Culture and Society: Interactions
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Weekly Popular Culture Analysis - Texting
This week I chose texting as my popular culture topic. Texting or Short Message Service is conducted from your computer, cell phone, or PDA (Online Library, 2009). It is fast, reliable and a convenient way to say whatever is on your mind, whenever you want to. According to the Free Online Library, the first text message was sent in 1989 by using a pager. The first true text over a network was sent in 1992 in the United Kingdom. Now texting is considered the fastest and most reliable method of communicating which now boasts over a billion subscribers (2009).
When I was in a military school, my class mates decided that instead of having meetings after the day was over to discuss what was going to occur the next day, they would send out a text message. I found this very inconvenient because at the time, I did not text. After receiving several texts messages, dubbed leadership through texting, I purchased the text option on my cellular plan and upgraded my phone so I could join the texting revolution.
Texting has become so popular, and so dangerous that it is forcing new laws to be created in the interest of public safety. The Governors Highway Safety Association shows that 19 states have actively banned texting while driving (2010). The bans on texting have even flowed over to placing limitations on train operators, air traffic controllers, and pilots, while on the ground due to accidents (Akre, 2008).
With over 75 billion text messages sent over cellular phones in June 2008 (Akre, 2008), the text message is definitely popular. In my family, my step-son can text my wife while carrying on a conversation with myself and watching TV. My wife is just as capable and she just got my step-daughter into texting, so they can maintain contact. While I enjoy texting my wife from my computer, and find it very convenient that I can text her cell phone from my computer and find her anywhere she may be, I find the cell phone texting an annoying habit. I have observed people texting while at dinner, in the middle of conversations, at the movies, and of course while driving. In my opinion this is a selfish habit. But with conflict comes recourse. I wonder what the next generation texts devices will have. Will there be a hands free texting device?
References
Akre, J. (2008). Driving While Texting Laws Slow to Catch Up to Problem. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www.injuryboard.com/national-news/driving-while-texting-laws-slow-to-catch-up-to-problem.aspx?googleid=248018
Governors Highway Safety Association. (2010). Cell Phone Driving Laws. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html
The History of Text Messaging. (2009) In The free online library. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+History+of+Text+Messaging-a01073979859
When I was in a military school, my class mates decided that instead of having meetings after the day was over to discuss what was going to occur the next day, they would send out a text message. I found this very inconvenient because at the time, I did not text. After receiving several texts messages, dubbed leadership through texting, I purchased the text option on my cellular plan and upgraded my phone so I could join the texting revolution.
Texting has become so popular, and so dangerous that it is forcing new laws to be created in the interest of public safety. The Governors Highway Safety Association shows that 19 states have actively banned texting while driving (2010). The bans on texting have even flowed over to placing limitations on train operators, air traffic controllers, and pilots, while on the ground due to accidents (Akre, 2008).
With over 75 billion text messages sent over cellular phones in June 2008 (Akre, 2008), the text message is definitely popular. In my family, my step-son can text my wife while carrying on a conversation with myself and watching TV. My wife is just as capable and she just got my step-daughter into texting, so they can maintain contact. While I enjoy texting my wife from my computer, and find it very convenient that I can text her cell phone from my computer and find her anywhere she may be, I find the cell phone texting an annoying habit. I have observed people texting while at dinner, in the middle of conversations, at the movies, and of course while driving. In my opinion this is a selfish habit. But with conflict comes recourse. I wonder what the next generation texts devices will have. Will there be a hands free texting device?
References
Akre, J. (2008). Driving While Texting Laws Slow to Catch Up to Problem. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www.injuryboard.com/national-news/driving-while-texting-laws-slow-to-catch-up-to-problem.aspx?googleid=248018
Governors Highway Safety Association. (2010). Cell Phone Driving Laws. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html
The History of Text Messaging. (2009) In The free online library. Retrieved February 19, 2010, from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+History+of+Text+Messaging-a01073979859
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Journal Article Analysis
The article I chose from the Journal of Popular Culture is a book review of the book An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality. By, Jill Fields. The article was written by Eden Leone. The article gave some insight to what the book discussed, what Eden Leone though were strengths and weakness, and her opinion about who would get the most out of the book.
In my opinion this book review is focused towards two types of audience. The first type would be those in the fashion industry looking for information on good sources to research the types of lingerie and its history, hopefully to assist them in creating tomorrow’s new popular cultural symbol. The other type of audience the book is written for is the student who wants to explore history and learn how something as intimate as underwear has had an impact on women by how they perceive their being, how society recognizes them, and how lingerie is in fact a popular cultural item which has evolved throughout the ages along with the culture.
The first part of the article gives a quick overview of the book and a snap shot of what each chapter offers. There are seven chapters and each one covers a distinctly different aspect of the evolution of women’s underwear. The second part of the review offers the writers opinion of the strengths and weakness of the book. The final part of the review the writer offers who she feels would best benefit from reading the book.
The article starts out very strong and immediately grabbed my attention. I assumed that it would discuss the different styles of lingerie and the influence lingerie has had on today’s woman. While the report was structured very well, and logically written; however, I found that the review quickly morphed into an evaluation that did little to give one insight to what the book is about. If the author gave each chapter a paragraph summary instead of a sentence or two, I believe that the she would have made a much better argument for who the book is intended for as well as her opinion’s to the strengths and weaknesses of the book.
When I pick up a book review, I do not want to read the book, yet. I am reading this to find out what I can expect to find in it. In my opinion a book review is there to save me the time of reading the book and to assist me in finding what chapter I need to look at for the information I am searching for. A well written book review would give me a well defined picture of what I will find in the book, not a sentence summarizing the key point of each chapter or subject followed by the opinion of the writer which is not grounded anywhere in the review. If the review is accurate and grounded to the book, that will persuade me to read the book, or skip it; not the authors opinion.
The author recommends this book to “anyone with an interest in feminism, American Culture and history.” (Leone, 2009). I looked up the definition of feminism and according to the online dictionary at www.ask.com the definition is anyone who believes in equality of the sexes or any organized movement around this belief (Feminism, 2005). While I can understand why someone interested in feminism would appreciate this book, I do believe that the author should have given some specifics. According to Leone, chapter one titled “Drawers” is about the pants and power debate. A few more sentences about this chapter could incite the interest of anyone interested in women’s rights and equality.
As far as stating that anyone interested in American Culture and history would enjoy this book, I had never thought of lingerie as a culture icon, but now I do see how it is, and my curiosity has been piqued. It would be all the more so, if I had a summary of each paragraph in the book.
Overall the review was written well. I read through it very quickly and on my second and third reads was able to pick out only minor things I had missed on the first read. The flow was logical and my only complaint is the unfounded opinion of the writer. If the writers goal was to make you want to get more information, and thus read the book, she succeeded. If her goal was to educate you to the contents of the book with enough information to determine whether or not you would enjoy the book, she failed.
I walked away from the article the first time and the point that stayed with me was that women’s lingerie is a cultural icon. Each time I reviewed and reread the article, this point stayed with me and evolved into a more concrete thought. I have always thought of lingerie as a secret between a woman and her husband or lover. I never really thought of how the different styles are driven by our culture and the fashion business. As our popular culture has changed over the course of our Countries growth, so has woman’s lingerie evolved and portrayed what our society deems acceptable.
References
Feminism. (2005) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Houghton Mifflin Company. Retrieved on 31 January 2010 from http://www.ask.com/web?q=dictionary%3A+feminism&content=ahdict|26189&o=13919&l=dis
Leone, E. (2009) An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality. The Journal of Popular Culture, 42(4), 792-794.
In my opinion this book review is focused towards two types of audience. The first type would be those in the fashion industry looking for information on good sources to research the types of lingerie and its history, hopefully to assist them in creating tomorrow’s new popular cultural symbol. The other type of audience the book is written for is the student who wants to explore history and learn how something as intimate as underwear has had an impact on women by how they perceive their being, how society recognizes them, and how lingerie is in fact a popular cultural item which has evolved throughout the ages along with the culture.
The first part of the article gives a quick overview of the book and a snap shot of what each chapter offers. There are seven chapters and each one covers a distinctly different aspect of the evolution of women’s underwear. The second part of the review offers the writers opinion of the strengths and weakness of the book. The final part of the review the writer offers who she feels would best benefit from reading the book.
The article starts out very strong and immediately grabbed my attention. I assumed that it would discuss the different styles of lingerie and the influence lingerie has had on today’s woman. While the report was structured very well, and logically written; however, I found that the review quickly morphed into an evaluation that did little to give one insight to what the book is about. If the author gave each chapter a paragraph summary instead of a sentence or two, I believe that the she would have made a much better argument for who the book is intended for as well as her opinion’s to the strengths and weaknesses of the book.
When I pick up a book review, I do not want to read the book, yet. I am reading this to find out what I can expect to find in it. In my opinion a book review is there to save me the time of reading the book and to assist me in finding what chapter I need to look at for the information I am searching for. A well written book review would give me a well defined picture of what I will find in the book, not a sentence summarizing the key point of each chapter or subject followed by the opinion of the writer which is not grounded anywhere in the review. If the review is accurate and grounded to the book, that will persuade me to read the book, or skip it; not the authors opinion.
The author recommends this book to “anyone with an interest in feminism, American Culture and history.” (Leone, 2009). I looked up the definition of feminism and according to the online dictionary at www.ask.com the definition is anyone who believes in equality of the sexes or any organized movement around this belief (Feminism, 2005). While I can understand why someone interested in feminism would appreciate this book, I do believe that the author should have given some specifics. According to Leone, chapter one titled “Drawers” is about the pants and power debate. A few more sentences about this chapter could incite the interest of anyone interested in women’s rights and equality.
As far as stating that anyone interested in American Culture and history would enjoy this book, I had never thought of lingerie as a culture icon, but now I do see how it is, and my curiosity has been piqued. It would be all the more so, if I had a summary of each paragraph in the book.
Overall the review was written well. I read through it very quickly and on my second and third reads was able to pick out only minor things I had missed on the first read. The flow was logical and my only complaint is the unfounded opinion of the writer. If the writers goal was to make you want to get more information, and thus read the book, she succeeded. If her goal was to educate you to the contents of the book with enough information to determine whether or not you would enjoy the book, she failed.
I walked away from the article the first time and the point that stayed with me was that women’s lingerie is a cultural icon. Each time I reviewed and reread the article, this point stayed with me and evolved into a more concrete thought. I have always thought of lingerie as a secret between a woman and her husband or lover. I never really thought of how the different styles are driven by our culture and the fashion business. As our popular culture has changed over the course of our Countries growth, so has woman’s lingerie evolved and portrayed what our society deems acceptable.
References
Feminism. (2005) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Houghton Mifflin Company. Retrieved on 31 January 2010 from http://www.ask.com/web?q=dictionary%3A+feminism&content=ahdict|26189&o=13919&l=dis
Leone, E. (2009) An Intimate Affair: Women, Lingerie, and Sexuality. The Journal of Popular Culture, 42(4), 792-794.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Assignment 3-2 Icon Analysis
I chose these following items because they have all impacted my life in one way or another. The three stone diamond ring, a real item that is a gesture which is symbolic to the dedication and commitment of long term lovers. Babe Ruth who represents every child’s dream to be the best, and GI Joe, not the action figure, the cartoon, or the movie, but the “idea” of GI Joe, that really represents good versus evil. These are my icons. 
The three-stone diamond ring, also known as the anniversary ring, is an icon of everlasting love. Thanks to the marketing strategy of the jewelers, each diamond represents the past, present, and future dedication and love of the giver to the receiver. This icon of love has become very evident to me as I approach my 10 year anniversary, and my wife has dropped many hints over the years about how wonderful it would be to have this physical demonstration of my commitment to her.
Babe Ruth is the icon of Baseball. I knew of Babe Ruth as a young kid and still, stories about Babe Ruth are told today as much. He fits the definition of an icon because just like Marilyn Monroe’s name is synonymous with movies, his name is one and the same with baseball. He represents every young athletes desire to be the best at any given sport.
GI Joe represents good versus evil. This is an ageless icon which was given power as a toy, a cartoon, and again through Hollywood. I grew up playing with GI Joe toys and watching the cartoons and learning about how good always defeats evil. My childhood toy was brought to life in the movies and the icon, a Soldier, was again pitted against an enemy trying to conquer the world; the age old battle of good versus evil.
The three-stone diamond ring, also known as the anniversary ring, is an icon of everlasting love. Thanks to the marketing strategy of the jewelers, each diamond represents the past, present, and future dedication and love of the giver to the receiver. This icon of love has become very evident to me as I approach my 10 year anniversary, and my wife has dropped many hints over the years about how wonderful it would be to have this physical demonstration of my commitment to her.
Babe Ruth is the icon of Baseball. I knew of Babe Ruth as a young kid and still, stories about Babe Ruth are told today as much. He fits the definition of an icon because just like Marilyn Monroe’s name is synonymous with movies, his name is one and the same with baseball. He represents every young athletes desire to be the best at any given sport.
GI Joe represents good versus evil. This is an ageless icon which was given power as a toy, a cartoon, and again through Hollywood. I grew up playing with GI Joe toys and watching the cartoons and learning about how good always defeats evil. My childhood toy was brought to life in the movies and the icon, a Soldier, was again pitted against an enemy trying to conquer the world; the age old battle of good versus evil.
Assignment 3-1 Weekly Written Analysis (#2)
This week’s written analysis is about the popular culture phenomenon known as fast food. The fast food craze was started in 1916. The founder took a meat ball and smashed it between two pieced of bread, creating what is today known as the hamburger. This restaurant was unique because unlike any other area, they had a specialized menu. The restaurant became known as White Castle and many other chains have attempted to copy them, making the hamburger the most popular fast food item today (Hogan, 2003). When I was growing up, in my family, fast food was reserved for vacations or that very special and rare night when mom and dad were going to leave us with the baby sitter and go out. Now, everywhere you go, one can find a Taco Bell, a McDonalds, a Burger King, or any other number of fast food restaurants. Pizza hut even added premade pizzas to its menu so you don’t have to wait for your hot pizza. A fast food restaurant is any location where you can get fresh hot food already prepared for your convenience (Hogan, 2003). These restaurants play into the American culture of being in a hurry; or do they? Is it that we do not have the time to sit and wait for a meal to be served up for us, or time enough to take the time and create our own meal? Or maybe it is that the taste is just so great that when you want fast food, you’re going to get it. When I was looking for my last place to live, the ability of a suitable fast food restaurant played a role in whether or not I was going to rent there. That sounds like a silly reason to rent a house, but when it is cheaper and easier to grab a meal on the go, rather than go home and dig through the refrigerator and make a meal, the importance of these decisions becomes evident. I seriously completed the question of whether or not a 20 minute drive to Taco Bell was worth the convenience of living where I wanted to rent. The last time I was deployed I fell into the routine of going to Burger King once a week. It was easy to do, because that posts dining facility did not offer good hamburgers. On this deployment, even though there is a full service dining facility offering up any variety of healthy and unhealthy food three times a day, along with a full service sandwich bar open 24-hours a day, we have a pizza hut and a subway on the post, which do a fair amount of business. When I first arrived here, I was amazed that these two restaurants were successful, but after three months of the dining facility, I am drawn more and more to the taste of the fast food. This brings up the question. Is fast food a popular culture because of convenience or because of the taste? I believe that part of what makes America such a great country is the diversity in everything she has to offer. Could it be this mentality that makes fast food so popular? Or are we as American’s just too lazy to cook a good meal every night of the week? I offer to you, that it is the very diversity of our culture, which has enabled the fast food chain to become a popular culture within our country, and around the world.
References Hogan, David Gerard. (2003). Fast Food. Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Retrieved February 05, 2010 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403400211.html
References Hogan, David Gerard. (2003). Fast Food. Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Retrieved February 05, 2010 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403400211.html
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