Week 5 weekly analysis

My analysis this week is about the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat.  The media has been giving a lot of attention to the Miami Heat and their “Big 3” of Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh.  Most of the coverage was about how the Heat weren’t dominating instead of giving credit to the Dallas Mavericks for playing solid team basketball.  It’s a shame that the media was so focused on the Heat, that the Mavericks weren’t given their due for sweeping the two tie defending champion L.A. Lakers.  The Mavericks had only one big star in Dirk Nowitzki.  At times, he carried this team as a big star should, but his teammates stepped up when he was sick.  The Mavericks won the NBA championship and didn’t have a television show about it or go out of their way to make a huge deal about it.  The city had a parade for the Mavericks, as most cities do when they win a championship, and the athletes will get their rings for winning.  Some players will get more media exposure then they are used to as well.  The Dallas Mavericks are considered gracious winners, unlike a few players from the Miami Heat.

            Lebron James made the phrase, “taking my talents to South Beach” a household phrase.  It has been used in just about every way possible when referring to Miami.  After the Miami Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, Lebron James made this comment:

"All the people that were rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day, they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today. I’m going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that. They can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal. But they have to get back to the real world at some point.”

It’s a shame to see someone of his fame say something like this and take away from the spotlight that the Dallas Mavericks deserve after beating his Miami Heat in six games.  Lebron has tried to downplay the comments and say people overreacted.  He should have just said congratulations to the Mavs and ended the interview.

            As the saying goes, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”  He should be more respectful of his fellow athletes and let them have their moment.

            I will end this with a great joke.  I asked Lebron James for change for a dollar.  He gave me seventy-five cents back and walked away. I guess it’s true that he can only give you three quarters!

Week 4 Weekly analysis 06/12/11

         Heroes are usually fictional characters from comic books, television shows, or movies.  Some people would define their hero as someone who made it big, but has done little or nothing to be a true hero.  Today’s pop culture has diluted the definition of hero.  I hear and read about people who say their hero is a reality television star or someone who has a lot of money but no one really knows how it was obtained.  I heard a girl at work say she wanted to make her own sex tape so she could leak it to the internet and try to become famous like Kim Kardashian or Paris Hilton.  She called both of those women her “heroes” because they are famous, have their own television shows, and didn’t do anything difficult to get where they are today.  My first response was to tell the girl that both of those women became popular because they were indirectly paid for taping them having sex and that would make them like hookers, or prostitutes.  Of course, being in the work environment, I kept the thought to myself, shook my head, and kept about my work day.  I also wanted to print off the true definition of hero from dictionary.com and put it on her desk, so she would possibly rethink her words, but that would have been a waste of my time, in my opinion. It amazes me how the young generation looks for the quickest and easiest way to become famous and make money with no regret of the moral implications that may follow.  

Today’s media is focused mainly on negativity and doom and gloom stories, instead of reporting positive, feel good stories. The evening news usually leads the program with a major negative story and may have one small snippet of positivity at the end of the program.

            In my opinion, a true hero is a person who does something above and beyond what most people would do to help someone else out, whether it’s a friend or total stranger, and doesn’t seek any reward or accolade in return. 

I would like to take a moment to thank some true heroes, in my opinion, and they are the men and women of the United States military.   The next time you see a member of our military, take a moment to say, “Thank you.”

Assignment 1-3 Journal Article Analysis

Here is the article I did my analysis on:  Satire TV: Politics and comedy in the post-network era. Journal of Popular Culture, 43, 214-216.

Political Satire on Television

            Political satire on television has exploded onto mainstream television with shows like The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live.  These types of shows have been on the cutting edge when it comes to pushing the envelope on network television.  Political comedy seemed to be considered taboo and wasn’t shown on network television until the end of the 1990’s.  Saturday Night Live would do a five minute sketch with some political figures in it but not go too far in making fun of them and possibly causing serious backlash from the mainstream media. 

The article talks about a new collection of contemporary satirical essays called Satire TV.  This collection of essays is broken down into four main areas.  The first section discusses the historical aspect of political satire on television.  The second section describes the relationship between traditional journalism and the fake news shows and challenges what people may consider to be actual news.  The third section the breakdown and makeup of political television and how it presented culturally or by party favoritism.  The fourth section gets into how political satire characterizes the political news and people that is talks about based on party affiliations and race.

Satire TV mentions a few controversial shows that aren’t considered fake news shows but are comedy first and use politics in some of their episodes or skits.  Pop culture shows like South Park and The Chappelle Show use political satire in different ways.  South Park pushes the limits with every episode and uses recent events in pop culture and the political realm to amuse their audiences.  The episodes will use a lot of play on word scenarios in order to get away with saying “touchy” words that other networks would shy away from or get fined for by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Chappelle Show focuses more on racial politics and stereotypes to capture audiences.  Some skits will over dramatize the stereotype in question, and others may use a reverse of the stereotype to get a laugh.

Political comedy shows have taken the airways by storm over the last decade.  The Daily Show with Jon Stewart will show actual footage of the President of the United States during a press conference, or during an interview and give his version of what the President was actually saying and delivers it in a comedic way.  Jon Stewart isn’t aligned with any political party on his show and will poke fun of anybody that may say something dumb, or not make any sense with what they are saying.  Another great segment of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is Jon will have actual politicians on his show.  It’s easy to make fun of someone who can’t defend themselves, but Jon will let just about anyone come on his show to plead their case.  The show will do segments using current issues and he puts a fun spin on them.

The Colbert Report hosted by Stephen Colbert also has actual politicians and political analysts on his show and he uses a lot of sarcastic comedy on his show.  He has a segment called The Word where he seamlessly takes a word and ties it together with current issues and past issues to make a great comedy segment.  The Colbert Report was over in Iraq last year to support our troops and Stephen Colbert used his popularity for that great cause.

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report held a rally on

October 30, 2010 in Washington, D.C. called, Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.  This rally was in response to Glenn Beck’s Restoring Honor rally held in August of 2010.  Glenn Beck’s rally was a serious rally about politics and where he thinks our country is headed and Stewart’s and Colbert’s rally was the complete opposite.  It was about having a good time and enjoying life.  The people in attendance of the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear were allowed to bring in any signs they wanted to about anything.  They dressed how they wanted to and weren’t censored and were allowed to take pictures during the rally.  AirPhotosLive, which takes overhead photos of live events to get estimated attendance, said that Glenn Beck’s rally had around 78,000 to 96,000 and Stewart’s and Colbert’s rally had around 215,000 in attendance.

            Politics is a serious subject but some people may take it to serious and lose people’s interest with long winded speeches.  Political satire on television has taken a serious subject and lightened it up enough to keep people interested, even if it’s in a sarcastic tone.  Politics is a part of everyday life and is a serious matter, but sometimes you have to take a step back, look at what you are saying, and make sure that the message you are trying to get across is believable and real.  Political satire takes that real and believable message and gives it comedic twist that is keeping America involved in politics one way or another.

Additional references used:

Cromwell, B. (November 1, 2010). Rally to restore sanity outdraws Beck rally. Media Life

Magazine. retrieved May 28, 2011 from: http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Cable_20/Rally-to-Restore-Sanity-outdraws-Beck-rally.asp

Gray, J. (Ed.), Jones, J. (Ed.), & Thompson, E. (Ed.). (2009) Satire TV: politics and comedy in      the post-network era. New York: New York University Press.

Reilly, I. (2009). Article on Satire TV: Politics and comedy in the post-network era. Journal of

Popular Culture, 43, 214-216. Retrieved May 28, 2011 from: http://0-journals.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ejc/pdf.cgi/Reilly_Ian.pdf?issn=00223840&issue=v43i0001&article=214_stpacijpjaet

Stewart, J. & Colbert, S. (2010). Rally to restore sanity and/or fear. Washington D.C.

            retrieved May 28, 2011 from: http://www.rallytorestoresanityandorfear.com/

Week 3 Weekly Analysis

Stereotypes are common place in television shows and many shows revolve the premise around those stereotypes.  For this week’s analysis, I am using stereotypes in the television show Glee.  The main characters in Glee are considered losers since they are all in the show choir for the school.  In the choir group, you have the talented Rachel, who was invisible before she joined the show choir. Kurt is an outsider in school because he was openly gay. Mercedes is teased because of her weight and Puck is the “bad boy” who was in jail and on his last strike before being expelled. Two other stereotypes include Brittany, who is a clueless, blond cheerleader and Quinn, who was the head cheerleader, but got pregnant and became an outsider because of it.  The characters are collection of outsiders that the show uses to create plot lines and breaks down some of the stereotypes in each episode.  As a show of disrespect and teasing, the popular football players would throw slushies on the glee club members while in school. 

            The glee club members come together as a “family” so they can deal with their social out casting as a group.  The glee club members take this stereotyping and disrespect and write a song about it in for their Regional competition.  Even though they win and make it to the National competition, they are still considered losers in their own school, but they embrace and stick together the teasing and repeated slushy attacks in the hallways.

            Glee tackles a lot of modern and traditional stereotypes and shows how it affects the people being stereotyped.  The show pokes fun at the stereotypes but also takes a look at the serious side of those same stereotypes.  The show even pokes fun of where it is located, Lima, Ohio.  I am originally from the area and that was what drew me to the show originally, but I have since come to watch it every week because of the talented singers and the comedy it brings when poking fun at the stereotypes in the show’s characters.  Glee’s website is listed below..

http://www.fox.com/glee/

Assignment 2-1 Weekly analysis

Harold Camping predicted that the world would end on May 21st, 2011 and as you can tell since you are reading this, that it didn't happen.. He also said the world would in back in 1994, but obviously, that didn't happen either.  What I don't understand is how this man has garnered such a big following and gotten all this media attention.  I know he owns the Family Radio Network and has the ability to reach thousands of listeners and followers, but as the Bible states in Matthews 24:36, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

It doesn't matter what kind of mathematical equation he used because of what the preceding quote just said.  Harold Camping put up all these billboards across the country using donations to pay for them.  In my opinion, he should have used that money to help people in need.  Our country is already struggling with economic issues, why would you want to stir up the pot and make people feel even worse?  Scare tactics and fear may drive a lot of people, but don't kick 'em while their down.  That's just mean and cruel.

Instead of leading by fear, one should lead by example, hope, and inspiration.  You will be surprised by how the simplest little things can brighten a stranger's day.  For example, on Saturday, I bought a new grill and was waiting outside of the store for them to unlock my new grill so I could load it into my vehicle.  As I was waiting, another man bought the same grill I did and we talked about it for a couple of minutes, and then he went to load his new grill in the back of his truck.  No one from the store was helping him, so I took it upon my self to give the man a helping hand.

I am no saint, by any means, but the man was really appreciative and said Thanks!  That made my day.

ICONS

 

The three icons I have chosen are the Ford Mustang, Lady Gaga, and the National Football League. 

The Ford Mustang has been around since 1964 and has been an icon for muscle car enthusiasts. Lady Gaga is a singer/entertainer who has taken over the pop culture scene in the last two years. The NFL is, in my opinion, the most popular sport in the United States. 

I choose the Ford Mustang as my first icon because of my love for muscle cars.  It is one of the most popular cars in Automotive history. The Ford Mustang is true American muscle and was built to go fast, and be naturally stylish too.  The one pictured is my 1993 Mustang GT 5.0.  I have had the car for quite a few years and have been restoring it in what spare time I have and love working on it as a hobby.  

Secondly, I have Lady Gaga pictured because of her rise to fame in the last two years and she has dubbed her fans as "Monsters." Her bizarre fashion is one of the things that has kept her in the spotlight.  She is also a very talented singer, which is why I called her a singer/entertainer.  She will sing live on TV and concerts, unlike some "pop stars" who lip sync everything.  Her ability to stay on the top of the Billboard charts, her bizarre fashion, and her outspokenness has drawn comparisons to Madonna, who has been an icon since the 80's. 

My third icon is the National Football League.  I consider the NFL the most popular sport in the United States.  The NFL only has 16 regular season games and part of that season is during the winter and most teams STILL sell out every game!! I am a former season ticket holder of the Cleveland Browns. The season runs from September through January, including the playoffs.  Even though games aren't being played the rest of the year, fans talk about the NFL Draft in April and also free agency. The NFL has fans of all ages, of both genders, and many ethnicities.  Many kids dream to play in the NFL, make the big bucks and be in an ESPN highlight reel.

Assignment 1-4

The next generation of the cell phone is called the “smart” phone.  These smart phones not only allow calling and texting but they also have applications, or apps, that you can do almost anything with, from counting calories to playing games with other smart phone users.  They also allow the user to check email, surf the internet at speeds comparable to laptops and can be used as music players as well.  The cameras on these smart phones are now as strong and clear as a digital camera alone.  The Droid X has an 8 megapixel camera and allows you to record video in High Definition! You can watch movies on smart phones and some can even be connected to your High definition LCD television, like the Droid X, and play movies on your LCD from your smart phone.

Smart phones have taken mainstream pop culture by storm.  Advertising is everywhere for smart phones by many different manufacturers and cell phone service providers.  These devices are literally mobile computers that are convenient to have, inexpensive to keep, and are a standard in pop culture.  It’s amazing how much a smart phone plays into our daily lives these days.  I hear the teenage generation at work ask how people used to live without having a cell phone or the internet.  It’s an easy question to ask when you have the power of both in the palm of your hand.  If you want to “Keep up with the Jones’”, you need to have a smart phone with you at all times.