Extra Credit: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

The Great Movie Ever Sold is a movie that is COMPLETELY funded by the advertisements in the film. This movie goes into the marketing process (the meetings, presentations, etc.). Morgan Spurlock is the one who does everything to make sure that every single part of this film is used my advertiser's money. It is, essentially, a movie all about advertising and is completely paid for by advertising. Spurlock wants us to see this world and to make us realize that our whole world is about advertisement and we can't hide from it. It is a crazy concept but true. Even the title (POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold) is an advertisement. The ending of the trailer is great because Spurlock asks Nadar if there was one place where you can't see advertisement and the only answer Nadar could give was when you are sleeping. Advertisement is everywhere, you can't escape it. That is the overall message of this film and that it can be done.

Quiz 10

The term bitch has been distorted over time. Bitch was originally a word for a female dog, however over time it has developed a dual meaning. Today the word bitch is commonly associated with a selfish, malicious, obnoxious, or slutty person who is a female. Females today often call themselves and their friends bitches as if it is some sort of a compliment to one another. The word bitch is also used when we are talking about someone we really dislike (once again commonly amongst females) "that girl is such a bitch, I cannot stand her". The term is also used commonly to describe someone who is not hyper masculine. This can be considered an ontological term because the original meaning of the term has been erased overtime. This is similar to the word faggot. Faggot used to be describe as a bundle of sticks. Now, faggot is used to describe a homosexual person.

Quiz 9: The "F" Word

In the episode titled "The F Word", South Park uses an ontology of postmodernism to comment on homophobia. In the episode, the people in the town are annoyed by the loudness and inconsiderate attitudes of the Harley riders. in roder to try to get them to stop actingt hey way they want, they insult them by continuing to call them by he f word. Even homosexuals int he community want to have the meaning fo the word changed so that it will constantly refer to Harley riders instead fo the gay community. The episode continues by showing the tight nit community of the Hrley riders and how they feel misudnerstood and continue to do actions that cause them to continue to be referred to as the f word by members of the town. in the end the Harley riders make a comment on how they aren't ashamed to be called this word because they are who they are and enjoy being loud and obnoxious no matter what people think. With all these postmodernism references the episode is able to compare the Harley Riders to the gay community.

Quiz 9 : With Apoligies to Jesse Jackson

In the episode "With Apoligies to Jesse Jackson", it begins with the father on Wheel of Fortune . He guesses the "n" word in the category of people that annoy you when in fact the word was supposed to be naggers. The episode comments on the offensiveness of the word and how it seems to be ok if a black person were to say the word, but not a white person, and how it is simply or can be a comedic term in the black community but is not appropriate when used by a white person such as when the fatehr goes to a comedy club and there is a balck persona nd he repeadetly uses the "n" word. The father is then constantly called the "n" guy which comments on the offensiveness of the term and how all people whoa re called this word group together. in the end he goes to Congress to try to make this word illegal which shows how no white eprson wants to be viewed as racist.Other post modernism refrences that are used are the black child that goes t school with the children and his name is "token". Also, there is a gorup of redneck white men who would normally be viewed as white supremacists considering they even have the confederate flag on their clothes but instead they go after the white people who use this word.

"Chongas"

The derogatory term, "chonga" is not as commonly used as terms such as "guido", "gangster", or "hick", but it is heard when people are being racist toward Hispanic women, calling them trashy and prostitute-like. According to urbandictionary.com, a "chonga" is "a girl of Hispanic origin, usually between the ages of 12 and 19 but sometimes as young as 8. Primarily found in Miami, the chonga is known for her cheap form of a dress, a combination of the so-called 'gangsta' look and that of a prostitute, but can vary between the two... Depending on how ghetto she thinks she is, she may wear oversized men's t-shirts with tight, usually white Brazilian pants, with a colored thong worn underneath that shows through (on purpose)." This definition is extremely racist, as a lot of what is displayed on urbandictionary.com usually is, but this can be often taken to offense by many Hispanics, as other races dub the term to the race as a whole and not simply those who display these characteristics. Derogatory terminology has been created for nearly every race that exists in our society, and that is why so much controversy dealing with racial discrimination has arised.

"The F Word"

The episode, "The 'F' Word" uses an ontology of postmodernism to critique homophobia with the controversy created by Stan and the boys dealing with terminology relating to homosexuals. The term, "fag", is brought up in the South Park community when the kids are describing the bikers around town that stay in a group on Harleys, thinking they are tough and people look at them when they stir up noise because they are intimidated by them. In reality, according to the boys, they are a disruption to the entire community and people actually look down on them. The biker crew is not getting the attention they want to receive, as they are getting it for all the wrong reasons. People either pretend they don't exist, or are simply annoyed by their presence. When Stan approaches them, he informs them that everyone thinks they are "fags" and they are appalled by this because the definition we have given the slang term, "fag" is a derogatory phrase to call someone who is homosexual. The boys go through a lot of trouble and hate from people because they believe they are calling them homosexuals, but when they call them "fags", they don't mean it in a derogatory way- they mean it as an "extremely annoying, inconsiderate person most commonly associated with Harley riders." This episode is simply addressing the issue of terminology, especially when dealing with homosexuality, and it comes into question whether using phrases like the word "fag" in a non-derogatory sense should actually be frowned upon.

The "F" Word

South Parks episode, "The F Word," displays ontology of postmodernism by critiquing homosexuals, but particularly the term "fag". The word fag is a derragatory term used to classify homosexuals in society. In the South Park episode, the kids use the term to describe the "bikers". They are fed up with their loud and obnoxious hyper masculine antiques and use the term fag to classify the bikers. In the episode, they are not calling the bikers homosexuals, they are using the term fag to show that their are multiple usages of the word. Ontological postmodernism is present in this epsiode in relation to the term fag. The episode shows that their are multiple meanings for the word, it just depends in which context you are using it. By removing the negative connotation in which we are conditioned to associate the term with, they remove the meaning of the word and it becomes just another classification for another group of people.

Quiz 9: The F Word

In the South Park episode titled "The F Word", ontological postmodernism is displayed. This episode is about how they use the word "fag". The kids use the term not as a way to describe people for being homosexual which, in our society, is viewed as being negative, but instead are using it as a way to talk about hypermasculine bikers and used the word almost casually. It is ontological because it is a state of being and the word is being used as a performance. The word, in this episode" is used so casually that it has no true meaning anymore. With using this negative word and using it to describe hypermasculinity, it makes the word have no meaning anymore. It becomes just a word.

Guido's

Guido's have become the latest ontological postmodernism craze. "Guido" originally was a word that described working-class Italian-Americans, but is now that label for ultra masculine Italian males who abuse steroids, have blow-out hair cuts, wear tight studded shirts with chains to match, and who's attitude/habits consist of fist-pumping in the clubs, working out, and fighting anyone who effects them in any way. The fad was paved the way by MTV's Jersey Shore and has been know to cause controversy in the Italian communities.

"Ginger Kids"

"Ginger Kids" is an episode of South Park that deals with identity and the fear of minorities. Since gingers were the minority in south park, they were seen as enemy and were even related to vampires and called "day walkers". This is relevant to real life for the fact that when you are in the majority you often create misconceptions about the minority, because ginger kids are obviously not vampires.

"The F Word"

South Park always deals with important issues that are relevant in todays culture and the episode "The F Word" is no different. This episode deals with the postmodernist approach to the word fag. Instead of having the old meaning as a derogatory word for homosexuals, the word fag takes on the complete opposite meaning for someone who is a biker and overly manly. This causes the word fag not to be offensive to gays what so ever and henceforth changing its original purpose and meaning.

"The F Word"

The South Park episode "The F Word" displays ontology of postmodernism to critique homosexuality by excessively using the term "fag." Although "fag" has been used to describe many things, it is associated with a negative meaning. Up until recently "fag" has been used to categorize homosexuals. But South Park is showing the social shift being made by youth today to use the term with not a homosexual association, but rather to describe something they don't like. And since the term "fag" has flexible usage, it is an ideal example of postmodernism ontology in the case of "masculine" Harley riders.

The F Word

In the South Park episode entitled "The F Word" the show uses an ontology of postmodernism regarding the word "fag." This word is normally used as a derogatory term towards homosexuals, but the show applies postmodernism and instead makes fun of this by using the word in a different context and calling the overly-masculine biker a "fag."

This removes the negative connotation associating the word with homoesexuality and makes the word almost meaningless. Therefore, the definition of the word is practically removed, and it becomes nothing more than a word.

Gangsters

The term "gangster" has many different meanings. The meaning of a gangster has definitely changed over the course of time.The terms "gangster" and "mobster" are mostly used in the United States to refer to members of criminal organizations associated with Prohibition or with an American offshoot of the Italian mafia. Gangsters were often depicted in many American films such as The Godfather and even TV series such as The Sopranos. However, in today's society the term is commonly used by rappers in songs and is even a word that young teenage boys use to describe their style. A gangster today is stereotypically someone who wears baggy clothes, chains, and portrays a "ghetto" sense of style which in reality is kind of absurd and means nothing. There is not true meaning for this word, when someone today says they are "gangster" they are using a word with vague meaning to perform a specific identity.

South Park - "The F Word"

In the episode of South Park titled "The F Word," an ontological postmodernism critique to homophobia is evident. In this episode, the whole storyline is based around the use of the word "fag." In our society, "fag" has a negative connotation referencing homosexuals and is considered not politically correct. However, in this episode the characters use it casually, calling the motorcycle riders who are portrayed as very masculine, "fags." They argue that they are not calling them that because they think they are homosexuals, but rather the word can have many different meanings. Ontological postmodernism is shown through this episode because there is not one correct or right meaning of the word "fag;" it can be a derogatory term for homosexuals or the complete opposite, in this case a word used to describe hyper-masculine motorcyclists. The term is loosely used to mean many things, so there is no one or true meaning for it. This exemplifies ontological postmodernism.

Have a Gay Day!

This image plays on the word "gay," which is commonly used to describe homosexuals. However, the original meaning meant happy or merry. In the context of this sentence, "Have a Gay Day!" the word "gay" means happy or merry, but the rainbow-colored smiley face and contemporary use of the term "gay" invoke a homosexual connotation. This ambiguity defines the unreality of the image and it is just a mere simulation of homosexuality. This image combines the flat image of a smiley-face with a symbol of homosexuality- the rainbow.

"The F Word"

In the South Park episode "The F Word," an ontological postmodernist thought is present. The basis of the episode is a performance of the word "fag." "Fag" has been thought to be a derogatory word for homosexuals, but the children of South Park use the term to ironically describe the hyper-masculine obnoxious Harley motorcyclists. They claim the term "fag" has nothing to do with homosexuals, and they say, "You can be gay but not a fag." The homosexuals in the town are happy to not be the "most hated people" anymore, and eventually the Harley motorcyclists "embrace" who they are.

This episode is an example of ontological postmodernist thought because there is no true reality, and no true meaning of the word "fag." The term could describe homosexuals or its counterpart, über-masculine motorcyclists. Therefore, calling a homosexual a "fag" loses its insult impact because there is no true meaning attached to it. The Harley motorcyclists embracing the term in the end is another example of ontological postmodernism because they are embracing their ambiguous identities and performing that identity.

South Park: With Regards Jesse Jackson

With Regards Jesse Jackson is an episode of South Park in which Stan's father, Randy Marsh, says a racial slur on a game show. The word being the "n-word" which is derogatory towards African American people. The obvious result of his misguided guess on the game show results in Randy becoming the black sheep of the South Park, where he is constantly associated with the incident. He is even threatened with violence by a group of men who appear to be white trash, yet they are harassing Randy for saying racist things towards black people. Prior to this Randy was forced to kiss Jesse Jackson's ass, literally, as a form of public apology to all black people. This is ontological because it is critiquing whiteness by saying that all white people associate black acceptance with Jesse Jackson. Of course this public apology does not excuse Randy from his act of stupidity, so while he is being chased by the white trash rednecks he is rescued by a group of public figures that have made statements involving race, specifically comments towards African Americans. This is ontological in the sense that the people who made public racist comments are all grouped together as horrible people. All this time Cartman has been hassling a midget who has come to the school in order to teach tolerance towards those with difference, but Cartman simply can't get over how hilarious he finds the midget. After constant ridicule from Cartman finally the midget breaks down and fights Cartman, who laughs the entire time while he beats up the midget. After the fight the midget hobbles away as he continues to preach that he is no different than anyone else and that "words are like bullets". This construction of ontology in postmodernism is such because it is critiquing the idea of acceptance of differences in this society. Everyone is grouped into some association or another by their similarities and beliefs, and often times those groups disagree in a public setting.

Peter Griffin goes to the Doctor

In Family Guy, Peter Griffin visits the doctor for a prostate exam. Peter did not know how a prostate exam is performed. The doctor tells Peter to drop his pants and lean forward. The doctor proceeds to give the prostate exam like a professional but Peter instantly thinks the doctor is molesting him. Given an ontological perspective, in Peter's mind, the doctor cannot be a professional because the instant the doctor performs the identity of a molester, the doctor assumes that identity. The doctor tries to explain that is how a prostate exam works but Peter cannot accept that the doctor is being professional.

South Park- The F Word

In the South Park episode, "The F word", South Park uses an ontology of postmodernism to critique homosexuality by the way in which bikers (on motorcycles) perform their masculinity. Cartman(?) confronts them when the bikers think that they are being "cool" and calls them "fags" for being loud and obnoxious. Firstly, he uses the term "fag" as an insult which suggests that being gay is a bad thing. From an ontological perspective, it is impossible to have these two identities of being a hyper-masculine biker and homosexual. The bikers believe that the reason others might think they are gay is because they aren't being loud enough. The bikers proceed to make even more noise. The characters eventually lose track of what being a "fag" means and write "GET OUT FAGS" around town. The students don't consider the term "fag" to represent a gay person at all. But when two gay people see the message, they are deeply offended. After the bikers seek a dictionary definition, they learn that the word keeps changing its meaning and that using the term "fag" isn't intended to label someone as a homosexual. Nonetheless, they are offended. The entire episode is centered around the problem with these males inability to perform the identity of a "fag" and a hyper-masculine biker.

Culture Jam

This is another example of a culture jam implying how America is controlled by corporations and those in power of the economy. Instead of where the 50 stars should be representing the 50 states, there are emblems form major corporations who control everything we experience in our day to day lives. This culture jam is implying that instead of power of the states in the government and hwo the country si run, it is instead powered by consumerism and economic power over said consumers by these companies and such which control and drive everyone's eveyrday life. Poeple work in order to provide and work harder in order to buy excesses which continues to support the ever increasing economic power of these companies.

Culture Jam

This culture jam is commenting on the widespread knowledge of McDonalds and its effect on consumers. The copy reads "There's a little M in everyone" implying that America has gotten to the point of excessive obesity because of fast food empires such as McDonalds. Of course the text is featured on the back of an obese man showing the effect of such food on people. This culture jam is poking fun and the terrible food and its terrible effect on America and consumers around the world and how people still continue to eat it regardless of their knowledge of how bad the food actually is for you.

Stereotypes

Stereotypes are very common in society today, it seems as if every race, ethnicity, sport, job, religion, etc, all have there own stereotype. Some commonly heard stereotypes are that women cannot drive, Asians cannot sing, and all African Americans love fried chicken. It is a common belief among the general public that baseball is automatically associated with dipping/chewing. Although there is a large majority of baseball players who do dip/chew, it is not fair to place a stereotype that all baseball players dip. On our team at Rollins there are more players who do not dip/chew, than players who do dip/chew.

Quiz 8 Culture Jam

Culture Jams commonly poke fun, or distort a brands name and they genuinely due this through some sort of image. Before you perform a culture jam, it is important to understand what the brand tries to market itself. For example, Nike tries to market themselves as the top name in sports, exercise, etc. However, people may distort Nike's image as being one of the highest profiting sporting companies and show the workshops, and poor labor conditions the workers are forced to work in. For the culture jam of the Absolute Vodka bottle, Absolute tries to market themselves as a higher class alcohol. We would rarely find an advertisement that would show Absolute demoting themselves, and showing the real effects of alcohol. This image portrays the effects of alcohol by having the bottle bent over, or appearing sluggish. It is showing that when people drink Absolute or any alcohol in excess people suffer severe side effects and possible health issues.

Nike Culture Jam

The image above is just one example of culture jamming of a major corporation, which in this particular picture is Nike. People who create culture jams are acting out against the consumer orientation of the mass media who represent large corporations but fail to show all sides. One of the most popular methods of culture jamming is taking popular advertisements of big brands and changing them in order to direct thought to the negative aspects of the products. In this example, the person is trying to show that Nike uses celebrities such as Tiger Woods to promote their products and in a sense it is also making fun of them for it by making Tiger's mouth in the shape of the Nike symbol. It makes people think of how Nike really does use famous individuals to market their products all of the time. I think Tiger was also used because of his recent negative scandals as well. Tiger is definitely a major face for Nike products, so it made me realize how sports stars are really tied to a specific brand.

Quiz 8

This image is an example of a culture jam. It is making fun and pointing out that the broadcasting company ABC is bias when it comes to their censorship. This political culture jam is extremely effective. It makes people think of something that they would not have thought of before seeing this culture jam. Now every time I watch a program on the ABC channel, I will not help but think about if it is having biased censorship.

Quiz 8

This YouTube video entitled "I'm the head of the state" by Baraka Flaka Flame is a perfect example of a political culture jam. Mimicking rapper Wakka Flaka Flame's song "Hard in Da paint" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkkC9cK8Hz0&NR=1&feature=fvwp) this culture jam mocks President Barack Obama by portraying him as lower class thug, rather than the upper class intelligent individual we have elected to run our country.

Quiz 8 Consumer culture jamming

This image of consumerism culture jamming represents symbols that we see in every day circumstances, but most importantly on a worldwide scale. All of these brands can be found worldwide, but also represent a certain aspect of society or lifestyle of a consumer. The culture jammed coding represents a satirical examination of how life in a Capitalist dominated world works out. People are meant to simply work in order to buy and consume, and then they die to finish out the cycle. The consumption of these products whose logos are depicted can also be held accountable for the widespread continuation of this ideology.

Political Culture Jam

This image comical culture jam is set up as a typical motivational poster. It shows CIA Director, George Tenet, in a very awkward pose that portrays him as incompetent and unintelligent. This photo is most likely a quick snap shot of him during conversation. The tagline reads "GOVERNMENT - Don't worry, they're just as confused as you are." This poster suggests that the government isn't sure how to explain the 9/11 incident and is as confused as the public. The political implications of this culture jam hint at more distrust in the government.

Quiz 10: Stop War Culture Jam

This culture jam plays on an everyday symbol (the stop sign). When you first look at this image, you might not even notice the shadow and just look at the everyday object that you pass by everyday, you almost need to do a double take. They subtly change the meaning by having the shadow of the stop sign say war. It has a big political message to an everyday object about how the war should stop by only changing one part (the shadow). This culture jam is about the Iraq war, which is a popular political controversy. It has a great deal of political potential, described by Kahn, Kellner, and Warner, because it can easily be seen by a large audience (circulation). This is so simple but yet so powerful and gets straight to the point, which is the message to stop the war in Iraq.

Quiz 8: Political Cultural Jam

In the preceding image, an SUV company directly responds to theorists who blame global warming on gas emissions of large vehicles like the one pictured. Stating "not our fault" then going on to state a true fact points out fallacies in the global warming argument. Perhaps what makes this political cultural jam effective is that JUST the copy, not the image, was changed. Additionally, it exposes the truth: People do like big cars and car sales have not been dramatically affected by the popularization of global warming. Since global warming is such a political hot topic, this cultural jam is also extremely relevant. In Warner's article, a similar example is used: The Daily Show. This satirical fake news, like the cultural jam featured above, simply changes the language of an actual news station but everything else (the way the news studio appears, what the anchors are wearing, the way the anchors speak) is all the same as an actual news program. Both of these examples prove to be effective because of their blatant reference to the "real."

Dissenting with Miller Lite

This ad for Miller Lite encourages the viewer to dissent from other light beers by drinking Miller Lite because Miller Lite is supposedly a more flavorful, manly beer. The ad suggests that real men drink Miller Lite and that Miller Lite has a stronger taste than its light beer competitors. In reality, huge brewing companies that mass produce light beer like Miller Lite, Bud Light, and Coors Light don't add anything extra special to the beer. "Dissenting" by drinking Miller Lite is a form of false-dissent.

quiz 8 uncle sam

These two images both carry the image of the iconic Uncle Sam, but deliver very different messages. The image on the left is the classic Uncle Sam poster. It was used as government propaganda during World Wars I and II to recruit young men for the military. Since the first issue of this poster, it has remained a memorable piece of our past and symbolizes Americana and nationalism. The image on the at the top is a culture jam of that Americana. Uncle Sam is not only a political figure but a pop culture icon as well, perfect for manipulating. The creators used a nostalgic image symbolizing traditional American values of trusting the government, but inserted a message of doubt and criticism. This image uses Uncle Sam again, but shows an em-battered version, still holding out his hand but in desperation, not sternness. The copy uses the same beginning two words, but ends with "out" instead of the "you for the U.S. Army." The images are laid out the same, but the changed expression of Uncle Sam and different copy suggest an entirely different meaning. This image was used during the controversial Vietnam War. The message this poster sends out is one from the countercultural and oppositional group, the groups Kahn and Kellner cite as needing culture jamming techniques to reach a mass audience. It also is an example of Warner's "rhetorical sabotage."

Dissent

So I must say that it was much harder to find an add that portrayed the ideal image of dissent. After searching through dozens of adds, this is what I found, an image that was created to make fun of the smart car. The smart car was created to be environmentally
friendly. It is a small car that does not take up much space on the road. What makes this add identify with a dissent taste is how the add takes something good and destroys it, pointing out whoever drives a small car like a smart car is a pussy. I think this add can be classified as effective dissent because it is shirt, simple and to the point. It drives people away from a positive vehicle in our society (ignoring the safety standards) and makes them think twice. When a man sees this add I am sure all he want's to do is purchase a large yellow Hummer.

Dissent

This Smirnoff advertisement is an example of ineffective dissent because it is trying to portray the idea that by drinking this vodka, you will be out or the norm and join in the crazy, rebellious side of life. By drinking alcohol, obviously it would loosen you up and drive you to get out there and enjoy life, but in the idea of dissent, this is what the media portrays for one to do when they need to get out and enjoy life; is to drink. SO by doing this, you are technically doing what is being portrayed in the media.

Quiz 9: Dissenting from the Norm

The Kenneth Cole ads advertise that "We All Walk in Different Shoes" which states that everyone is different from one another (no one has the same taste in shoes). These advertisements are considered dissent because of the fact that everyone is different and has their own opinion about what they like. These are real, effective dissent because it has a great message about being different is a good thing and being outside the norm. These are two different ads, one is a business woman and the other is a women covered in tattoos. They are dissenting from the norm of targeting a certain kind of woman but, instead, saying everyone has different taste in shoes and they don't care because everyone is different from one another.

Quiz 7

Audi's advertisement "The Spell" shows people of the upper class acting almost zombie like as they describe themselves as well as their vehicles. This is an attempted for Audi to make the point you can break "the spell" by not being like them (e.i. dissenting) by buying one of their more rare and personal cars, which would ultimately separate them from the standard. However, this is just simulated dissent because after all, their still jut buying a higher class luxury vehicle.

In this advertisement from Dove, an idea of being different is being portrayed. This difference however isn’t against normal people but instead against normal models. By using not a size 0 supermodel they are breaking out against their competitors in hopes to win over the masses by claiming to be “real”. However, this is just stimulated dissent. It makes people believe that by buying Dove products they are embracing their normalcy and fighting against supermodels, henceforth “dissenting”.

Quiz 7 - Yahoo Dissent

In this advertisement for Yahoo!, the idea of being unique and different is portrayed. They clearly chose a girl with lots of different tattoos on her to convey that people who don't fit the typical "norm" in society use Yahoo! as well and make it their own. The copy in the advertisement is also very important. By saying "Your own personal everything," the corporation is dissenting away from all of the typical email servers and search engines and saying that Yahoo! is different, just like you can be if you use it. Through the use of these advertising techniques in this ad, Yahoo! is creating an almost fake sense of dissent that consumes the idea of individualism and being whoever you want to be by using Yahoo!.

Quiz 7 Question 1

Nike and their slogan "Just Do It" has dominated the sports industry since 1964. There slogan "Just Do It" refers to individuals who continuously talk about adding some sort of exercise to their daily routine, but fail to get off the sofa. The Nike slogan is an example of simulated dissent because it refers to individuals who were able to get off the sofa and begin exercising. These people have dissented from the stereotypical overweight American who constantly makes bullshit excuses of why they cant work out rather than just doing it / "Just Do It". By conforming to the Nike slogan, individuals are able to "dissent".

Quiz 7 Hummer Dissent

Hummer has a slogan that states, "like nothing else", which implies that by purchasing a Hummer you are, in fact, dissenting from the typical automobile. The reason that this slogan represents a sense of simulated dissent is because it offers the ideology of individualism and the image of a trendsetter. The truth is that Hummer's offer nothing special in comparison to most trucks or SUV's, moreover they actually are less fuel efficient. They do, however, offer many specs that are virtually useless in a practical sense, such as the ability to scale rocks and drive through two feet of water. People who tend to purchase Hummers are not outdoor enthusiasts, but instead upper middle class to upper class pricks who have no need for a Hummer. Hummer instills a sense of dissent from the norm and presents an image of adventure, when in reality all it offers is an expensive, gas guzzling, chauvinistic, mainstream SUV.

Quiz 7: Thirteen (the movie)

In the clip above, a trailer for the 2003 movie Thirteen is featured. In the film, the main character Tracy is first presented as a straight-laced, straight A, student. When she meets Evie; her exact opposite, the two form a friendship and throughout the film get involved in everything from shoplifting and drugs, to sex and self mutilation. Both of the characters are thirteen.

The film constructs the characters and the scenes in such a way that makes the viewer feel as if their behavior is deviant; that it dissents from the "norm." However, the truth is that the actions presented in the film are not rare for thirteen year olds. Perhaps the film is even "too realistic" for some as it does not shy away from issues that are often considered controversial. In this way, the dissent is ineffective. Furthermore, the kind of behavior presented in the film is now being presented as "mainstream" through shows such as 90210 and Gossip Girl. Therefore, to "dissent" as the girls did in Thirteen is not to dissent at all; their rebellion is "normal" and thus by doing the activities named they are conforming instead of rebelling.

quiz 7 dissent on mcdonalds

This video was created by a sole user and not associated with a corporation. The creator successfully manipulates an actual McDonald's advertisement to oppose its original meaning. The original purpose of the ad was to promote the happy meal, but the user created a sarcastic tone by adding the role of the tired, miserable, and desperate parent. "They love everything you don't" and have "boundless energy" says the narrator. But now to make both parents and children happy, happy meals from McDonald's include "Ritalin" (a medication used to treat ADHD) to calm down children. At the end there is a play on McDonald's logo with "I Think I'm Lovin' It." It is not certain whether McDonald's actually uses Ritalin, but the unhealthiness of their food is certainly implied, and in a very humorous and successful way. I argue that this is an effective example of Kahn and Kellner's definition of dissent. This video dissents on the McDonald's corporation and the entire fast food industry, along with the use of Ritalin. Unlike corporations who use a "dissent" and "rebellion" marketing strategy, this video is created by an individual not promoting or selling anything else, but rather just making an opposing statement on the widespread culture of fast food.

Quiz 7 Question 1

The Kenneth Cole advertisement campaign with the slogan "We all walk in different shoes" is an example of simulated dissent. The point of the campaign is to declare that people are all unique, but is essentially saying that they should all buy from the same brand anyway. Instead of actually dissenting based on everyone being different, the campaign makes people feel like they are being different while actually buying the same thing. This means that they are actually not dissenting at all.

Stereotypes in "90210"

This image of the recent "90210" series displays the different stereotypes that may be associated with "white people" and with people from Beverly Hills. These "teens" go to a high school that evidently is very wealthy because of where they are located. Sometimes I even over hear people talking about "oh your zip code used to be 90210, you must be rich or famous." I just find that to be hilarious! Unfortunatly some of these stereotypes are true and people take that as an advantage and eventually end up using people just to get ahead in life.

"30 things white people do that black people dont"

This Video entitled "30 Things White People do That Black People don't" is a great example of how some people might develop this image of white people and/or black people. From this video a person can see that  "white people" are seen as slow or dumb for doing the things they do. Personally I know a lot of "black people" that do the same things that "white people" do. On the other side of the specturm we see the way "black people" may be seen as. Viewers can potentially see that "black people" are "ghetto" that they do not know how to talk and that they are ignorant about things. These different views can potentially lead to tension between individuals and can also lead to potential violence.

In this video, several different men (mostly African American) are dribbling and playing with a basketball in various ways. As they move around and bounce the ball, a beat is formed, making a consistent beat through the entire video. As we have discussed in class, there are many different forms of "whiteness" and "blackness." This video shows one type of blackness not only through African Americans playing basketball, which is typical in itself, but also how they keep up a true beat that could be found in a modern day rap song probably made by an African American man. Nike uses this image of a black man to sell what they believe is a Nike basketball player looks like and acts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPmfbhVGbIQ

Quiz 6 question 1

This video shows a true example of a particular kind of race and the identity that goes along with it. The race in this video is Italian Americans. The video is a mockery of how some Italian Americans living in New Jersey tend to act. If you watch the video it is safe to say that the race is looked at in a way that shows the trashy side of things. Everything about this video makes fun of the "Jersey Shore" lifestyle. The makers of this video chose people to interview that truly looked the part, which makes the video even more hilarious, driving the point home. The people in the video all live and act like typical jersey shore guidos, making each interview more hilarious then the last. They all even look like jersey shore italians with their so called "juice head" builds and spray on tans. , act and believe in what they Watch it for yourself and it will all make sense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5weU2olAl-E

Quiz 6 , Question 2- Extra - WoW Machinima

This World of Warcraft machinima is the famous scene of Leeroy Jenkins. In the scene, a group is attempting to complete a difficult task that requires a lot of planning and proper execution. "Leeroy Jenkins" however messes it all up by attacking out of turn and essentially ruining the team's plan. It is comical to hear the responses of Leeroy's teammates. The video has gained a large amount of popularity on YouTube and other media outlets such as Jeopardy and the Huffingtonpost. Much of the comedy and popularity is derived from this "nerdy" portrayal of WoW. The video is constructing an identity of WoW players and suggesting that all WoW players do this type of activity and communicate in this manner.

Quiz 6, Question 1 - Race

This video portrays the construction of the white male dominance over society. Although the creators of the video clearly state they were not trying to offend anyone, the video is still liable to be critically analyzed. Throughout the video, the men continually talk of their wealth, economic power, and dominance of women. They are are white males dressed in wealthy styles. In one scene, they speak of going to the office of student records to mock the ladies that work there that they pay their salaries. Not only are they making note of their wealth, but also assuming women work there.

Quiz 6 Question 2

Although performed on Comedy Time on TV which is owned by a corporation, Anjelah Johnson performs a live comedy act making fun of nail shops. She automatically emphasizes the stereotype that all nail places are run by Asian women. She constructs their race in this video by using an Asian accent that Americans usually use when imitating someone of Asian decent, saying stereotypical phrases that women in nail shops usually say, and making fun of their culture in some aspects. Although many people find this comedy act to be funny, it can also come off as very offensive and disrespectful towards the Asian race.

Quiz 6 Question 2

There is not much I can say about this video that is not blatantly apparent by watching it, but at the same time it is simply a smattering of different racial stereotypes all exemplified through one commercial. The point of the creepy guy speaking was for him to relate to many different races...but in doing such a thing he actually offended every possible race that would his audience would comprise of. This thing has to be a joke, but even if so it still exemplifies racist stereotypes in advertisements.

Quiz 6 Question 2

Immigration Reform: Glimpse of the Future in Arizona and Utah?

This article, written by Daniel B. Wood, describes the ongoing controversy over illegal immigration. After the negative controversy in Arizona, Utah has developed a compromise in a suite of bills that allow two-year work permits to undocumented immigrants under certain conditions and also to recruit guest workers from Mexico. These measures are seen as beneficial to the business community because before there was a threat to the access of cheap labor, and some claim it will help spur Utah's economy, who commonly gets labor from Latin America.

It is just me, or does there seem to be something very wrong with this article? I was inspired to find an article on immigration after the Sandspur published a controversial piece on illegal immigrants and their children. This is a very current, controversial issue that has many viewpoints. This article presents Utah as some sort of level-headed hero trying to create an immigration plan that others will follow; but I see past this demeanor. It appears that the rights of these immigrants are put on the backburner and the issue of cheap labor becomes the real issue. It's obvious that the reason businesses are for liberal immigration laws is because they want their cheap labor. I see this as orientalism, where the immigrants coming in are seen as the "other" and can help the dominant class.

Quiz 6 Question 1

This political campaign exemplifies the racial divide and apparent opinion of a large contingent of the state of Alabama (Tim James almost won the position of governor in Alabama with a decision only coming after a run off). The obvious racist aspect of this campaign is the fact that Tim James is advocating giving drivers license tests in only English because that is dominant language in the United States. He doesn't take into account the fact that the Hispanic population is rapidly approaching becoming the majority race in the United States. That fact aside, nations are developed among many different cultures especially in a country such as the United States, so for a politician to run a campaign based on excluding certain cultures and races is absolutely absurd.

Quiz 6, question 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqg01Nk3SYI

When one thinks of orientalism and stereotypes, most of the time they think of minorities. But what people don’t always realize is that these ideas exist with the white male as well, as seen in the you tube video, “Ultimate Lax Bro”. This plays off the stereotype of lacrosse players, basically saying that all lacrosse players are rich, stupid, self obsessed, and went to boarding school in the northeast. This video proves that there is basically predetermined racial ideas for all classes of people.

Quiz 6: Post 2

In this video, a certain construction of whiteness as well as a certain construction of blackness is represented. Neither are particularly positive. The white guy is the ultimate white- a white supremacist and a member of the KKK. He is "nerdy", appearing thin and somewhat awkward with glasses (that he, in the beginning of the video, even wears over his KKK attire). Blackness is displayed in a similar, over exaggerated manner. Literally ever black the white guy encounters is

1. Working in a low paying job that requires no education

2. Or extremely angry, showing signifiers of masculinity. Specifically, black masculinity.

However, it is the last moments in the video that are the most pivotal. The white guy is at a gas station, at night, surrounded by all black men. Stereotypically, someone in his position would be scared. But instead the man approaches all the black men and ask them for gas. By the white guy, the "dominant", asking the subordinate for gas while in a KKK costume, he is using his power to insult and degrade the black men. He even refers to one of the black men as "Tyrone." Overall, even though the film appears to be fake, it only promotes negative stereotypes of both black people and white people.

Quiz 6, Question 2

When I came across this image, it really stood out to me and not in a good way. When you first look at it, you think that Malboro was incorporating the old advertisement with the western cowboy (see picture to the right) with this one which is incorporating Chinese culture. I thought they were trying to portray hybridity. But in reality, they are making fun and telling Chinese people if they want to be cool and be like American white middle-class males, you need to buy their product (Malboro) to be like them. The Chinese male is wearing the same cowboy outfit as the one in the old ad but now they put "The New Frontier" and "part of any regime" in the text along with the Great Wall of China as the background instead of having a western background.

Quiz 6

"Top 60 Ghetto Black Names"

This popular video, "Top 60 Ghetto Black Names", was created by two teenage boys mocking the stereotypical names given to African American males and females. The title holds a racist stereotype in itself, as our culture perceives the term, "ghetto" as relating to solely African Americans, when in reality it describes simply an impoverished and worn-down neighborhood. The names the boys create are all extremely exaggerated, with names like "Watermeloneesha" and "Obamaneesha". Clearly these are not real names, and once that is realized it becomes apparent that they are doing nothing but mocking black culture.

Quiz 6 Question 2

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/07c4a5443c/bobby-bottleservice-talks-to-all-the-sexy-internet-ladies

This video of Bobby Bottle Service: Internet Ladies, relates to our discussion of Global Identity. Bobby Bottle Service is a comedian who has multiple skits about being a guido from the Jersey Shore. The skit relates to many of the stereotypes that are created about people who live/vacation in the Jersey Shore. Bobby Bottle Service puts on the guido persona by wearing his hair gelled into a blowout, Ed Hardy, and his overall obnoxious personality. The globalized identity, or the common belief of what a person from the Jersey Shore may look like is very similar to "Bobby Bottle Service, " or one of the characters of the TV show "Jersey Shore". Being from New Jersey and growing up on the Jersey Shore this is very frustrating because I have never come across anyone remotely similar to people who look, or act like this.

Quiz 6

This video "Being White" was taken from comedian Louis CK's stand up act. He talks about what it means to be white and how good it is. He make the point that white people aren't better, but in fact being white is better than any other race because of the advantages that come from simply being a white person. He then makes the point that it can't last forever and eventually other races will become superior and make white people pay for their dominant past.

Quiz 6

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9hZO-dQYww

I found this campaign video and thought about how it addresses globalized identity. In this campaign, Tim James states that you can choose between 12 languages to take the drivers test in Alabama. He argues that "This is Alabama, we speak English. If you want to live here, learn it!" I do agree that English is the primary language in America but this is cultural imperialism. James is a white, middle class male who is taking control (dominating) over all other races who speak different languages and telling them they need to all learn English or else they can not drive (or more specifically, they can not live here). This does also deal a little with race. James, like I mentioned before, is a white male which is the most dominate and he is saying that you need to speak English or else you are not welcomed in Alabama. There are other races that do speak English but some, English is not the primary. James also says that is will save money if we change the drivers test to just English and "it makes sense". Does it?

quiz 6

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khFhF64P3VQ

The video, “How to be Gangster” is a very popular YouTube video. This video, like numerous others that are posted on this website daily addresses constructions of race and globalized identity. They take a stereotypical Asian, holding book with glasses and teach him how to be gangster by cursing, fighting, rapping, handshakes ect. By doing this, this video not only addresses the globalized identity of being an Asian but an African American “gangster” as well. This reinforces the idea to people watching it that if an Asian tries to act any way different than there orientalism, it should not be taken seriously and is humorous.

Quiz 6 Question 1

This video is simply a slideshow of various landmarks of China with traditional Chinese music playing in the background. It constructs the idea that China is a country comprised of grand landscapes and architecture, and the music makes it feel peaceful. However, I myself have been to China and this commercialized version is not an accurate representation of the country. This western view of China actually only describes a portion of China, as there are also large modern cities such as Shanghai with skyscrapers and architecture similar to that of the United States. There is also modern Chinese music very similar to the pop music we here in America. The idea of a highly traditional Chinese culture is represented in this video as the identity of China, but the more modern culture is ignored.

Quiz 6: Constructions of Race and Globalized Identity

The video above, which has become a YouTube hit, displays Black Americans in an extremely negative, stereotypical light. The first indication of this is when the young woman, the supposed victim of the crime, says she's in the projects. The projects are generally known for things such as violence, uneducated people, and drug dealers; all words also associated with Black Americans. The woman, who appears to be young, also indicates she has a child. Although not stated, she's probably unmarried. When her brother Antoine appears to talk to the cameras, he sounds extremely ignorant and uses ebonics. He also uses dramatic head movements and his eyes to emphasize his words; it makes him appear very feminine and thus shows indicators of a stereotyped homosexuality. Furthermore he's wearing a bandana-looking thing on his head; a similar look to a doo-rag.

Interestingly, the woman reporter is reporting with a corporate building behind her; not in the projects where the story actually happened. The video, although quite humorous, seems to be funny simply because of the exaggerated stereotypes. However, these types of videos only encourage negative stereotypes of blacks. Especially, for people who don't live in places where they are exposed to many black people and their impressions of Blacks are dependent on the media and social websites like YouTube. To no surprise, this video was taken in a southern state, Alabama. Southern states are often assumed to be racist. Thus, people who are not familiar with Alabama might assume that all black people in Alabama act this way.

Also important to note is that the news channel CHOSE to report on this. Although breaking in someone's house IS a crime, there had to be more pressing news to report on.

Quiz 6

This music video, "I AM A PREP," was created by a Hispanic music group from Miami called Los Primeros. In this music video, the boys from the group are acting out the stereotypical wealthy White prep. It is interesting to note that this is the only song the group has ever written in English; all of their other songs are solely written in Spanish. The construction of the White "prep" is created by their clothing in the video (bright colored polos, khakis, sweater vests, etc.) and the lifestyles showcased in it. They show the preps playing golf, going out and drinking, and playing tennis; ultimately living the rich, country club lifestyle. The lyrics also include phrases such as "all because of daddy's money" and "popping my collar to make the girls holler" but they use a nerdy tone of voice throughout the entire song. I think this video focuses more on the globalized identity of "preps" and not necessarily being White, however preps are usually stereotyped to always be White so it also relates to construction of race. This video portrays a performed stereotype by one race (Hispanics) of another race (Whites).

Quiz 6 race identities

This video is normally called "Peter at the Park'. it is a black women acting out a more "ghetto" attitude and is talking about how she is going to meet this guy she is clearly obsessed with at the park and is trying to get him back. She makes many references that are black stereotypes using certain slang and mentioning how she dies her hair with kool aid . She even talks about how she needs to be less ghetto to get him back and talks about her lips and then talks about taking yoga or pilates because "it will make her sounds more white". She also purposefully mispronounces words. she even talks about her hair and her weave. This video constructs race because of the factors and that a black women is acting out the general stereotypes to create overemphasis on the subject. So in sum, it is a black women acting as a black stereotype through the eyes of other races.

Quiz 6 Construction of Race, Globalized Identity

This video of a middle aged Asian man lip syncing Michael Jackson's "Black or White," addresses constructions of race and globalized identity. In the Asian culture there are certain expectations to be met, one of which are high marks in school. The Asian culture is very demanding of their children's academics, and every child is expected to have a very bright and promising future. From a family standpoint, Asian families have a deep sense of respect for each other. The video follows more of the stereotypes of Asians rather than Asian culture itself. A stereotype for Asians today is that they can't sing, dance, and commonly have very funny facial expressions when they laugh. All of these hold true in the video of the Asian man lip syncing. This video relates more to the construction of the Asian stereotypes rather than the Asian race itself. One instance where I think it relates to globalized identity is in the beginning when he is sitting in the car and his father tells him to turn the music off. Knowing that the Asian culture is very strict and demands a lot of their children academically, I think it was fitting for the father to tell him to stop lip syncing and American song.

Quiz 6 global identities

This video, titled "Single Girls," is a parody of the song "Jingle Bells" but also is a parody on Indian culture. The main character consists of qualities of a common Indian stereotype: the Indian "nerd." The Indian "nerd" usually is male and socially awkward, very intelligent but usually has a problem relating to American culture. This particular "nerd" is short, balding, addicted to video games, and at 38 is still single and lives with his parents, a reference to the strong family bonds in Indian culture. He works a minimum wage job and never learned how to drive, which are other Indian stereotypes. He also plays "Sitar Hero." This video also negatively stereotypes Indian woman, as later in the video the main character is shown on a date with an Indian woman with a dot on her forehead and dressed in traditional Indian dress. She is not seen as very attractive and I argue that this video places a bad light on Indian women. The main character in the video is on a dating website, and I assume he is looking for American or white females, as he appears to disregard Indian women. I believe the overall impact of this video is negative and continues the joke of Indians in American culture. Many times I have seen the "Indian nerd" being portrayed, and there are rarely instances where an Indian will appear in a video and not awkwardly stand out for some reason.

Masculinity- Quiz 5

This commercial featuring Wrangler jeans shows Brett Favre wearing the jeans while playing football with some friends. The ad is selling jeans and also the idea of masculinity as being "tough guys". Favre actually describes the jeans as "tough" in one of his first lines and also later in the ad. The song in the background, Bad to the Bone, also portrays this "tough guy" masculine performance. The ad shows all the guys playing a contact sport because it sells further the "tough guy" idea.




This advertisement is connecting Gillette razors with male dominance and success. There are many scenes of a man succeeded or accomplishing a task like dunking a basketball, climbing a mounting, winning a race, or boxing match. These scenes portray masculine roles. There are also references to women in this ad, whereas the Wrangler ad showed no women. This ad is selling the idea that a close shave with Gillette razors will bring about success and that attractive women will want you. The ad also shows male dominance over women by man's attitude as if he doesn't care about the woman and in the scene where the man lays the woman in the sand.

Quiz 5

This is the stereotypical image of masculinity throughout many generations that are exposed to such images. Rambo is incredibly muscular, incredibly aggressive, and is the immediate picture of a manly movie star. Sylvester Stallone is not only seen as masculine in his role as John Rambo, but also in his other successful series as Rocky Balboa. Both of these characters are violence based characters, Rambo being a military man who goes rogue and literally destroys half of Asia throughout a series, and Rocky being a legendary boxer who constantly trumps over adversity in many aspects of life. Both are survivors, moreover both are the ideal man and exude sheer masculinity.

Quiz 5, Question 1

http://images.nymag.com/images/2/daily/2010/04/20100409_interview-jerzshore-1_560x375.jpg

This image of the male cast of the Jersey Shore represents the stereotypical masculine male. The stereotypical macho masculine male is someone who is in very good shape, good looking, typically fighters, and ladies men. The members of the Jersey Shore fit accordingly into these categories, despite the fact that nearly everything about them is fake (steroids, fake tans, not even from Jersey, etc.) This image represents "macho" masculinity because it shows them with their shirts off, which shows their entirely fake muscles, and the image itself is very sexually suggestive, a quality which every "macho" masculine male has. If anyone knows anything about the series the Jersey Shore they know that all of the guys continuously brag about how good they look, and how many girls they have or are going to "smoosh."



The second image is a picture of Michael Corleone from the God Father. This image is completely different than the first one, the first image is the macho male in today's society, where as this image represents masculinity in the past. Although Michael is a fictional character he portrays a masculine male. He is well dressed, professional, proper, polite, but also a "badass." After his father died he became the Don of the New York Mafia. It is interesting to see how masculinity in media has changed throughout the years. We now have roided up juice heads running around disgracing man kind.