The Pop Culture of Halloween

This post seemed only appropriate for today since it is, after all, Halloween. As I watched people walk around campus in their costumes, I couldn't help but get mildly creeped out. As you grown out of your prime trick or treating days, costumes kind of lose their shine, and become something we only do for parties the weekend before Halloween.

When I was little, costumes at school on Halloween were so exciting and cool. Now... they just weird me out. However, this observation made me realize that the pop culture texts I consume weekly have altered my perceptions of the "norms" of tradition. One of the ways this is most prominent to me is through holiday specials. Halloween conveniently falls right at the beginning of November sweeps- arguable the most important period of time for TV networks. While there are four sweeps periods, the November sweeps are usually regarded as the ones that carry the most weight. As a result, networks play up anything they can in order to get audiences to tune in to their programs over what the competition is showing.

This convenient correlation has been played up so well that it has entirely changed the fabric of Halloween. For example, take How I Met Your Mother. This year's special will bring back the "slutty pumpkin"- a woman Ted fell for years ago, but lost sight of before he could get her name. Throughout the first episode we were introduced to the slutty pumpkin, Barney comments that he loves Halloween because no matter what a woman dresses up as, it's going to be slutty: "If she's a nurse, she's a SLUTTY nurse!"This reiterates a tradition we've seen prominently in the last few years: Halloween isn't just for the kids anymore. It's virtually impossible to find a women's costume that it cute, flattering AND appropriate unless you make it yourself. Movies like Mean Girls refer to Halloween as the one day of the year that it's okay for girls to dress like sluts. When such practices are intertwined with the media we love and practiced by the characters we relate to, such behavior becomes acceptable, and furthermore, common practice. It's all just a part of the tradition of Halloween now.

Another common practice in holiday specials is the crazy party with a twist. Take last year's Community Halloween episode, for example. They set out to have your typical Halloween party, but then they're all infected by the food and become zombies. It's a battle for their humanity as they fight off their infected friends, and even though we're well aware that it could never happen in reality, it grabbed our attention. Now, we may not see any zombie infections in everyday life, but the ever-presence of the Halloween party in TV shows and movies has been absorbed and embraced by our culture. If you look back in time, Halloween used to be just about kids. Adults handed out the candy, and that was it as far as their participation went. Halloween parties popped up originally as friends just hanging out, and since, have grown into a wild tradition. This is no statistic, but I'd argue that Halloween is one of the biggest party holidays on college campuses. It's encouraged for people to wear crazy costumes, and it seems that they tend to do more crazy things. Today, I saw that many brave pumpkins gave their life over this past weekend, and I'm willing to bet that this was a part of several party festivities. This is our way of having the crazy party that only TV seems able to accomplish. Just like with the scandalous costumes, seeing Halloween as a day for especially wild parties on TV makes us more apt to follow suit with our own Halloween festivities.

Overall, it's hard not to notice that pop culture has permeated most aspects of our lives. I'm not saying I mind; it's not going to stop me from watch the return of the slutty pumpkin tonight. It's just interesting to bring such connections into light.

Sporks Over Porks

After watching Food, Inc. for the second time this past week, I still am not sure how to eat. The film promotes a change in the system, but doesn’t really provide the viewer real instructions on how to change their own personal diet. It’s a movie of “you shouldn’t”s, and I’m still unsure of how to eat.

My sister, on the other hand, thinks she’s found a diet that works. She has been a vegetarian for about 10 years and promotes the lifestyle whenever she can. She is a total organic “nut” that swears by her diet. While talking to her about watching Food, Inc. in class this week, she agreed that there were no real “instructions” on how to eat right. She suggested that I check out Forks Over Knives.

The film does something very different. It scopes in on the damage the food does to our bodies and what we can do to battle it. It examines the physical damage on our bodies in extreme depth. The film seems to have figured out the right diet, too—a plant-based diet and whole grain foods. It’s almost a continuation of Food, Inc. with a different message.

While most who didn’t like (I don’t know if it’s really one of those movies you like) Food, Inc. surely won’t take their interest in food lifestyle/food documentaries to the next level, Forks Over Knives is a film that addressed the American food consumer in a more intimate fashion. While I will never be a vegan, it’s an interesting alternative lifestyle that seems to work well for a lot of people. It’s a film that sticks with you, and influenced me to start working on my diet.

What Exactly CAN I Eat???

Documentaries like Food Inc. frustrate me. I mean, of course they disgust and appall me as well. However I was surprised that after watching Food Inc my most prominent feeling was frustration, mixed with a hint of irritation.

As the guilt of my last McDonald’s run seeps in and thoughts of my next Chick-Fil-A sandwich run through my head, I am angered by the hopelessness that these movies present. So I can’t eat pork or beef or chicken without thinking of the poor cows being rolled over by a fork lift, then WHAT CAN I EAT?? I’ll admit it, I’m an ignorant American. All I know is fast, cheap food. But after being bombarded with the gory details that lead to its production, I have to ask- is there another way?

I used to know that eating your veggies, fruits and daily glass of milk gave you an A+ on your food report card. Or that turkey burgers and grilled chicken were much preferred options to their greasy, fatty counterparts. But now with the knowledge of preservatives and contaminants that plague our production agencies, it seems that nothing is safe.

If I could watch a movie entitled, “Don’t Eat This Unhealthy and Unethically Produced Food, Eat This Nutritious and Bacteria-Free, Made Without Animal Cruelty Food,” I would be happy as a clam. I appreciate these documentarians' attempts to open the public’s eyes to where the food we consume is coming from. I feel enlightened and aware. But now comes the hard part-the change. And I don’t know about everyone else but I need some help making that change. It’s so hard to identify deep-seeded, covert corporate interest in the massive amount of marketing campaigns aimed at our diets. Where is the good, what is the really, really bad, and how can I curb my hunger without feeling so dang guilty???

I Mean, What Else Can We/They Do?

Normally, the idea of "animal cruelty" or "slaughter houses" hasn't really phased me... Maybe I've never truly stopped and thought about it, but in the long run, I've never really found myself nauseous after talking, reading, watching, or learning about said activities.

Until Wednesday.

Both Sam and Chris will gladly tell you that I didn't watch most of Food, Inc., and instead had my head turned, attempting not to see what I didn't want to see.

So, yeah. It's gross.
It's cruel.
It's mean.
It's sick.
It's disgusting.
It's slightly appalling.
It's ... well, it's just wrong.

But, as I think about it more, WHAT ELSE ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?

There are literally over 310 million people in this country. All those people need to eat food. If meat is going to be a part of the diet of millions, there really is no other way to do this, right? I mean, yeah, it's cruel, but so what? It gets the job done. The job that we have forced upon ourselves, by making meat such a huge part of our diet.

And then, along with the meat in our diet, I know the corn-in-everything segment was odd, but guess what, it works! So why not exploit it?

I know this is gross, and it probably sounds heartless of me to say, but even if a third of America consumes meat, that is still over 1 million people that eat meat. How else is the meat supposed to be processed in a timely efficient manner?

I know, after saying this, I'm heartless.
I'm mean.
I'm cruel.
I'm disgusting.

But, hey, it works. It's the game they're playing. Whatever it takes for them to get the million (SURVIVOR reference, I know), then it's okay.

Oops? I said it.

Don't sugar coat it

The hormones our “meat” is being given is an excessive amount. Watching Food Inc. has made me realize how unnatural our food process is. After seeing just the first part of the film I have become cautious of the meat I am eating.

This article on artificial hormones that I read said our meat is being pushed with six different types of hormones. This article is also interesting because I just became aware that Europe is not importing United State beef. This subject on food has intrigued my brain to look at the fact of artificial hormones being shoved into our food. When I went to do a bit more research, I found many of the sites to be controversial and contradicting one another. Obliviously, there are the prevent cancer sites that state the hormones from the animals are getting into our food our environment and causing people to develop certain types of cancer. Then there are the other types of websites for the ranchers and food industries that state there has been no scientific evidences that state hormones in the meat are causing health defects. At least they are admitting there are hormones involved!

With all of the different sites I have visited over the past few days, it seems the cold hard facts are not being presented. I can see both sides of the argument. In one aspect, if the meat was potentially killing thousands of Americans each year don’t you think the Government or the FDA would be putting a stop to the artificial hormones. So, are they really affecting us that much? Then you have this movie and other articles like the one here stating how gross the environment is for the meat before they are slaughtered and how the hormones are being released into the ground which in turn is being cycled into potential water systems. This is all a big cycle and trying to find the cold facts is difficult. I have learned over the past few weeks that America is more corrupt than I thought. We sugar coat everything to make people happy. For example, politicians, branding companies, and society in general all tell us what we want to hear. That is beside the point. I just wish that someone would give it to us straight as Americans, we deserve the right to know what is going on in our country and especially what is going on with our food!

Give Me What's "Real"

I'll be honest, because why wouldn't I be? I'm addicted to drama. I realized this throughout high school, but I would never admit to myself. I loved watching people fight and bicker when things such as "ex's" and "who did what's" arose around the campus. Nothing pleased me more than sitting and watching the comments fly including name calling, the snarky looks that high school students perfect during their four years, and the best fighting style of them all, passive-aggressive behavior. It wasn't until something called reality TV came into my life that I realized this addiction of mine.

I'll never forget that first episode of Survivor. I was hooked. Seeing the people talk about fighting strategies and ways to manipulate and control other teammates excited me to no end. It was like watching high school happen from the comfort of my own home with no one ever telling me to butt out. After I consumed a season of that show, I quickly went on to other shows I knew about, but never thought could keep me so captivated. The only reason I knew of as to why I was so hooked on these "real" life shows was that I could sit and watch people doing things I could only dream of doing and judge them without mercy. But from this past week in class, other possible explanations came into my mind. 

Do I like the stereotypes the shows reinforce? I think I might. I think it’s nice to have a sense of consistency in a world where you’re never quite sure what you’re getting. And with these shows, I don’t want to deal with real life, I want to see “real” life being portrayed. In a sense I think I might love the drama on TV because I want to see things blown out of proportion and I want to see it without having to be directly involved. If I were ever put into a dramatic situation, I know I wouldn’t handle it well. In fact I’d crumble. But getting to comfortably watch the fur fly makes me feel invincible against all the conflict happening on the screen. In a sense I’m being lied to, yet I’m perfectly ok with it. As long as I can watch a punch get thrown or hear some vindictive language get tossed around, I’m good. Drama? Bring. It. On.

"The Most Dramatic Season EVER.."

Reality television has been an obsession of mine since an early age. As I have stated in class, I have been an avid Bachelor/Bachlorette fan every since the first season with Alex Michel. I remember so vividly watching the first season at my Aunt Laura’s just like it was yesterday. Not only am I a devoted Bachelor watcher, so are the females in my family. My mom, Aunt Laura, cousins, and Grandma watch the show religiously. At every commercial break, my Aunt Laura calls my mom to discus the drama and dates that the couple goes on. On The Bachelor there are always overdramatic women that are crying for his attention or arguing with the other women. Franklin says reality television allows individuals to distinguish themselves from the reality stars, which I think is true in most cases. There are women on the show that I mock and honestly can’t stand to listen to. On the other hand, there are women on the Bachelor that I start to form parasocial relationships with. Ali Fedotowsky first appeared on the Bachelor season 14, but decided to leave the show due to her job being in jeopardy. Ali was a front-runner with bachelor Jake Pavelka. She then determined she was going to be the next Bachlorette on season six after her departure. I was delighted when I heard this news because of the simply fact that Ali was a down-to-earth, outgoing and real individual, whose favorite color was yellow (same as MINE!) As one could see, I have an obsession with ABC’s Bachelor/Bachelorette. Some people may say I have a problem, but I take pleasure in watching this on Monday nights and I am content with that.

Advertising to Children

I know this is a few weeks old but when we were talking about advertising to kids we watched a short clip that was about two minutes long. In my Social Ethics class we just watched that entire film which happens to be a lot longer than two minutes. After seeing it, it got me thinking again about our class opinion on the film. The general consensus at the time seemed to be that the fault needed to be laid at the feet of the parents. It is their kid, they need to be responsible for them. In the full-length version of the film, they bring up some points I felt were valid. One of them was that a parent can't control what advertising their child is exposed at school anymore. I think about this and I feel the video is right, I mean, we're a long way from just having the "Got Milk?" posters. And once they get older, the child will spend less time with their parents. Out with friends on a Friday or Saturday night, advertising can bombard them without the parents present to shield them. While I don't think you can take all responsibility away from parents, (they need to be able to say no) if kids are away from them and with their own money advertising can influence them in a negative way. But I think the most important thing to take away from the video is that Pop Culture is awesome because we only had to watch two minutes of the film rather than take a whole class period for it.

Who Put the "Real" in "Reality TV"?

Something that has always confused/annoyed me is how loosely the word "reality" is used as far as television goes. It seems today that the word is just slapped onto shows that are unscripted. But how can we even compare, say, American Idol to Real World or The Bachelor to Pawn Stars?
In my opinion, the shows that seem closest to reality are ones such as Pawn Stars, American Pickers, Cake Boss, etc. These follow normal folks doing their everyday jobs. Sure, they make more money doing these jobs now than they did before they had shows, but they also seem less tampered with by producers than other "reality" shows. It seems that the only thing a producer could say is, "Why don't you go to so-and-so, USA this week?" and sends them on their way.
Shows like American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Survivor, etc. shouldn't be labeled as reality. If there were a line between reality shows and game shows, these should definitely be on the game side. The Emmys have created a Reality Competition category in recent years, and while I don't like that it is still labeled as reality, I like that it has finally been addressed that these are competition shows. I mean, the only thing that separates these shows from Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and Minute to Win It is that they usually take months to complete. But in the end the people contestants and are competing for a prize.
As much as competition shows being called "reality" bugs me, the ones that really aggravate me are the ones like Jersey Shore, Real World, The Bachelor/Bachelorette and so on. The producers want viewers to believe this is what life is all about. Jersey Shore wants us to believe that most New Jerseyians(?) wear clothing two sizes too small, party every single night, and fight over the same three guys to date all the time. In reality (REAL reality), these people make up a small culture of people from the state of New Jersey (that's not even true. I could be wrong but the last time I heard, only one member of the JS cast was from Jersey. Most hail from Staten Island or something). The Bachelor wants us to believe that men will fly us to some beautiful resort in Mexico for a first date and that they'll propose after a few dates. What about that is real? Put a camera in anyone's face and they will act differently than they usually do, so why would you want to be proposed to by someone you literally don't know?
I don't watch many reality shows. Project Runway and Chopped are about it for me. But again, I consider these competition shows. Just because non-actors are the stars and a script is non-existent does not make television reality.

The new "Barbie" on Ellen

So I was on youtube and came across this video that reminded me of what we talked about when discussing culture jamming. The thesis of the article we read was “I explore the rhetorical strategies of an alternative sort of culture jammer—the prankster—who resists less through negating and opposing dominant rhetoric’s than by playfully and provocatively folding existing cultural forms in on themselves.”

The Barbie Liberation Organization

This video from the Ellen DeGeneres show reminded of me when we talked about culture jamming and how they changed the “voice box” of the army doll and the Barbie. I remember how we also talked about the Barbie and how she is the way she is and she looks too good to be true. Her proportions and features are not realistic. Well, this video I found from the Ellen Show is comical and also surprising.

Click here to view video.

I never heard of the rumor of the new Barbie coming out with tattoos and pink hair…so this was news to me. And I think that a lot of the Barbies that Ellen and her crew came up with related to television show and popular culture that we all watch today.

Babies and judgment

I must say I'm not a huge reality TV show watcher. When I was younger I was a Real World junkie at an age when I shouldn't have been watching it and I would not miss Survivor for anything. I only watch Jersey Shore every so often, but the reality TV shows that I do watch are Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant.

I love these shows, and when it comes to the reason why I watch it, Franklin nails it on the head. I definitely judge these girls for the decisions they made that led to them becoming pregnant, and then I judge decisions they make when it comes to relationships, parenting, school and any other thing that is shown. When they show these 16 year olds fighting over petty things, all I do is scoff at them and say things in my head like, "how do you think its going to work between the two of you when you are 16 and have a child." I compare their relationships to my relationship. I always think how my boyfriend and I never fight, and how whenever we're upset we talk about it calmly. I judge the heck out of their knock-down drag-out pettiness with the baby crying in the background.

But the thing that I forget is the fact when I was 16, I had those petty arguments with my friends or my boyfriend. You're 16, of course you fight over petty things, you're still a kid! Every once in a while I remember this, and yet it still does not end my feeling of superiority. It sounds really mean because these girls are faced with way harder decisions than I've ever been faced with and they are responsible for another human being, while sometimes I think its a miracle I can get myself through the day. Heck, I killed a fish after having it for 2 months when I was 18, two years older than most of these girls when they give birth.

So when it comes to watching these shows, and any reality show, I have to remember: I am not this person. I don't know why they made the decisions they have made, but they made them and I can't fault them for making a mistake, whether the mistake was having a baby or just being on a TV show about having a baby. Why can't I fault them? Well, because I know I have made so many. If my life were a TV show, I'm sure that I could easily be type-casted as the bitch, the one who starts all the drama, the cry baby, the sloppy drunk or any other stereotype because God knows at different points in time, one could easily put together a video montage of me being any of these. Sometimes when I watch Teen Mom, I need to stop thinking about how great of decisions I have made to get where I have gotten and have just a little bit of empathy for a girl that's 20, stuck in an unhealthy relationship and happens to be a mom as well.

Feeling a Little Guilty

Today we were talking about reality TV in class. I feel a little guilty. I am not one to watch a ton of reality TV but I am in the group that is doing the twitter reality show as a project. My comment in class about men not feeling guilty making women on reality shows into stereotypes knowing that women will watch is partly rooted in my experience playing a stereotypical character.

I play the good-girl. I am supposed to be the girl who is peppy and almost too nice. Simply put I am the character that makes being good seem undesirable and I feel a little bad about it. We also have the other female stereotypes and the male ones too, like Adrian the "flaming gay guy" or as some call him "the human torch." One of the first things we did as a group was come up with our character stereotypes, even before we came up with names. We knew that all of us needed a group to connect with but we also needed to be, on some level, hated.

Now that I think about it more, the reason we did all this was to create something people want to talk about and the only way we knew people would talk about it is if they could totally judge us. So we set it up so it would be easy for them to judge us. Not that there is anything wrong with the goody two shoes or the flaming gay guy, but it is sort of understood that we are supposed to do play these characters to the point that it leaves a bad taste in your mouth (the kind of bad taste people have to talk about to make it go away). We take the stereotype and explode it, just like the people in Jersey Shore. This is what has me feeling a little guilty. I do not want to reenforce a stereotype that is obviously not true or give anyone a bad name. At the same time though, it seems to be what people think is worth watching or, in our case, reading.

It is kind of a moral dilemma. Being purposefully annoying and a little too good to give my character and that stereotype a bad name does not seem to really help society, but at the same time playing a normal girl who appreciates doing good things for people without being annoying does not get me many followers, or a good grade.
One thing is for sure, I did not expect to feel guilty when I started this project.

War Today, Game Tomorrow

Did you know there is a site called www.war-toys.com?
War Toys is "taking war to a whole new scale." They can meet all your war toy needs from gladiators to sailors, from Nazis to Al Qaeda, from machine guns to motorcycles.
Kids can have the entire battle in their hands now, but they play with it so flippantly.
I think this is because war does not affect us the way it did older generations.  Without the news, I wouldn't even notice we were in a war.  I know this isn't true of everyone, perhaps I'm the exception, not the rule.  But I do not know anyone who is currently fighting overseas in the War on Terrorism.  But I do not that not every father and brother is being conscripted, our factories aren't being transformed to produce artillery, our tires aren't being donated to the government, and our food isn't be rationed.
Maybe if this was happening, people would do more than slap on a bumper sticker.
People's reactions to war would make Malcom Gladwell roll his eyes.  People have strong emotions towards war, but generally, they do only the least they can do.  If we were living in a war that required sacrifice from the citizens, I think war activism would lean more toward Gladwellian than Biz Stonian.
For older generations, war was a lifestyle. For us, it's a marketable trade.

Laura Ling

On October 12^th, 2011 I attended the speaker Laura Ling at Pruis Hall. I have never heard of her story before, but I definitely thought that it was an interesting impacting story.

It was about Laura Ling and her life story as a journalist and a tragic event that happened to her. She first began her story by a little video that showed what kind of stories she covers. She traveled to many different countries and covered stories that involved tragedy, bloodshed, and violence. Ling was an embedded journalist for the different wars going on in these countries. She even witnessed some of these things first hand, while in the different countries. She traveled to China where she was studying a story on woman trafficking. While she was doing this study she encountered her worst nightmare. From late March until early August 2009 she was a prisoner of the North Korea regime of dictator Kim Jong II. She and her fellow journalist Euna Lee were detained at the border of North Korea and Chine and accused/charged of trying to enter the country illegally. She was charged with twelve years of hard labor in one of the communist country’s work camps. Bill Clinton was who freed Laura Ling and Euna Lee during a diplomatic mission to Pyongyang.

Today, she is working for E!. She is reporting and journaling about certain topics involving student suicide rate, obesity, and different ethical vivid stories along those lines. She is still continue to journal on these types of topics that have an impact on people in the world, and that some people are not so much aware of.

I thought this speaker was interesting because she definitely kept the audiences attention the whole time. She spoke with a clear understandable tone to her voice and was very emotional in a good way when she was speaking. The only reason Bill Clinton was able to free Ling from North Korea is because fifteen years ago he made one phone call in condolences to Kim Jong II and his loss. Because of this small gesture Kim Jong II has always wanted to meet Bill Clinton, so this lead to an outcome of Laura Ling and Euna Lee being freed from a prison in North Korea. She mentioned how some of her guards were woman and very strict, but the little things they did when they were in a decent mood and not “spewing anti U.S rhetoric” were comforting to her.

I feel that Laura Ling did not do anything wrong in the sense of trying to help woman/people out during hard times in their life, and make certain topics available to be seen by Americans and any of her readers. She was just “tricked” in a way by her tour guide at that certain story she was covering on the border of North Korea and China. She quoted in her speech that “certain journeys/stories entail risk”, and I think that this exact story and journey she experienced definitely proved that.

Blurring the Lines

In class, we discussed blurring the lines between soldier and civilian and whether or not "regular people" (i.e., those who aren't fighting in a war) who experience war video games feel like a soldier.

This reminded me of a few things. One: Amanda Palmer's (not to keep harping on her but she's been surprisingly relevant, at least as far as my mind-links and synthesizing goes) "Strength Through Music," which sort of critiques the media's obsession with placing the blame re: the Columbine shootings in 1999--every media outlet wanted to blame violent video games, violent music, violent TV and films. "Don't bother blaming his games and guns," sings Amanda. "He's only playing and boys just want to have fun."

Second, which bridges the gap I just made: Amanda Palmer's "Guitar Hero," which is both a critique of celebrity (specifically, "the rock star") and a critique of war--specifically the blurring of lines between war and video games. In "Guitar Hero," she asserts that video games, whether war-themed or something like Guitar Hero, dumb down the player and effectively numb them to outside experiences or feelings. For instance, in "Guitar Hero," Palmer sings, "How do you get them to turn this thing off?/ This isn't at all like the ones back at home/ Just shut your eyes and flip the cassette/ And that's about the time that they hit." When the soldier begins to think of war as a video game, that's when things get dangerous.

This brings up another issue that I didn't get a chance to toss in during class: the U.S. military was using video games to recruit soldiers and boost morale, using video games to improve hand-eye coordination and imitate field training, and, further, it was noted that soldiers were indeed beginning to think of war as a video game. In the second article, Sgt. Sinque Swales is quoted with something that could come straight from our recent reading: "It felt like I was in a big video game. It didn't even faze me, shooting back. It was just natural instinct. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

That second article in particular is sort of chilling. Video games are now being used by soldiers as a sort of crutch--a way to cope with their reality.

"You just try to block it out, see what you need to do, fire what you need to fire," said Spec. Alfred Trevino, 20. "Think to yourself, 'This is a game, just do it, just do it.'"

Adver-Games

While talking/reading about the America’s Army videogame, something seemed weird to me. I couldn’t picture how an “adver-game” like this could be so popular. It doesn’t seem like people would get excited to play (and pay) for a game that is essentially an advertisement.

While thinking about this, I remembered an old game that my brother rented from Scott’s when I was younger. The game was called Cool Spot. If you’re not familiar with the little guy, he’s the red “dot” in the 7 Up logo. They actually made a game about a dot in a soda company’s logo. Even when I was a kid I found this to be weird.

When I got back from class I told my roommate (much more of a gamer than I am) about the Cool Spot game. He redirected me to this.

Get More: GameTrailers.com, GT Countdown - Top 10 Shameless Licensed Games HD, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

I couldn’t believe so many adver-games had been made. The highlights of the video include:

• A game where you try to break Chester Cheetah out of the zoo
• A game where you play as the Kool-Aid Man
• 3 different Burger King mini-games
• McKids, a McDonalds-themed Mario rip-off
• A Doom look-a-like entitled Chex Quest
• Darkened Skye, a game about Skittles

The game I actually found most interesting was Darkened Skye. This stuck out because the Skittles advertising is hidden. All these other games show their blatant advertising on the box or in the title. Darkened Skye (a full 3d adventure game) has no mention of Skittles until you find one in the game. The game’s quest, believe it or not, is to restore the rainbow.

While I’m sure these games were all pretty awful in terms of commercial success, I think that advertising will slowly creep more and more into video games, just in less blatant ways. Product placement is already pretty common in many AAA titles released today. I’m willing to bet that this will become just as common in videogames as it is in movies. With the extreme realism games are advancing towards, developers will need to add more detail to the objects in their games. What better way than to add a real life product and get paid at the same time?

There is a Soldier in All of Us

When we were addressing this topic of War and Popular culture in class, I immediately thought of this commercial for Call of Duty. The title is “There is a Soldier in All of Us” which was perfect for today’s topic. I think this kind of answers the question how America understands war. This game is letting people from all over who range in age to surround themselves in military tactics. Kobe Bryant and Jimmy Kimmel are both featured in this commercial. If they can fight than so can others. This commercial concurs with what Stahl was saying in the article talking about the boundary between citizen and soldier. This commercial depicts that they are one in the same.

An additional topic that was brought into the mix was that of, do video games like shooting and blowing stuff up have an affect in the real world. I feel that history shows that video games can have an affect on individuals because the simulation of the game becomes too real. Take the Columbine shootings for example. The shootings were to have taken place by students who had played shooter games and wanted to try it in “real life.” Another example that does not have to do with shootings, but rumors have spread that the 9/11 pilots used the video game flight simulator to learn how to fly a plane. So, I feel like there is a relationship between video gamers believing that games can become reality.

However, I do think that there are individuals that are mature enough to handle the content simulated in the shooter/military games. Personally, I have become addicted to Call of Duty. For no particular reason do I enjoy this game other than the fact that it is fast paced. I have no desire to make my addiction to the game a reality. In class, the idea was mentioned that teens and younger kids are being targeted and may not have the mind to understand what is going on. I totally agree with this comment. I think that at a younger age there are so many advertisements and video games being pushed out with incredible graphics that kids what to pretend they are something or someone in a video game that they are not and never will be but don’t know it yet.

When Culture Jamming Goes Too Far...

I would like to start out by saying that I am not wholly against culture jamming. Sometimes our society gets too caught up in the norm, the trends, the latest fabs and it needs to be knocked down a few pegs. A good prank is sometimes just the right remedy. However, just like most things that the American public is given any leniency with, can be taken too far. Westboro Baptist Church is a prime example of culture jamming gone too far.

For those of you who don’t know, Westboro is the borderline clinically insane group of religious wackos, most infamously known for picketing and prostesting at the funerals of homosexual military members.

Their latest “prank” was to picket Apple founder Steve Jobs’ funeral. Their beef with Jobs is a cluster of illogical ramblings that has something to do with the importance he placed on his Apple products- importance that, according to the Westboro Wackos, should be afforded to God only.

The most ironic part of this whole, ludacris plan was the way it was announced. “Westboro will picket his funeral. He had a huge platform; gave God no glory & taught sin,” member Margie Phelps tweeted…via her IPHONE. Cristine Harold undoubtly choked on her coffee after reading this. The whole point of culture jamming is the resist big business and here is one of the biggest groups of jammers, using the thing they’re picketing against to promote their picketing!

Phelps and her fellow crazies defended their actions by insisting that GOD created the iPhone so that their message could be spread. Still the hypocrisy is abundant and, in my opinion, repugnant.

There's a time and a place for everything. Shockingly enough, Westboro has missed its mark...again.

Buy Nothing Day

As we were disucussing culture jamming, I too found the topic particularly interesting. With this topic unlike others in the class, it takes a little research and thinking of examples to get more of a grip on what "culture jamming," actually means.

I knew i wanted to blog about this topic but was having trouble thinking about what to write about, so I went in researched the Adbusters website. We briefly discussed this magazine in class. I decided to go to the website to see what they were all about. As I was looking over their site, I clicked on the campaigns tab, and ran across the Buy Nothing Day campaign.

The American culture is a material culture. It amazes me how much time, research, and reporting is spent each year on the "holiday." Black Friday is a bigger deal than spending the day giving Thanks. People go to bed early and miss out on spending quality time with family so they can make it to the "big" sales the next day. News reporters replace good news with reports of this event. How many people are projected to buy, how many actually buy, where the best sales are, etc. Its sad really.

This campaign urges people to participate in Buy Nothing Day. Its a great idea I believe. It encourages people to stay at home with their families, buy less, buy local and provides many other ideas. People can go even further and go into the stores and ask things like "What would Jesus buy?" Other ideas can be found on the buynothingchrismas website.

I think you can be a culture jammer if you refuse to buy anything on November 25 when others are lining up at 3 a.m and pushing and shoving others as they search for gifts for their spoiled children. You are a culture jammer if you refuse to participate in Black Friday because you believe that this "holiday" is ruining the spirit of Christmas.

Princess Hijab

I found our discussion in class about culture jamming very interesting, so much so that I did some social media investigating of my own online. And after about twenty minutes of Googling I came across "Princess Hijab". She is a Paris based jammer who is responsible for works such as the one seen below.




Some European countries, especially France, Switzerland and Belgium, have a hard time meshing cultures with and being accepting to the traditions on their Islamic neighbors. For example the Swiss voted to ban the construction of a mosque. And recently in France there has been a call for a ban on the Muslim women wearing a veil in public. This is already in place in Belgium, it is now fully banned in a vote that passed with widespread support in that nation's lower legislative house. Around the same time that these anti-Islamic laws and bans were being passed, vandalized advertisements, like the one above, started showing up in Paris metro stations. Princess Hijab draws the veils on fashion models in all sorts of advertisements. She uses think black dripping paint and, although it is contrary to Islamic tradition, even gives veils to the males in the advertisements. Although the ‘Princess of Paint’ is not necessarily making a statement about the advertisements themselves, she is using the hegemonic fashion industry in Paris to make a statement about the bans in Europe. She is forcing Paris to confront the hijab and the Muslim culture on their own advertisements. It is eye catching and challenging to see something they banned- now put on their own creations.

You Fck the H8 out of that H8!

Today when we (learned and) discussed the reading on "Culture Jamming" and the idea of minority voice pushing through the hegemonic corporate world to turn their message on their sides and mock the hell out of them, I immediately thought of this campaign:

(In case you can't see that... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjFafCR6FOI&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Dfck%2Bh8%26aq%3Df&has_verified=1)

Basically, I think you can see that this (obviously) pro-LGBT campaign uses overtly offensive language to drill into your head...that you should be pissed, because WE'RE PISSED!!

And you DON'T want to offend the LGBT community!

As stereotypical as the ad is, it satirizes the shirtless gay guy, the butch lesbian, and the drag queen to put so far out there at "LGBT" that you HAVE TO listen.

As a media consumer, this is difficult because we ask ourselves "Why would the LGBT community want to be seen as obscene, sex-obsessed, and overtly pissed?"

For the most part, this is the simplest way to portray LGBT individuals...sadly. By presenting a "straight-acting" gay guy or a "lipstick" lesbian or a cisgender transgender...the audience must work harder to understand that this is the LGBT community communicating.

Isn't that weird? We (I include myself in the LGBT community) have to use the very hegemonic stereotypes to communicate a message of non-violence against gays, because of narrow-minded hegemonic views. Circular, ain't it?

In the end though, Fck H8 reclaims the taboo of their stereotypes (much like blacks reclaim the "n-word," and gays reclaim the "f-word") and pits it against social norms like "Fck U! And Fck U 2 H8!"

Top 5 Reasons People Choose 2 B Gay from FCKH8.com on Vimeo.

"Music is my Life." "Then what else is there?"

Recently, I've noticed that a significant number of my new freshman friends and even some of my old friends will use the phrase...

"Music is my Life."

And I think, "Then what else is there? As in, what the hell else do you while living?" A lot of these people you can tell who they are...

When they walk to class...got headphones in, blastin music.

When they are waiting for things...got headphones in, blastin music.

When they are bored while doing something...got headphones in, blastin music.

When they are studying in the room...gotta have some sort of music playing.

When there is nothing going on in the room...gotta have some sort of music playing.

One of my best friends is one of these people...and I asked him. "Why?"

He said, "Because I like to add a soundtrack to my life."

And I think...Life, nature, the very Ball State environment is a huge cacophony of sound that we tune into every day.

Whether it is Happy Friday Day Guy greeting you with a "Happy Friday," or a strange jeans company shouting through a megaphone to coax people into following them on Twitter...Ball State has a soundtrack.

If Music is organized sound and Ball State & its inhabitants assemble and make unconscious noise through being involved at Ball State...then music is all around you.

However, if you don't take off your headphones, you won't hear or notice the music that could lead to "free jeans" or a "free hug."

Can't catch a break

I like most people enjoy using twitter and facebook, occasionally. I however, am not a heavy user. I enjoy learning new and unique ways to grab individuals attention and sell products. I wake up watching TV with social media/advertisements on the broadcast, I go to class and learn about why people watch the shows they watch, use the social media sites and then I come back after class is over and watch the shows and use the social media talked about in class. The social media/advertising circle is a never-ending continuum.

Today, as I was sitting in church waiting for the preacher to start preaching the youth pastor got up to make the regular church announcements. So, in the announcements, he proceeds to tell the congregation about this new campaign their starting and with that campaign there will be a facebook page. The facebook page is to help build community within the challenge of the campaign. At church, you do not expect to be talking about facebook and social media. Advertising to the community through facebook sure seems to be the thing to do these days. We are constantly being advised to go on facebook and like a page. One morning I turned the TV on and noticed on almost every channel I flipped through, the facebook logo and page of the channel popped up during the broadcast. As a society, social media sites are being used to advertise everything.

I have a new campaign like me on facebook; I have a garage sale join my event on facebook. I’m staring in a play come watch my highlights on facebook. I could go on and on, but you get the point everything is being advertised through facebook.

What are we going to do as a society when the facebook community does not exist anymore or will that ever happen?

I have this overwhelming feeling that social media and advertisers have taken over the world and everywhere we look, it’s always going to be there. Can I not get a day off from social media and advertisements?