I admire many icons in the world of musical theater. There is Cameron Mackintosh who has been producing hits from 1967 to today such as Miss Saigon, Les Mis, The Phantom of the Opera, and Disney's latest Mary Poppins. There are the artists, such as Sarah Brightman, Michael Crawford, Lea Salonga, and Colm Wilkinson who bring the characters to life. The composers and lyricists, Alain Boubil, Claude Michel Schonberg, Andrew Llloyd Webber, and Tim Rice who give us the showtunes we can't get out of our heads. Most important though, is the story.
The music and lyrics, stars of the show, and the best production team must be successful at bringing the story to life. These stories appear to be born out of myths. There are musicals about good and evil such as Jekyll & Hyde and The Phantom of the Opera which feature men who wrestle internally with good and evil. There are myths of romantic love Beauty and the Beast which suggest love can overcome any atrocity. There are religious myths such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat which retells the tale of the prodigal son. There is the American Dream as portrayed in Miss Saigon as the engineer baudily sings and acts out his vision of this lifestyle. Actually almost every musical has some element of love, good vs. evil, religion, etc. and most have a protagonist or a hero and or heroine that the audience roots for as they overcome obtacles and find the freedom to live as in the monomyth. According to Browne, myths are merely "attempts to get along with oneself, society, and the world" (2005). Obviously some myths are false there is no nanny flying in on her umbrella to save the family (Mary Poppins) or a Wicked Witch of the West, who might've been less wicked and more misunderstood after all (Wicked), but these are the myths that make it easier to explain our humanity. These musicals explain our very human qualities such as lack of self control (the Phantom, Wicked), our family issues (Joseph, Mary Poppins), and our struggles with right and wrong (Jekyll & Hyde) by appealing to our need "to create an existence" in which we can feel vicariously through the characters, music, and movement brought to life on stage (Browne, 2005).
References:
Browne, R. (2005). Profiles of Popular Culture: A Reader. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Assignment 2-2: Icon Analysis
The three icons I chose are Hugh Hefner, Kenny Chesney, and Tiffany & Co. These icons represent popular culture in their own, albeit very different ways.
Hugh Hefner has maintained his iconic image well into his 80's and there is a certain je ne sais quoi about him. Many men would kill to have his lifestyle and the ladies still love him. He maintained a successful publishing career and developed the Playboy brand, an icon in itself. There is a status of sexuality, money, and a glamourous lifestyle associated with him and the Playboy franchise. Hugh was even able to parlay all of this into a successful reality series "The Girls Next Door" which made stars out of his playmates that continued despite their recent departure from the show.
Kenny Chesney is a country music icon. I beleive he helped mainstream country music and paved the way for Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, and Sugarland. I have never seen anything like a Kenny Chesney show. There is tailgating before the show, the show itself is usually an all day event filled with numerous acts, and they pull out all the stops when it comes to production. His songs parallel the lines of Jimmy Buffet tunes, bringing listeners to the beach, the islands, or to the party.
Tiffany & Co. is an icon of almost sacred status. There is the infamous Tiffany blue, the Tiffany diamond, and the Tiffany setting. Picture the little blue box with the white ribbon; the perfectly polished, shiny glass cases offering a wealth of silvery charms and glittery gems; and the storefront itself on 5th Avenue in which you can almost picture a perfectly coiffed Audrey Hepburn in her LBD (little black dress) and pearls as Holly Golightly enjoying her "Breakfast at Tiffany's".
Those icons are just a few things I thought of today. Hugh Hefner came to mind as I read about his pregnant ex-playmate/girlfriend Kendra in US Weekly. What does this all mean to me? I just think Hugh is a very savvy business man. He had a million dollar idea and became a famous entrepreneur. I, on the other hand, am still waiting for my million dollar idea and entrepreneurial opportunity. I thought of Kenny Chesney as he was on my radio during my drive home singing about sweet "Summertime" and making me wish I was in Florida already. I used to say "I listen to everything except country", but he made me a fan of the whole country-pop genre and it's now actually my roadtrip soundtrack of choice. And Tiffany & Co.? Well you never forget your first trip to NYC, and that was the first place my best friend and I just had to see. Bagels and coffee in hand, we too had breakfast at Tiffany's and bought ourselves silver charms (the most affordable piece of jewelry in the house) to remember it by. There was this air of sophistication; a customer walks in and feels the presence of the Tiffany & Co. icon; I felt like it somehow embodied Manhattan itself.
The text reminds us that icons are subjective; "just as they rise to great heights as icons in people's hearts and minds, they also fall at varying speeds" (Browne, 2005). I could go on and on about icons; I never realized I was impressed by so many and that they could invoke such feeling.
References:
Browne, R. (2005). Profiles of Popular Culture: A Reader. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Hugh Hefner has maintained his iconic image well into his 80's and there is a certain je ne sais quoi about him. Many men would kill to have his lifestyle and the ladies still love him. He maintained a successful publishing career and developed the Playboy brand, an icon in itself. There is a status of sexuality, money, and a glamourous lifestyle associated with him and the Playboy franchise. Hugh was even able to parlay all of this into a successful reality series "The Girls Next Door" which made stars out of his playmates that continued despite their recent departure from the show.
Kenny Chesney is a country music icon. I beleive he helped mainstream country music and paved the way for Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, and Sugarland. I have never seen anything like a Kenny Chesney show. There is tailgating before the show, the show itself is usually an all day event filled with numerous acts, and they pull out all the stops when it comes to production. His songs parallel the lines of Jimmy Buffet tunes, bringing listeners to the beach, the islands, or to the party.
Tiffany & Co. is an icon of almost sacred status. There is the infamous Tiffany blue, the Tiffany diamond, and the Tiffany setting. Picture the little blue box with the white ribbon; the perfectly polished, shiny glass cases offering a wealth of silvery charms and glittery gems; and the storefront itself on 5th Avenue in which you can almost picture a perfectly coiffed Audrey Hepburn in her LBD (little black dress) and pearls as Holly Golightly enjoying her "Breakfast at Tiffany's".
Those icons are just a few things I thought of today. Hugh Hefner came to mind as I read about his pregnant ex-playmate/girlfriend Kendra in US Weekly. What does this all mean to me? I just think Hugh is a very savvy business man. He had a million dollar idea and became a famous entrepreneur. I, on the other hand, am still waiting for my million dollar idea and entrepreneurial opportunity. I thought of Kenny Chesney as he was on my radio during my drive home singing about sweet "Summertime" and making me wish I was in Florida already. I used to say "I listen to everything except country", but he made me a fan of the whole country-pop genre and it's now actually my roadtrip soundtrack of choice. And Tiffany & Co.? Well you never forget your first trip to NYC, and that was the first place my best friend and I just had to see. Bagels and coffee in hand, we too had breakfast at Tiffany's and bought ourselves silver charms (the most affordable piece of jewelry in the house) to remember it by. There was this air of sophistication; a customer walks in and feels the presence of the Tiffany & Co. icon; I felt like it somehow embodied Manhattan itself.
The text reminds us that icons are subjective; "just as they rise to great heights as icons in people's hearts and minds, they also fall at varying speeds" (Browne, 2005). I could go on and on about icons; I never realized I was impressed by so many and that they could invoke such feeling.
References:
Browne, R. (2005). Profiles of Popular Culture: A Reader. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Assignment 1-4: Weekly Written Analysis 1
I love, love, love getting the mail! Not junk mail or bills of course, but it makes me oh so happy to find a glossy, colorful, flowery-smelling magazine delivered right to my door. Which one is it today? Cosmo, Glamour, Marie-Clare, US Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, Allure, Real Simple, Lucky, InStyle, or perhaps People...and will it satisfy my cravings for...celebrity gossip, beauty tips, entertainment reviews, or the quest to become a domestic goddess? There is a book entitled "Up for Renewal", that I haven't read yet, but wish I would've written. It's supposedly about a woman who writes a book about her life after she reads magazines and actually takes their advice. Yes, I subscribe to several magazines and try to at least skim every one of them each month. No, I don't take the advice verbatim. There is something comforting about hearing other people's stories, their experiences, and opinions and relating them to my own. I do want to know what the latest beauty trends are (Allure), how to make him fall in love (Cosmo), how to organize my closet (Real Simple), and read a review of the latest Broadway musical (Entertainment Weekly) of course it would be nice if I could get all that from one source. I realize these articles come in this glossy, sweet smelling package to entice the senses and sell me several products along the way and no I wouldn't have it any other way.
According to Stevens and Maclaran, "in the 19th century, two consumption phenomena emerged that were to redraw and redefine feminity accorinding to a discourse of consumption" (2005, p.283). In other words, women's magazines and the and department store revolutionalized shopping for women, not only offering "a world of goods, but they also offered women a window of opportunity, enabling them to look at and explore a multiplicity of possibilities and personas" (Stevens & Maclaran, 2005, p. 283).
Cosmopolitan is probably my favorite because it is kind of outrageous. The cover practically screams "SEX!" every single month. It's quite humorous actually. Most of the articles seem repetitive and in fact a comparison of issues will confirm that a similar article ran just a few months prior. Different byline; same message. Despite using lingo including "frenemies" and "OMG" which comes off kind of juvenile at times, Cosmo does have some redeeming qualities. For example, this month there are articles on travel safety, getting ahead at work, dealing with frenemies (friends who backstab), etiquette, and things women excel at over their male counterparts (evolution, living longer, being more recession proof, communication). The magazine started in the 1960s after Helen Gurley Brown wrote Sex and the Single Girl. She was a pioneer for women's magazines, "chick lit", and most likely was the original "Carrie Bradshaw" from the HBO series Sex and the City. Cosmopolitan is indeed a pop culture artifact because although it mainly represents young, single women, if one were to crack open a copy years from now it would show popular trends and women's tastes in fashion, products, men, movies, music, books, advertising, and even humor for the style it's written in.
An actual critical analysis of Cosmopolitan as mass culture was performed using "the methodology of high cultural analysis" (McCracken, 1982, p.30). The results of the analysis looks at ideology-living vicariously, selling a self image; the infrastructure-making money, circulation, advertising, and layout; the mythology-message conveyed by writing and pictures which is meant to exude pleasure; feminist-a look at glamour, image, envy; and semiological-success is in obtaining the right image (McCracken, 1982). The final outcome of the analysis suggests that although Cosmo gives the "illusion of modernity" it really contains "traditional values beneath a sugar coating" (McCracken, 1982).
And yes, sorry if the beginning of this blog sounds like a Cosmo article :)
References:
Benjamin, J. How Cosmo Changed the World: The fascinating story of the magazine you know, love, and can't live without. Retrieved August 23, 2009, from http://www.cosmopolitan.com/about/about-us_how-cosmo-changed-the-world
McCracken, E. Demystifying Cosmopolitan: Five critical methods. Journal of Popular Culture, Volume 16, Issue 2 (September, 1982) p. 30-42. Retrieved August 23, 2009, from http://0-journals.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ejc/article.cgi?00223840
Maclaran, P. & Stevens, L. Exploring the 'shopping imaginary': The dreamworld of women's magazines. (2005). Journal of Consumer Behaviour Vol. 4,4 282-292. Retrieved August 23, 2009, from http://0-journals.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ejc
According to Stevens and Maclaran, "in the 19th century, two consumption phenomena emerged that were to redraw and redefine feminity accorinding to a discourse of consumption" (2005, p.283). In other words, women's magazines and the and department store revolutionalized shopping for women, not only offering "a world of goods, but they also offered women a window of opportunity, enabling them to look at and explore a multiplicity of possibilities and personas" (Stevens & Maclaran, 2005, p. 283).
Cosmopolitan is probably my favorite because it is kind of outrageous. The cover practically screams "SEX!" every single month. It's quite humorous actually. Most of the articles seem repetitive and in fact a comparison of issues will confirm that a similar article ran just a few months prior. Different byline; same message. Despite using lingo including "frenemies" and "OMG" which comes off kind of juvenile at times, Cosmo does have some redeeming qualities. For example, this month there are articles on travel safety, getting ahead at work, dealing with frenemies (friends who backstab), etiquette, and things women excel at over their male counterparts (evolution, living longer, being more recession proof, communication). The magazine started in the 1960s after Helen Gurley Brown wrote Sex and the Single Girl. She was a pioneer for women's magazines, "chick lit", and most likely was the original "Carrie Bradshaw" from the HBO series Sex and the City. Cosmopolitan is indeed a pop culture artifact because although it mainly represents young, single women, if one were to crack open a copy years from now it would show popular trends and women's tastes in fashion, products, men, movies, music, books, advertising, and even humor for the style it's written in.
An actual critical analysis of Cosmopolitan as mass culture was performed using "the methodology of high cultural analysis" (McCracken, 1982, p.30). The results of the analysis looks at ideology-living vicariously, selling a self image; the infrastructure-making money, circulation, advertising, and layout; the mythology-message conveyed by writing and pictures which is meant to exude pleasure; feminist-a look at glamour, image, envy; and semiological-success is in obtaining the right image (McCracken, 1982). The final outcome of the analysis suggests that although Cosmo gives the "illusion of modernity" it really contains "traditional values beneath a sugar coating" (McCracken, 1982).
And yes, sorry if the beginning of this blog sounds like a Cosmo article :)
References:
Benjamin, J. How Cosmo Changed the World: The fascinating story of the magazine you know, love, and can't live without. Retrieved August 23, 2009, from http://www.cosmopolitan.com/about/about-us_how-cosmo-changed-the-world
McCracken, E. Demystifying Cosmopolitan: Five critical methods. Journal of Popular Culture, Volume 16, Issue 2 (September, 1982) p. 30-42. Retrieved August 23, 2009, from http://0-journals.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ejc/article.cgi?00223840
Maclaran, P. & Stevens, L. Exploring the 'shopping imaginary': The dreamworld of women's magazines. (2005). Journal of Consumer Behaviour Vol. 4,4 282-292. Retrieved August 23, 2009, from http://0-journals.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ejc
Assignment 1-2: Popular Culture Blog
Defining Popular Culture
“Popular culture is the system of attitudes, behavior patterns, beliefs, customs, and tastes that define the people of any society” (Browne, 2005). Society determines what is popular whether it is tastes in music, movies, or any form of entertainment, food, art, literature, science, sports, fashion, toys, cars, etc. According to Browne, popular culture consists of the “daily way of life shaped by the popular majority” (Browne, 2005). Popular culture affects many areas of life and yet often we are not consciously aware of it. Next time you want to buy a car or go see a movie, think why does this matter to me? What is it about this car? Why will I pay $9 for this movie, but not that one? It is important to know what influences and shapes our decisions.
Pop Culture in Business
Business thrives on pop culture. Millions of dollars are spent on research & development, focus groups, advertising, and marketing to find out what the public's wants are so that companies can cater to them. When a movie is successful, the stars' asking price often goes up. Look at Julia Roberts, who was "America's Sweetheart" all through the 1990s in films such as Mystic Pizza, Steel Magnolias, Pretty Woman, My Best Friend's Wedding, Runaway Bride, and continues to be successful to this day. Also, look at the cost of goods. Certain designer items are even listed "price available upon request". Some video game systems are hard to come by during the holidays. It is supply and demand. There are only so many of these desirable items available to society and so with a limited supply and a high demand, the cost is driven up. Then, of course there is the pop culture available to the masses. The media bombards the public with popular culture via audio, video, print, and electronic information all the time. Sometimes it comes in the form of entertainment, news broadcasts, or advertising. Obviously we have basic human needs, but pop culture seems to define our wants.
Having never worked in retail or restaurants, nor ever really having to be concerned with marketing or supply and demand it was a struggle to see how pop culture influenced my business environment. Working in Human Resources in healthcare, there is a need for awareness of the new trends that affect employees and residents. There are new issues having to be addressed from the receptionist who tweets and posts on MySpace all day to the prohibition of cell phone usage in resident care areas since cell phones now all have cameras. HIPAA and privacy regulations are important in healthcare and with all the new technology the organization has to keep up on it to maintain the rights of the residents. The company does utilize Blackberries for Administrators and Directors of Nursing who are responsible for their buildings twenty four hours a day and seven days a week, which is helpful. Still there is a need to be careful about encrypting any personal health information if sending it electronically. Remember when faxing was a new technology and how everyone was afraid to fax info? Now it is commonplace and no one thinks twice about it. In healthcare there is also a need for knowledge of the popular culture that the residents are familiar with. For example, we want to provide them with books, movies, music, games, and other forms of activity and entertainment that is appropriate for them. The staff cannot subject an 80 year old to rap or heavy metal music or play a movie like "Hostile" on the DVD player in the common area.
Pop Culture Artifact
The text by Petracca and Sorapure (2007) mentioned Barbie as a very relevant artifact. As I was growing up I had several; all the same but different. Some had a different color hair or came dressed as an occupation or in a different style or came with different accessories. As an adolescent growing up in the 1990s there was more of an awareness of the impact of the media and popular culture on body image more and more. I was unaware of what that meant until it became a topic that was addressed on the news and in magazines, but I had always known that I did not resemble Barbie with my dark hair and round face, but was more interested in the fact that Barbie had a fancy dream house, a car, and a horse; that she could be a doctor, a princess, or a teacher; all while looking fabulous, having cool clothes, and changing her hairstyle, and she could do that with or without a Ken by her side. Barbie was a career woman with career wear, high heels, and a briefcase, at least that’s how I always pictured her. What makes her an artifact is that she can represent many different things to many different cultures.
References:
Browne, R. (2005). Profiles of Popular Culture: A Reader. Madison, WI: The University of
Wisconsin Press.
Petracca, M. & Sorapure, M. (2007). Common Culture: Reading and Writing About American
Popular Culture (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Education Inc.
“Popular culture is the system of attitudes, behavior patterns, beliefs, customs, and tastes that define the people of any society” (Browne, 2005). Society determines what is popular whether it is tastes in music, movies, or any form of entertainment, food, art, literature, science, sports, fashion, toys, cars, etc. According to Browne, popular culture consists of the “daily way of life shaped by the popular majority” (Browne, 2005). Popular culture affects many areas of life and yet often we are not consciously aware of it. Next time you want to buy a car or go see a movie, think why does this matter to me? What is it about this car? Why will I pay $9 for this movie, but not that one? It is important to know what influences and shapes our decisions.
Pop Culture in Business
Business thrives on pop culture. Millions of dollars are spent on research & development, focus groups, advertising, and marketing to find out what the public's wants are so that companies can cater to them. When a movie is successful, the stars' asking price often goes up. Look at Julia Roberts, who was "America's Sweetheart" all through the 1990s in films such as Mystic Pizza, Steel Magnolias, Pretty Woman, My Best Friend's Wedding, Runaway Bride, and continues to be successful to this day. Also, look at the cost of goods. Certain designer items are even listed "price available upon request". Some video game systems are hard to come by during the holidays. It is supply and demand. There are only so many of these desirable items available to society and so with a limited supply and a high demand, the cost is driven up. Then, of course there is the pop culture available to the masses. The media bombards the public with popular culture via audio, video, print, and electronic information all the time. Sometimes it comes in the form of entertainment, news broadcasts, or advertising. Obviously we have basic human needs, but pop culture seems to define our wants.
Having never worked in retail or restaurants, nor ever really having to be concerned with marketing or supply and demand it was a struggle to see how pop culture influenced my business environment. Working in Human Resources in healthcare, there is a need for awareness of the new trends that affect employees and residents. There are new issues having to be addressed from the receptionist who tweets and posts on MySpace all day to the prohibition of cell phone usage in resident care areas since cell phones now all have cameras. HIPAA and privacy regulations are important in healthcare and with all the new technology the organization has to keep up on it to maintain the rights of the residents. The company does utilize Blackberries for Administrators and Directors of Nursing who are responsible for their buildings twenty four hours a day and seven days a week, which is helpful. Still there is a need to be careful about encrypting any personal health information if sending it electronically. Remember when faxing was a new technology and how everyone was afraid to fax info? Now it is commonplace and no one thinks twice about it. In healthcare there is also a need for knowledge of the popular culture that the residents are familiar with. For example, we want to provide them with books, movies, music, games, and other forms of activity and entertainment that is appropriate for them. The staff cannot subject an 80 year old to rap or heavy metal music or play a movie like "Hostile" on the DVD player in the common area.
Pop Culture Artifact
The text by Petracca and Sorapure (2007) mentioned Barbie as a very relevant artifact. As I was growing up I had several; all the same but different. Some had a different color hair or came dressed as an occupation or in a different style or came with different accessories. As an adolescent growing up in the 1990s there was more of an awareness of the impact of the media and popular culture on body image more and more. I was unaware of what that meant until it became a topic that was addressed on the news and in magazines, but I had always known that I did not resemble Barbie with my dark hair and round face, but was more interested in the fact that Barbie had a fancy dream house, a car, and a horse; that she could be a doctor, a princess, or a teacher; all while looking fabulous, having cool clothes, and changing her hairstyle, and she could do that with or without a Ken by her side. Barbie was a career woman with career wear, high heels, and a briefcase, at least that’s how I always pictured her. What makes her an artifact is that she can represent many different things to many different cultures.
References:
Browne, R. (2005). Profiles of Popular Culture: A Reader. Madison, WI: The University of
Wisconsin Press.
Petracca, M. & Sorapure, M. (2007). Common Culture: Reading and Writing About American
Popular Culture (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Education Inc.
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