HUMN 341 Assignment 1-3 Journal Article Analysis Posting (Hip-Hop and Pop Culture)

The article about the young black writer S. Craig Watkins written by Jo Ann Morgan-Coastal Carolina University was insightful and very moving. The article broke down key events and points from S. Craig Watkins’s Hip Hop Matters book. According to Morgan (2006), S. Craig Watkins wrote “despite the huge success that rap music had in the first six month of 1998, plenty more will be said during that second half of 1998.” This was a clear indication that rap music was headed upward at a fast pace. According to Morgan (2006), “Watkins’s book exposes the new look of the American pop culture, as well as the economic and political factors that help boost a diverse amount of graffiti, break dancing, and fashion (i.e., Sean John clothing, Roca Wear clothing, Ecko, and etc..). Morgan (2006) goes on to mention that Watkins’s seemed to be infatuated with the Disc Jockeys (Dj’s), Master of Ceremonies (MC’s AKA Rapper), and the producers of rap music. Morgan (2006) also elaborates on how Watkins provocatively analyzes controversial rappers Chuck D. of the Public Enemy and Ice Cube from the well known “cop hatters” group called Niggaz With Attitudes (N.W.A.). Now hip-hop during this era was essential for young African Americans who looked for refuge in music.

More and more Rap artists began to opt for the mainstream style of rap because of the political ramifications associated with the music industry. Hip-Hop music as a whole has now started to head in the direction of becoming more mainstream. Rebellious tones and tactics being used in hip-hop seemed to be on the brink of extinction. Not so fast. Although major changes in rap music was on the rise, the negative messages towards the US government and Police Departments all over America for “treating minorities dirty” were steadily being produced by major record companies all over the United States. The treasonous language expressed in many of the rap records in the late 80’s and early 90’s still continued to have an impact on society long after this type of music seemed to not to be desired. According to Morgan (2006), Watkins’s explains, “hip-hop’s influence on America expanded tremendously during this generation due to the exploitation of “gangsta rap.” Music companies realized that “gangsta rap” was a big seller, so they did everything in their power to keep it on the forefront all throughout the 90’s. Now this was great for the local vendors as focusing on becoming more mainstream was now the new thing, especially when hip-hop’s music artists and record companies noticed a steady incline in sales. Again, this was an example of a new era in American culture.

This article also focused on the popularity of hip-hop, and how deeply rooted it can get. According to Morgan (2006), the battle for the heart of hip hop is surely an amazing message between the young, black, poor, old, rich, and white Americans. It’s evident that hip-hop music has placed its stamp on America. Years and years of “minority rappers” have expressed their differences with the American politics. The American dream is still something farfetched for many monitories, yet they maintain positivity through hip-hop lyrics.


References:

Morgan J. (2006). The Journal of American Culture. Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement. Volume 29, Number 3. Pp 378-379. Retrieved on June 15, 2009, from http://journals.ohiolink.edu/ejc/pdf.cgi/Morgan_Jo-Ann.pdf?issn=15427331&issue=v29i0003&article=378_hhmppcambscw

HUMN 341 (Weekly Analysis 5)

Pop culture and the excitement of college sports rivalries

College sports have taken a new wave in the 21st century. According to Jones (2005), a lot of rivalries are derived from familiarity. This familiarity leads to “Border Wars” due to the fact that most rivalry schools are in the same state or they at least border one another. Additionally, these kind of rivalries are really big because of the recruiting ramifications. Rivalry schools like to showcase their best talent when playing one another, and the “crazy fans” get bragging rights over the millions of people in the stands and watching via TV. This kind of competition helps boost recruiting efforts along with giving hungry fans a huge thrust of adrenalin. These rivalries also help boost beer, jersey and school merchandise sales.

Now according to passionatesportsfans.com, “college sports fans are one of a kind when it comes to their favorite team.” Most college sports fans are extremely loyal, far exceeding the average professional team fan’s passion for sports. With that said, rivalries are generally when college sports fans take it to another level. College basketball games between the Duke University and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and college football games between Ohio State and Michigan is something to watch, especially if you’re a fan of either team. During these rivalry games numerous fans are covered from their heads to their waists with paint representing his or her team. Major sports vendors and national TV organizations fight for a chance just to air such games. According to passionatesportsfans.com, you should be startled to see 90,000 LSU fans in Death Valley each game during football season. In addition to the 90,000 people in the stands, around 20,000 fans will be outside the stadium tailgating. As you can see, in today’s society the passion for college sports is incredible.

References:
College Sports Fans (2009). Retrieved on June 16, 2009 from http://www.passionatesportsfans.com/2009/03/31/college-sports-fans.html
Jones, Bomani (2005, September 1). ESPN. Why are rivalries so intense? Retrieved on June 16, 2009 from http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jones/050902

WEEKLY WRITTEN ANALYSIS 3

So you think you can dance

So You Think You Can Dance is a reality type series that was launched back in July of 2005. The show is quite similar to the reality series America’s Best Dance Crew and American Idol. So You Think You Can Dance has been a major hit since it first hit the scene in mid July 2005. Dance auditions are performed all over the United States. Individuals and groups from all walks of life are chosen to show their stuff for audiences all around the world. This British influenced show has became so popular around the world, countries such as Turkey, Germany, that Greece, Poland, Israel, and Malaysia are all looking to create their own spinoff of this wonderful showcase of talented dancers. According to Zulkey, C. (2009), there were plenty of bright spots in the L.A. and Seattle episodes. Stage performances were remarkable and talent showed throughout both the L.A. and Seattle auditions.

Again, this show has become such a big hit; it’s now giving American Idol a run for its money. With the talent, ages ranging from 18-49, the show is bound to get a large diverse audience who are seeking to see amazing acts from performers. As you can see, the show believes in age diversity which is why I believe it’ll continue to big a huge success. In my opinion, this is a great show because it gives the world a look at all of the great talent that America possesses.

References:Zulkey, C. (2009). Los Angeles Times. Entertainment. Show Tracker: So You Think You Can Dance. Retrieved on June 1, 2009 from http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/05/so-you-think-you-can-dance-la-and-seattle-auditions-that-go-on-and-on.html

HUMN 341 WEEK 4 Analysis

Adam Lambert of American Idol confirms all Gay Allegations

America seems to be so infatuated with stories that may eventually ruin a person’s career. According to Everett (2009), Adam Lambert of ‘American Idol’ 2009 season star admitted to the entire world that he’s gay. Adam said, “I don’t think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I’m gay.” Adam goes on to say, “I’m proud of my sexuality, I embrace it, it’s just another part of me.” These comments were published in the most recent issue of the Rolling Stone Magazine, which hit the newsstands this past Friday with Adam Lambert gracing its new flashy cover.

Lambert was the runner up winner of the 2009 season of ‘American Idol’. Many folks around the world thought that he was a clear shot to win it all. Adam Lambert, age 27 took America, as well as the whole word by surprise when he first opened up his mouth and released such a magnificent tone/melody of words. Recognized by many as a fine gentleman, Adam seems to have a long career that awaits him, despite his recent public announcement of his sexuality. By making comments like “I’m trying to be a singer, not a civil rights leader”, Lambert also seems to know that his sexuality may present some challenges in the future. According to Everett (2009), although he recently publicly announced his sexual preference, the ‘American Idol’ star will like to keep other parts of his life quite private.

With that said, Americans are probably the most tolerant group when it comes to the gay community, yet we as people thrive off of the negative attention derived from the media as it relates to that very same gay community. For Lambert’s sake, he must stay true to his words by focusing on his music and only his music. He must not get too involved in “he says, she says” Hollywood media turmoil. He’s a great singer, and he must not let his sexual preference destroy his future as a great artist.

References:

Everett, C., 2009 (June 9). DAILY NEWS. ‘American Idol’ singer Adam Lambert in Rolling Stone: I’m gay. Retrieved on June 13, 2009 from http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/americanidol/2009/06/09/2009-06-09_american_idol_singer_adam_lambert_in_rolling_stone_is_anyone_surprised_im_gay.html

Weekly Written Analysis 2

In the Newsweek article "REALITY TV'S REAL SURVIVOR," the topic of reality shows and just how much they've increased in popularity is discussed. Mike Darnell is the Fox TV executive that basically started the reality TV craze here in America with "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?", Rick and Darva Show, as well as shows such as "World's Scariest Police Chases," "Busted on the Job." etc. For a long time, FOX was the only network to actively pursue reality TV.

Now, about nine years later, it seems every network has at least 2-3 reality programs, and networks such as VH1 have actually built their whole existence as it were, around reality TV. The bottom line is, nowadays people just want to be entertained. When I was a kid, the big thing was soap operas. All my aunts just had to see what happened to Hope and Bo, or what Stephano has done now.

In my opinion, people just like watching the soaps because they were looking in on people's whose lives were worst than their own, and actually gave them something to feel better about themselves. Well, today we have reality TV and it serves the same purpose. It's amazing how many people actually watch and schedule their lives around ensuring that they do not miss the newest episode.

All I hear at work is, "did you see I love New York last night?" or I can't believe so-and-so was eliminated on Charm School or I love Money, just to cite a couple of examples. I cannot understand it because it seems so painfully obvious that these shows are crafted just for shock value and are not actually reality but only focus on bringing out the worst traits in individuals. Yet, millions of people are hooked. My own wife, who claims to dislike TV, was caught up in this madness. I could only shake my head because of the mindless stupidity portrayed on these shows in which people are so terribly addicted. My thoughts were echoed in the online article, "'Reality TV' Viewers Aren't Really Seeking Reality" where it mentions that people watch reality shows to escape reality with fantasy, just as if they were watching other television shows.

With that said, this article brings out that this is evident by the fact that viewers were so upset at the finale of "The Bachelorette" when she failed to pick one of the men and live happily ever after. The fact is, not only did she not connect with any of the guys and fall in love, but she also didn't fake a happy ending for the show. Although that is commendable, fans of the show where highly upset because she didn't meet their expectations. They had grown attached to certain characters and therefore felt that she should feel the same. The irony of this is that this is a reality show, and her feelings, or lack thereof, was real, but the viewers didn't want what was real; they wanted a storybook ending.




References:
Peyser, M. (2000, December 25). Newsweek. Reality Tv’s Real Survivor: You Though The Darva And Rick Show Was The Big Tv Disaster Of The Year? Think Again. Retrieved on May 28, 2009 from http://www.newsweek.com/id/104977/output/print

Sci/Tech News Staff, (2006, August 15). Softpedia. Behavior/Humans: Reality TV Viewers Aren’t Really Seeking Reality “ they watch it for the escape and fantasy, much as they watch other shows”. Retrieved on May 28, 2009 from http://news.softpedia.com/news/039-Reality-TV-039-Viewers-Aren-039-t-Really-Seeking-Reality-32882.shtml

Icon Analysis

Jay Leno (Tonight Show-Actor/Comedian), Bobby Flay (Restaurant Owner/Iron Chef/Food Network TV Star), and Emeril Lagasse (Restaurant Owner/Food Network TV Star-Master Chef)

The three contemporary icons I chose to write about today are Jay Leno, Emeril, and Bobby Flay. Jay Leno has been the host of "The Tonight Show" for the past 17 years. Emeril Lagasse is a world renowned chef and host to several shows on Food Network and the Planet Green channels. Bobby Flay is another well known chef, restaurateur, and TV personality.

I chose Jay Leno because Friday, May 29th will be the final, 3,775th episode for Jay, as Conan O'Brien will be taking over as the host. "The Tonight Show" was a huge success in part to Jay's signature comedy pieces such as Jay Walking, Headlines, and one of my favorites, Iron Jay. It seemed that throughout the years Jay's always had the best jokes regarding public and political issues no matter what the topic. During his final episode, he even took the time to thank Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Monica Lewinski, and Michael Jackson for giving him so much material to work with over the years. Jay will be moving to another show on NBC at 10pm beginning hopefully this fall. It seems that a lot of his staff may be going with him to his new show, so I'm very excited as it could be similar to the Tonight Show, only before my bedtime.

In addition to watching TV, I love to cook, and enjoy working in the kitchen and outside on the grill. Emeril has been very influential to me and have really helped to spark my love of cooking and creativity in the kitchen. Watching Emeril Live was one of the highlights of my week, and I got countless recipe ideas and dishes I just had to make at home for the family. His personality is very inviting, and his stage presence is one that really takes a person in and captures my attention and desire to take my cooking to another level. Actually, my interest in culinary arts which began by watching Emeril, has also lead me to be a big fan of Bobby Flay.

Now, Bobby has a completely different style of cooking than Emeril, and it's one that I also can relate to as I love to grill. What I enjoy the most is watching Bobby on the "Iron Chef America," "Throw down with Bobby Flay", and "Grill it with Bobby Flay" as I get recipe ideas and learn new ways to really enhance my cooking and sharpen my skills on the grill. Many people are turned off by his aggressive attitude and cockiness, however I feel that he's one of the best chefs out there and can afford to have a chip on his shoulder; he's certainly earned it. Maybe one day you'll see me on TV with Bobby doing a throw down challenge.



References:
Carter, B. (2009). The New York Times. Television: Jay Leno Takes Final Bow on ‘Tonight Show. Retrieved on May 30, 2009 on http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/arts/television/30leno.html?em.
Emerilology (2009): Home. Retrieved on May 30, 2009 from http://www.emerils.com/emeril/
Bobby Flay (2009). Retrieved on May 30, 2009 from http://www.bobbyflay.com/index.html.

Music continues to be a dominate force in Pop Culture

My understanding of pop culture is that it’s whatever is popular during that era. Pop culture consists of several things such as popular movies, TV shows, music, books, food, clothing, etc… In my opinion, pop culture is something iconic, extremely appreciated, as well as respected. It’s something that can inspire a person, something that makes you happy, and it’s something that is generally enjoyed by a large sum of individuals. Pop culture is known to influence trends, as well as people’s lifestyles.
Understanding pop culture is essential in the business environment in that it’s important for organizations and individuals to keep up with new trends in current society so that they can stay competitive. Pop culture is more than just what’s popular; it’s a way of life for a lot of individuals which is why it’s so important that businesses find ways to adapt to current trends to ensure a competitive and compelling place to work. Many people live their lives from what they hear and see from friends, TV, movies, music, and other popular activities that maybe derived from the media.

Rap/Rhythm and Blues Pop Culture

Rap and Rhythm and Blues (R&B) music continues to be one of the most influential pop culture artifacts in the United States. Rap music was created to encourage, motivated, inspire, and educate the general public about what goes on in the “not so good” areas of America. Rap and R&B music are symbols of black culture as they represent more than music, they represent a way of life. Rappers are known to rap about their upbringing and current way of life and for so many “minority” individuals it’s a reflection of their own lives. Poverty, neglect, one-parent homes, victims of welfare, disappointments, as well as accomplishments all can be heard through the sounds of many rap artists/records. R & B artists and music also has traits of storytelling, and it focuses on the black struggles as well as loving one another no matter your race, creed, national origin, sex, or religious affiliation.

According to Mills, F. (2001), white Americans have always been fascinated and expressed fascination with African American culture for years. This sort of fascination has been manifested in music. With that said, rap music has become so huge even the whites have learned how to enjoy, entertain, and make profits off of it. This popular cultural trend has also helped reduce stereotypes, as well as break down racial barriers in America. These are two important factors, especially when it comes to improving diversity in the workplace.

Now, I chose Rap and R&B music as my pop culture artifacts because I feel that this kind of music has truly helped to change the face of America. In my opinion, electing Barack Obama has our 44th President is another prime example of how influential Rap and R&B “black culture” has been inbred into Americans. Again, I truly believe that Rap and R&B music has opened the eyes of many Americans, and it has really cut through the racial barriers in both young and old America.




References:
Mills, F. (2001, December), Magazine Americana, Music: Rap And Young, White Males: Masculinity, Masking And Denial. Retrieved on May 24, 2009 from http://www.americanpopularculture.com/archive/music/rap_white_men.htm