Information and the Internet

There is so many different ways that we can get information off of the internet. Many times you can get accurate information or you can get false information. There are so many sights that you can visit such as Bing, Google, or Ask.com to get answers to your many questions. With just one click of a button, you can find just about anything you are looking for.

However, there are a few downsides to getting information off of the internet. This would include the question of how accurate the information you got off of the web really is. There may be several different sights that you look at and they have different answers to the questions that you have. How would you know which information is correct or how you could even know which source you could trust. Another downfall would be that you learn to lean so much on the internet that you don't use your brain as much.

I do have to admit if I can't find the answer to something I immediatly go to the internet to find the answer. If i'm in a hurry and need to find something I check the internet first. I have learned to lean on the internet I think maybe to much. I guess which ever way you look at things the internet is easier access than a text book and they keep finding new ways to make the internet more accessible. So the choice is up to you, do you go old school and use the text or do you keep current and use the internet?

Coolness????

I'm not really sure how I would define coolness. I think it is way more than a definition. When I think of whats cool, I think of the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, and who our friends are. I guess I believe that coolness is a very broad term, and I'm not positive that it is just a definition. I think coolness is how other people see you and the things we have.

I think that Chuck Klosterman's definition of cool compares alot to what I said people would consider cool. He uses the definition of A products exclusivity is directly proportional to its social cachet. Which is what I stated above in different words. I think that the exclusivity of an item owned by a person is a huge part of what society would call "cool". Some examples would be the newest pair of Jordans, an expensive car that not alot of people could own, or anything that somebody would own that not alot of people could afford.

Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz

I guess I don't really know alot about star wars or the other movies mentioned in class, but I do know I have had my fill of the wizard of oz as it was my little sisters favorite movie growing up. I chose to compare that to Star Wars.

Luke and Dorthy have alot in common. Starting at the beginning of each film they both have to decide between good and evil. Luke had to decide whether to go with his evil dad and dorthy began her encounter with the wicked witch of the west. I would say the next similarity they have is when in the film we watched in class referred to the cantina scene. In the Cantina scene it was unfamiliar territory for Luke and Dorthy entered unfamiliar territory when she woke up and she wasn't in Kansas anymore.

When Dorthy woke up after the tornado, she had to figure out where to go and what to do without help. Luke had the same perdicament. Both Luke and Dorothy picked companions along the way. Dorthy had the Lion, the tinman and the scarecrow. Luke had his companions that he picked up along his journey as well.

Like I said I don't know alot about the star wars films so I only know what I learned in the film we watched in class. I believe that both of these films have some significant similarities not only to each other but to us in our real lives.

Hip Hop and Country Music

I think that hip hop and country are different in some aspects but similar in others. I think hip hop is more lyrical and uses alot of slang. Hip hop has its own attitude. I think that the younger generation tends to lean towards hip hop. It is about the rythm and the bass, and alot of dancing. Hip hop is used more in the clubs for dancing. However hip hop may also become a negative influence on people because it glorifies violence and drugs, and exploits women. Country on the other hand is more laid back. Country music seems to lean more towards relating to the listeners. The country that I have listened to tells a story and the message it sends is usually simple and clear. When I think of country I think of love stories and stories of heartache. Both Hip hop and country are authentic because they both tell a story and both relate to their listeners.

Creative Consumers

I think that consumers who experiment with things like mash-ups and video games are extremely talented. They put two songs together to create a totally different mix, that most people can't imagine. I also believe that these consumers give a fresh feel to an old song. I believe that these people have a creative side and should be alowed to do these mash-ups. I know if I heard a mash-up with and old song that I haven't heard in years, I want to either download it from itunes, or go buy the cd depending on who the artist is. I have a friend that makes these mash-ups and I personally love the different kind of mixes that he comes up with.

I also believe that the consumers who create video games are extremely talented, I for one play some video games but my daughter and her dad play them every chance they get. I wouldn't even know how to start to create a video game and I doubt that I would even have any idea on what the game would be about. I think that with technology the way it is today, anyone who has a passion or desire can do about anything they want to.

Masculinity and Violence

I think that masculinity is linked to violence because the media has made it this way. In the film Tough Guise, Jackson Katz showed several different examples of how violence is linked to masculinity. It has changed alot over the last 50 years. The size of their bodies, like in Batman, and Pro Wrestling. The size of the guns and the toy figures has grown considerably from 50 years ago.

The media has linked masculinity to physical strength, the threat of violence, and the ability to scare people. The fighting in sports, and that we gain respect by disrespecting another person. Pro Wrestling shows the celebration f dominance, the projection of power and links being a man to being abusive and violent.

We need to teach our children that being masculine is not all about the fighting and dominance. It's about vulnerability as well, we need to teach them that it's okay to show people how they feel. If you listen to some of the old "soul music" like Marvin Gaye, Al Greene, and the Temptations, they all show signs of their vulnerablility in their music. There are also movies out there that show this as well.

Masculinity and Sports

Masculinity to me is a man who is muscular, athletic, has the macho attitude, and usually plays football, basketball, and maybe some baseball. I'm sure that these are not the only sports that they would play. When I think of a masculine man I think of the athletes who play sports. They always work out, they always practice and always have this "i'm all that attitude."

I guess in order to play football you would have to be masculine, because it is a tough sport. Watching it you see people getting hurt because they were thrown to the ground by a 250 pound man coming at them from the opposite direction. In basketball I would say that you have to be more athletic which in a way that is part masculinity. You run the ball up and down the court for long periods of time.

I do not find myself interested in or most of the time even caring about what these people think. I can not stand people who are full of themselves, and people who judge people they don't even know. I think that most of these athletes are completely full of themselves and that to me is not masculine at all.

Beauty

I really enjoyed reading Only Two Percent of Women Describe Themselves as Beautiful. I found it interesting because it made me open my eyes to things that I never realized. I always have believed that all women are beautiful in their own way. As I was reading this article, i looked at all advertising differently, it all started to make sense to me. I think the media makes it extremely difficult for a women to feel comfortable in her own skin.

It is hard enough to be totally comfortable with yourself unless you are that two percent that have the perfect body, the perfect hair, and the worlds opinion of ideal beauty. This I believe plays a major part in the reason that so many people suffer from eating disorders. Myself, I am a big woman, but I am comfortable with who I am. I try to instill this in my daughter as well. I try to tell her that everybody is beautiful in their own way.

Sexiness and Porn

Sex is all around us, it is in the movies, on TV, and even on the radio.  I think that sex is a big part of the American Culture, because everyone does it, and if they don't they are thinking about it.  Sex is a natural part of the human nature. 

It is however, sad to see what advertising defines as the sexy woman.  It paints a picture that every woman should be super thin, and have no wrinkles.  This is sad to me because people define sexiness as different things.  I know men who only date bigger women, or should I say women who have some meat on their bones.  I also know men who wouldn't even consider this.  I think that if we all looked like Pamela Anderson or Angelina Jolie, that the world would be a boring place and people would get sick of looking at the same thing all over.  The ads that they run on TV are sad because they affect our teenagers, and they are a good reason for eating disorders and why the skinniest of women think they are fat. It is hard enough to find your way in this world without trying to look like the most sexy of the sexiest women.

Porn is part of the American Culture and I don't see it going anywhere.  I for one am not at all interested in Porn, yes I have watched it, but it didn't do anything for me.  My ex-husband always watched porn so I was always around it.  I don't myself understand why people enjoy it but then again I'm sure that people don't understand why other people enjoy different things.  I think that Pornography says that we are a very sexual culture, and we are always experimenting with different things.  I'm sure that some people look down on people who view porn, but really who are we to judge.  I think that different people have different ways of expressing themselves, some people are more public about their sexual encounters, and enjoy having people watch them having sex.  That's where we get the porn stars.  I think that there is alot of money in the Pornography industry, because some people do unfortunately become addicted to it. 

What is Popular Culture?

Popular Culture to me is everything that makes up the trends in today's society.  It would be the music we listen to, the clothes we wear, the religion that we are, or the beliefs we have. Society decides what is in, and what is not.  Why do we watch the reality television shows?  Why do we read the magazines we do?  I believe it is because we can't wait to see what the next big fad is going to be, or what most celebrities are doing.  Maybe it's because we need to escape our own lives, possibly to fantasize about what we could have or just to get away from the stress of our own lives.

I believe that studying popular culture will help me to better understand all different cultures.  I think that it will help me understand why people do the things they do. I hope that it will teach me to understand all aspects of today's society.  It will help me to learn more about myself and others.  It will help me to understand that everything around me is there for a reason.