video begins with a few short sentences saying that this video is based on, “Actual detective notes…but it happens every day” (Schmader). A news networking channel called The Young Turks reported this video live and the male reporter had some words to say about it. Right before the clip is shown, the male reporter tells the viewers that this video shows a white couple instead of a black couple reenacting the scene. He said that the company who made the video was trying to show that it was a broader problem and this didn’t just happen to Rihanna and Chris Brown, but he doesn’t believe that’s why they did it. He believes it’s because they are political correct and so they didn’t want to have black actors beating on each other (The Young Turks). However, when watching this video one’s thought was that using a white couple was a great idea, because it makes the audience believe that this could happen to anyone. Physical abuse to a loved one has been happening for years and it can occur in any race or age. This video is making people aware of the bullying and domestic violence that is occurring or can occur daily across America and beyond its borders.
Most victims of physical dating violence are females, who are also at a great rest of serious injury. Seven out of ten pregnant teenagers report abuse by their partners (Family). The opposite sex can turn around and say that females inflict dating violence on males too, but most of the time it’s to defend themselves from the abusive boyfriend or husband. Rihanna tried to stand up for herself and fight back when Brown was beating her, but Brown was ready for whatever she had coming and he was much stronger. Many teenagers are afraid to break up with their violent, significant other due to fear that their partner might hit or hurt them again or even worse inflict serious life threatening injuries. Rihanna’s first choice should have been to leave Brown after what he did to her and move on, but she did not do this. She falls into the same routine as other battered women who cannot leave their abusers. Rihanna returned to her abusive partner just after a couple weeks of being away from him and forgave him. Rihanna resembles many teen girls in that many feel that if they stay with their partner, things will get better. They also feel a responsibility for solving the problems in their relationship and that after some time, maybe the violence will stop. However, after a certain point in the relationship violence will continue because the victim begins to think that he or she deserves the attack. Many teen girls believe that abuse is “normal” because many of their friends go through it and the victim doesn’t know what’s right or wrong because he or she has no one to ask for help (ACADV).
Rihanna and Chris Brown’s violent episode could have been brought by stress and anxiety due to being very famous idols. The spotlight may have been too extreme on this Hollywood couple and this could have triggered the sudden change of Chris Brown’s good boy image.
This incident between Rihanna and Chris Brown could have happened to any couple, but the only reason it’s so popular, is because these two people are celebrities and they are idolized by thousands of people. For example, if my father did the same thing that Chris Brown did to Rihanna, but my mother was the victim, it wouldn’t have been a big deal to the public. My mother and father’s incident probably wouldn’t have even made the local news. Being in the public eye 24/7 can build stress and anxiety that can cause someone to react differently than in non-stressful times. It’s hard to live a normal life when one is always being followed, watched, or having photos taken of oneself. The rest of the world basically knows every intimate detail about a celebrity and it’s hard trying to hide anything from the public. Today, many celebrities who are having children or who had children are trying to keep them away from the public, spotlight, and paparazzi. However, no matter how hard they try not to have their child in the magazines, there are always at least a couple photos of their child shown. Chris Brown may have done this because it’s time for people to know that he is just like any male figure that is capable of beating his girl friend and he has had enough.
The sudden outburst of violence from Chris Brown towards Rihanna could have also been brought about due to the possible history of abuse in his family. When Brown was eleven years old he told his mother that he wanted to kill his abusive stepfather and that he had no problem of going to jail for it. He told his mother, “I just want you to know that I love you, but I’m gonna take a baseball bat one day while you at work, and I’m gonna kill him!” (MSNBC). He tells NBC that his stepfather use to hit his mom all the time and that this terrified him. Brown says that one night his stepfather hit his mother so badly that it made her nose bleed and so he just cried all night and kept telling himself “I’m just gonna go crazy on him one day, I hate him to this day!” (MSNBC).
Due to this incident, many celebrities have been reaching out giving the couple their advice and soothing words. Many of the couple’s friends just tell them “It’s okay, we can look past the beating he gave,” but when Oprah gives her take on this event, she is far from saying that what Chris Brown did was okay (Doobybrain). She tells Rihanna that she has been telling women for years that love doesn’t hurt and that if a man hits you once, he will hit you again and it doesn’t matter what his plea is, he will hit you again (Doobybrain). Oprah giving this stern warning to Rihanna hopefully opens not only her eyes to this situation, but to all girls across the nation that are with an abusive partner. Rihanna needs to be a role model and her first step of becoming one is to set an example and show girls out there that they don’t have to be treated badly in a relationship and that they can get out of the situation at anytime and move on to someone who truly cares for them.
With the state of the present economy we may begin to see more abusive relationships due to the stress on the family, caused by the lost of wages or jobs needed to support the family. Couples create violence in their relationship when one partner tries to maintain power and control over the other through violence. This violent event that happened with Rihanna and Brown should not only express that violence can happen to any couple, but express that even though Rihanna didn’t or hasn’t left her abusive partner, that other victims out there can. No one should ever be treated like a possession of their partner.
Work Cited
“Chris Brown has history of abuse in family.” MSNBC. 2009. NBC. 13 April 2009. < http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29105153/>
“Chris Brown Search Warrant Details a Bloody Encounter.” The Insider. 2008. CBS Interactive Inc. 13 April 2009. <http://www.theinsider.com/news/1786632_Chris_Brown_Search_
Warrant_Details_a_Bloody_Encounter>
“Dating Violence.” ACADV. Winter 1999. Domestic Violence Advocacy Program of Family Resources, Inc. 13 April 2009. < http://www.acadv.org/dating.html>
“Dating Violence Common Among Teens.” Family. 2004. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 13 April 2009. <http://family.samhsa.gov/teach/dating.aspx>
Image 1 <http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20090223/001372a9ae270b0cae8b05.jpg>
Image 2 <http://www.starsjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/rihanna-beaten-face.jpg>
Image 3 <http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3IycwU-oXnQ/SbcgGag5PmI/AAAAAAAAB7o/7ZmC-K7YvHU/s400/rhinna+after+beating.jpg>
Image 4 <http://gossiponthis.com/2009/01/06/new-beatz-rihanna-f-chris-brown-bad-girl/>
Image 5 <http://thevisualpoetssociety.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/cr-blog1.jpg>
“Oprah on Chris Brown: He Will hit you again!” Doobybrain. 2002. 13 April 2009. <http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.doobybrain.com/wp-content
/uploads/2009/02/rihanna-beating-face.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.doobybrain.com
/2009/02/19/first-picture-of-rihannas-face-after beating/&usg=__AugOEgmrwgzNDLlv
0801jX1jwTM=&h=796&w=600&sz=78&hl=en&start=9&um=1&tbnid=KnvRE3PgkVQY3M:&tbnh=143&tbnw=108&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drihanna%2Band%2Bchris%2Bbrown%2Bbeating%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1>
“Rihanna Bloodied, Beaten, Bitten By Chris Brown: Reports.” The Huffington Post. 2009. HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. 13 April 2009. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009
/02/09/rihanna-bloodied-beaten-b_n_165474.html>
Schmader, David. “Chris Brown and Rihanna: The PSA Reenactment.” The Stranger: Slog. 2009. Index Newspapers, LLC. 13 April 2009. <http://www.acadv.org/dating.html>
The Young Turks. “Re-enactment of Rihanna PSA -- Too Soon?” YouTube. March 2009. 13 April 2009. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVuk9EjKlV4>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMBXDn9xL3o>
<http://www.thisis50.com/profiles/blogs/chris-brown-amp-rihanna-the>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI46NU508MI>
The Cultural Appearance of Music
Nestled around the coast of Northwest Washington, lies the coastal city of Seattle. It thrives off its location in the Pacific, being a major location and hub for national and global trade. “In 1852, the town was named for the chief of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes, who were paid $16,000 for the use of his name” (Seattle Culture pg 2). The various pronunciations of his name include: See-alt, See-ualt, See-yat, Sealth, and Se-at-tlh. The chief remained a friend of the white settlers until his death in 1866. Much of the nation’s seafood comes from the Seattle bay area as well as many other products from China, Japan and eastern countries. I believe the culture in Seattle consists of physically active people who are more conscious of health and technology. Most of the people that live in Seattle, for example, love outdoor recreation and take care of themselves by trying to remain physically active. Technology somewhat originated in this region, producing a software technology giant such as Microsoft, and the creation of Amazon, an online shopping website similar to eBay. Music and coffee drinking go hand-in-hand, making it the base of culture in the downtown area. Due to the cities’ location on the coast, Seattle gets lots of rainfall. Rainfall could range from 31 to 37 inches of rain a year. “Seattle has many different cultures because of the mixing pot of immigration from the eastern countries across the Pacific” (Seattle Washington pg 5). Some cultures that are present in the city and surrounding areas include: white Americans, Asians, Pacific Islander people and Canadians.
Seattle is the birthplace of rock legend Jimi Hendrix and grunge music, including the following bands: Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, The Presidents of the United States of America and Nirvana”(Seattle’s Music Scene: The Aftermath of grunge pg 1). Seattle culture is incomplete without music. Seattle music is a way of life. The diverse variety of music in Seattle ranges from old soulful scores to modern pop, and rock and roll. Annual musical concerts featuring performances by world famous singers are held in Seattle. Operas are also popular in Seattle. “Seattle has a reputation for heavy coffee consumption; coffee companies were founded or based in Seattle includes Starbucks,Seattle's Best Coffee,and Tully's” (Arts and Culture in Seattle pg 2). There are also many successful independent artisanal espresso roasters and cafes. “Researchers at Central Connecticut State University ranked Seattle the most literate city of America's sixty-nine largest cities in 2005 and 2006, second most literate in 2007 (after Minneapolis), and tied with Minneapolis in 2008” (Seattle pg 4). Additionally, survey data by the United States Census Bureau indicated that Seattle was the most educated city in the U.S.; with 52.4 percent of residents aged 25 and older having a bachelor's degree. “In terms of per capita income, a study by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis ranked the Seattle metropolitan area 17th out of 363 metropolitan areas in 2006” (Seattle Washington pg 3). Even though Seattle is old enough that railways and streetcars once dominated its transportation system, automobiles are now the main mode of transportation. Seattle is also serviced by an extensive network of bus routes and two commuter rail routes connecting it to many of its suburbs. Seattle is also one of the most congested cities in the United States because of traffic. Among Seattle's prominent annual fairs and festivals are the 24-day Seattle International Film Festival, Northwest Folk life over the Memorial Day weekend, numerous Seafair events throughout July and August (ranging from a Bon Odori celebration to hydroplane races), the Bite of Seattle, one of the largest Gay Pride festivals in the United States, and, perhaps most notable of all, the art and music festival Bumbershoot, which programs music as well as other art and entertainment over the Labor Day weekend. “All are typically attended by 100,000 people annually, as are Hempfest and two separate Independence Day celebrations” (Seattle Culture pg 3). In the past, the Gay Pride parade and festival have been centered on Capitol Hill, but since 2006, festivities have been held city-wide, and the parade has followed a route in Downtown from the retail core to Seattle Center. Seattle has the cosmopolitan outlook of a port city with its strong civic, cultural and personal relationships abroad. It is open to new influences and perhaps first landing site for those seeking adventure, or starting a new life. Seattle has a long established gay community, and boasts the nation’s longest running gay bar, the oldest lesbian resource center, the oldest gay counseling service, and the second richest foundation devoted to gay issues. Despite a cosmopolitan outlook, Seattle remains unpretentious, and even low-key. Folks who wear jeans to work, and prefer backpacks to briefcases are also those who appreciate the finer things in life, and are open to new influences in food and art. All of these events that go on usually every year represent the rich and vibrant culture of the arts in Seattle. For the most part the people that live in Seattle love their city and the events that take place in it.
Seattle has many historical land marks in the downtown area, such as the Space Needle. The Space Needle, dating from the Century 21 Exposition (1962), is Seattle's most recognizable landmark, having been featured in the logo of the television show Frasier and the backgrounds of the television series Grey's Anatomy and iCarly, and films such as Sleepless in Seattle. “The Smith Tower was the tallest building on the West Coast from its completion in 1914 until the Space Needle overtook it in 1962” (Seattle pg 1). “The late 1980s saw the construction of Seattle's two tallest skyscrapers: the 76 story Columbia Center (completed 1985) is the tallest building in the Pacific Northwest and the fourth tallest building west of the Mississippi River; the Washington Mutual Tower (completed 1988) is Seattle's second tallest building”(Seattle Culture and History pg 1). Other notable Seattle landmarks include Pike Place Market, the Fremont Troll, the Experience Music Project (at Seattle Center), and the Seattle Central Library. All of these buildings and markets attract tourists to the city. It is a major part of Seattle’s culture, making it a great city to visit as well as live.
Seattle is a major port city for trans-Pacific and European trade. “The Port of Seattle is the fifth largest container port in the United States and the 25th largest in the world” (Seattle Culture pg 2). You can see heavily laden container ships with exotic ensigns making their way through Elliot Bay transporting some of the $36 billion worth of products that cross the Port's docks each year. “A drive across the West Seattle Bridge places you above Elliott Bay's Harbor Island for an aerial view of all this shipping and transportation activity” (Seattle Washington pg 1). The Southern approach to the city center via US Highway 99 passes through the area and is so lined with shipping containers that the area appears to be like some kind of anteroom for downtown’s commerce. The Port also owns and operates Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; Fishermen's Terminal and Marine Industrial Center; Shilshole Bay Marina and the Bell Street Pier. The Bell Street Pier is an 11-acre complex on the western edge of downtown that includes an international conference center, marina, cruise ship berths, shops and restaurants. It is an attraction in itself.
As for me, I was born in Seattle Washington in 1990 at Northwest hospital in the downtown area. I spent the first five years of my life in Seattle, having the best childhood a child could dream of. On Sunday’s, instead of going to church, my family headed out to Alkai Beach, a beach that had lots of fish and chip restaurants and bars on the beach. The beach was also kid friendly and I spent most of my time eating seafood or playing in the sand. There were endless activities to participate in for me because of the school I attended. I attended a Catholic prep school where I met most of my friends. Today, I still keep in touch with them and some of my best friends that still live there are now involved in extracurricular things such as kayaking, swimming, canoeing, hiking, backpacking in the Olympic Mountains and biking. Over the past year I have also embarked on backpacking trips with my dad and my uncle on Mt. Rainer, a 14,000 foot mountain that lies in the uppermost left corner of the state. Its beauty attracts guests from all over, and is known as one of the best tour spots in the Northwest. These activities started to play a major role in my life, and ultimately shaping the activities in which I participate in today.
Seattle is a vibrant and a throbbing city rich in its culture and tradition. Downtown Seattle is the seat of Seattle arts, culture and entertainment. Several art exhibitions, musical concerts major sporting events and theaters are all present, creating such a diverse metropolitan area.
Works Citied
Seattle Washington. 26 Aug. 1997- 15 Sep. 2009. Seattle Visitor Information Descriptions. 14 April 2009. <http://www.gonorthwest.com/Washington/seattle/description.htm>.
Seattle. 23 Mar. 2008. Seattle Arts, Culture and Entertainment. 14 April 2009. <http://www.mapsofworld.com/cities/usa/seattle/arts-culture-entertainment.html>.
Seattle Culture. 4 Nov. 2009. World Travel Guide- Seattle. 14 April 2009. <http://www.worldtravelguide.net/city/112/culture/North-America/Seattle.html>.
Arts and Culture in Seattle. 13 Jan. 2007. Cultural Tourism from Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. 14 April 2009. <http://www.visitseattle.org/cultural/>.
Seattle- Culture and History. 13 Feb. 2009. The Seattle Traveler. 14 April 2009. <http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-factsheet/seattle--culture-amp-history-20081128- 6m40.html>.
Seattle’s Music Scene: The Aftermath of grunge. 7 May 2008. 10 Best Guide. 14 April 2009. <http://www.10best.com/Seattle,WA/Articles/124/Seattle%7Cs_Music_Scene:_The_afte rmath_of_grunge/article.html>.
-Pictures, musical artists, gay pride marches, and movies are hyperlinked.
(Pictures)
1. http://www.bumbershoot.org/
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SpaceNeedleBasePanorama.jpg
3. http://www.seattle-wa-hotels.net/images/mt-ranier.jpg
The American Image
The American culture has become very dependent upon how they look and materialistic needs. You see the supermodels or body builders that look very good, but basically starve themselves to get that image. Other people spend a lot of money to have the hippest, newest things out there to try and promote their image. They focus some much upon this image that people begin to obsess over it and sometimes it ruins their own lives and the people around them lives. This is a negative impact upon our culture and more people are starting to join the image craze. People who were not part of the image culture are starting to get the idea “if you cannot beat them, join them.” This has become the concept of our culture where we spend, spend, and spend to the point where we have to have everything to look better than the other person.
What is worse though is how Hollywood tries to promote such images that others believe that they have to look like that or they will not be cool anymore. People are forced to starve themselves or gain money somehow so they can obtain the Hollywood image. Hollywood is basically promoting anorexia and other weight disorders. Spending money on things you don’t need like the new model phone or the new model car just because you see some Hollywood star or Professional athlete using or driving doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way and get it as well. There are shows like Sweet Sixteenor Tool Academy on VH1 that basically just show how materialistic our culture has become. Magazines as well show this was better then you image that everyone wants to strive for after seeing it, but the expectations have become just outrageous.
Recently the show Tool Academy season just came to an end. The show is basically “nine obnoxious, dishonest, and unfaithful men (referred to as “tools”) are unknowingly sent to relationship "boot camp" by their girlfriends in order to be reformed and transformed into husband material.” The whole purpose of the show was to get these guys on the show that are the ultimate male tool and change their toolish ways and graduate from the tool academy. Every week they would be presented with a challenge that they and their girl friends had to overcome and help build their troubled relationships. At the end of each show a guy is eliminated and they must confront their girl friend and either the girl friend will take him back or she will leave him. These kinds of shows are trying to fix the image problem in our society even though Tool Academy shows the extremes of males in our culture and flash money around and show off their bodies just to pick up women. Even the tool academy logo seen below portrays the American image of the macho man, even though the show strives to change then men who come to the show through counseling and therapies pertaining to certain characteristics like honesty and trust.
People have become so materialistic that they continue to buy the newest things on the market. The American economy though is also to blame for this continuous buying. Companies like Apple, Sony, and Samsung continue to come out with newer models of electronics. Apple keeps coming out with newer versions of the I-Pod and I-Phone. Sony comes out with new versions of the Play station and different games, and also has other software. Samsung has a big phone industry and comes out with multiple new versions of different phones many times a year. These companies come out with newer technology because they know that the people are going to buy it, because we are such a materialistic culture. People continue to buy such extravagant new things while other people don’t even have the means to buy food for themselves or support their families, yet some can buy the older and newer version and then the future version of the I-Pod.
Not only has the image been so by how we act or what we buy, but the American image can also be seen as how we look. People focus so much on how people look that they base who they talk to and who they want to be friends with just by how someone looks. We see models in magazines, and in movies, or on television and they are just this skinny or well built individual. We hurt our bodies just so we can obtain this image and it has begun to create multiple health problems within our society. People have stopped eating to get this skinny body, or lose a certain amount of weight so they can look buff. Some people have taken steroids or supplements to make themselves look stronger and ultimately some have taken their life for striving for this goal. Others decide that tanning nonstop to make them look better even at the own risk of their health. The media is a total negative reinforcement on all these issues as they try and sell these items since they are being sponsored by such items.
The reason such images are being sought after in the United States would have to be blamed most part to the media. The media has blown everything out of proportion now a days and you practically have to be perfect and have the perfect body not to be talked bad about in the media. The media always shows the negative sides of things and really hurts peoples reputations and makes them become these images of the perfect body, or the showy person with all the new hip things on the market, or the over cocky tool with a flashy ego. They get more ratings if they show the bad side of entertainment where people are being stupid or they show all the hot models everyone likes so people will go crazy over them and watch their show more often.
If today’s world shows anything about what the future is going to be like, its only going to get worse from here. The media is out of control and distorts what the modern image should look like. It has progressively gotten worse over the time, and will probably continue in the future. The media will continue to show the negatives to get more viewers even though it is a negative influence upon the people. Other countries only have our media to see how our culture is, and they see this showy were better then you attitude in our media and think worse of us then they already think. Maybe if the media didn’t portray everything like they do we wouldn’t have the kind of culture we have right now were we try to spend as much as we can, or act cocky to get ahead in life, or try and look a certain way to try and get ahead in life. Today image means everything, if you don’t have the image then you will not go anywhere with your life and you will not be as successful as others in the future.
Works Citied
Camacho, Melissa. “Tool Academy.” 2009. <http://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/tool-academy>
Decker, Shawn. “Shawn’s Tool Academy Welcomes….” 27 February, 2009. POZ & AIDS MEDS Blog. <http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://blogs.poz.com/shawn/upload/toolacademy.jpg&imgrefurl=http://blogs.poz.com/shawn/archives/2009/02/shawns_tool_aca.html&usg=__MEZlL2DawknP0irxHNhVJdPv5M8=&h=240&w=320&sz=17&hl=en&start=13&um=1&tbnid=NJydF-fXI9FsjM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3DTool%2BAcademy%2Bshow%26hl%3Den%26um%3D1>
Kaybee. “A Letter to My Father.” 23 March, 2009. Unfinished Business. <http://kaybee.mlblogs.com/us-money-photo.jpg>
TidBITS Staff. “Apple Introduces iPod touch, Wi-Fi iTunes store, and New iPods.” 10 September, 2007. TidBITS. < http://www.tidbits.com/resources/2007-09/iPod-nano.jpg
Merry Christmas
Many years ago, people relied on books to get information or as a form of entertainment. Nowadays technology has grown to be the major form of communication and amusement. During this age of technology, YouTube has become a worldwide sensation. In February of 2008, YouTube entertained about one third of the 10 billion online video viewers (Margolis). With so many viewers each month, it is easy to see the impact YouTube can have on American society. Videos such as “Foamy No Christmas For You,” first appeared on the World Wide Web and have become instant sensations, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNqlGlzNVEE. In this video, a little animated squirrel, named Foamy, goes off on a tirade about religion in American schools and Santa. He doesn’t understand why people are so offended by manger scenes on the front lawn at schools. Foamy is also upset at the fact that people look down upon Santa because he is overweight. In today’s society, the media, through means of the Internet, tries to shape the opinion of others by enforcing the ideas that religion should not be included in school, as well as the façade that everyone needs to be a size 00.
Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. Setting out the Christmas decorations, caroling at the neighbors houses, and writing pages of Christmas wish lists and notes to Santa, help make up the Christmas spirit. However, the denotation of Christmas has seemed to change over the years for the general public. Foamy is rather unhappy because of what Christmas now implies, “I’m pissed off at all the neo-yuppie-scumbags hell-bent on removing the Christmas spirit from the Christmas season” (Mathers). A very controversial issue facing many Americans today is idea of religion and schools, and whether or not to keep them separate. Schools are Figure 1
frequently facing problems in the community around Christmastime concerning religion in school. “They recognize that any holiday celebrations which focus on one religious tradition are unacceptable in a community where many religious traditions are expected to exist under equal terms” (Cline). With so many different types of religions in the United States now, and with people who practice no religion at all, it is becoming harder to accept the idea of religion in schools, or other public places.
It is not uncommon nowadays, to have court cases around Christmastime revolving around schools and religion, namely Christianity. “Every year around the holidays some jack off has to go complaining to some court about how there is some manger scene offending him at some local school” (Mathers). Whether the problems are the religious songs in the school play, or displays on the front lawn, the arguments never seem to stop. Recently a woman sued the New York City public schools because her child’s nativity scene wasn’t allowed to be part of the holiday display. “I felt that it is only fair if they are going to display the menorah, which is a religious symbol, that they also display the Nativity scene instead of just snowmen and stockings and Christmas trees" (Miller). It was determined that there should be a line between the secular decorations, and those that are strictly religious. This is just one example of the intolerance schools show towards religion, especially Christianity.
The United States was founded on the grounds of religion, and the belief in the freedom to practice your religion openly. So what is the problem with expressing your religion in a public place? Ralph Reed and Christian Coalition argue, “Americans are being denied the right to express their religious speech in the public square” http://www.religioustolerance.org/ps_pray.htm. The media has severely shaped the public outlook concerning religion. People are constantly exposed through means of the media, either by the TV or the Internet, that religion is a bad thing and should be abolished. Are these “The same type of institutions that tell you to be tolerant of everyone else’s beliefs, but try to beat every hint of gold ol’ St. Nick out of Christmas” (Mathers)?
Figure 2
Another subject Foamy brings into question is the idea that Santa is overweight and needs to cut back on all the milk and cookies. “Are we all pissed at Santa because he’s fat, and happy, and perfectly content with his image” (Mathers)? While I can understand why Foamy is upset, I think he is talking about a much bigger problem than Santa being a chubby guy in a red suit. Instead, I believe Foamy is talking about a major problem in America: what the media considers to be the ideal size. The media constantly exploits the idea that everyone needs be thin, and that having curves is a bad thing. “American women are obsessed with losing weight and this obsession is encouraged and promoted by the media and advertising companies” (Gibbons). The average model stands at about5-foot-11-inches and 117 pounds,while the average womanis a mere 5-foot-4-inches and 140 pounds. “Average” women are constantly trying to look like the models without seeing the results they desire. As a result, they become very self-conscious and are extremely unhappy with the way they look (Gibbons). America is so fixated on the idea of dieting now because everyone wants to get thin. Whether it is a low calorie diet, or a low carbohydrate “Fatkins” diet, as Foamy likes to call it, most Americans have been on some kind of diet during their lifetime.Why cant we just everyone just be happy? Who is to say what does and does not look good? As long as a person is healthy, people should not be focused on the size a tag might say.
The media is such an effective way to get massages to millions of people in a short period of time, whether they are positive or not. The needs to be thin, as well as the separation of church and state, are just two of the main issues the media significantly shapes the public opinion of. The Internet is just one of the tools the media uses to spread its ideas. Whether you practice any type of religion or not, the holidays are supposed to be a time of peace and joy. In the words of Foamy, “I just want Christmas to be Christmas.”
Works Cited
Cline, Austin. “How Can Schools Recognize the Holidays?” April 12, 2009.
http://atheism.about.com/od/religioussymbolsholidays/a/schoolholidays.htm.
Figure 1. http://www.skeptictank.org/hs/prayer.jpg
Figure 2. http://www.healthybpm.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/santa_design_santa.gif
Gibbons, Sarah. “Americas Obsession with Dieting.” The Daily Campus. December
12, 2007. April 12, 2009.
http://media.www.smudailycampus.com/media/storage/paper949/news/2007/12/05/News/Americas.Obsession.With.Dieting-3133321.shtml.
Mathers, Jonathan Ian. "Foamy No Christmas for You." YouTube. May 15, 2006.
10 Apr 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNqlGlzNVEE.
Margolis, Daniel. “Analyzing the Societal Effects of YouTube.” Certification Magazine.
July 2008. April 13, 2009. http://www.certmag.com/read.php?in=3525.
Miller, David Lee. “Mom Sues School to Allow Nativity Scene.” December 5, 2003.
April 13, 2009. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104916,00.html.
Robinson, B.A. Religion and Prayer in U.S., public schools, libraries, ect. October 11,
2006. April 12, 2009. http://www.religioustolerance.org/ps_pray.htm.
The Age Old Question: Does Sex really sell?
Imagine a car commercial; there is a candy apple red convertible driving past a nude beach filled with very attractive men and women. On average, this commercial would catch an audience’s attention more than other car commercials, with just an ordinary person driving a car, because our society these days is very sexually driven. Whether Americans notice it or not, or, are willing to admit it; sex is very appealing. For example, even in a Quiznos sub commercial, the use of hidden sexual messages makes this commercial stand out to its viewers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LQpRQh2KSQ). Sex is a form of pleasure for people who have passed through puberty; like toys are for young kids. Society seeks for their pleasures to be fulfilled so therefore, when a commercial or advertisement triggers that emotion, without overdoing it, whether selling a sexual product or not, people are able to recall it easily. When a commercial is easily remembered like that, it leaves a greater chance that the consumer will actually invest in the product itself.
Sex appeal in advertising does not always mean the use of sexual innuendos or scenes, but more simply starts out with how attractive or unattractive the person or people in the commercial or advertisement are. For example, when flipping through a magazine, the reader would be more willing to stop and look at an advertisement if there was an attractive person in it rather than products demonstrated by unattractive people. Columnist Carolyn A. Lin said in an article about uses of sex appeal in commercials that “attractive persons are typically rated as more desirable, socially acceptable, respectable, and influential than their less attractive counterparts” (Lin 1). As one can see, this would automatically make attractive people more favorable models for commercials and advertisements. Therefore, “physical attractiveness of the communicator influences overall marketing outcomes” (Lin 1).
MediaAnalyzer Software and Research wanted to find out how men and women view sexual advertisements differently and if they really do catch viewer’s attention more than non-sexual advertisements. There were two parts of the survey that this company conducted. One part was to get a general opinion of the use of sex in advertising and the second part was a visual test to see the visual behavior of the people being tested. The results of this survey said that “while almost half of men (48 percent) said they like sexual ads, few women did (8 percent) (Nudd 1). Sixty three percent of men said that sexual ads have a high stopping power for them, only twenty eight percent of women agreed (Nudd 1). “The visual test exposed a similar polarization. Men tend to focus on an ad’s sexual imagery (breasts, legs, skin, etc.)” (Nudd 1). To view the actual results of this survey go to www.mediaanalyzer.com/site/uploads/media/SexSellsSurvey.pdf.
One major example of a company using sex in advertising to catch people’s attention is surprisingly enough, Quiznos. The most recent Quizno’s commercial is for their newest sub sandwich, the “toasty torpedo.” This commercial features a Quiznos employee named Scott who is having a conversation with a toaster oven they use to obviously make sandwiches at the restaurant. The toaster oven then says in a sexy voice, “Scott, I want you to do something” and as Scott takes a bite of a Torpedo and appears to look in the direction of his privates, Scott says to the toaster, “I’m not doing that again. That burned.” The toaster replies, “We both enjoyed that” (Quizno’s Toasty Torpedo Commercial). After showing the “toasty torpedo” the oven then obviously sexually says, “Put it in me, Scott” and then asks Scott to announce the price of the torpedo is only four dollars, and to say it in a sexy voice (Quizno’s Toasty Torpedo Commercial). “The sandwich just happens to be 12 inches long, giving the appearance of a special relationship between Scott and the toaster oven (Wikinews).
This commercial is a perfect example of a company using underlying sexual messages to attract its viewers to a non-sexual product. When Rebecca Steinfort, chief marketing officers for Quiznos was asked about the commercial she said, “We developed our new ads to be consistent with the Quiznos brand and to get people excited about our new Toasty Torpedoes. Some of the ads are edgy and provocative, but they're well within the confines of the Quiznos brand character” (Steinfort to Wikinews). Steinfort is right about the commercial being in the character of Quiznos because Quiznos did have one other commercial, although not as provocative as the newest one, which did cause a bit of controversy, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9WT8tSjl7U). Although Quiznos does take a risk by using such provocative and sexual things in their commercials, they do, without a doubt, catch the attention of their audience.
Other examples of commercials that tend to use sexual advertising to grab our society’s attention are cologne and perfume commercials. One example is Sean John’s new perfume commercial for his fragrance called “Unforgivable women,” which focuses on steamy sex scenes. There is also a scene with Sean John telling his woman, “I can’t live without you” while they are involved in a sexual act. Not only does this have sex appeal but combines romance and sex, which appeals to women viewers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQhaekrXJxg). Another example of a sexy perfume commercial is Britney Spears’ infamous commercial for her perfume “Curious” which emphasizes the women’s fantasy about an attractive man (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12qKXzbF09Q). Both of these commercials attract viewers to their product because of the use of sex appeal in a positive way.
“Sex appeal can increase the effectiveness of an ad or commercial because it attracts the customer’s attention” (Levit). When a commercial or ad catches the viewer’s attention like that, it can easily be brought back to memory. For example, when that viewer is out shopping the next day, the sexual appeal that caught their eye in the commercial may be brought back up and will push them towards that product rather than a commercial for something they cannot even recall. Although surveys have proved men to be more attracted to sexual ads, they do indeed catch women’s attention too, only in a different way. Women see a sexy woman in an advertisement and it will catch their attention because women tend to have the desire to look like the models in advertisements (Levit). Levit then goes on to state, “It’s human nature to be curious about sex.” This is a statement that our culture hides from, although everyone knows that it is true. People seem to associate sex and sex appeal with negativity and look down upon it, but that should not always be the case. Sex is a part of everyone in society; it is completely natural and American’s in general are very curious about it but afraid to ask questions or talk about it. Advertising agencies know this and build upon it. They make assumptions about our culture and what will catch our attention the most, and these days it seems that sexual appeal always wins with them and ends up in commercials for almost any product imaginable.
Although sex appeal can be very effective in advertising, the advertising agencies must be careful not to overdue or misuse this technique. There have been several instances where companies have taken sex appeal too far. “Many campaigns deemed offensive have started brand boycotts that affect sales and damage brand reputation” (Levit). The biggest example of this is the clothing store, Abercrombie and Fitch. They have been involved in several scandals due to their sexually explicit content in some of their advertisements. The most recent was over their catalogue entitled, “XXX Wet, Hot Summer Fun” which featured naked boys and girls, which is ironic because Abercrombie and Fitch sells clothing. This catalogue caused a lot of boycotting of their products and angered many customers (Levit). To make sexual appeal work in commercials it must add to the product and advertisement, not completely contradict what the company is trying to sell.
Another thing that advertisers must be careful about is making sure the sex appeal is not too distracting so that the viewer will not remember the actual product itself, just the sex. This makes the sexual appeal that was supposed to help with the company’s consumption actually hurt sales. The same people surveyed by MediaAnalyzer Software and Research about sexual ads were asked at a later time if they remembered what the sexual ads were actually advertising, and most people could not recall the products of a few of the advertisements. This was probably due to too much sexual activity that did not help emphasize the product. “MediaAnalyzer calls this the “vampire effect,” with a too strong visual sucking up a lot of the attention that would have otherwise been spent on an ad’s actual communication” (Nudd).
The question of if sex sells in advertising is one that has been argued over since the dawn of advertising itself. The answer is yes, but it is not as simple as that. There are many factors that must be put in to account and each advertisement is different so there cannot be one general answer for all. Sex does cause attention and attract people to ads, even when used for non sexual products, and causes the viewers to remember the ad more accurately than ads without sex. This is because of human nature and the fact that our culture does revolve a lot around sex. Advertising agencies can build on this and sell more products by attracting their customers with sex appeal, but only if used properly and in “good taste” (Levit).
Works Cited
Abercrombie and Fitch Models Picture < http://fashionlawyerblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/abercrombie-and-fitch-ad.jpg>.
Christina Aguilera Skechers Picture <http://farm1.static.flickr.com/22/29857381_3109e5b139.jpg>.
“Curious Perfume Commercial.” Britney Spears. September 2008. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12qKXzbF09Q>.
Levit, Mark. “Sex in Advertising: Does it Sell?” Ezine Articles. February 2005. 11 April 2009. <http://ezinearticles.com/?Sex-in-Advertising:-Does-it-Sell?&id=14551>.
Lin, Carolyn A. “Uses of sex appeals in prime-time television commercials.” Sex Roles: A Journal of Research. March, 1998. 12 April 2009. <http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_n5-6_v38/ai_20749200/>.
Nudd, Tim. “Does Sex Really Sell?” AdWeek. October 2005. 12 April 2009. <http://www.mediaanalyzer.com/site/uploads/media/SexSellsSurvey.pdf>.
“Toasty Torpedo Commercial”. Quiznos. March 2009. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LQpRQh2KSQ>.
“Quizno’s Restaurant Chain Airs Controversial Commercial.” WikiNews. 3 April 2009. 12 April 2009. <http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Quiznos_restaurant_ch ain_airs_controversial_commercial>.
Quiznos Toasty Torpedo Picture <http://www.quiznos.com/subsandwiches/menu/images/torpedoes/MAINTorpedoes.jpg>
“Unforgivable Women: The New Scent for Women.” Sean John. July 2008.
America's Technology Addiction
The topic of this paper will explain the American culture’s addiction to technology, some of the corruptions these obsessions have caused. The people of today’s culture seem to be unable to go a single day without the use of technology. Phones, computers, televisions, cameras, or MP3s are everyday technological advances that have become comfortable to American people. A short synopsis of Clara Moskowitz’s article, “How to Tell If you Are Addicted to Technology,” (http://www.livescience.com/technology/080125-tech-addicts.html) will bring one to understand how American culture is insanely dependent for electronics. Just imagine a typical day without electricity. One would have to: wake up without an alarm, get ready without lights, make it to school or work without vehicles, communicate without the use of cell phones or computers, one could not even tell time unless they looked and understood the position of the sun and moon. America’s addiction for technology makes life without electronics seem unimaginable for today’s culture.
Moskowitz’s article, “How to Tell If you Are Addicted to Technology,” reads about several studies that indicate an addiction to technology. One example of these studies was a telephone survey by several psychiatrists from Stanford University in 2006. They tried to determine how compulsively American’s used the Internet. They discovered many “troubling tendencies,” but could not prescribe a medical judgment themselves and claimed that there was much more research that needed to be done (Moskowitz). Another example from Moskowitz’s article was an article from the journal, “Perspectives in Psychiatric Care.” This journal said “the Internet can ‘promote addictive behaviors’” (Moskowitz). One last example in this article was from a research paper which recommended that Internet addiction should be regarded as “an extreme disorder” relative to “gambling, sex addiction and kleptomania” (Moskowitz).
All these studies proved that technology is more like an addiction- rather than a passing problem, or some trend. People become irritable when they cannot use technology. The Internet goes down and there is a huge fluster, bad weather causes satellite dishes to be unresponsive and families having movie nights become very annoyed. This is America’s way of life now; society’s extreme dependence for technology has caused mayhem. Most people “can’t [even] sit through a movie without checking their cell phones or make it through dinner without peeking at their Blackberries” (Moskowitz). Technology is raging in American culture, and without it, it seems that the nation would be at a loss.
Moskowitz’s article then continues reading about another expert’s opinion, Robert A. Zucker, the director of the Addiction Research Center and the University of Michigan. He said that people “must display certain behaviors including… compulsive use, neglecting other responsibilities, [and] withdrawal when the addictive object is not available,” in order to consider one as an addict (Moskowitz). Zucker then states that he is skeptical about calling America addicted to technology, and just thinks that, “it is trendy” (Moskowitz).
All at the same while, another expert claims, “whether or not it qualifies as addiction, our all-consuming relationships with technology are getting in the way of more important relationships – with people” (Moskowitz). Technology has benefitted society in many great ways, but there is a concern that many have taken the advancements to many absurd extremes. For example, lecture halls are now “equipped with wireless sound systems, webcams, video projectors, wireless internet,” all of which were installed for the enhancement of learning, however students are abusing these technological advances (Waitzkin). In Josh Waitzkin’s article, “Multitasking Virus in our Classrooms,” (http://www.jwfoundation.com/article1.html) Waitzkin “watched students cruising Facebook,… texting,… shopping for jeans, dresses, sweaters, and shoes on Ebay, Urban Outfitters and J. Crew,… emailing on Gmail and AOL, playing solitaire,… chatting on AIM, and buying tickets on Expedia,” all while a professor was giving an important lecture (Waitzkin). The students in the lecture hall were not even worried about paying attention. Technology has become a substitute for necessary face to face conversations, and if this continues, instead of technology benefiting the culture, it is going to begin creating many issues.
Children are yet another example of how technological advances are affecting people in society. One can see this when Waitzkin conducts an experiment with two small children. He tries to persuade them to give up video games. One of the children proclaims that they, “simply couldn’t imagine life without the PSP, even for a day” (Waitzkin). In this example some may see that even small children are beginning to become addicted to technology by mastering how to play games and do their other tasks for the day at the same time. For example, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLE7opwGEFs, this commercial shows how even young children know, very well, how to use new technologically advanced computers. This could make one think about how children are influencing the family’s arrangement with their modern technological abilities.
Another writer, Claudia Wallis, asks the same by discussing the study of Elinor Ochs in her article “The Multitasking Generation.” (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1174696,00.html) Ochs quotes, “’I'm not certain how the children can monitor all those things at the same time, but I think it is pretty consequential for the structure of the family relationship’” (Wallis 50). This also shows that children are an immense affect on the modern family. Once the children are fully engaged in these new technological advances; they do not see anything that is around them. For example, “when the working parent comes through the door… the kids are so absorbed by what they’re doing that they don’t give the arriving parent the time of day” (Wallis 50). The children are so into the modern technology of today, that they are disengaged from what they really should be doing, staying in tie with their family relationships.
The engineers of today are always trying to create the next best thing, always trying to compete with other previous inventions produced by other companies, as shown in all of these commercial ads made by Apple. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgzbhEc6VVo&feature=related) The engineers of today have an interest for today’s technological developments; as a concern about the economic strength and the nation concern. For the American culture to be competitive, American engineers have to be able to engage in trade, retain market shares, and offer high quality products, processes, and services with other competing companies all while the American culture maintains at a steady economic growth and a high standard of living, as said by, Wendy H. Schacht in her article, “Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy” (Schacht). “Technological advancements are important because the commercialization of inventions provide economic benefits from the sale of new products and services” (Schacht). Engineers are trying to further economic growth with new technological advances by creating: new goods, services, and jobs available for the American consumers that keep a high demand for new technology.
Although engineers are providing financial benefits, and are responsible for up to one-half the growth of the American culture’s economy from the new forms of technological advancements, engineers are also overwhelming many people with many of these same technological advancements- and one could see the problem that this creates (Schacht). New goods, services, and jobs are all great things, however, when there are many people that do not understand some of the technological advancements of today’s culture there is a problem, and it will only get worse when there is such a high demand for new technology. The tech-savvy part
of the culture will understand everything new that is to come, while the rest of the culture will be left behind, trying to play catch-up, whether it be; in the work force, school, or standards for living. The engineers in the American culture are so concerned about newer, better, faster technology they do not even begin to realize some of the overwhelming mishaps they are creating for those who do not comprehend how today’s technological advancements are benefiting the culture.
The culture today has an addiction to technology. What may seem harmless to most is actually a growing problem, creating corruptions in many different aspects. Technology is interrupting everyday personal interactions, school lectures, lifestyles in the home, and in the workforce. The American culture is insanely dependent for electronics, and without them, life would just seem unimaginable. Technology is the American culture’s new way of life.
Works Cited
Apple. Advertisement. YouTube. 12 April 2009 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgzbhEc6VVo&feature=related>.
Moskowitz, Clara. “How to Tell If You Are Addicted to Technology.” Live Science. 25 Jan. 2008. 9 April 2009 <http://www.livescience.com/technology/080125-tech-addicts.html>.
Picture 1 <http://pro.corbis.com/images/42-20390327.jpg?size=67&uid=%7B20A9EE10-2C50-403B-9938-96992B0468D9%7D>.
Picture 2 <http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/computer-addiction-2.jpg>.
Picture 3 <http://jobs-engineers.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/engineering-plans.jpg>.
Schacht, Wendy H. “Industrial Competitiveness and Technological Advancement: Debate Over Government Policy.” CRS Report for Congress. 1 Aug. 2007. 11 April 2009 <http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33528.pdf>.
Waitzkin, Josh. “Multitasking Virus in Our Classrooms.” JW Foundation. 2008. 9 April 2009 <http://www.jwfoundation.com/article1.html>.
Wallis, Claudia. “The Multitasking Generation.” Time 27 Mar. 2006: 48-55.
Windows. Advertisement. YouTube. 12 April 2009 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLE7opwGEFs>.
iCulture
What defines culture? Oxford American Dictionary states culture is, “the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or social group.” Culture cannot simply be expressed in one sentence, but must also be demonstrated through symbols and beliefs that portray the emotions and thoughts of the people who created it. In 2009, American culture is dynamic and always growing, but it can be described by one symbol: the iPod. Since 2001, this media player has swept the American nation becoming the top musical electronic. It has become so prevalent, that today it is rare for the average person not to own an iPod. For me, my iPod is my most prized possession as at the touch of a button I can play one of the thousands of songs the iPod contains. This electronic device for me is an essential in waiting rooms or on long walks and has become regular accessory like a cell phone. Today, iPods express America’s need for the latest fad, its identity displacement, its growing isolation, its insecurity, its need for control, and its fast paced society.
Today’s culture is always in need of the latest and best fad. The iPod is a perfect symbol of this type of culture. The iPod has gone from a cool new gadget to a necessity to fit in to this generation. Krystal Song in her article, “Some Call it Culture, Others Call it Cult Activity,” states that, “Developing a reputation for being hip, trendy and technologically innovative, Apple projects their positive brand associations upon users with their signature white headphones. iPods are definitely one of the most common, yet prominent, status symbols of contemporary society.” Society has become reliant on these fascinating electronics as it has become a growing trend to have the best and newest iPod. Apple has succeeded in advertising their products for as everywhere one looks Apple dominates the field of quality electronics. As stated in Anne D’Innocenzio’s article, “Toy Makers Hitch Stars to iPod Craze,” “Apple has sold more than 42 million iPods, 30 million in 2005, making the gadget a huge marketing opportunity for companies in a range of industries. Merchandise including iPod clothing, leather cases, speakers, massage chairs were part of an estimated $850 million cottage industry last year, according to NPD Group Inc., a market research firm in Port Washington, N.Y.” Whether through emails, commercials, or through iTunes, Apple pumps the message that having an iPod is an essential to feeling apart of the current generation and it is working. iPod sales are rising and people are falling into the belief that an iPod is a necessity to be fashionable.
iPods have become so essential to today’s culture that it has now become a part of one’s identity. It is not just an electronic device, but is a statement about a person. Song states that, “Consumers often say the iPod has become part of themselves…the iPod is no longer just an instrument or a tool, but a part of myself. It's a body extension. It's part of my memory, and if I lose this stuff, I lose part of my identity". Consumers can make judgments about other fellow consumers through simply looking though the library of music on their iPod. Having the newest iPod is also a statement on how much one is willing to spend on their accessories. Not having the latest iPod can show an individual’s failure to be in sync with fashion and pop culture. Russ Egan in his article, “iPod’s Impact on Modern Culture,” states that, “People realize that it is cool to own an iPod rather than another type of music device. The symbolic white headphones tell everyone around that you are trendy enough to own one. This is strange in itself because even though it lets people know how fashionable you are, it also blocks any social contact with nearby strangers” (1).
Today, American society is also steadily becoming a more isolated culture. With the invention of the iPod, society was able to express this movement by beginning to ignore people around them by placing headphones in their ears. For me, I have found that I am bothered by people who still have headphones in their ears and are trying to have a conversation with me. I feel like asking, “Are you sure you are listening?” Song confirms this thought by stating, “As a result of their amazing transportability iPods make it incredibly easy for people to bring their personal spheres into the public space. Interaction between individuals is slowly diminishing as people turn to their technological devices instead of attempting to make a new acquaintance or simply experience the “natural” sights and sounds around them.” As this new phenomenon grows and personal interaction fades, Apple continues to find new ways to make this movement grow even more through adding special features to iPods such as wireless internet, weather reports, email, and even now phone support. Through these advancements, society can only grow further from personal interaction and replace it with a dynamic piece of software.
Society has also begun to use their iPods as a shield against uncomfortable situations. Instead of socializing with people in a waiting room or the local bus, iPods serve as a way of saying that one does not wish to converse. Society naturally wants to be comfortable and iPods provide an easy option with simply putting headphones in their ears, blocking out the world around them. As Song states, “Visible from a good distance away, white earphones signal one thing to most people: don’t bother trying to talk to me. iPods are a major deterrent to conversation, with it becoming increasingly acceptable to converse while still listening to the iPod.” The iPod through this action serves as a symbol of society’s decline in the value of personal interaction.
Today’s culture also expresses a need to be in complete control. Through owning an iPod, the owner controls all the music being played and the mood they want to feel. One consumer by the name of Vern Seward, in his article, “Just a Thought- The iPod ‘Fad’,” states that, “Today my iPod allows me to take my music with me, offering a bit of serenity in the hustle of my daily life.” Song expresses that science has confirmed the popular myth that music does affect a person’s mood. As stated in her article, “…the act of listening has been scientifically proven to have both physical and emotional effects on individuals due to the fact that “the brain’s musical networks and emotional circuits are connected” (Douglas 32). As a result, music holds a very important place in the mind and soul of most individuals.” Through personalizing an individual iPod, one can organize their lives in a small device and be in complete control of their time, space, and mood (Song, 1). With the new upgrade of the iPod, called the Iphone, customers are able to have their cell phone and iPod combined, giving them more control to run their lives as they see fit. As one customer states, “My iPhone,” she explains, “is a pedometer, a voice recorder, a gym coach and a budget tracker. It promises to find my parked car, give me a shoulder massage and even repel mosquitoes.” Now, she laments, “if only my iPhone can do my taxes. Wait. There’s probably an app for that” (Apple). (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbebtf3u58I)
Today’s culture is extremely fast paced and is always looking for the quicker and better way to communicate and to be entertained. iPods reach out to this culture as they offer fast ways to connect to a person’s favorite music, video, or photos. Through its easy downloading process, Apple catered to its fast paced cliental by making iPods easy and fast for any age. I-pod Info.com states, “iPods fit into our busy lifestyles. Easy and fast to download, we can have the music or movie that we want - when we want it. Your favorite music is just moments away without ever picking up your CD case. Your favorite movie is ready to play before you have opened a single DVD case.” American culture wants a life that is fast and easy and Apple continues to produce more ways to achieve this goal. Song describes that Apple has made the iPod so it was easy to handle for all ages to enjoy and to make their own. As she states, “Apple developed their personal listening device to be easy to use, easy to carry-along, and easy to love” (Song, 1).
iPods have transformed the realms of music for the American people and as a result, culture has adapted to this new device. The iPod is a perfect symbol of American culture as it captures America’s need for the latest fad, its identity displacement, its growing isolation, its insecurity, its need for control, and its fast paced society. iPods will continue to advance, shock, and awe society; however, if American culture chooses to let iPods replace personal interaction, society will most definitely transform into a technologically advanced culture that at the touch of a button will isolate the world around them and never discover life outside the iCulture.
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