Assignment 5-1: Weekly Written Analysis 3

With November 4th just one week away, the presidential elections are a topic on everyone’s minds. Much to the dismay and criticism of opponent John McCain, presidential candidate Barack Obama has gained not only celebrity status, but celebrity endorsements as well. A diverse range of stars from Robert Deniro to Oprah Winfrey to Chris Rock to Usher have spoken publicly in favor of Obama. Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel performed a concert for him. The Black Eyed Peas made a music video in support of him. Even punk rock band H2O has added pro-Obama t-shirts to their line of merchandise. For the pop-culture crazed younger generation, Obama is viewed as a great inspiration, giving a glimpse of hope to the dominant middle class in the midst of a war and failing economy.

Meanwhile the Republican alternative, John McCain, is being referred to as merely another George Bush, as he is backed by the current president and has admitted to supporting President Bush’s policies 90% of the time, despite the fact that Bush’s disapproval ratings have exceeded 70%. While Obama has the support of the young and the urban, McCain appeals to the conservatives, the rich upper class, and the small-town Americans who are uncomfortable with the prospect of great change. The latter especially has resorted to many demeaning and unfair accusations, and at a recent small-town Ohio rally, McCain and Palin supporters stereotyped Obama as a “terrorist”, “baby killer”, “un-American”, and “anti-white.” Yesterdays newspapers reported on a story of Tennessee neo-Nazi skinheads who planned an attack on Obama and dozens of other African Americans with the intent to kill. Both parties declined to comment on the incident, though the issue of racial tension and stereotypes is clear.

At this point, who will win the presidential election is anyone’s guess. Obama appears to rein supreme in the public eye, though tension in small town America seems to be brewing beneath the surface. Opinions are strong on both sides, with seemingly few individuals being undecided on their choice candidate. Last week, a news story in my home state of Pennsylvania reported on a McCain volunteer who claimed to have been robbed by a 200-lb African American male who beat her and carved a ‘B’ into her forehead, insisting that she must vote for Barack. The story turned out to be an elaborate lie, turning a spotlight on the racial tension and cultural stereotypes inherent in many Americans. While individuals such as the supposed victim Ashley Todd fear someone of a different race and religious background gaining the presidency, I personally harbor the opposite fear, that racism is still so prominent in our society that we may never see anyone rise to power who is not a white Christian male, regardless of their stance on the issues.



Herridge, C. (2008, Oct 27). Government foils skinhead plot to assassinate Obama. Fox News. Retrieved October 28, 2008 from http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/27/government-foils-skinhead-plot-assassinate-obama/

Newton-Small, J. (2008, Feb 4) Obama’s celebrity army. Time. Retrieved October 28, 2008 from http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1709745,00.html

Norman, T. (2008, Oct 28). Joe the mugger: An Ashley Todd production. Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved October 28, 2008 from http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08302/923358-153.stm

YouTube. Misconceptions of Obama fuel Republican campaign. Retrieved October 28, 2008 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRqcfqiXCX0

Assignment 3-1: Weekly Written Analysis 2

Since the turn of the century, the issue of music sharing via internet has spawned much debate. Over the past eight years, countless lawsuits have been filed by the record industry for the distribution of music without pay, with charges ranging from $750 to $150,000 per song. The majority of court cases are aimed at those who upload albums for distribution rather than those who download them, though there has been much debate over the legal and ethical implications of both (Brooks, 2003).

By far the most famous court case was filed by metal masters Metallica against peer-to-peer file-sharing originator Napster in the year 2000. With their most recent record, however, they seem to have made amends with the downloading trend, with drummer Lars Ulrich recently stating on air “If this thing leaks all over the world today or tomorrow, happy days. It's 2008 and it's part of how it is these days” (PunkNews). According to a 2003 article in the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, as many as 60 million Americans regularly download music for free, and that number has increased dramatically over the past five years. More than half of those downloading music are teenagers who do not see the act as being wrong, as they were taught from an early age that sharing was a good thing (Brooks, 2003).

Ironically, it has typically been the more famous artists and record labels who have the biggest problems with free music sharing, while struggling artists and labels are happy just to get their music out there, as downloads often lead to actual record sales, merchandise sales, and more concert tickets sold. Personally, I find it frustrating that the only people you hear complaining about losing money are the ones who already have more than they know what to do with. Artists typically earn mere cents for each record sold, and as I see it, Britney Spears losing a quarter for that unsold record at the local Wal-Mart is far less of a hardship than the teenager who shelled out $18 from their minimum wage job to find out that the disc only contained one good song.

In a previous course, one of the topics discussed was the issue of copyright infringement and the ethics of music downloading. I admitted that I do occasionally download songs, but only for the purpose of sampling. If I like what I hear, I will surely buy the band’s records, as I enjoy having the complete concrete package of lyrics and artwork in addition to the songs. I am an avid music supporter, owning somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 CD’s and 200 concert t-shirts. I have attended literally hundreds of concerts and volunteered innumerable hours of my time to help book and promote bands. I’ve had my name listed in the thank-you notes of one nationally-known and many local bands’ CD’s for my endless devotion, and have even purchased albums after the band themselves gave me an advanced promo copy for free. And despite all of this, I had a previous classmate openly call me a thief, proclaiming that my actions of downloading the occasional song for personal enjoyment were unforgivable. I found it ironic, considering the vast majority of the artists themselves couldn’t care less if I “stole” a song or two, or even a full album.

As I see it, burning a CD in this day and age is really no different than recording a cassette for your friend in the eighties, and no one ever considered that a crime. Music is an art and a passion that’s meant to be shared with as many people as possible. In the end, true music fans will continue to support bands worth supporting, and if the careers of the generic one-hit-wonders crumble in the process, then good riddance to them. I will gladly give my last dollar to a struggling touring band to make sure they have food on their plates and gas money to get to the next show, but should I really feel guilty if P. Diddy can’t afford another layer of Gucci wallpaper for one of his 19 bedrooms? Are music downloading ethics really a black and white issue, or is there a gray area? For the time being, it seems that the answer remains in the eye of the beholder.

Brooks, L. (2003, September 13). Parents, children raise questions about legality of music downloading. Saint Paul Pioneer Press (MN). Retrieved October 17, 2008 from Newspaper Source database.

Punknews. (2008, September 5). Metallica forgives, accepts album leaks. Retrieved October 17, 2008 from http://www.punknews.org/article/30335

Assignment 3-2: Icon Analysis

Although there is an endless list of pop culture icons to choose from, and narrowing it down to three was no easy task, I chose to analyze three diverse celebrities, each from a different area of the entertainment industry: The Ramones, John Cusack, and Roseanne Barr.

Naturally my first choice came from the music industry, and so the obvious choice was The Ramones- a band of misfits from New York who changed music as we know it with their high-speed pop songs in the late 1970’s. At a time when the airwaves were dominated by disco and endless guitar solos, the Ramones broke out and challenged every aspect of music, breaking down the barriers between the audience and the musicians onstage. The Ramones weren’t rock stars with professional music lessons and elaborate stage clothes, but rather normal guys in jeans and t-shirts who barely knew what to do with a guitar, but chose to strum away on it anyway. Although they were initially written off by many music industry professionals as unbearable noise, the band eventually rose to legendary status, influencing virtually every band and music fan of the last thirty years. They played music for the sheer fun of it, didn’t care what anyone thought, and showed the world that we are all capable of anything if we only give it a try. It’s because of their influence and do-it-yourself ethics that I devote my life to music, and that I am able to book shows, promote bands, do photography, and be heavily involved in the local music scene for the sheer love of it without any professional experience. To me, The Ramones represent everything good about rock’n’roll, and without them, my entire existence as I know it simply wouldn’t be the same.

My second choice of an icon is my favorite actor, John Cusack. Due in part to my previously mentioned punk rock counter-culture fixation, I’ve generally strayed away from the typical Hollywood image of stardom and fame that we are consistently exposed to. Despite being a part of the Hollywood machine, John Cusack acts as less of a celebrity and more of a common man. In movies, he plays the awkward blundering hopeless romantic better than anyone, because he essentially IS that person. The image of a young Cusack as Lloyd Dobler in “Say Anything” is iconic in itself, as he stands outside holding a boom box over his head, playing Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” to win back the girl. Every guy wishes he had John Cusack’s charm, while every girl dreams that they could find a partner so endearing. To me, John Cusack is the perfect actor, achieving mainstream success on his own terms. While he may sign on to do the big budget film, he’ll likely show up in his faded Clash t-shirt, incorporating aspects of his own personality into every character he plays. After 20 years in the spotlight, he remains humble, never flaunting his success or taking anything for granted.

My final choice is Roseanne Barr, a woman who has challenged every standard with no apologies. In an industry where women are supposed to be thin, beautiful, nurturing, and seen but not heard, Roseanne’s shrill voice, sarcastic attitude, and large frame break down the barriers of what the American woman is supposed to be. On her hit TV show, the traditional feminine role of conservative upper middle class stay-home mom was replaced with a blue collar working woman who took charge of her life, berated her family and friends, reveled in her obesity, and always got the last high-pitched laugh. Roseanne was a woman who intimidated men, did whatever she pleased, and never cared what anyone thought of her, and it’s that attitude that made her a strong role model for women everywhere who were sick and tired of being pushed around because of their gender. In a world where women are taught that they must look and act a certain way in order to be accepted, Roseanne is a god-send to all of us females who want to be viewed as more than just eye-candy. Sad to say, but in a world of Pamelas and Britneys and Lindsays, Roseanne is one of the few women in Hollywood whom I truly respect. I actually got the opportunity to see her do stand-up comedy on my 25th birthday, and I was pleased to find that she too is essentially the living embodiment of her TV personality- sarcastic, unapologetic, honest, and strong.

Assignment 1-2: Pop Culture Blog

Pop culture is the common ground that connects people of a culture in terms of behaviors, personal tastes, and values. This includes everything from music, movies, and fashion, to foods, fads, literature, and travel destinations that are ingrained in a particular culture. Pop culture is both a reflection of our society, and a method of shaping it. It crosses all boundaries of education and wealth, connecting people from all walks of life. Regardless of your general tastes or your position in life, at some point in time, everyone has watched and loved “The Breakfast Club”, read “The Outsiders”, hummed along to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”, and voiced a loud “NOT!” at the end of a fictitious sentence. In modern times, it’s these things that connect us more than any language or religion ever could- it’s the language of pop culture.

I personally am a pop culture fanatic. The first time I watched the movie “High Fidelity”, I thought that John Cusack’s music-obsessed character had been modeled after my life, as my entire brain functions in song lyrics. I’ve traveled across the country to see concerts, visit the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, go to the now deceased CBGB’s, and visit various locations of pop culture folk lore. Last month I traveled three hours to attend a horror movie convention featuring 80’s teen heartthrobs Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, and just last night I spent my Friday evening at the local theatre watching the film “Choke”, drove home blasting the buzz-band The Gaslight Anthem, and returned home to read new best-selling novel “Don’t You Forget About Me”. Pop culture consumes every aspect of my life, it IS life, and I don’t know who I would be without it.

Pop culture affects everyone, and it is essential to understand it in order to do business, as it represents what is important to the people, and essentially what sells. I personally work for CCS, a company which produces custom skateboards and clothing for the teen market, and it is necessary to understand the trends in order to succeed. The sport of skateboarding itself is a fad, so without pop culture, my job as I know it simply would not exist. In order to further grow the company, one must understand the world of skateboarding, the founders and current athletes who have made the sport what it is, the features teens are looking for in a skateboard, and the fashions that go along with it. In the four years that I have worked there, the company has doubled in popularity and profit, due to the trends in pop culture, and those who have understood those trends and made use of them in a business context.

While there are countless artifacts in the world of pop culture, in my opinion, music is the most powerful. A specific example of a pop culture artifact would be the song “American Idiot” by Green Day. This song is a reflection of American culture, signifying a growing distrust in the government, dissent of the people, and an overall reflection of politics in the United States. This song marked a battle-cry against the Bush administration, and opened the eyes of the younger generation, encouraging them to take a stand against a “nation controlled by the media.”

Though this song blatantly spoke out against the government and any citizen with a Republican “redneck agenda” who condoned President Bush’s actions, the song became huge, hitting the airwaves on pop radio stations across the nation. Despite coming from a punk rock background, “American Idiot” amazingly allowed Green Day to break down the barriers and get their message out on soft-rock stations across the nation, grabbing the attention of millions of conservatives with their radical ideas positioned between subdued love songs. “American Idiot” spoke out and said what other songs were too afraid to, and America took notice, sending the song to the top of the charts. The song was not only a reflection of America’s ideals, but also helped to shape them as well.

Green Day: "American Idiot" (live)

Assignment 1-4: Weekly Written Analysis

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Hello everyone, and welcome to my Pop Culture blog! Although this is far from being my first blog, it is certainly my first academic one, and I look forward to filling it up and getting to know all of you throughout the semester! :)