discussion and 2 replies 4
Having developed a definition of popular culture in the last module, this week we’re turning to how popular culture applies to you personally. This could be related to your personal experiences (such as your fandom) or things you’ve observed about those around you (for instance, how your family members interact with popular culture). Based on the module resources and your own research, write an initial post that addresses the following:
- Describe a popular culture artifact that either you or someone around you finds especially interesting. What resonates with you about the artifact? How does experiencing that artifact help contribute to your understanding of society?
- Share a current issue related to popular culture that you have found interesting or that has personally impacted you. Post an article from a news source. How does popular culture help you better understand this issue?
In responding to your peers, provide feedback about the examples utilized and the feedback loop being created. Are there other feedback loops being created through these examples (i.e., is there more than one message being presented)? Make sure you support your response with information from the readings, this module, and any additional resources as needed.
Reply 1: One part of popular culture I find interesting, and always have since I was a kid, is professional wrestling. I find it interesting because it’s like watching a live stunt show with a bunch of drama and escapism mixed in. Opinion varies wildly on it, with most people who don’t like it pointing out that it’s “fakeâ€. I find this fascinating to discuss because as an adult, of course I know it’s fake. They’re not really trying to hurt each other, but some of those moves really hurt and the athleticism to do some of the things they can is very real. In this way, it does have something in common with actual sports, although with the scripted nature of the show, it has more in common with a show like Game of Thrones than it does with boxing. I find it interesting that those who like to complain about pro wrestling would never complain that the performers on Game of Thrones aren’t actually trying to kill each other. It’s all just stunts on both sides, so why is there such a vastly different outlook between them?
A current issue I find interesting is the suggestion that the next James Bond movie should star a woman. Some characters can switch genders and it works. For example, Starbuck was a male in the original Battlestar Galactica series but was played by a woman in the recent reboot. Nobody really minded because the entire world was reimagined, and that made it work. Dr. Who was also switched, but given that the character is a time-hopping alien who changes appearances quite often, it could be fit into the narrative without much of a wrinkle. James Bond is different, though. He is a character with a deep history. Instead of changing the character, they should use him as a springboard to launch something new. For example, the Star Trek producers didn’t need to change James Kirk into a female but used the franchise as a springboard to launch a new character with new stories: Kathryn Janeway, captain of the Voyager.
Warren Custer
Reply 2:
The artifact that I will be choosing to discuss for this week is horror films, and in particular, the new IT Chapter Two movie that just came out last Friday. Ever since I was a child (I’m talking about 5 years old) I would sit in the dark and watch scary movies on TV. One day, the original IT series came on and I watched most of it until I fell asleep. I realized that the fear of clowns I had was still there (I always had a fear of them since I was a toddler) but I liked the fact that I was scared just by watching a movie. For some reason, I love the feeling of being scared as long as I am in a safe place or I know that what I am afraid can’t really hurt me. In terms of the IT films, I think they did an amazing job with the new movie and keeping it similar to the book and the original TV movie. I think what makes the movie so big is clowns in particular are scary to a vast majority of people. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that completely covering up your face so no one can identify you is terrifying (at least to me). Making a movie that takes your fears and puts in the form of a clown that can morph into your biggest fears…is genius. When this movie came out last week, my husband and my best friend went to view it. It was a later show that started at 10 and it is a three hour movie and the theater was full. There was even a child in there (they left 30 minutes in because she got scared) but it just goes to show that people like to be scared. For me, I just really think the story is clever. I think one of the main reasons why this movie resonates with me is the fact that it is directly about children and how their fears can seem so real and can be haunting. The parents in the movie don’t seem to notice or care about the missing children and they can’t seem to see the clown. It is exactly what it is like to be scared as a kid-we are naïve and see or believe things that our older and wiser parents know is not true. That almost makes it scarier because now we don’t have anyone to count on to rescue us!
As far as a current issue related to pop culture is the taping of cops. What I mean is that because cell phones are carried by most people, they are readily available. And since there are so many incidences being circulated via social media and mainstream news about corrupt cops, they are being recorded more and more. My sister is a sergeant and she has been a devoted cop for the last 15 years and she is thinking about changing careers due to all the negativity that has been placed on cops. The video/news article I am sharing has been circulating since August. Basically, cops that are not in the standard uniform show up at a house that has been reported for selling marijuana out of it. The girl answers the door and is visibly scared and not sure if she should trust them. Eventually they enter and tell her they are in the process of obtaining a search warrant and that in the meantime, they are going to watch her until they get the approval. This is legal to do if they have probable cause but she states it illegal. One thing that has a lot of people in a uproar is that there is video of one of the cops allegedly punching their pregnant dog she bites him and he threatens to kill it. Long story short, they do get the search warrant and find marijuana that they were illegally growing and distributing out of their home and they took their money (1700 dollars total). The couple has started a ‘GoFundMe’ page asking for 10,000 dollars to get a lawyer and their life savings back. Police are faced with being filmed every day, whether they are in the right or wrong, and it is becoming harder for civilians to trust them and it is even harder for the police officers that are not corrupt to do their job effectively because everything can be turned into an issue. The problem with cops has become escalated due to sharing videos and people’s perception of them are that all cops are bad and there seems to always be a loophole for the cops to be in trouble.
Rebecca Hain
#Essaywriting #Academicwriting #Assignmenthelp #Nursingassignment #Nursinghomework #Psychologyassignment #Physicsassignment #Philosophyassignment #Religionassignment #History #Writing #writingtips #Students #universityassignment #onlinewriting #savvyessaywriters #onlineprowriters #assignmentcollection #excelsiorwriters #writinghub #study #exclusivewritings #myassignmentgeek #expertwriters #art #transcription #grammer #college #highschool #StudentsHelpingStudents #studentshirt #StudentShoe #StudentShoes #studentshoponline #studentshopping #studentshouse #StudentShoutout #studentshowcase2017 #StudentsHub #studentsieuczy #StudentsIn #studentsinberlin #studentsinbusiness #StudentsInDubai #studentsininternational #accountingassignmenthelp #accountingassignment #assignmenthelp #buyaccountingassignment #accountingassignmentwriter #domyassignment #assignmentguide #expertwriters 