Assignment 1-3

In the article “Don’t Ask me, I’m Just a Girl: Feminism, Female Identity and the Simpsons” by Henry (2007), the television show “The Simpsons” is explored for its representation of modern ambivalence toward femininity and feminism. The television show officially launched in 1990 and since has been known for its critiques of American culture. At the time of the show’s launch, there was a mix of messages by mass media, causing uncertainty for women on what a female role should be. Women were integrating into professional sports and gaining popularity in music and films. A blended portrayal of progressive and traditional viewpoints of female identity and feminism is portrayed mainly by the characters Marge Simpson, Selma Bouvier, and Lisa Simpson.
The Simpsons illustrate a similar model of what family values and gender norms exist in modern culture. Henry points out that there was much significance placed on the return of traditional family values in the 2000 presidential and suggestion that the traits of traditional values be heterosexuality, male dominance, and female acquiescence. The relationship between Homer and Marge Simpson is not traditional. The couple struggles through modern day issues within episodes such as potential for extramarital affairs, jealousy, and setting examples for their children. Henry provides two examples of episodes that portray these modern behaviors.
The first is an episode where Homer gives Marge a bowling ball as a gift that has his name etched into it, when Marge clearly does not bowl. Marge decides to take bowling lessons to get back at Homer and is tempted to have an affair with her bowling instructor. She considers the importance of her family and in a reversed gender role surprises Homer at work with a declaration of love. The second example is an episode in which Homer is with a stripper and has his picture taken. The photo is exploited throughout the town. Marge points out that Homer is setting a bad example for Bart and insists that he take Bart and apologize to the female dancer for the way he has treated her. Homer apologizes as Marge asked and ends up giving a speech that women should be treated better as they are our mothers, daughter, and sisters rather than physical objects of pleasure. Although Homer and Marge face several difficulties, they show that they are always willing to do what it takes to keep their family together.
Selma Bouvier symbolizes the issue of women’s choice. There is always reference or reminder in life for women that their biological clock is ticking. Despite every attempt to find a partner, Selma is a single woman with no children and is bothered by this fact. Her options have been slobs, workaholics, alcoholics, and inappropriate men. These options are reminiscent of the options that women face today. Selma still wants to have children and the question was whether or not a woman should have children alone. The fact is that society is filled with unconventional families. Grandparents are raising grandchildren, gay couples have children, and single parents are common. Family has been redefined by today’s culture.
Marge Simpson signifies a woman that is a combination of female identity and feminism and is considered to be typical of domestic ideas. She is the homemaker and this is the primary role that defines her. However, Marge has a feminist side shown by her college years. Marge will often take on job outside of the home and desire to do more. Homer does not discourage Marge to do so as it increases income, but only if she is still fulfilling her primary role of homemaker. Marge, although enjoying the thrills that come from being outside the home, usually settles in her position as the domestic wife and mother.
Lisa Simpson is the embodiment of the second wave of feminists. Henry gives an example of an episode that brought much attention from female activists. The episode is about Lisa versus Malibu Stacy. Lisa, like any other young girl, could not wait to get the doll that talked. Upon obtaining the doll, Lisa only finds disappointment when she pulls the string and the doll only speaks stereotypical girlish comments. Other do not seem to understand Lisa’s point of view that the stereotypical comments only lead girls to portray themselves as pretty objects that should find and marry rich husbands. Lisa visits the doll maker to voice her opinion and believes to be successful when it is decided to make a doll that is more feminist. The day that the feminist doll is put on the market, a new Malibu Stacy doll is also released. All of the girls but one run to the Malibu Stacy doll. Children mold to the ideas that we shape for them. Young girls are taught to place importance on appearance and feminism. As the girls grow up, they only continue to have this enforced by television and magazines.
Women today are mixture of feminine identity and feminism. It is desired to be good mothers, wives, homemakers, and yet maintain ones physical appearance. It is also desired to be successful and to have the capability to be equal to men. It is no easy task to find a balance in these matters. I personally, as a woman desire to have a family one day but am waiting to reach certain goals to do so. I believe there will always be a combination of feminine and feminism as there will always be two roles to fill.










References
HENRY, M. (2007, April). “Don't Ask me, I'm Just a Girl”: Feminism, Female Identity, and The Simpsons. Journal of Popular Culture, 40(2), 272-303. Retrieved June 29, 2009, doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2007.00379.x

Assignment 5-1

As the world changes, the lifestyle in which the child generation is developing and being raised changes as well. As a child that grew up in the eighties, my lifestyle was very different than the one children live today. I remember coming home from school, eating, doing my homework, and rushing out the front door to play with my friends. We would go bike riding, play badminton, climb trees, and go for long walks. If my sisters and I were in the house, my parents would quickly instruct us to go outdoors and find something to do. Our current generation has no need to leave the house to have the capability to play with or without their friends. Children are now entertained with videogames, internet, and cellular phones. The popular form of entertainment that has even crossed over to the adult genre is video gaming.
Video gaming is a stimulation form of interaction that can be on ones own or with other players. I remember when the Nintendo was released to the market and I spent many hours in front of the television playing the game “Sonic the Hedgehog”. Videogames have progressed way beyond the simple graphics and interaction of one or two players. One can find almost any videogame that can be imagined to satisfy personal interest. There are racing, war, music, art, and sports videogames. The list goes on and on. A person can also make the decision to play a videogame with no participants or interact with individual from all over the globe utilizing the internet. There are a variety of videogames are available for all age and skill levels.
The popularity of videogames has both positive and negative results. Some of the positive results are enhanced computer skills, increased communication with other cultures, increased self esteem, and opportunities for training simulations. A few of the negative effects are decreased physical activity in the population, improper violent and sexual influences, and decreased in person interaction with others. The effects that videogames have will only grow as technology advances and I can only imagine the possibilities for our next generation.

Assignment 4-1

Communication in modern culture is vastly advanced to when I grew up. The internet has allowed individuals to have access to virtually anything and everything. One of the more popular forms of communication and entertainment is video blogging. Individuals share music videos, film and television clips, or public recorded videos. You tube is a website in which users may upload and share videos. According to the Youtube website (2009), Youtube was established in 2005 and within only one year of inception was successful enough to be bought by Google Inc. Youtube is the leading website for video sharing worldwide.
I recently visited the Youtube website and was amazed at the types of videos that could be found. There were news, sports, music, entertainment, and even how to clips. It is easy to see how the variety and mass freedom of uploaded videos has led to concerns. Some of these concerns were stated at Wikepedia.com (2009) as copyright infringement, privacy and offensive content. The website notifies users of copyright laws and also states terms of service which forbid improper material, but the challenge is that Youtube does not view videos before they are posted. The website trusts that users will flag videos within the website that contain improper content. User privacy has escalated as a concern after a court ruling in 2008 which required Youtube to provide viewing habits of users. This led to the speculation that perhaps users could also be identified along with the viewing habits.
Despite the concerns, Youtube has been a hit in pop culture and continues to increase in popularity. According to Professor Wesch (2008), Youtube had 78.3 million videos uploaded as of March 17, 2008 and over 150,000 videos uploaded daily. It would seem that society enjoys being entertained and the opportunity to be seen. Whether it be to catch a commercial, a public apology by Chris Brown, or the latest news clip, society is tuning into Youtube to see it all.

Assignment 3-1

Harry Potter is a popular set of fantasy novels written by author J. K. Rowling. The stories are of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends as they overcome obstacles and battle the evil wizard Lord Voldemort whom is attempting to overpower the world. The conflict between Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort is personal, as Lord Voldemort killed Harry’s parents. Harry is famous for being the only survivor of Lord Voldemort’s wrath. The stories of Harry Potter have led to movies, video games, and consumer products based on the novels.
Harry Potter has become vastly prevalent in culture. The main characters are young and in a magical school dealing with childhood issues, which appeals to the child population. The novel also has action and suspense which appeals to adults. There is a great following for fantasy novels and films. Even better, Harry Potter is a series that allows society to anticipate more to come of the story.
As with any item of mass popularity, Harry Potter has been open to controversy. The religious community was opposed the Harry Potter series believing that it promoted Witchcraft and Satanism. Where I understand long ago many individuals were persecuted for being involved or thought to be involved in witch craft, the times are very different. Films and books are inundated with storylines based on vampires, werewolves, and magic. Science fiction and fantasy are well-liked as entertainment in common culture. Immortality and possessing power to change things are attractive to individuals. It does not mean the individuals being entertained are aspiring or even being persuaded of becoming witches, wizards, or monsters. I believe the book would not have found as much attention from the religious community had it not been geared toward children. The controversy seems to have died down and the new movie “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” just released to theatres this week. I personally am looking forward to going to see the movie and get caught up in the magic tomorrow night.

Assignment 2-1

Once upon a time, individuals found there way to a destination by paper maps or written directions. When I first started driving, I recount the several times that I became lost due to never paying attention to direction when being driven around. After much trial and error, I eventually invested in a local map and got my bearings. However, the method of paper maps is a thing of the past. Nowadays, people have access to the Global Positioning System, also know as GPS. According to Garmin (2009), GPS is a satellite based navigation system which consists of twenty four satellites. These satellites circle the earth twice a day transmitting signal information to earth. GPS receivers capture this information and use triangulation to determine the user's precise location. Once the user's location has been established, the GPS unit can assess other information, such as speed, bearing, trip distance, distance, sunrise and sunset time and more.
According to About.com (2009), GPS was originally developed in the 1970s by the U.S. Department of Defense to allow military units to know their exact location and the location of other units. Since available to the public, numerous applications have been made to everyday life. GPS is used by cars, airplanes, and even cellular phones to map and obtain directions to locations. One can see the glow of GPS units on consoles of vehicles while driving on the freeway. A sense of need to use the GPS has been established where many leave their GPS units on even when their location and destination are known. It leaves me to wonder if more time is spent traveling by the owners of these units simply because they have a GPS to use. GPS is also used for tracking the location of a unit. Hikers and skiers can share their location with others. Parents have the capability to monitor their children’s whereabouts.
The possibility of applications to GPS technology is countless. Society has become dependent on GPS, feeling secure in its benefits. Imagine a day that GPS was not available and the chaos that would follow. Indeed, a great portion of individuals would be lost.

Assignment 2-2 Icon Analysis

I chose three icons which for me represent the myth of the American Dream. These three icons are the competitive reality shows “Project Runway”, “So You Think You Can Dance”, and “Top Chef”. “Project Runway” is a competition of fashion designers. The fashion designers receive projects to test their multifaceted design skills both individually and in team settings. The winning designer is given one hundred thousand dollars to design their very own fashion line. On the show “So You Think You Can Dance”, contestants are comprised of dancers from various backgrounds and styles. Dancers are assigned to learn and demonstrate new dance techniques partnering with fellow contestants. The victor receives a grand prize, often including cash and perks toward the dancer’s future prospects in dance. Lastly, “Top Chef” is a contest of culinary skills. Chefs prepare varying dishes that are judged and the champion is given a cash prize along with opportunities to progress their culinary career.
All three contests have commonalities of obtaining the American Dream which is why I selected them. Americans seek recognition, satisfaction, and success. The sought attributes can be achieved by the contestants. The idea is that no matter the dream, individuals have the chance to learn, work hard, and succeed. There are no losers in the contests. All contestants take away the experience of a lifetime, an experience of growth, and doing what they love. The winners take away the ultimate prize and the heightened sensation of achievement.
I thrive on achievement. To me, the American Dream represents the chance to meet whatever personal desire one has in life. This means that it does not matter where one came from, only where one wants to be and if that person is determined enough to get there. American freedom permits individuals to strive for goals. This is not to say that there are not obstacles in life such as bias and social inequality. If one can overcome the obstacles, the individual idea of American Dream can be acquired. Growing up in an environment where opportunity was not plenty has made the American Dream significant and cherished by me.

Weekly Written Analysis 1

The world grieves for the loss of the “King of Pop”, Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson was a talented artist that represented a new musical era. In the seventies he was known as part of “The Jackson Five”. In 1979, Michael Jackson released his first solo album. He quickly rose to the top throughout the world in the eighties with his hits “Thriller”, “Billie Jean”, and “Beat It”. His music was cross cultural, popular to all races, genders, and ages. Michael Jackson was the idol of a generation. The red jacket and glove were adorned by many of children in my childhood years. Michael Jackson had a number of unpopular years to match his popular ones.

In 1993, Michael Jackson was accused of child molestation. This accusation dissipated much of the public favor Michael held. Not long after this time, Michael married Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. Where “King of Pop” and the daughter of the “King of Rock and Roll” sound good on paper, it seemed not as likely a couple in reality. The marriage lasted two years but the two years were filled with publicity. In 2002, Michael received a great deal of negative publicity for dangling his infant son over a hotel balcony. More unhelpful news followed this in 2003 when in a documentary Michael commented on allowing children to sleep over in his bedroom. Michael went through several awful trials over the years.

Just shy of his shows to be in London, Michael Jackson’s life has ended abruptly and tragically leaving much speculation. His health has always been questionable. This continues even now after his death, as there seems to be possible drugs involved. There is a lot of vagueness surrounding his public and private life. The media has made it difficult to distinguish the facts. As with any celebrity of this status, there is always public infatuation that perpetuates the cycle. Regardless of speculation, people worldwide grieve Michael Jackson’s departure of this world as proven with the 1.6 million fans that requested to attend his memorial.