Business and Popular Culture

                Without the business aspect of popular culture, we would not have things like cell phones and other technology, new music or movies for entertainment. Popular styles of clothing and accessories would also use a business to produce their items. Business is a large portion of popular culture that many people may overlook.

                FACEBOOK also uses a large crew to run their website; this would be covered under the business aspect. Without the team of workers who maintain the site, it may not still be a working website. FACEBOOK has to hire people who can work with computer software, and also legal workers to ensure the website continues to be successful.

                When I first chose FACEBOOK as my topic to write about throughout the six weeks, I did not know I would need to apply multiple popular culture topics. To my surprise, FACEBOOK relates to most of these discussed topics. Out of all of the theories that we have discussed throughout the class, Rituals and Formulas have related the most to my popular culture topic.

                Many people that use FACEBOOK use it religiously, checking FACEBOOK on a day to day basis has become a ritual. Many forms of entertainment use formulas to keep their product interesting and appealing to its viewers. FACEBOOK follows the same formulas that movie producers use. By keeping the same original outline it lets users feel comfortable and continue to use their product.

                Before I began analyzing FACEBOOK, I did not know that it is in fact a large part of popular culture. Even though FACEBOOK does not completely relate with every topic discussed in class, it can relate with each topic in some way. When you use something every day you don’t always stop to think about it in depth. Now that I know it can be considered a ritual in today’s society, and formulas were involved when making this site, it seems more important than just a frequently used website.

                It was nice to learn that popular culture rituals and formulas can be applied to a website that I use every day. Before this class I had never looked into FACEBOOK as a popular culture artifact. It is interesting to know these things now, and I am sure that many people use this site everyday and do not think of it as performing a ritual. Knowing what I know now I will continue to access the site and think of it as performing a daily ritual.

Formulas and FACEBOOK

When I think of a formula I think of an algebra or trigonometry problem. Until today I did not relate formulas with popular culture.  Songs, movies, and books all follow a similar rhythm that can normally be predicted.  Movies have followed the same rhythm for years, producers found a way to make movies that attracted viewers, and kept them entertained. The two formulas that were discussed were convention and invention; convention contains specific elements that do not change, invention may vary from time to time.

FACEBOOK uses both of these formulas. FACEBOOK is consistently changing to accommodate new features and attract more users. Convention comes into play when talking about the main outline of this social networking site. The outline and main features: like the Facebook wall, profile and messaging have remained the same. These main features are what attracted the initial users; by keeping these original more popular aspects of the site the original users continue to visit the site. Invention comes into play when FACEBOOK is constantly being updated with new features. The original lay out of the site has remained the same, additional features are added to keep the website new and exciting. If this site did not continue to better itself by adding new features another social networking site may take its place as the most popular social networking page used today.

This social networking site is a bigger part of popular culture than society may think. This site can be accessed on a computer, a portable tablet, and a cell phone. These pieces of technology are easy accessible and the majority of Americans own one, if not all of these devices. Because FACEBOOK has made itself useable on these popular pieces of technology it makes the site an even bigger part of everyday life. The creators of FACEBOOK have followed these formulas to make their success, they found what features of social networking would attract users and continue to follow them today. To summarize: FACEBOOK uses both of the formulas that are used to form movies and songs, these formulas describe the popular features and layout of the site, and it is great to know now that many of the things we watch and listen to today follow the same patterns, I will now try to follow more closely to try to predict a movies ending.

Journal Analysis 1

Religion is a big part of American culture; there are many different types of religions following Jesus Christ. Another artifact of popular culture today is movies. Movies are made from fictional characters, books, and true stories. The journal article I reviewed ties in the topic of religion and the Antichrist, movies and the monomyth cycle all of these are popular culture artifacts we have reviewed in these last few weeks of class.

            The outline of this article is based on The Omen films. The Omen film is a movie about a happily married couple who want a child, the woman finally becomes pregnant only to have a still born child, instead of letting his wife know the husband takes in another baby that is without a family. This child that is substituted for their baby is the son of Satan, and horrible events begin to happen all around this family. The Omen film was first created in 1976, and still remains a popular movie today (imdb). The authors main points in this article are: that the story of the antichrist is still popular in films today, he briefly talks about the shift of power shown in the movie compared to the shift of power in today’s society, abnormality, family, and the way that the Antichrist is portrayed in relation to the monomyth.

            The horror and the destructive child are still portrayed in films, these films relate to the way that society is today. Children have become more disruptive at a young age. Having a disruptive child portrayed on film more, makes this behavior seem more common and acceptable. The horror in the movie is what makes this movie a pop culture artifact. Horror movies become popular because of the rush that they give the viewer. The devil and the angel are very often used in story lines; in this case the angel is seen as the hero. In The Omen the antichrist is the hero figure. The story of the Antichrist is still frequently used in stories and films today. This shows that The Omen films were an artifact to popular culture then, and it still remains an artifact today. The author also talks about the shift of power. If the wrong person gains more power or is put in charge, this can lead to failure for the person and the company. The devastating events that happen throughout this movie lead to the young boy (the antichrist) becoming a leader, and having a large amount of power.

            The monomyth cycle that was discussed earlier in this class is also shown throughout the films. The Antichrist is seen as a hero to many people in this film. The Antichrist goes through the steps of the monomyth and gains many followers. The monomyth is within American culture, heroes are not only shown in stories in movies, their stories are told every day in newspapers, and journal articles. Maybe Americans love watching movies that involve the monomyth because who wouldn’t want to be someone’s hero?

            This article and its information is of moderate importance, this article is more for entertainment. Americans love to see the story line of a hero and a heroine.  It is nice to see an example of the monomyth where the “hero” is a negative person. Usually, when a devil or antichrist is involved the direct opposite, the angel would be the hero. The information in this article is very real, the drama and abnormality that comes along with a family when something goes terribly wrong.

            This article is a great read; it includes great facts and points of interest. The cycle of the monomyth was not something I thought through while watching a movie or reading a novel. I agree with the author this movie and the fact that the antichrist could be viewed as the hero strays from the norm, this appeals to the viewers.

Resources

Gerlach, N. (1990). The Antichrist as anti-monomyth:The Omen Films as Social Critique. Journal of Popular Culture, 44(5), 1027-1046.

The Omen. (1990). In The Omen (1976). Retrieved December 6, 2011, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075005/

FACEBOOK AND POPULAR HEROS

The definition of a hero is different for everyone. For many people a hero may be someone in the spot light who has finally reached their goals like an actress or a politician or a family member that they look up to. To me, a hero is someone who works hard for something they love, they are loyal, and would do anything to make a situation better. An example of a popular hero today would be a man or woman that is serving or has served in the military for our country. Being a member of the military and fighting for your country shows strength, loyalty, and bravery all of these qualities are that of a popular hero in today’s society. I could never imagine what it would be like to be away from your family in an unfamiliar place fighting for something you love.

My mother would be my personal hero, while I have recently just become a mother I realize that being a mother takes much patience, loyalty and devotion. I am very sensitive to the fact that I am a state away from my hero and do not get to share everyday with her. I am consistently keeping in contact with her by sending messages and pictures. The easiest way for me to display my pictures and to keep my mother involved with what is new and constantly changing is to display these things on my FACEBOOK page.

Though you may not directly think of FACEBOOK while thinking of your personal hero or a popular hero, they do relate. Not only do I keep in close contact with my mother using FACEBOOK, I can constantly be updated on what she is up to. I also have close friends that are in the military serving our country, and not being able to see them every day is a challenge. I am still able to view pictures and be reminded of the good times through this social networking site. FACEBOOK users can also join groups created by comedians and others who are in the spot light that they look up to. Yes, FACEBOOK is not a popular hero or personal hero, but it does connect to them. By applying these theories to this social networking site I again realize how much we rely on technology to communicate with the ones we love. This technology allows us to live miles away but still remain so close.

FACEBOOK As A Ritual

Rituals are not only religious activities performed by followers. When I think of a ritual I think of the activities that I go through every day, activities like showering, eating breakfast and brushing your teeth.  As things in society change the rituals we perform daily change as well. Things in our society are always changing, opening up new opportunities for new rituals to form, new activities that we will perform on a day to day basis. Media and tabloids are something the majority of people listen to and follow, keeping informed and updated is very important in today’s society. Today, the best way to stay updated on the latest information among your friends and family is by subscribing to FACEBOOK. FACEBOOK has millions of viewers, these viewers have made this site part of their everyday lives. As FACEBOOK become more popular, access to this site became easier making it a bigger part of everyday activity. Cell phones and portable computers have become an item that many people cannot see themselves without. FACEBOOK is easily accessible on each of these devices.

The common rituals like showering and eating breakfast can now easily be “updated” on your FACEBOOK wall. Because people like to constantly be informed of what is going on around them and FACEBOOK is so easily accessible this social networking site has become a ritual. Sending messages, letting all of your “friends” know what you will do next, and uploading new pictures can all be easily done on this site.  Learning and giving out information to keep informed can also easily be done on this site and that is why it has become so popular and a large portion of everyday life.

When I think of a ritual I think of something that has been around for some time, not something as recent as FACEBOOK. Knowing that FACEBOOK can be defined as a ritual in today’s society shows just how much the world is constantly and quickly changing. This social networking site became a hit very quickly. Rituals are different for all groups of people, FACEBOOK can be used by all ages, all religions and in many different areas.

FACEBOOK

FACEBOOK is one of the most popular social networking tools. This website is available to almost everyone; as long as you have access to the web you can achieve access to this site. FACEBOOK is a site where users can post pictures and keep in contact with all of their “friends”.  FACEBOOK has taken the world by storm, you can access this website by computer but also on any smart phone, giving you access anywhere at any time. Keeping in contact and updated on the latest events that are going on around you seems to be important considering the amount of people who use this web page and other sites to stay up to date on the latest news.

As stated in Module number 2, “American Myth of Success”, in America we can do anything that we put our mind to, this idea represents the freedom we have as Americans. Having the ability to constantly be informed of what is going on around you and freely sate your opinion is a great example of one of the many freedoms we have. FACEBOOK allows you to “update your status” to anything you are thinking or feeling that day, you are able to freely post your opinions on this site for everyone to view. The myth theory applies to FACBOOK as a popular culture icon in that as Americans we use FACEBOOK as an outlet to express our opinions freely.

FACEBOOK can be titled as a pop culture icon because this website is the most popular social networking site today. Module number 2 states that an icon stands out. No other social networking site can compare to the features this site offers to its users. Also, no other networking site can compare to the amount of FACEBOOK followers. When one thinks of an icon they may think of a famous singer, FACEBOOK is a popular culture icon that we follow and use every day.

                Analyzing FACEBOOK as a pop culture icon has made me realize the importance the public holds on socializing and keeping informed. At first, FACEBOOK was only used by high school and college kids, today all ages use FACEBOOK to keep in formed and in touch with family and friends. With the increased use of FACEBOOK today it makes me wonder, what would social networking be without it?

Three Popular Culture Icons

When I think of contemporary popular culture icons, the three names that come to mind are: Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, and LeBron James. These three individuals each stand out for different reasons. Michal Jackson was born into a talented family and became a star at a very young age, this stardom still remains today. Lady Gaga is a very popular performer; her music and image are also very unique which I believe is what makes her more popular than most other performers. As I have stated before sports are something that the majority of people follow and enjoy. LeBron James is someone who even if you are not very interested in sports, you know a little about Mr. James. LeBron is one of the greatest basketball players of his time.

The music industry is always growing, and new performers are always breaking out with number one hits. Although most people prefer one type of music over the other, performers like Gaga and Michael Jackson appeal to the majority of listeners. Unlike Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga is a newer artist. I chose Lady Gaga because she is a newer artist and has already gained an amazing fan base. With her unique style and music people are always waiting to see what she will wear or what song she will write next. The unpredictability of Lady Gaga keeps her fans on their toes. Michael Jackson has won over the love of his fans over the entire span of his short life. Michael Jackson also won over his fans by being unique with his dance and dress style. Although Michael Jackson was involved in a few scandals he remained one of the more popular artists. After the death of Michael Jackson he still remains a very popular artist.

Even with the current lock out, fans of basketball player, LeBron James, continue to follow him via Twitter, and other tabloids.  LeBron James is known to be one of the best basketball players of all time. James is a very talented player who followed his dreams and many young athletes look up to him. Like Michael Jackson, LeBron was also involved in a scandal himself. LeBron bounced back from the rumors of the sex scandal and remained to be very popular with the fans.

All of these Icons stand out for different reasons, but they also have been involved in similar situations and remained in the spot light. This shows the public that these icons can make mistakes just like us, it makes them seem more normal with every slip up. Even after all of these mess ups and crazy costumes these icons remain to be some of the most followed artists.