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.