Assignment 2-1

Out of all of the reality TV shows that have been sweeping the nation for the past several years there is one that has inspired a nation to better itself. The Biggest Loser is the only reality show out right now that makes the winners out of losers, so to speak. The idea of the show is to take seriously obese contestants to a ranch in Southern California for 16 weeks, away from their families and the life style that put them in such an unhealthy position, and help them lose weight. They are not only worked beyond their own physical limits but they are taught how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay motivated. Offering the winner $250,000 at the end doesn’t hurt either.
These contestants perform certain tasks and achieve goals that they never thought possible and they do it all on national television. Although they are losing this weight at a much higher rate than what is recommended for the average person, people are able to see from week to week that losing weight is possible. For some people the contestants are much larger than they are, but for some people watching they are the size of the biggest person on the show. The show inspires people to get up and do something about their situation. This is not like looking at before and after pictures on a commercials for a new exercise program or hearing a celebrity talk about the newest diet plan. People see for two hours per week, people just like them counting calories, weighing food, and going to the gym, basically losing weight just as the average person would. Of course it needs to be realized that there are extreme hours put in at the gym and special diets developed by a panel of doctors but it is still being done in a way that any man, woman, or child can do with what they have at home. There are no tricks or gimmicks, just hard work and the drive to succeed.
During these tough times, even if someone doesn’t need to lose weight, it is nice to see a program on television that shows real people achieving their dream and bettering themselves. Society is in a place right now where the obesity rate is up, unemployment is up, and spirits are down. People need inspiration and someone to show them that things can change as long as the effort is made. It may not happen overnight, but with hard work and a little faith, anything is possible.

Repost Assignement 1-3

The article, “Will and Grace: Negotiating (Gay) Marriage on Prime-Time Television”, suggests this article is about relationships between two gay people, and at some point marriage between the two. That is not at all way this is about. This article is the author’s take on the true meaning behind the show “Will and Grace”, and how it portrays the ever changing relationship style of today. We are first introduced to Will and Grace, a gay man and straight woman, who are best friends. In the show they are both identified as single, but they actually may not be. To some viewers and to themselves, they are seen as a couple. They share the same interests, know and understand the little details about one another, and have an unbreakable emotional bond. This is the modern day definition of a healthy and loving relationship. The only thing they are missing is the physical aspect. Will and Grace seem to have everything everyone looks for in a relationship, minus sex.
The author also very lightly touches on the supporting characters of Jack, a homosexual man, and Karen a heterosexual woman. They seem to carry the roles of everything Will and Grace are living without in their relationship, just to the extent beyond what any normal person would. Jack is not discussed much, other than the fact that he is a stereotypical “gay man”. The one thing that was used to bring Jack’s character to life and explain his personal dynamic is this article is the mention of the very erotic gay porn he wrote and gave to Karen to read. Karen, on the other hand is an exaggerated depiction of what a straight woman should be, except for the fact that she has taken on the role of the man in her relationship, and not a very good man. Karen is a heightened sense of everything that Grace is not. She is a woman that could care less about the emotional part of the relationships, the thing Grace cares most about, and sees her marriage as a money for sex contract. She finds her fulfillment in her husband’s money and things that may seem outrageous to some, such as Jack’s gay porn.
We also learn from this article that this show became such a mainstream success because it talked to so many different audiences. Although the primary audience was twenty-something women and gay men, it became a highly rated Emmy Award winning comedy because it reached so many other people. One reason for the expanded viewership is because there was always that question of will Will and Grace ever get married. Their emotional relationship is so strong that people wondered throughout if they would be able to forever sacrifice the physical aspect of the relationship to spend their lives together. Or will the physical desire somehow make its away in and “turn Will straight”? In the pilot episode, Grace actually called Will her soul mate when they were in a straight bar together and the people in the bar thought they had gotten married. It seemed as though she meant it as well. In relating back to the primary audience though, the show was intriguing. This show gave young single women a new outlook on relationships and went against everything they had been taught about the standard heterosexual marriage. It showed that a person can find someone to share their life with that may not meet the standard of the classic heterosexual relationship or even homosexual relationship. This show also gave a face to the gay culture that had not yet been explored to this extent. Will and Grace had something to offer just about everyone.

This article also brought up what could be the scarier side of any relationship. Is there something out there strong enough to end the relationship? Since Will and Grace technically are not a couple, in the normal or legal sense of the word, having no children, marriage license, or mortgage, Grace becomes worried that when she and Will each start dating someone they will no long be in each other’s lives. She flirts with the idea that she and Will are only together because they have no one else, primarily Will, and when he finds that someone else she will be cast aside and will lose her best friend. To try to form that bond she convinces Will to purchase a piano with her to bring a sense of “family” into their world. She feels that if they have a physical object together that will hold them together, as a “normal couple might look at children”, there would be less chance that they would leave each other. By the end of that episode she and Will are sitting at the piano singing The Captain and Tennille’s, “Love Will Keep Us Together”. This is Wills way of letting her know, just as a husband might, that they don’t need material things to keep the relationship going. Their love for each other will keep them together no matter how their lives change and grow. This again can be interpreted a few different ways. For the more conservative group that keep the hope that the relationship will grow into something more, this may be a sign that Will’s spark for Grace is burning stronger and becoming harder to fight. For the people that have embraced the queerness of their relationship, they see that Will and Grace will be soul mates and connected forever, no matter where the world may take them.
Finally, the article goes back to the supporting characters and how they are affected by Will and Grace’s relationship, specifically Grace’s marriage to Leo and what it does to Karen. Even though Leo has to leave the country and the dynamic of the group doesn’t change all that much, Karen takes the marriage as a breakup of Will and Grace. The author compares her to a child in the middle of their parent’s divorce. Although Karen is seen as the one person in the show that takes personal relationships seriously the least, she is the one hurt by the change in Will and Grace’s relationship. At one point they sit down and speak to her as if she were their child and explained to her that things are different but they still both love her and will be there for her always. This also solidifies the bond the two of them have with each other. This fact is also apparent to Grace’s husband Leo before he leaves, as he enlists the help of Will when Grace is moody or wants to talk clothes and sales. These are all things that he could care less about but understands that Will can fill that void.
The point of the article as well as the show is to let people see the other side of love and life and that not everyone will find that storybook life. Everyone is different and it’s ok to embrace those differences. Deep down some people still wanted the finale of the show to center around Will and Grace finally realizing they are meant for each other and profess their love. It didn’t happen that way though and if it would have it would have gone against everything the series stood for. Families do not have to share a blood line or consist of a man and woman getting married. A family is the group a group of people that love and support each other. They take each other for which they are nothing more nothing less and accept only that.

The article, “Will and Grace: Negotiating (Gay) Marriage on Prime-Time Television”, suggests this article is about relationships between two gay people, and at some point marriage between the two. That is not at all way this is about. This article is the author’s take on the true meaning behind the show “Will and Grace”, and how it portrays the ever changing relationship style of today. We are first introduced to Will and Grace, a gay man and straight woman, who are best friends. In the show they are both identified as single, but they actually may not be. To some viewers and to themselves, they are seen as a couple. They share the same interests, know and understand the little details about one another, and have an unbreakable emotional bond. This is the modern day definition of a healthy and loving relationship. The only thing they are missing is the physical aspect. Will and Grace seem to have everything everyone looks for in a relationship, minus sex.
The author also very lightly touches on the supporting characters of Jack, a homosexual man, and Karen a heterosexual woman. They seem to carry the roles of everything Will and Grace are living without in their relationship, just to the extent beyond what any normal person would. Jack is not discussed much, other than the fact that he is a stereotypical “gay man”. The one thing that was used to bring Jack’s character to life and explain his personal dynamic is this article is the mention of the very erotic gay porn he wrote and gave to Karen to read. Karen, on the other hand is an exaggerated depiction of what a straight woman should be, except for the fact that she has taken on the role of the man in her relationship, and not a very good man. Karen is a heightened sense of everything that Grace is not. She is a woman that could care less about the emotional part of the relationships, the thing Grace cares most about, and sees her marriage as a money for sex contract. She finds her fulfillment in her husband’s money and things that may seem outrageous to some, such as Jack’s gay porn.
We also learn from this article that this show became such a mainstream success because it talked to so many different audiences. Although the primary audience was twenty-something women and gay men, it became a highly rated Emmy Award winning comedy because it reached so many other people. One reason for the expanded viewership is because there was always that question of will Will and Grace ever get married. Their emotional relationship is so strong that people wondered throughout if they would be able to forever sacrifice the physical aspect of the relationship to spend their lives together. Or will the physical desire somehow make its away in and “turn Will straight”? In the pilot episode, Grace actually called Will her soul mate when they were in a straight bar together and the people in the bar thought they had gotten married. It seemed as though she meant it as well. In relating back to the primary audience though, the show was intriguing. This show gave young single women a new outlook on relationships and went against everything they had been taught about the standard heterosexual marriage. It showed that a person can find someone to share their life with that may not meet the standard of the classic heterosexual relationship or even homosexual relationship. This show also gave a face to the gay culture that had not yet been explored to this extent. Will and Grace had something to offer just about everyone.

This article also brought up what could be the scarier side of any relationship. Is there something out there strong enough to end the relationship? Since Will and Grace technically are not a couple, in the normal or legal sense of the word, having no children, marriage license, or mortgage, Grace becomes worried that when she and Will each start dating someone they will no long be in each other’s lives. She flirts with the idea that she and Will are only together because they have no one else, primarily Will, and when he finds that someone else she will be cast aside and will lose her best friend. To try to form that bond she convinces Will to purchase a piano with her to bring a sense of “family” into their world. She feels that if they have a physical object together that will hold them together, as a “normal couple might look at children”, there would be less chance that they would leave each other. By the end of that episode she and Will are sitting at the piano singing The Captain and Tennille’s, “Love Will Keep Us Together”. This is Wills way of letting her know, just as a husband might, that they don’t need material things to keep the relationship going. Their love for each other will keep them together no matter how their lives change and grow. This again can be interpreted a few different ways. For the more conservative group that keep the hope that the relationship will grow into something more, this may be a sign that Will’s spark for Grace is burning stronger and becoming harder to fight. For the people that have embraced the queerness of their relationship, they see that Will and Grace will be soul mates and connected forever, no matter where the world may take them.
Finally, the article goes back to the supporting characters and how they are affected by Will and Grace’s relationship, specifically Grace’s marriage to Leo and what it does to Karen. Even though Leo has to leave the country and the dynamic of the group doesn’t change all that much, Karen takes the marriage as a breakup of Will and Grace. The author compares her to a child in the middle of their parent’s divorce. Although Karen is seen as the one person in the show that takes personal relationships seriously the least, she is the one hurt by the change in Will and Grace’s relationship. At one point they sit down and speak to her as if she were their child and explained to her that things are different but they still both love her and will be there for her always. This also solidifies the bond the two of them have with each other. This fact is also apparent to Grace’s husband Leo before he leaves, as he enlists the help of Will when Grace is moody or wants to talk clothes and sales. These are all things that he could care less about but understands that Will can fill that void.
The point of the article as well as the show is to let people see the other side of love and life and that not everyone will find that storybook life. Everyone is different and it’s ok to embrace those differences. Deep down some people still wanted the finale of the show to center around Will and Grace finally realizing they are meant for each other and profess their love. It didn’t happen that way though and if it would have it would have gone against everything the series stood for. Families do not have to share a blood line or consist of a man and woman getting married. A family is the group a group of people that love and support each other. They take each other for which they are nothing more nothing less and accept only that.

Assignment 2-2 Icon Analysis

The three icons I chose were the 90's grunge band Pearl Jam, Campbell's Soup, and Nike. Pearl Jam is one of the first grunge bands of the 90's and today are one of the most popular alternative bands of all time. They got there start in 1990 in Seattle, WA with the release of their debut album "Ten". They have released 11 studio albums and in 2009 re released "Ten". In addition to that they have released several live albums. Campbell's Soup is the world's leading manufacturer of canned soup. It was founded in 1869 by Joseph Campbell and Abraham Anderson. They began by producing canned vegetables, fruit, meats, and preserves. They have grown into a household name and can be recognized only by the label that is placed on their products. The third icon I have chosen is Nike. Nike came about because in 1959 a running coach at the University of Oregon named Bill Bowerman wanted to find a lighter running shoe, and one of his runners wanted to find a career that revolved around his love for athletics when he graduated. After several years and a long road travelled, Nike was developed in 1970. The Nike symbol, "The Swoosh" was invented in 1971 to represent the wing of the Greek Goddess NIKE. They are now one of the top selling and most popular sports apparel and equipment manufacturers in the world.

I chose these three icons because even though they have grown to be the best in their fields they still pride themselves on the fact that they are giving back and standing up for what they believe in. The members of Pearl Jam have prided themselves on being the outcast in the music industry. It's been said that they are purposefully killing their success. They have chosen to not give in to the corporate greed. Two things that they have done, which has lead to be praised and criticized for at the same time, are their boycott of Ticketmaster, stating it is a monopoly, and not making music videos. Their lead singer Eddie Vedder chose to take the band in a non-commercial direction. They lost some fans but managed to stay true to their beliefs and the real fans, the ones they were trying to help, held on and stuck with them throughout. Campbell's Soup, on the other hand, offers a give back in exchange for purchasing their product. For the past 30 years Campbell's has offered the Labels for Education Program. They encourage people to collect labels from their products and turn them into their local school. The schools can turn the labels in to the company in exchange for equipment to be used by the students. To date, Campbell's has provided over $100 millions in equipment to schools. The Nike foundation has sponsored several different initiatives over the years. Currently they are working in Brazil to find the best practices to challenge rigid gender norms and encourage men and boys to be more accepting of women. They are also focusing on decreasing sexual and physical abuse and promote wellness and parenting classes.

These three icons stand out to me because they all found a way to rise to the top and still find a way to give back. Their are many other bands that stood for something when they were just starting out, and companies that started in a basement or in someone's garage as a two man operation with donations made from friends and family. Once they "made it big" they conveniently forgot what their stand was or what their humble beginnings were like. They are very thoughtfully know today as "sellouts". They let themselves go for a check. These three icons did not do that. They have taken what was created and make use of it and allow others to benefit and ways they may have never thought possible.

repost assignment 1-4

The latest craze in movies is not a new concept. Comic book movies are on the rise again. They made an appearance in the 80s and 90s. For the most part those films brought to the big screen the stories of good versus evil that the entire family could enjoy. Some leaned toward the dark side but for the most part they were good for a family movie night. The comic book movies of today however have turned into a darker, more intimate look at the past life and current struggles of our favorite superheroes. This could be due to the changing climate of family dynamic or the producer’s deliberate attempt to keep the same audience they had 20 years ago by appealing to a more adult audience. Whatever the reason the response is huge.
Although the classic superhero movies still have a huge cult following the new movies are taking off in a big way. One reason seems to be that the graphics and technology are much more advanced which makes the story that much more exciting, adding a good soundtrack doesn’t hurt either. Most of the plot being given played out in these movies is not new, especially to the avid comic book fan, just more detailed. It’s so much cooler to see how Wolverine got his adamantium claws, as seen in the movie released this summer, than to just know they are there. If this movie would have been released 20 years ago the detail wouldn’t have been there.
One great thing about this is that the people that were childhood fans of the comic books and earlier movies are still hanging on with the reinvention of these characters. The graphic enhancements and deeper story lines appeal to these fans as adults now. Super heroes and villains alike are more depth and are more vulnerable. Director Tim Burton has recreated some of the best comic book characters using technology and his eerie sense of being. After all, these are still the same comic book heroes and villains that have been around for of 50 years, he just breathed new life into them. This also draws in the long time fan that is more interested in the story than the effects. (Mnofdichotomy, 2009, May 13)
This new style of comic book movie is just right for appealing to the masses. There is something there for the person looking for a good action sci-fi movie and the old time comic book fan that respects the story. These movies are not as cartoony and cheesy as the movies from the past. Comic book heroes of today are flesh and blood beings with emotions and personality. They are still on a mission but now there is more of a reason to get behind them and the new technology makes it that much more exciting to watch.
Mnofdichotomy, (2009, May 13) Re: Comic Book Movies. Posted to: http://www.cinemaroll.com/Cinemarolling/Comic-Book-Movies.706711

repost assignement 1-2

Popular Culture is a contemporary lifestyle developed by popular aspects of everyday life. Its people’s likes, dislikes, what they aspire to be, and what they try so hard not to become. To me, popular culture is what makes people who they are. The outlook tends to be, if everyone else is doing it, I want to be like them. In this way, popular culture leads to conformity, which leads to trends. It’s a cycle. This is important in the business word because people look to trends to determine what they want and like and base a lot of their decisions on what is popular. Understanding pop culture helps corporations know and understand what the current trend is and what people are looking for in a product, which helps with marketing and product presentation.
For example, the HBO TV series “Sex and the City” has not only captivated a generation of women and men alike but it has become a franchise. There is Sex and the City merchandise available in stores and online, including closes, jewelry, books, DVD sets to the TV series and movie. The HBO website even offers “The Essentials for a Girls Night In”, which includes a t-shirt, wine glasses, and the “Sex and the City Movie”. There is also a “Carrie’s Closet” app for the iPhone. In addition to that, name dropping is a huge part of the series and movie. Manolo Blahniks, Fendi bags, and cosmopolitans may never have been so popular if it were not for Carrie Bradshaw. To add to the craze, in the “Sex and the City Movie”, it seemed you were thirsty if you didn’t have a bottle “Vitamin Water” in your hand. This series of TV shows and movies not only gave women an image of what they dreamed to be but also told them what to buy to become just that.
Reference: www.HBO.com/city

The latest craze in movies is not a new concept. Comic book movies are on the rise again. They made an appearance in the 80s and 90s. For the most part those films brought to the big screen the stories of good versus evil that the entire family could enjoy. Some leaned toward the dark side but for the most part they were good for a family movie night. The comic book movies of today however have turned into a darker, more intimate look at the past life and current struggles of our favorite superheroes. This could be due to the changing climate of family dynamic or the producer’s deliberate attempt to keep the same audience they had 20 years ago by appealing to a more adult audience. Whatever the reason the response is huge.
Although the classic superhero movies still have a huge cult following the new movies are taking off in a big way. One reason seems to be that the graphics and technology are much more advanced which makes the story that much more exciting, adding a good soundtrack doesn’t hurt either. Most of the plot being given played out in these movies is not new, especially to the avid comic book fan, just more detailed. It’s so much cooler to see how Wolverine got his adamantium claws, as seen in the movie released this summer, than to just know they are there. If this movie would have been released 20 years ago the detail wouldn’t have been there.
One great thing about this is that the people that were childhood fans of the comic books and earlier movies are still hanging on with the reinvention of these characters. The graphic enhancements and deeper story lines appeal to these fans as adults now. Super heroes and villains alike are more depth and are more vulnerable. Director Tim Burton has recreated some of the best comic book characters using technology and his eerie sense of being. After all, these are still the same comic book heroes and villains that have been around for of 50 years, he just breathed new life into them. This also draws in the long time fan that is more interested in the story than the effects. (Mnofdichotomy, 2009, May 13)
This new style of comic book movie is just right for appealing to the masses. There is something there for the person looking for a good action sci-fi movie and the old time comic book fan that respects the story. These movies are not as cartoony and cheesy as the movies from the past. Comic book heroes of today are flesh and blood beings with emotions and personality. They are still on a mission but now there is more of a reason to get behind them and the new technology makes it that much more exciting to watch.
Mnofdichotomy, (2009, May 13) Re: Comic Book Movies. Posted to: http://www.cinemaroll.com/Cinemarolling/Comic-Book-Movies.706711

Checking to see if my image posted for 1-2

Assignment 1-2

Popular Culture is a contemporary lifestyle developed by popular aspects of everyday life. Its people’s likes, dislikes, what they aspire to be, and what they try so hard not to become. To me, popular culture is what makes people who they are. The outlook tends to be, if everyone else is doing it, I want to be like them. In this way, popular culture leads to conformity, which leads to trends. It’s a cycle. This is important in the business word because people look to trends to determine what they want and like and base a lot of their decisions on what is popular. Understanding pop culture helps corporations know and understand what the current trend is and what people are looking for in a product, which helps with marketing and product presentation.
For example, the HBO TV series “Sex and the City” has not only captivated a generation of women and men alike but it has become a franchise. There is Sex and the City merchandise available in stores and online, including closes, jewelry, books, DVD sets to the TV series and movie. The HBO website even offers “The Essentials for a Girls Night In”, which includes a t-shirt, wine glasses, and the “Sex and the City Movie”. There is also a “Carrie’s Closet” app for the iPhone. In addition to that, name dropping is a huge part of the series and movie. Manolo Blahniks, Fendi bags, and cosmopolitans may never have been so popular if it were not for Carrie Bradshaw. To add to the craze, in the “Sex and the City Movie”, it seemed you were thirsty if you didn’t have a bottle “Vitamin Water” in your hand. This series of TV shows and movies not only gave women an image of what they dreamed to be but also told them what to buy to become just that.