Assignment 1-3 Journal Analysis

The article that I chose to analyze was written by Jessamyn Neuhaus and titled Marge Simpson, Blue Haired Housewife: Defining Domestication the Simpsons. This article looks at what society perceives as the responsibilities and roles of the mother and wife in the American family on T.V. The Simpsons is a great satire of these values, Marge is the one to hold the family together with patience and love and understanding. She is the nucleus of her family, very much like it is in real life. In the show Marge is the perfect homemaker, patient wife and unconditionally loves her three children. She helps to support not only her family but the community and everyone depends on her.  The satire of the show is that no matter how bad things get with her children misbehaving and her idiot husband constantly making mistakes, Marge is always there to fix everything and save the day.

The creators of the Simpsons did not make Marge appear like the stereotype homemaker, she has the large goofy hairdo and the gravelly voice, not at all like the past T.V. mom and their perfect appearances. Marge’s character keeps her cool just like most past T.V. moms, but every once in awhile she losses her patience and has to put her family in their place. Even though the show is mocking the idealized images of mother and wife, it is still trying to make a point. The point is of the irreplaceable role of the mother and wife. Like most of us, the creators of the Simpsons have trouble imagining a home without a female in the position of wife and mom, and homemaker (Neuhaus, 2010).

There are many aspects of Marge’s role as wife and mother that deliberately satirize the televised stereotype of a naturally cheerful homemaker. Marge’s exemplary mothering is one of the most important ways the Simpsons embodies traditional values (Neuhaus, 2010). Even though Marge is dramatically shown as the quintessential homemaker, she still refuses to be demeaned or belittled.  Marge is absolutely essential to the bond of the Simpson family. Matt Groening states, “I shudder to think what would happen if Marge weren’t there to keep Homer from killing the kids.” (Neuhaus, 2010).  Marge is the glue and the anchor in her family, much like the many mothers in the real world.

References

Neuhaus, Jessamyn. (2010).Marge Simpson, blue haired housewife: Defining domesticity

                on the Simpsons. The Journal of popular culture, 43(4), Wiley Periodicals Inc.

Assignment 5-1

As a mom of three children ages 16, 12 and 10, I have a rising concern of the texting that may occur between them and their friends. It seems that they become more and more disconnected from talking to people face to face.  This is something that will affect them as they get older and will need to communicate with others in the real world of employment and college.  My twelve year old son will even send messages to his grandparents, which they don’t mind. They are happy that he is keeping in touch with them. My opinion, I think he just needs to visit with them longer and talk face to face more. Young people rely too much on texting to communicate with people.

I believe that this will be a problem with communicating with others when they are in a situation where they have to talk. I have gone over this with my oldest son; he has been searching for a part time job and at times has a hard time keeping eye contact with someone interviewing him. He is used to relying on the phone, not face to face contact. I think we have all heard the horrible stories of people breaking up through texting, or saying terrible things. Some kids get bold and will be sexually suggestive and send a message to another person that they would never say to their face.

Research reported by The American Public Health Association finds that hyper-texters (more than 120 messages a day) are twice as likely as others to have tried alcohol, and more than three times more likely to have had sex (LaRue Huget, 2010). It does not show that every kid that texts will have problems, but it does suggest that kids that text excessively are more likely to try risky behaviors than those who text less. Of course it depends on who they are texting; their choice of friends is the most important thing (LaRue Huget, 2010).

It is not a big deal to young people; this is just how they communicate. I tell my kids there are three things to remember before sending something that might be offensive. One, they always need to put themselves in the other persons place and think about what that would feel like. Second, they need to ask themselves if this is something they would say to that persons face? If not, don’t do it. Last, is this something that you would be ashamed of if I or their grandparents read? If so, don’t do it. Nothing is worth the possible consequences of these words that can’t ever be taken back.

References

LaRue-Huget, J. (2010). Hyper-texting teens troubling behaviors.  The Washington Post. Retrieved January 30, 2011, from http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2010/11/hyper-texting_teens_in_trouble.html.

Assignment 4-1

SpongeBob Square Pants has become a big part of pop culture here in America and all over the world. This is a cartoon about a yellow, square sea sponge and his friends and the adventures that happen to them in their town named Bikini Bottom, which is under the sea. The carton started in 1999 and grew with popularity after the first year. SpongeBob Square Pants celebrated 10 years on T.V. on July 17, 2009 (Stock, 2009). SpongeBob is known and recognizable to all ages, from pre-school children to adult.

I can remember when my oldest son first started watching the show, at the time he was about seven years old. He loved this show and had to watch it before and after school. I did not get the fascination with the show at first, and then as I watched it more closely, I found there were funny parts to each episode. The show has an appeal to grown-ups and kids, some of the episodes are based around things that adults can relate to and even have some things that may not be understood by a younger audience.  Examples of this would be words they use or have hidden meanings behind things they do. These things are aimed at the adult audience and probably go over the heads of the younger kids.

The show is based around SpongeBob and his friends. His best friend is a pink starfish named Patrick, who is not very bright. SpongeBob also has a grumpy neighbor named Sqiudward Tentacles, he is a squid. SpongeBob is a cook at a restaurant called the ‘Krusty Krab’ and his boss is cheap, money hungry crab named Eugene Crab. There is also a squirrel that lives in a dome under water with them named Sandy Cheeks. Sandy is from Texas and has a strong southern accent. 

Due to the popularity of this cartoon there have been amusements parks created and merchandise made such as video games, stuffed dolls, Lego sets, clothing and many more. In 2002 SpongeBob Square pants dolls sold 75,000 per week, this is more than the Tickle Me Elmo doll that was so popular during this time as well (Strauss, 2002). At the height of SpongeBob popularity was the release of, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie in 2004. My kids and their friends loved this movie and it just increased the popularity of the show and the characters. SpongeBob is part of pop culture because it is easy, quick entertainment for both children and adults. SpongeBob is mindless entertainment, which at times is just what we need.

References

Stock, R. (June 24, 2009). Nickelodeon celebrates pop culture icon SpongeBob Squarepants decade. Media News International. Retrieved January 23, 2011 from http://www.mnilive.com/2009/06/nickelodeon-celebrates-pop-culture-icon-spongebob-squarepants-decade/.

Strauss, G. (May 17, 2002). Life’s good for SpongeBob. USA Today, Section, Money, p. B 1.

Assignment 3-1 Weekly Written Analysis 3

The popularity and success of the Simpson's has been going on now for over twenty years. Even though it is a cartoon, it is definitely not something for all ages to watch, in fact each week they can take on topics in American culture and world events, that most small children won’t even understand. The language and some of the images are not exactly something you want small children viewing as well.  The best thing about the show is its boldness in addressing various hypocrisy's in our culture in a way that other shows don't (Frank, L., 2001).

When it comes to the characters in the show I think that everyone can relate to at least one and have a favorite. It could be a family member like Bart to Lisa, a neighbor like Ned Flanders, or friends that resemble Lenny and Carl. There are also pet characters in the show that have crazy personalities like Snowball the cat and Santa's Little Helper, the Simpsons dog. Some of my favorites are the lesser known ones, The Rich Texan, Comic Book Guy and Crazy Cat Lady.

Our relationships with one another are reflected in The Simpson's. I think the appeal is that it puts society and family life in a light that is not perfect and flawless. The Simpson's have become such a pop icon because the show makes us feel better about ourselves, maybe we realize that we are not alone in our thinking, and there are others out there that feel as we do. It is unfortunate that there are hypocrisy's out there, it’s just most don’t speak or act on it. However in Springfield they do act on it and in a way that can make us laugh at ourselves and maybe wish we could get away with what they do. The Simpson's mirror our society in a dark and distorted light, usually with great insight and always in jest (Frank, L., 2001).

The Simpson's celebrate family, religious beliefs and community (Frank, L., 2001). Even though it is animation, it is presented in such a way that adults can enjoy it as entertainment. It is the material used in each episode that draws us to it and out of curiosity we continue to watch. That is what makes it work, it gets us talking and debating issues that they use on the show. We continue to tune in to see what they could possibly come up with next. 

References

Frank, L. (2001). The evolution of the seven deadly sins: from God to the Simpson's. Journal of Popular Culture, 35 (1).

Assignment 2-1 Weekly Written Analysis 2

At first glance, Barbie appears to be a stereotype of what the world believes all women want to look like.  Opinions vary as to the quality of the influence on children who play with Barbie and the adults they become (Petracca & Sorapure, 2007, p.8). I was in no hurry ten years ago when I had my daughter to run out and get some of the dolls that where in stores. I had no intention of reinforcing what some of society puts out there for young woman to compare themselves to. However, she somehow found her way to Barbie anyway.

My daughter, Rachel, started wanting a Barbie when she was four years old. After that it grew to wanting the Barbie house, more dolls, clothes, shoes and the list goes on. I could not understand why this sudden interest in this doll. I was a little surprised that she was not interested in what was around the house, what her older brothers played with. But inevitably, she somehow had a desire for dolls and pretend play.

Barbie may not be everyone's favorite toy for girls, but she really is not as bad as she seems. As long as a child has positive role models in real life and someone to discuss things with, pretend time is fine. It is fun for them to have that imaginary time with the endless wardrobe, doll convertibles and different hairstyles. Barbie’s critics argue that her influence is detrimental, that her measurements (36-18-33), her improbable hair and her inexhaustible supply of clothes help perpetuate an inappropriate model of woman’s interest (Petracca & Sorapure, 2007, p.8). As a young girl there is a fascination with Barbie, she is something out of the ordinary, everyday life of a girl and that is what the appeal is. Barbie is all about an exaggerated fantasy and pretending game.

Rachel has grown away from Barbie’s; she has moved on from the pretend play and is into real life activities and socializing with her friends. She never relied on Barbie, or any other toys, to be her role model. Thankfully she looks to me and other woman in her life for that. Barbie was just a play toy for a short time. I think some people may invest too much time and worry into Barbie, if a girl wants to be like Barbie I believe there may be other issues besides just playing with a doll. I have always taught Rachel that she is beautiful from the inside out and how boring it would be if we were all alike on the outside, hopefully she holds on to this.

References

Petracca, M., Sorapure, M. (2007). Common Culture (5^th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Icon Analysis Assignment 2-2

An icon can mean different things to different people. There are cultural icons that will symbolize an object or subject of some kind of significance. It will have some kind of importance or be held in high regard to a group of people. Popular icons will be a person or object that is famous for defining a time in history or a society. Icons can reflect on religion, or economics, others can represent wealth, accomplishments in sports, or the result of hard work. Others icons represent entertainment and celebrities. There are three icons that I have selected that have meaning to me for different reasons, Elton John, the cartoon character “Clifford the Big Red Dog, and Oprah.

Image 1 Elton John, 2010. Note.Image fom Elton John. Retrieved January 9, 2011 from

picasaweb.google.com/lhphoto/rtk1vSksLBtk0HFw4SnYPA

                Elton John is an iconic figure to me for because his music is part of my childhood growing up, some of his songs have importance to me. I am referring to earlier songs from him in the 1970’s. In 1970, Elton John released “Good Bye Yellow Brick Road,” and “Your Song.” In 1972 “Rocket Man” (I Think It’s Going to Be a Long, Long Time) was released; these have sentimental value to me along with some others. My Dad listened to music every night after working all day and I was exposed to many different types of music. Elton John was one of my favorites growing up, my family tells funny stories about how I would sing and dance to songs from Elton John and that I knew the words to the songs even at the age of three. When I hear his songs from this time period, it represents my childhood and always reminds me of a good, content feeling at home with my dad.

Image 2 Clifford the Big Red Dog, 2011. Note. Image from Clifford the Big Red Dog. Retrieved January 9, 2011 from

tvlistings.zap2it.com/tvclifford-the-big-red-dog/photo-gallery-detail/EP00387968/282274

                My next icon is ‘Clifford the Big Red Dog.’ This popular icon is of importance to me because all three of my children were fascinated with this T.V. show when they were each around the age of three or four. This cartoon dog is a representation of my children’s youth and takes me back to being at home with them as they grew up.  It was a simpler time and reminds me whenever I see it on T.V. today of a good place and time in my life. The character also represents a simpler time verses now, as they encounter difficult things as they grow up.

Image 3 Oprah, 2010. Note. Image from Oprah. Retrived January 9, 2011 from

www.upscaleswagger.com/201006/29/oprah-top...-100-list/

My last choice as a popular icon is Oprah. Oprah is a great representation of success for women and anyone that wants to accomplish what seems impossible. She has determination and is giving to others and shares in her success. She has been a leader in education for underprivileged children, created her own production company, encourages reading with Oprah’s Book Club, and began the ‘No Phone Zone’ in 2010. This encourages guests and viewers to sign a pledge not to use their phone while driving. She overcame obstacles as a child and succeeded. Oprah has an appealing personality, funny, caring, and a great entertainer for T.V. She represents hope for anyone with dreams of doing what you love and creating a great success.

Assignment 1-4 Weekly Analysis 1

The use of the mockumetary style for T.V. shows and movies have gained huge popularity and have become a part of pop culture. A mockumentary is a parody of the documentary genre of movie making.  What makes these type of programs successful is when it combines the appearance of accurate elements and give the audience believable situations through the camera lens, leading the audience to question the reality of what they are watching (Pollick, 2010).

The most popular movies and T.V. programs are the comedies that make fun of the serious documentaries. They appear to be real yet are chaotic, can have activity going on in the background that contradicts what is being said or discussed. When these types of shows are created, it makes it more real to use the same camera work as a documentary, such as hidden cameras.

The release of the movie “Spinal Tap” in 1984, was the first successful type of this movie and was the first to make mock documentaries part of pop culture. Some other examples of earlier movies that used this type of genre were “A Mighty Wind” in 2003 and “The Last Polka” in 2004 (Pollick, 2010).  There are T.V. shows today have been influenced by this style of entertainment and are very popular. Some are, “Modern Family,” “The Office,” “Reno 911,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

         A mockumentary is so entertaining because they make the characters in the show appear to be completely serious about what is going on and being said. All the while, the complete opposite is usually happening in the background, with problems and issues that are seemingly out of control. Laughter is what makes this type of genre appealing to the audience and the sense of insanity it creates. This is what makes this type of shows part of pop culture; it gives people that experience of laughter and excitement. Laughter is one of several reasons why we chose the way we do, because it appeals to our senses.

Pollick, M. (2010). What is a mockumentary? Retrieved January 3, 2011, from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-mockumentary.htm.