Written Analysis 5

Introduction

Throughout this course I have studied tabloids and their effect on the public.  Through this process I have researched stereotypes, rituals, icons, and myths and evaluated them in relation to the topic of tabloids.  The following is what I found to be interesting.

Pop culture and the effects of tabloids on the public

The theory of icons is extremely important with regard to tabloids because people tend to worship celebrities and put them on pedestals, often without knowing a whole lot about them. Tabloids sell because the public is so caught up in wanting to know about the “secret” lives of these celebrities.  For instance, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are A-listers who try to keep their life fairly private while also giving the public just enough to stay interested.  It is celebrities like these that feed the tabloid frenzy because people are obsessed with knowing more about them.  They become icons to be adored and therefore people will purchase tabloid after tabloid in order to feel closer to these people.

Another theory that had an interesting appeal to me was that of stereotypes.  I originally thought of stereotypes as a one-sided thing.  What I mean by this is that we, the public, stereotype celebrities or idols and then feed off of what we like or do not like.  However, I realize now that the creators of these tabloids stereotype the public in order to generate sales.  They use this as a marketing tactic and feed off of those who subscribe to these magazines and such. 

 Interesting findings

            One of the more interesting findings was that popular culture is more than just what we see on television and magazines, but it is around us every day even though we may not think of it like that.  Knowing this leads into my final point.

How will I think of tabloids now?

            Knowing how tabloid creators use popular culture to get into our minds and our living rooms will have an effect on the way that I read magazines from now on.  For example, I find myself reading magazines looking for direct quotes and current pictures in order to verify these stories.  I know that they feed off of our need for knowledge on a world that we, as the general population, cannot enter, therefore I read it with that in mind.  No more being sucked in by flashy headlines for this girl.

Journal of Popular Culture Article Analysis: The accidental supermom: heroines and maternal performativity, 1963-1980

What is the article about?

The article dives into the topic of feminism, expectations, gender roles, and how these things fit into society within the 1963-1980 time period.  Can women really have it all?  Are women capable of working and being successful while raising a family and tending to a husband?  This article looks into four super-heroines who each embody different roles within their femininity.  Are women needed or are women simply wanted?  

This article is directed toward a broad audience.  It has a tone that is empowering to women, but also informative to men.  It brings up issues that women can relate to such as the question of, can I really have it all?  It is clear throughout the article that the author is aware of the struggles that women face.  For example, the struggle of choosing to have a family or not, choosing to stay at home with children or work, and choosing to step into a powerful and important career or whether to allow the husband to be more dominant and successful while remaining supportive and somewhat submissive.

Key Points

Where do women look to for guidance or inspiration as it relates to their roles?  The article indicates that women, in the 1970's especially, began to look to popular culture for guidance.  Wonder woman specifically.  Wonder woman was introduced as an icon for feminist identity in 1972.  She represented personal empowerment and purpose.  Before this, there was no female hero to relate to for women.  The pop culture shown, through comics especially, was dominated by men.  This left a void for women who aspired to be or do more than they had been shown growing up.  

In 1954 the need for positive gender roles was brought to light as wonder woman became more prominent.  That being said, Stan Lee decided to create The Fantastic Four.  As the need for sex equality and gender role clarification became more prominent, the development of Susan Storm, also known as invisible girl in the Fantastic Four, was created with great precision.  Over the years, there had been female characters on television that portrayed housewives, mothers, and even heroes, however, there no supermom superhero as of yet.  Invisible girl was the only superhero to have a child.  This highlights a key point that although women were respected as super-heroines, they were not perceived as family women as well.  The important thing to note about this part of the article is that there was the idea that women had to choose to be either a working women or a mother.  It was still not common to have women who can work, be a parent, and juggle the daily duties of the traditional homemaker.  So, is it now possible to be a supermom?  

Prior to Invisible Girl having a child, female superheroes were perceived as being maternal in terms of being domestic and nurturing, but not physically mothers.  This upset some as that perception seemed to undermine the female hero because of her lack of procreation in comics.  So, does procreation define a women?  Does it validate her role in society?  A point that this article hits on is one that notes the ever-growing feminist society.  

Between 1960 and 1970, second-wave feminism was brought on.  This new wave of feminism changed the image and characteristics of future super-heroines.  These female characters such as wonder woman and invisible girl embodied the mother, meaning they were nurturing, caring, and observant.  The is how the supermom complex came to be.  

In 1968, it was written into the Fantastic Four script that Susan Storm would become pregnant and deliver a baby.  The interesting point here is that Susan was isolated in a sense.  She was guarded within the walls of a Manhattan penthouse and protected from danger by not being allowed to take part in missions.  This shows the perception of women and pregnancy back then.  That was an age where pregnancy was seen as an ailment or illness and almost a disability for nine months.  When it came time for Susan to deliver the child, there were some complications with such and her husband Reed had to complete a dangerous mission in order for the baby and mother to be safe.  In the end, she delivered the baby safely, which you would think would bring her credit.  However, it was Reed that received credit and Susan and her delivery became secondary to his courageous feats. This was a good example of the masculine society that was and still is at times.  Males and their masculine feats ans successes often overshadow the everyday duties and accomplishments of women.  

As the article continues, it introduces Marvel girl and Storm from X-Men.  They each take on very different roles, yet are perceived in similar ways.  They embrace the feminist roles of nurturers, caregivers, and protectors.  These were quite different than Susan Storm.  Susan went against the status quo and fought for her place on the team of four.  Even once she became a mother, she proved that she could do it all.  She could be a good mother, a protector of mankind, and a wife.  However, the men on the team still wanted to protect her and put her in the box of parenthood alone.  This brings up the question, is opposing the status quo a bad thing?  The expectation of mothers is far different than fathers, but is that how it should be?  Or, is it an unfair expectation of women?  

Summary and Conclusion

The resounding point made throughout this article seems to be that women have been and always will be put into a category of their own.  They will be isolated, stereotyped, and often discriminated against, whether intentional or not.  However, this does not mean that women have to accept this fate.  As seen throughout the evolution of comic book characters, women can be fierce, yet loving.  Women can choose to be whatever they want to be, whether stay at home mothers or successful business women.  Women are valuable and worthy of a place in this "man's world".  What I would ask the author is this.  Is it possible that men need women to fill these nurturing roles for selfish reasons?  Can the powerful and heroic man exist without the nurturing women beside him?  Only time will tell, but if this article lends us any insight into the future, it would suggest that women are capable of so much more than we are currently seeing.  This is what makes this article current and important.  Yes, these examples are fictitious, but they lend us insight into the real woman.  The real woman is strong, insightful, nurturing, and capable.  Men beware!

Reference

D'Amore., & Mattoon, L. (2012). The Accidental Supermom: Superheroines and Maternal Performativity, 1963–1980. Journal of Popular Culture, 45(6), 1226-1248. doi:10.1111/jpcu.12006

Formulas and the Effect of Tabloids on the Public

When it comes to looking to formulas to evaluate tabloids, there is a lot to take into consideration.  For instance, is there a formula behind tabloids?  Is there a formula behind the personal and emotional response to tabloids?  

With regard to tabloids, it would seem that there is some convention there.  Tabloids have been around for years and have made their way onto the internet scene through social media sharing, news sites, and more.  It seems that the more available these tabloids are, the more people just eat that stuff up, obviously.  Buy why?  Maybe the authors, photographers, editors, and even celebrities know something about the general population that we don't know.  

What if there was a formula behind tabloids?  It is no secret that Americans love gossip.  Gossip drives people for some odd reason.  We want to know every little detail about a celebrity's life because it makes us feel closer to them.  Maybe we can relate to them better if we know where they shop, workout, eat, and even take their kids to school.  

The idea of formula is extremely applicable for the topic of tabloids because the public make it no secret that we are hungry for information.  I would venture out to say that the authors and editors do ample research to devise formulas that will lead to the sale of more tabloids.  

What is that formula?  I would assume it is something like this:

1.  A celebrity is easy to relate to

2.  A celebrity is attractive

3.  A celebrity does something worth talking about

4.  The public responds to this action by opening a magazine or searching the internet

5.  The public shares info on social network about the celebrity

6.  The tabloids see what the public is interested in

7.  Tabloids work their hardest to find A list celebrities doing something worthwhile

8.  Tabloids sell and public gets its fix of gossip

While this is probably not exactly how it is done, I can assume that it is not rocket science to figure out what drives sales.  If I have learned anything about formulas, it is that they are more useful and prominent than I had ever thought.  In fact, I had never thought about them before in that way.  Maybe there's a formula that predicted that already too though!

Heroes, the cult of celebrity, and how tabloids influence the public.

The cult of celebrity definitely applies to my topic because tabloids lead to the general public becoming obsessed with celebrities and therefore making them personal heroes, when in all reality, they are simply famous people.

The cult of celebrity is an interesting topic because it brings up the issue that it seems so many in our culture choose to ignore, which is the fact that these celebrities are in a world of their own.  They live extravagant lifestyles, have access to things that many of us could only dream of, and have friends that make the A list.  

The general public tends to look at celebrities such as George Clooney or Donald Trump as heroes because they are financially successful and do a lot of good with their money.  In that case, I can see the hero aspect because to some people, philanthropy is a heroic trait.  However, having money does not make one a hero.  It simply makes someone successful in that area.  Too many times we hear screaming tweens saying, Justin Bieber is my hero, and things like such.  This is the kind of myth that ruins our young ones.  They so often believe that someone is their hero because they are attractive and famous.

Personally, my heroes involve more things such as kindness, selflessness, perseverance, and trustworthiness.  Maybe someday soon our younger generation will catch on to what a true hero should be, but for now, they are stuck in the cult of the celebrity and the myth that comes with it.  

Most things look one way on the outside, but as the saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side, at least until you get there.  

Image Reference

Strangefunkidz.com. (n.d.). Donald Trump mansion. Retrieved from http://https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=643&q=celebrity&oq=celebrity&gs_l=img.3..0l10.2349.4851.0.5588.13.11.2.0.0.0.96.765.9.9.0.chm_qwpr...0...1.1.58.img..2.11.777.QrfJJld2qwk#hl=en&tbm=isch&q=celebrity+mansions&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=Ufe7MH7OxLBRuM%253A%3BrzXXkgrFYLMT0M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.strangefunkidz.com%252Fimages%252Fcontent%252F141460.bmp%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.strangefunkidz.com%252Fcontent%252Fitem%252F141460.html%3B354%3B257

Written Analysis 2

Influence of Tabloids on the Public

When it comes to tabloids, there are many factors that give insight into why the public is so affected by them. First, the theory of stereotypes.  When it comes to Hollywood, New York, or even Nashville, there are immediate stereotypes that come to mind.  For instance, when I think of L.A. I immediately think of glamorous celebrities, fancy cars, castle sized mansions, and unfortunately drugs.  

Why do I have this stereotype?  Partially because of what I have observed over the years and partially because of tabloids and the stories they put out there.  While I do not personally read tabloids anymore, I do watch E News and other well-known celebrity gossip/tabloid shows.  These go hand in hand in my opinion because they all give us a peak at the "real lives" of these celebrities that we so desire to know more about.  

The show Nashville is a good example of stereotyping.  Last season there was a story line that had the main character, Juliette Barnes, stray from country music and head toward L.A. and the pop image that comes with it.  She immediately gained criticism and doubted her decision due to the strain on her personal values and standards.  This is a prime example of the the difference in stereotypes between Nashville and L.A.  Tabloids and country radio make country music and its stars appear to be more wholesome, grounded, and talented.  We often see country stars at home with their pets or riding their four-wheelers while we see California stars partying at nightclubs and receiving DUI after DUI.  The stereotyping is not just for television, but it is a reality in today's culture.  

Insights gained from applying these theories are that it is wise to evaluate the things we see, hear, read, etc. because it does persuade our views on people and places.  Being mindful of what we observe and what we perceive is crucial as well.  We may perceive something to be a certain way, but only out of our judgments, not out of truth.  Seeing something personally is different than hearing about it and believing it to be truth.  Even though stereotypes are real and here to stay, we can still change the way that we react to rumors in order to stop the cycle of negative stereotyping.

Written Analysis 1

Influence of Tabloids on the Public

            When it comes to tabloids, there are many ways to apply myths, icons, and popular beliefs.  It seems that no matter how much we, the general public, are told that tabloids are fabricated stories much of the time, we still cannot refrain from reading them.  Why is this?

Icons

            The first reason that I see as to why the public cannot seem to put tabloids down is because of how we’ve made celebrities into icons.  Rather than see them as normal people, we put them on pedestals and feast on the gossip that the tabloids provide about them.  When someone seems untouchable or unreachable, our only way to learn about them and feel close to them is through tabloids and such.  Icons are often not to be messed with, such as a fancy car or jewelry.  That is how celebrities are in many eyes.  They are off limits to the general public and therefore, tabloids are all we have to gain insight into their mysterious lives.

Myths and beliefs

            In addition to making them icons, many have succumb to the idea that celebrities are better than the rest of us.  There is the belief that these “icons” have something that we do not have, the American dream perhaps.  We want what they have, but we cannot achieve that level of success.  Buying into this idea only feeds the need for information from tabloids.  The concept of myths definitely gives insight into why the tabloid industry has had such success.

Insights gained

            Prior to evaluating the theories above, I had wondered why the tabloid industry has such control.  It seems to feed people and their need for gossip, insight, trends, and more. I personally have wondered why people put so much weight on the words and pictures of these magazines, but after reading about these theories it is clear that there are some things that are engrained in us subconsciously which drive our desires and decisions. When people will realize this and abandon the desire for more gossip is beyond my knowledge, but if history sheds any light on the subject, I will not hold my breath.

Contemporary Icons

Icons-Past and Present

There are so many icons to choose from, so to narrow my selection of the three most notable or memorable icons for me right now, it is hard.  I chose Ronald McDonald of McDonald's Restaurant, Beyonce Knowles, and the Bible.  

Ronald McDonald has been the well-known face of McDonald's Restaurants for decades and I would bet that there are very few people over the age of one that do not know who he is when they see him.  There is something about that face and outfit that screams childhood, fun, and unhealthy food.  I chose this icon because no matter how much bad press the company receives for not meeting the expectations of every health-conscious American, it will still remain a go-to spot for on-the-go eating, family dining, and childhood memory recollection.  

Beyonce Knowles began her career as a member of the group Destiny's Child and quickly rose to fame within such group.  However, she truly made a name for herself when she debuted her album 'Dangerously in Love' in 2003. Future roles she would take showed her range with singing, acting, and dancing.  She truly is the triple threat.  I chose her as an icon because she knows how to use her assets to gain traction and promote herself well.  She is known for her well choreographed shows, amazing vocal range, and overall sweet appeal both in person and on stage.  

My last icon is the Bible.  This is a personal one for me since I am a strong believer in Jesus Christ.  This is not an icon of religion to me, but rather, a way to know who Jesus was and still is to all of us.  Many in society look at the Bible as a piece of history while others see it as nothing but fabricated stories.  The reason this is an icon is because no matter what one's belief about the Bible, almost everyone knows what it is and what it holds within.  You do not have to be American, Christian, Catholic, or Muslim to know what this book is which makes it a pretty significant icon in my opinion.

References

[Photograph]. Retrieved from http://hornsports.com

Beyoncé - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beyonc%C3%A9

[Photograph]. Retrieved from http://Thebibleworkshop.com

Pop Culture HUMN240

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

Pop culture is a main influence in today's society.  According to Petracca and Sorapure of our Common Culture book, pop culture encompasses the most immediate and contemporary elements in our lives. These elements are often changing, yet they bring people together (2012).

What this means to me is that there are many elements in today's society that influence me and the world around me.  For instance, we have cell phones, computers, magazines, and more to access the latest popular changes in our culture.  Pop culture is the most recent and relevant thing in society in my opinion.  

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

Understanding pop culture is crucial in business, especially in my soon-to-be field of public relations, because knowing and understanding what is going on in the world around us is how we relate to others.  Anyone in business needs to know the needs, wants, and interests of future clients or public in order to successfully meet the needs of each one.  Understanding where people are headed in terms of cultural changes is important in predicting the future market no matter what field you are in.

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

My artifact is the cell phone.  While I understand that the phone itself holds no importance in terms of education, it is the things that can be accessed by it that make it an important pop culture artifact.  Pretty much anything new and current can be accessed via the cell phone such as news, blogs, tabloids, Facebook, weather, and more.  This makes it a pretty important piece of pop culture.