Pop Culture

Every day a great number of good and bad events are happening such advances in technology, weather changes, wars, bad politicalchoices, economics effects, unfair treatments at work, charities, and so on which are researched and transmitted trough media. Media‘s information maybe not always be accurate or freely expressed, sometimes it can be distorted and as a result an entire nation can be guide wrong or good through a few persons’ analysis.

Then, Why not push American population to do their own study? Pop Culture would be a plus here. The developing of this new field, pop culture, is a great opportunity to expose million of students to actual events, where they will expand and apply their researches and critically skills and as a result will corroborate media’s information. As students are in the process to learn how to think critically, and express accurately; then enforce them to think independently and make them evaluate if all what is outside is valuable.

Actually, there is a fever for plastic surgery, and Wood cites in her essay some reasons like, “…Undergo cosmetic surgery in order to improve their lives. ”(119) “Plastic surgery, he says, is “a tool. It can be used to customize your appearance in the same way you customize your car, or your pets, or the way you dress in Prada versus Dolce. ”(123) I wonder in what moment people learnt to devaluate themselves and became a fake shadow of another person.

After a practiced surgery, people is really happy, and all surgery have been successful are topics that matter at the moment of follow the wave. Eventually, if we teach the scholar to think critically the actual topics, they can analyze the negative and positive sides of different subjects and choose their best evaluation by themselves. In brief, Pop Culture is a worthy academic subject matter in this century and for the futures. It encourages being aware of existing events, new tendencies and how they influence in population’s behaviors.

As Lee quotes, “The study of popular culture…is the future. ”(7) Schools must reinforce it to have future generations which analyze and think critically about their decisions in today’s world, not just influence by media and mass. Works Cited Wood, Gaby. “Meet Marnie. ” Mirror on America. Ed. Mims, Joan T. and Elizabeth M. Nollen. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2006. 118-126. Lee, Eric. “Sclock Waves Felt across U. S. Campuses. ” Mirror on America. Ed. Mims, Joan T. and Elizabeth M. Nollen. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2006. 118-126.

However, my concerned is; Medias are free of influences of the big guys in this county, they are really telling us the entire true in all matters. Or journalists are limited to say only what their supervisors allow to them. Medias has a big influence in us because we never take the time to see if what they say is truth. We also and specially students should be more involved in what is happening now. Popular culture is the best ways to develop skills to collect, evaluate, corroborate and inform realities that surround the world. Using this method we’ll be updated, have accurate information, and can formulate logical opinions or solutions.

What is popular American culture? Popular culture is a way of life. It’s a lifestyle of a group of people. The elements of everyday life consist of popular culture. These are the artifacts, institutions, and sorts of a general knowledge of a society, the common knowledge and practices of a specific group at a specific time. Popular culture reflects and influences people’s way of life because it is related to a precise time and place. It is temporary, and new phases take over from former favorites like singers, musicians, artists, media authors.

But popular culture is all over the world nowadays. It is almost everything that surrounds us in our society today. It slowly builds up and becomes habits on what we do as we see. Some patterns in my pop culture inventory include photography, films, magazines and cell phones. I simply love photography with the fact that I have many photographer friends. Their photos inspire me in many different ways, such as the outlook to life in an image, the insight of a person through a glimpse of a shadow and such. Films complete me in today’s pop culture.

It makes me realize more about life then pop culture itself. Magazines show me the kind of entertainment and celebrities we are surrounded by. It also shows how popularity comes first in today’s society, for almost about everyone. And cell phones are something not many people can survive without in today’s world. It’s the fastest source of communication. The values in which are being communicated by the items listed in my inventory are relevant to society. Photography can change a person’s view on life.

Its actions that take place, through different angles, shows you a different look on life, by just looking at one photograph. You do need to let yourself away from the world and get in touch with the picture itself, that is how I see it. Films, movies, shows is the one category that I do follow up in today’s pop culture. Not necessarily all genres of films. I love action, drama, romance and just perfectly made fairytales. I have always believed that movies have an enormous influence in our society and life.

The meaning and main plots of each and every movie mean something, weather it may be stupid or a life lesson, there are so many different minded people in the world today that each and every meaning counts. Films are very convenient in today’s society I believe. Magazines, though, may not be fully true about the popular celebrities today, but it definitely shows a lot with its images. The writings may be false, but it certainly shows us the image and lets us decide on our own. It’s a big pleasure to see and decide for yourself.

Cell phones are today’s highest communication factor. There are new kinds of cell phones out every other month. The technology is on 24/7 producing newer brands of cell phones and upgrading the old ones. There are people that live off their cell phone, that they cannot take a step out of the house without their cell phone. It’s a responsibility for them. American pop culture does not leave much of an impact on my personal decision making. Because of the fact that I don’t listen to pop culture when it comes to my personal decisions.

I have my own values about everything in my life. I don’t let the pop culture decide for me because I believe pop culture is all surrounded by materialism and popularity. I come to believe and realize that today’s pop culture can be the result of most of today’s bad behavior in many aspects of people’s lives. My values come within my culture and from the way that I have been raised. Pop culture has never had an impact on my own personal decision making because I have been very aware of the influence of the pop culture for many years.

While popular American culture is our daily cost, we as individuals always have a choice in how much we choose to participate. Most of the time as I make decisions, I do take into consideration of what is going on today, but never let it lead me to an influence to follow in its steps. The patterns in my pop culture inventory teach me something in my life. It influences me to the right roads. It also makes me see realize what I am being surrounded by today. As for my personal decision making, I do what I want to do, when I want to do and who I want to do it with, but never what the media presents.

American Popular Culture soc/105 August, 22, 2013 In late 19th century America made two tempting and attractive promises; freedom and land (The Johns Hopkins University, 2002). These promises brought many immigrants with the hope of seeing their dreams realized. America today is a multicultural country provides shelter to thousands of immigrants with different cultural background. The Oxford Dictionary define culture as “the arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively: 20 century popular culture” (“Culture,” 2013).

The paper American popular culture attempted to emonstrate what popular culture is, three major trends founds in American popular culture, and how it affects personal decisions. In an anthropological sense, popular culture definition given by the authors of Common Culture: Reading and Writing about American Popular Culture, is “the shared knowledge and practices of a specific group at a specific time” (Petracca & Sorapure, 2007, p. 4). Popular culture represents everyday elements. Popular culture is linking to a specific time and place.

For that reason may be popular culture may be transient, subject to any changes and also can e an in initiator of change (Petracca & Sorapure, 2007). Today, the United States is the chief manufacturer of popular culture goods. For this reason American pop culture is spread around the world through a varieties ot systems as newspapers, television programs, movies, fast foods, fashion, music, and other trends . There are numerous of trends. Three trends that seem to be those of major influences in American style life today are advertising, television, and technology.

Those trends sometimes worked in our favor, but many people argued that they have been armful to the human life, especially those subjects relates with themes of economic and human personal interactions. Following an illustration of how those trends influences person’s life. Laura wants to have some fun, so she decided to enroll in a tennis team. Laura knew that probably she will need to have some expenses, so she designed a budget for what she thought will be her cost to play tennis. Exciting she meets the others team’s members but what happens was not expected.

Her intention of fun turned into a very competitive, stressful, and expensive experience. Her idea of he expenses needs to include too, her team’s expenses goals. Team’s principal focus was to looks impeccable. Laura’s first plan was to wear any sport clothes with an accessible price, but wait a moment, for the team presence comes first even when that imply high expenses. Meeting the team’s demands Laura needs to buy the best racquet. Second, was “necessary’ that she makes sure to buy brand new tennis’ outfit from the Nike store, especially that outfit that Monica Puig wore at the Wimbledon tournament.

To wear that cloth meant a tremendous suffering for Laura who was esperate because of her five extra pounds. She wanted to look as skinny as Monica does. Feeling overwarming for her five extra pounds, she decides to continue with her mission. Another important matter was not to forget accessories like the polarized sunglasses, Oakley’s last edition, tennis hat, tennis shoes, and the socks. It is not necessary to mention that the accessories should combine with the Nike’s outfit tennis, they must be the same color and brand, because remember “first dead than simple. Laura knows that her budget was out of control, but it was too late. The most important thing for her was that she was part of that “fantastic team. ” This demonstration was to shown how advertising and some “rules of beauty’ affected a person’s decision- making. Advertising continually provokes an excessive consumerism. Roy Fox an America Journalist mentioned that people consume more than they produce (Petracca & Sorapure, 2007, p. 58). The advertising is not the only trend influencing American popular culture; other major trend is the television.

People are crazy to get into their homes and to fall into that recline able sofa with the TV control in hands. They barely talked to their children or their couple. Probably before watch the TV they will have more knowledge. For sure they will be aware about what is happening around the world, but their family relation is affects by that intruder that live with them. The technology is a main contributor for improvements in Jobs, academic studies, cyber-communications, and much more. However, technology has brought to our society many difficult situations as well.

Some of the results of the advance technology are violence, pornography, psychological problems specially, in children who are constantly expose to violence video games, and lack of privacy. Sullivan (2006) said “the 21st century equivalent of being caught naked” (par. , 5) Today nobody knows if someone is watching or monitoring us. As demonstrated earlier, American popular culture has grown tremendously and with it, diversity, technological advances, better ways to communicate at long distance, medical advances, and so much more.

Humans nas been under the control ot various predominant trends especially, those promoted by big Industries in the commercial fields. Societies are so into the new things that they are not paying attention to the cost of that way of living. People are unconsciously spending in things that they do not need, living by ridiculous standards of “beauty’ having as a result young teenagers and adults with a bad mental and physical conditions. People need to be conscious and to make good uses of the advantages than has been given in this times, but do not forget to have precaution and to be alert of possible dangers.

Popular culture changes frequently and occurs exceptionally in place and time. It forms currents and represents a complex of mutually interdependent perspectives and values that influence society and its institutions in a various amount of ways. Today, we rarely see the representation of television shows that embrace settings that set positive images for our children today, it is more towards exploiting the fact that times have changed and so should we as people. There was a time when families gathered together and listened to programs being broadcast over the radio.

During this time, that was considered a special bonding family moment. Further more families at one time would allow their children to watch programs that created positive messages between each other. The physical connections among families have altogether been replaced by modern technology such as televisions, cell phones, and computers. The intimate relationship between Americans and their families has changed so that people do not indulge in an open conversation with each other; it has certainly been replaced by modern amenities.

There was a time when programs such as The Brady Bunch, The Cosby Show, and The Partridge Family were number one hits with families of that particular generation, now those choices have been replaced by reality TV, what is now considered family shows, such as American Idol, Big Brother, and Survivor. Among other television shows, Bart Simpson of the Simpson’s and Stewie Griffin of Family Guy, which should be targeted as an adult program, surprisingly are viewed by American children.

Most of what is known about the world comes from figurative rather than experienced reality, particularly in advanced media-saturated societies like the United States. Youth today tend to be more influenced by pop culture and are more likely to take information from media sources into their worldview than older people. Children and adolescents largely rely on popular culture rather than draw from symbolic reality to form their cognitive scripts.

To many people at the time, they were the “swinging sixties”. They were a decade when fashions changed continuously and young people appeared to have more freedom then ever before. It was time that many people look back on with found memories, but which other blame for some of the failings in society.

The sixties consisted of stars like Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard and Marlin Monroue which I will be mentioning in this essay as well as other stars. These stars were like the modern David Beckham, Tom Cruise and J-lo. In 1958 the National Service ended which was a huge relief for some. People in England were looking to America for their icons, but America band members or artists were not allowed to enter the country, then so people like Cliff Richard was formed. Moreover in the 1960’s Britain had not yet developed its own style therefore was still in America’s shadow. The traditional and cultural values in the 1950’s were now about to change. These were many due to the development of TV, radio and theatre which I will be exploring in this essay. By the end of the 1950’s music was still heavily influenced by America a lot of people were listening to American stars like Elvis Presley. But by the beginning of the 1960’s British artists like Billy Fury, Cliff Richard and Adam Faith all started to appear in the charts. Many of these British starts were producing new records but mainly basing them Elvis rock music.

The British fashion was changing very rapidly and stars like Jackie Kennedy influenced them a lot. Wearing shifts and A-line dressed which had been designed in during the 1954 and 1955 were not worn until the 1960’s. These gave women a new sense of freedom. Moreover the British film was not as popular as it was in America but brand new films featuring pop starts interested a lot of teenagers. There was now new British humour which people had never seen before. Radio was introduced and started showing some distinctive style. Radio shows such as “Beyond the Fringe” was a mocking comedy that criticized the way the country was run making people think more about politics.

Many television programmes were brought so people watch television at home but there were only two channels BBC and ITV which could only run for about five to six hours a day. In 1960 the first episode of “Coronation Street” appeared in black and white in TV sets all over the country. Finally there was theatre which consisted of plays developed to mirror real life situations. As well as this it also helped to break down class barriers. Youth culture began to expand and grow by the late 60’s rival groups such as “Mods” who drove Italian scooters instead of motorbikes were formed also girls began to wear more mini skirts whereas they were very strict. Prices generally went up as wages rose by 34% in the 1960’s.

In some respects it started popular music, fashion and a rise economy. Youth culture changed Britain’s youth forever.In conclusion much of Britain’s popular culture was a mix of American and 1950’s Britain but changes were beginning to develop which would lead to a new British culture and a new era.

Reflections of Pop Culture on Society Popular culture, commonly referred to as “pop culture”, is constantly changing and heavily influencing people worldwide; one can hardly tell the history of the human race without some mention of pop culture. Pop culture molds and defines the beliefs and values, as well as, influences the actions of society. Social media, as well as the natural ache we all carry to fit in, pushes people to embrace and succumb to pop culture. Pop culture greatly influences what people choose to do, such as: where to eat, what to buy, where to go on vacation, or what music music to listen to.

We have all heard an advertisement on the radio for the local restaurants or heard our favorite musician telling us which radio station we should listen to. What about our favorite celebrity boasting about which store they buy their clothes from? We see these people being adored by the public and want to be like them. So we head out to the nearest department store and buy the same brand of jeans or sneakers. When we see celebrities we want to ne like them, be adored like them. In his poem “Emily Dickinson and Elvis Presley in Heaven,” Hans Ostrom says that Dickinson “sports Levis and western blouses with rhinestones” and

Presley “wears baggy trousers and T-shirts, a letterman’s jacket from Tupelo High” (759). Ostrom is making reference to how Emily Dicksinson and Elvis Presley are even following current trends in Heaven. Pop culture has a considerable influence on the way we, society, view ourselves and each other. When we look at the covers of magazines and see the thin women and the buff men, we think that is the acceptable way to look and work to make ourselves look that way. We see that as the only way to be considered attractive and acceptable. As people, ant to be like the things we see around us.

We yearn to be accepted and have found that submitting to the current fads gains us the popularity and acceptance we ache for. In the essay “Corn-Pone Opinions” it was said that “We are creatures of outside influence; as a rule we do not think, we only imitate”(Twain 717). If someone hears that a specific movie receiving good reviews from the people in their neighborhood, they will go see that movie to fit in, whether it seems like something that would interest them or not. Someone will spend their whole life going to see the movies or eating at the restaurants that veryone else likes or other such things because “the outside influences are always pouring in upon us, and we are always obeying their orders and accepting their verdicts”(Twain 719). Pop culture is often used as a means to reflect someone’s views, which are then accepted into the minds of society. An example of this is the 1954 hit, Godzilla. This movie was released with the intent of spreading the political views of the director, Ishiro Honda. However, the version of the movie that became popular worldwide was “stripped of the political subtext- and the anti-American, antinuclear messages”(Staples 23). Americans would not want to watch a movie that was dripping in disdain towards the American government’s decision to use nuclear weapons. Had Godzilla been shown as more than a “conventional monster-on-the-loose movie”, it probably would not have been as popular in the United States (Staples 723). Even today people are using social networking sites such as youtube, facebook, and twitter to express their opinions about what is going on in the world (i. e. Kony 2012). Society is also reflected in popular movies and books. Most teen movies follow the same simliar plots with similiar characters.

They have a tall, slim female who rules the school with her jock boyfriend. Nowadays the enemy is no longer authority, it is “other teens and the social system that they impose on one another”(Denby 709). These movies have an outcast who, in the end, always triumphs and, somehow, overrun the social system. These movies are so popular and successful because it is what the audience wants to see. People can relate to “the kids who cannot be the beautiful ones, or makeout with them, or avoid being insulted by them”(Denby 709). We view these people as heroes because we, urselves, want to be like them and triumph. Even books are written in a way that makes them more entertaining for their audience. As a child, you read picture books “using words and images interchangably”(McCloud 738). Then you progressed to chapter books, which had less pictures, but still used both pictures and words to tell the story, and then novels that do not contain pictures. However, today people have begun to lose an interest in reading. We would rather see pictures telling the story because “words and pictures have great powers to tell stories when creators fully exploit them both”(McCloud 738).

Pop culture has a way of forming itself to fit what society is interested in. Pop culture is one of the biggest contributing factors to the way our society works. It works towards forming our opinions and beliefs and even contributes to what we decide to do, buy, eat, etc,… The things we hear about on the radio, the people we see on television and in movies are all parts of pop culture, working its way into our lives and molding our society. In conclusion, the extent of pop culture’s relfection on society is a major one; I personally believe that it is nothing but a reflection of our society.

The archetype of the villain is seen in many Disney fairytales and are usually one of the most important characters in the films. Shan Yu from Mulan and Scar from The Lion King although are from different backgrounds and different plots both display the same characteristics and thought processes. SIMILARITY 1-The primary similarity between Shan Yu and Scar is that they both will stop at nothing in order to conquer the land and power that they think they deserve. This is seen in Mulan, where Shan-Yu feels no hesitation when it comes to taking a life. He kills without remorse, for his own amusement.

This is demonstrated when he asks “How many men does it take to deliver a message? ” to which one of his henchmen replies “one” as he aims his arrow at one of two Chinese spies. This is also seen in The Lion King. Scar the evil brother of Mufasa will do anything to become King of the Pride Lands, even if it means killing his brother and his nephew Simba. Although he only succeeds in murdering Mufasa, he convinces his nephew that it was his fault, leaving Simba to live with the guilt of his father’s death and tells the cub to ‘run far away, Simba, and never come back’.

SIMILARITY 2-The second similarity between Shan Yu and Scar is their similar deaths, in which the hero takes part in taking down the villain. Shan Yu gets thrown off a building by Mulan and Scar is pushed off a cliff by Simba. CONCLUSION- Therefore both characters are seen as the classic archetype villain and have many similarities such as their lust for superiority and power. However, while both characters have many similarities between them they also demonstrate some differences as well.

DIFFERENCE 1- A major difference between the two characters is that Shan Yu is a Mongolian leader of the huns whereas Scar is a lion from Africa. Although Scar is not a human being, the character still demonstrates the same desire to conquer the land. DIFFERENCE 2- The second difference between Shan Yu and Scar is the means in which Scar grew up, for example growing up Scar’s father spent more time and attention on his other son Mufasa. This ultimately leads to Scar hating his brother and constantly seeking revenge against him.

While, for Shan Yu, growing up because of his cultural and political background he has always hated the Chinese and wanted to take them down. However, the two characters both attempt to conquer and take down their opposing forces whether it is their family or political enemies. Relevance- The significance of the archetype of the villain in both films is that they essentially help the main character, the hero to complete a quest or journey of finding who they really are. In Mulan, if it were not because of Shan Yu and the threat of the war, then she would have never had to change her lifestyle or leave her family behind.

This would not have made her the person she became towards the end of the film. The same goes for Simba, if it were not for Scar telling him his father had died and there was nothing left for him there, furthermore he was able to see how others lived and decide that he wanted to rule. Conclusion- In conclusion, while both characters are archetypes of the classic villain. They both demonstrate the same ideals and desires to be achieve total control and superiority over the people around them.