Assignment 2-2

Icon Analysis

            There are hundreds of possible pop culture icons in the world.  I have picked three contemporary icons for this paper.  My first icon is Oprah Winfrey who just aired her final episode May 25^th after doing her T.V show for 25 years.  My second icon is the 1960’s music group The Beatles. Finally, my third icon is the ever loving, laugh making, cartoon character Bugs Bunny. 

           Oprah Winfrey is an icon in my opinion because of the lives she touched around the world by a simple talk show.  Her work around the globe from everything from Morehouse College to Female Empowerment will live on long after her show.  During her final shows this past week the impact on just how many lives she touched was made real clear between the 300 plus men from Morehouse College, to the over 64,000 kids on the “went to school” board.  While I did not watch every episode of Oprah, I saw enough to feel her message and see the impact.  As a 30 year old female, her work touched my heart and opened my eyes for the future.

The Beatles were huge in the 1960’s for several reasons.  Their music, actions, followers, and well, everything about them carried them to huge fame and controversy.  A group of 4 guys made girls scream, dream, fall in love, and even faint.  Parents of the time normally were on the losing end of a “culture” battle.  To this day many musical artists credit The Beatles for their success.  Without the work of the Beatles music may not be “as we know it”.  As a huge musical person the Beatles are a big part of my world.  Personally, I am not a big fan of their music but of only select songs.  However, the importance of their message, dedication, and stubbornness is forever part of music history.

                                                        

As my third icon I picked Bugs Bunny.  This cute, lovable, huggable, “wrascally wrabit” has been around long before I was ever born, yet not only did I grow up watching him, but now my children are.  In a world of rushing to get things done, stressful jobs, violence, and constant uncertainty we can always turn to the T.V. and share a good belly laugh with our families thanks to Bugs Bunny.  Bugs Bunny made it in my top three icons because of the generations of people growing up with him.  It is important to me to have such icons in my families’ lives, and hope it can love on for feature generations.

                                                              

Assignment 2-1

Internet Impact

            It wasn’t that long ago that the best way to communicate with someone outside of your own home was by telephone or postage paid mail.  The only way to rent a movie was by going to the store or to rent a book meant trips to the library. Going to school required transportation to a local building at specific times.  October 24, 1995 would bring the start of an amazing change and inspiring future for generations to come. The invention and creation of the “internet” has brought changes to the way people all around the world live their lives more than anyone could have ever imagined.

                                                   

            This very class would not exist if the internet was not created.  Many of today’s youth are growing up with the internet a required part of their world.  At only 10, my daughter has half of her homework requiring some form of internet usage.  I am only 30; however I have a hard time remembering life without the internet.  To this day everything from my college classes to my job requires the internet.  I work in transportation at a warehouse location for a large retail chain.  All of our load planning, trailer shipments, and store communications are done via email and high speed connected internet service.  I often wonder how these jobs were done prior to such invention.

            The internet is a creation of several minds over decades of research and experiments.  “The first recorded description of the social interactions that could be enabled through networking was a series of memos written by J.C.R. Licklider of MIT in August 1962 discussing his "Galactic Network" concept” (Barry M. Leiner, 2011, Para. 6).  By the 1970’s and 80’s the “enternet” was in use by government and military personnel, though nothing like we now know it.   On October 24, 1995 the Federal Networking Council officially defined the term “Internet” and it has grown and flourished ever since.

           To this day the Internet allows people all around the work quick connection and access to everything from letters (email) to movies and books in a matter of minutes via a simple click of a mouse.  The internet to me is a huge pop culture topic based on this knowledge.  We are living in a time were some generations of people will never adapt to the internet, some have been caught in the middle of it, and others will never live without it.  Where will the internet go, or more importantly, take us?

References

Barry M. Leiner, V. G. (2011). A Brief History of the Internet. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from Internet Society: http://www.isoc.org/internet/history/brief.shtml

           

Assignment 1-4

Justin Bieber

            No matter if your 55 or 5, if you listen to the radio or watch public TV you have more than likely heard about the current teenage pop music sensation Justin Bieber.  Justin Bieber, or J.B. as he’s known among his followers, has quickly worked his way into the hearts of people all around the world.   Everything about his stardom involves pop culture, from discovery to promotion. 

            Justin Bieber’s discovery has been credited to another current pop culture topic; Social Media.  One common thought among society, whether you’re a fan or not, is that if it was not for an amazing lucky find by the right person on You Tube, “Bieber Fever” would never have been created.  It took one particular person seeing one particular video on a giant social media site.  The odds of this happening are staggering, but it happened for 12 year old Justin Bieber just a few years ago (How, 2010).

            As if this luck isn’t enough, it took even more social media involvement to fully start Bieber Fever.  While his You Tube video got him noticed by the music industry, the recording world wasn’t as confident.   Justin turned to his online world and found himself “Tweeting” and “blogging” about his happenings.  As he traveled so did his messages.  The more he messaged, the more girls jumped onboard.  In no time at all Justin found himself engulfed by teenage madness, leading to his confinement for his own safety (Chu, 2011). 

            Today Justin Bieber is 17 and still steeling the hearts of girls all over the world.  Parents, such as me, are even being pulled into his world.  For me it is a curiosity.  I can’t help but wonder if this teenage star can hold his fame when he’s 21 or even 37.  Too many teenage starts die out or find themselves in trouble.  Justin Bieber has entered us into a new age and holds the power to shape a new pop culture in several ways.

References

  How Justin Bieber Was Discovered. (2010, June 25). Retrieved May 19, 2011, from Justin Biber Blog: http://www.justinbieberblog.org/how-justin-bieber-was-discovered

Chu, J. (Director). (2011). Never Say Never [Motion Picture]. United States.

Popular Culture Blog 1-2

Nannette Fuller URL http://nfuller37franklin.blogspot.com/

What is Popular Culture?

          Popular (or pop) culture is anything from lifestyles, beliefs, persons, or items that are extremely well known and widespread within a popularion.  They effect not only my life, but my career in many ways.  Pop culture directs they way I shop, how I raise my kids, and even how well my business functions.  Current pop culture sets the stage for retail giants and previous pop culture directs many businesses.

Example of Pop Culture Artifact

            I have selected the teenage music star Justin Bieber his current status and remarkable “social media” relation for my pop culture blob artifact.  I was pulled into the Bieber world thanks to my 10 year old daughter.  Justin Biebers success as a musician is completely due to social media such as Twitter, Facebook, blogging, and Youtube.  “Justin Bieber is popular right now because, he "has a lot of fans who like to tweet about him,” (Crum, 2010).  His quick rise to fame, deep impact to preteen and teenage girl hearts (much like the Beetles in their day), and unique way to stardom makes him a current pop culture topic.

Justin Bieber Image from Yahoo.com/images

References:

Crum, C. (2010, March 27). Twitter Business Lessions from Justin Bieber. Retrieved 2011 May, 2010, from webpronews: http://www.webpronews.com/twitter-business-lessons-from-justin-bieber-2010-03