Apocalyse, Yo!

Here comes the End...of this project for COMM 322. Hope that you like it.


Presentation Here

Feminism in video games

I've always been a fan of the Final Fantasy video games. As a book nerd, these games entice me to play because of the intricate story lines included with the game play.

However, I do have to admit that the video games sexualize women. Even when a female character has the main role in the story line -- like in Final Fantasy X-2, she is dressed up in very few clothes. The

Not only does the series sexualize women, but it also portrays them as being frail. The men in the video games are all muscular and carry huge weapons (for instance, Google Cloud's huge sword in FF XII), but the women often carry smaller weapons. Also, it's the men who are usually rescuing them, not the women fending for themselves.

The women are also depicted as not being able to handle tough situations. For instance, Dagger/Garnet in FF XIIII loses her voice at one point in the game because she is so stressed out about what's going on.

Parasocial relationships

Parasocial relationships are a one-sided bond with a person. It can be with someone you know personally, but some people often form parasocial relationships with celebrities or others they have never met.

For instance, some people who are really into sports often form parasocial relationships with the team they support or even for an individual player. The person will refer to the team as "my team" or "we lost" and may feel emotional about the loss or win.

I confess that I have a parasocial relationship with Macy from "Teen Mom." Although my personal example of a parasocial relationship is not as drastic as some with sports-related parasocial relationships, I was driven by her strength in the show. She shows so much love for her son, Bentley, and — to me — seems like the most responsible mom on the show.

I didn't get into the show until the second season was over. I decided to see what all the fuss was about and watched the show in one week. I was so interested in what happened to Macy after the show — Did she stay with Kyle? Did she get her happily ever after? — that I googled more information about her, something I don't ever do about celebrities. I was appalled to find that there were multiple articles touting that Macy was a "party girl" and an irresponsible mother. That's not the Macy I know ... Alas, I chalked it up as rumors and chose not to believe them. I did find out, though, that was still with Kyle (SPOILER ALERT: and still is, even after the third season!).

The "out group" often becomes the "in group"

Hipsters tend to identify themselves as the "out group" or the "other."

However, the style of an out group often begins to trend and others start to mimic the out group. Because of this, consumer companies realize they have a new market to cater to and earn money from. For instance, Urban Outfitters, H&M and the GAP make clothes for the trendy hipster group. In turn, this also causes others who were not originally in the out group to join the trend.

This causes one to question whether there is really an out group at all.

In my opinion, I still believe there is an out group. However, some out groups transition to the in group. After this takes place, another out group is formed. And then the cycle repeats itself.

Body image

Perhaps one of the biggest influences on popular culture is how people view body image.

The average woman in America weighs 163 pounds and is 5'3.8" tall, according to studies by the National Center for Health Statistics. So why are women so conscious about their appearance and dream of weighing less than 120 pounds?

Although there are numerous factors for that, one of the most prominent reasons are advertisements and the media. If customers sees a skinny, jovial person using a product, the person is most likely to subconsciously think, "If I use this product, I will look like this too!" On average, most models weigh 117 pounds and are 5'11" tall. So, because of this, people's views on body image are altered.

Another body image not often shown in the media is older women as "sex symbols." However, shows like "Hot in Cleveland" and "Golden Girls" help to debunk that notion. Another example of how older women are "stealing the spotlight" is Betty White, who appeared in an advertisement for the Life Line Program with singer Luciana.

I mean — unlike Journey Syndrome and my lone true love for Journey — who doesn't love Betty White?