Question 12

12) Discuss the South Park episode “With Apologies to Jesse Jackson” (S11E01) in terms of its construction of race, particularly, as with the Chappelle Show episode (S1E01) we watched in class, in terms of whiteness. What elements of this critique come from the aesthetic, critical, and ontological modes of postmodernism (be specific about each) (150-200 words).

The South Park episode constructs race by attributing what is usually racially discriminating to African American's to a white person, Stan's dad. He uses the N word on the Wheel of Fortune and everyone begins to call him a "Nigger Guy". He experiences what it is liked to be discriminated which is the allusive as it is obviously referring to the hardships endured by African American's when Stan's dad mentions how it feels to be called names, he is not welcome at certain stores and he says how being called that name is a painful part of his history. The critical is constructed when a gang of rednecks try to gun down Stan's dad for being racist, saying that they wish to live in a world where they can rid themselves of social ignorance and people who are intolerant of African American's. This is critical because stereotypically "rednecks" are more racist and would not be arguing those points, which makes a critical statement. Another instance in which the an allusive argument is made is when Cartman assumes that Stan and Token will get into a stereotypical physical fight yet they talk civilly about the racist situation. The fact that they were able to learn from this and not take it to a physical level alludes to the construction of stereotypical "whiteness" as well.

Question 11

11) Find two critical texts from the semester (at least two weeks apart), and discuss how they relate to or expand the argument of your overall topic for the semester, drawing on a specific advertisement you did NOT discuss in your papers (250-300 words).

My overall topic discusses how celebrities are used as advertisements for a variety of media (eg., film, television, music, beauty products etc) , and how said ads reflect upon the image that they are trying to uphold. One example of this is the advertisements for the film Mr. and Mrs. Smith and the fact that the scandal that occurred during the making of the film is incentive and advertisement enough for audiences to go and see it. America is intrigued by the “shock” factor and what better than following the gossip and lives of idolized celebrities. In Janice Radway’s article, Women Read the Romance: The Interaction of Text and Context, the interests of women are discussed. A love for romance novels is very similar to an interest in the lives of celebrities, especially when revolved around their relationships and life off the screen, “They readily admit in fact that the characters and events discovered in the pages of typical romance do not resemble the people and occurrences they must deal with in their daily lives” (69). Radway even remarks on how many women feel good at viewing the relationships of others and that the fantastical heroine and villain dynamic are a topic of interest to read. This is also relevant among the trashy gossip magazines of celebs and their lives exploited across the covers of Ok! And People magazines. For example, the breakup of Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt caused for a media riot as readers and viewers realized that it had something to do with his co-actress Angelina Jolie; ultimately a heroine (Anniston) and villain (Jolie) emerged into the mass media. This of course drew viewers into their upcoming movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith, to witness the adultery in action. Like romance novels women can find interest in the exploited lives of the celebrities as they can “escape” from their own by focusing on them.

Another article of reading that relates heavily to my topic is Laurie Ouellette’s Inventing the Cosmo Girl as it mainly surrounds the construction of what the modern day woman “should” be. Many of the celebrities whose lives are viewed under a spot light are generally supposed to keep up the appearance that they do embody this ideal woman. “Brown was one of the first mainstream figures to free women from the guilt of premarital sex by advising them to disregard the patriarchal double standard. But she was also concerned with shaping and transforming the class position of the Cosmo Girl through a combination of self-management strategies, performative tactics, sexuality, and upwardly mobile romance” (117). Basically these women are supposed to be many things, sexy but not slutty, available but not too available; all of which is difficult to embody at once. Celebs attempt to keep up this false façade so as to positively promote their new show or movie; however, when they do stray from this image they are exploited. Thus in the example of the feud between Jen and Angelina began a further look at them as actresses and their image as a whole, eventually promoting them even further. As either strays from the “Cosmo girl” more press and attention become the result. All in all the lives of celebrities are used and exploited by the media to entertain and promote, neither of which accurately depict their lives, but that’s not what matters to the mass media, only the money that comes along with advertisements.

Question 10

10) Using a video or image you find online, apply three critical texts we read during the semester (each at least two weeks apart), and discuss how they relate to and build on one another, giving us different but related perspectives on critical media and cultural studies (250-300 words).



The video I found online deals with a news report about the recall of a talking doll. Apparently someone programmed a specific set of dolls to say that, “Islam is the light” and over the course of their release numerous people have reported this. Whether this is true is subjective and found to be on a case to case basis, as many report to not hear those words in their entirety. This news report can relate to many of our readings and cultural studies as a whole. Beginning with “The New Politics of Consumption: Why American’s Want So Much More Than They Need” this article is relatable to the consumerism of goods, for instance these talking dolls. “We shop on our lunch hours, patronize outlet malls on vacation, and satisfy our latest desires with a late-night click of the mouse” (183). It is no wonder that whoever decided to release this message would begin with using dolls, because clearly America is consuming hungry. Every time a child watches TV they are flooded with messages that say you need to buy this to be happy, a talking doll is only a stepping stone in the escalating ladder.

Another way in which one could relate this video to our texts is through the actual report itself, although not purposefully using humor it did occur. This brings us back to Baym’s article about The Daily Show and how we often listen more intently and remember more when information is presented through the use of humor. I found the ignorance of the people commenting on the “hatred” of the words “Islam is light” entertaining because there is nothing really hateful about that sentence. Although it is obviously inappropriate it relates back to how America is often not critical about the information that they are receiving, because there is so much negative publicity surrounding people who practice this religion many assume that it too is “bad” or “hateful”. This is the same with consuming goods and being sucked in by advertisements without even realizing it, people are sucked into the perceptions that the news creates.

And finally with this idea follows another text that surrounds globalization and the article “Con-Fusing” Exotica. This idea deals with a false perception of certain cultures, including understanding their religions as well. “Because mass media are a major arena where the struggle over national (racial) identity is played out, the lack of any or diverse images of minority groups in mainstream media is both significant and dangerous” (274). Recent news and situations like this can give America ignorant views of different cultures and their religions, such as Islam. Overall, by consuming which also meanings allowing one to be overwhelmed and controlled by advertisements and the news, Americans gain a false perception of what is “reality”. To think more critically about the thousands of messages one habitually receives every day is impertinent to not being sucked in by the mass media and possible false pretenses; we must think for ourselves.

Question 9

9) Find a “news” story from the Onion News Network, and compare it to a contemporary news story or clip from a “real” news source (a TV channel, newspaper, etc.). Discuss them both in terms of gatekeeping and agenda-setting functions, as well as the breakdown and reevaluation of discourse that Baym talks about in his article. Citing Baym will help (100-150 words).





The news story from the Onion News Network depicted a story about a new product created by Sony that is utterly frustrating and useless. This fake news story, compared to the actual News report about a cruise ship in trouble at sea uses humor to relate to its audience. Even while watching both I had to agree with Baym as my interest went more directly to the fake news story rather than listening to actual events. Baym noted that statistically after watching the Daily Show compared to a regular news report , “data further reveal that the audience is more educated, follows the news more regularly, and is more politically knowledgeable than the general population” (260).

In terms of gate-keeping the news report about Sony’s new product held very little back. It was pretty straight forward and allowed true feelings that many people were angry about to be released in the open. This is why people relate more to news reports that use humor because it relates more to people’s lives an actual feelings rather than being told only “half” truths, which is often what occurs on new stations who are biased. Of course the Onion News story is biased, but it is openly biased which differs from the agenda-setting that occurs on news stations like Fox. Fox only reports what they want us to see and believe. I found it interesting that during their news report on the cruise ship in trouble they significantly mentioned that everyone on board was American, it seemed out of place as if they were trying to say, you should care more now because they are “your” people. This is a form of agenda setting because they are determining what we think and should worry about.

Question 8

8) Watch the first part (at least) of Mouse Trapped 2010 and Mickey Mouse Monopoly, and explain USING SPECIFIC ELEMENTS FROM THE FILMS how they are good examples of the different approaches of political economy and cultural studies. Define each approach briefly, and CITE GROSSBERG’S ARTICLE IN YOUR RESPONSE. (100-150 words)

The MouseTrapped video is a good example of the approaches of political economy because it deals with the actual money and wages attributed to those who work at Disney. The fact that Disney is a billion dollar corporation and they only pay their employees an extremely low wage shows what they really value above all: money. Grossberg acknowledges that political economy is generally focused on a need for power and to strive for the preservation of social norms, which is seen as Disney ignores their suffering workers to retain the same financial quota and have the “appearance” of happiness. It is hypocritical for them to enforce a false sense of family values when in actuality they care about money. Grossberg states that, “cultural studies ignores the institutions of cultural production, it celebrates popular culture and gives up any oppositional role; second, because cultural studies ignores economics, it is incapable ofunderstanding the real structures of power, domination, and oppression in the contemporary world” (55). The idea of cultural studies can also be seen in the film Mickey Mouse Monopoly, the first words that come out of the little girl’s mouth are, “I think Disney makes movies because people like their movies.” This would attribute to Disney as a cultural theme and trend of interest throughout the world for children and adults, it reestablishes that Disney is popular because of culture and not necessarily because of political means. Disney is praised as wholesome and appropriate when truly much of their money is spent make sure no one will contradict this. The subliminal messages, for example when Ursula from the Little Mermaid talks about the importance of being pretty and using body language to get what you want creates inappropriate and stereotypical messages to children.

Question 7

7) Explain how the following video, How To Make Your Breasts Look Bigger, is both an appropriation and reappropriation of sexual signifiers, and discuss the implications of the film from both perspectives (i.e., the appropriation and reappropriation of sexual signifiers from early pornography) (100-150 words).


Underwear:
How To Make Your Breasts Look Bigger

This video is an example of appropriation because it takes the sexual signifiers from the dominant (early pornography), and takes it as their own. This is seen in the way in which the woman wants to please a man by having larger breasts. She acts in a very submissive manner and all of her sexual gestures and actions while trying to make her breast bigger reiterates the sexual signifiers from the dominant. This film is reappropriated because she then takes back her “sexual” power by making fun of the dominant sexual signifiers; this is seen as she over exaggerates the manner in which she is trying to make her breasts bigger, illustrating how ridiculous it is in the first place. Also in the end of the video is depicts reappropriation because she eventually receives the attention she is looking for and she turns the gross maintenance man down. This is reappropriating those sexual signifiers and giving her the power showing how women are more in control and even though they may want to look sexually appealing does not mean that they are in any way submissive.

Question 6

6) By drawing on the articles on the exotic and globalization from class, discuss the following advertisement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIZCtDJtFPw (100-150 words).

The article "Con-fusing" Exotica references how much of India's culture and their products are present in American society, however, most have been culturally dissociated and tagged as "American" products. This advertisement for Conan O'Brian depicts the process of making red curtains, showing the process to be clearly a part of India's culture as they dye the fabrics in a lake, and weave it all themselves. Once it is brought to America this product is no longer associated with India, and therefore they as a country lose part of their identity. It is no wonder that often Americans view of India and other cultures are warped or incorrect, such as the idea of the perceived "exotica". "It is a kind of apolitical exoticism and uniformed ethnic chic that is both calculated and successful- after all, what better way of stripping people of their histories and their art...transforming them into a First World consumer good" (278). Conan's advertisement gives us a view of the "real" instead of believing that such curtains come from thin air and just appear, it bridges the "real" into what was previously conceived as the "exotica".

Question 5

5) Discuss the following Flash game in terms of ideology and hegemony. Define each term, and then explain them through the game (100-150 words).
http://gamescene.com/The_Urinal_Game.html

In the Urinal Game, you are forced to make a hegemonic decision about the ideology of the dominant (aka the men’s bathroom etiquette). Ideology is the study of common sense, or what appears to us as common sense considering that it is a social construction that conditions the way we look at things. Hegemony is how that ideology is constructed and maintained over time. When it comes to hegemony you can have one of three views: the Dominant/Hegemonic, the negotiated, or the oppositional. By even making the choice to play the game you are taking an initial negotiated view, weighing the pros and cons of each urinal choice. If you choose “correctly,” you are choosing the dominant or hegemonic view. If you choose “incorrectly,” then you are choosing an oppositional view.

Question 4

4) Discuss the implications of the following image for cultural studies and the process of signification (semiotics): https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMvO-Rs6070cyhR_SyEYuAFh3Wcsly1L7FOey1ITJFn10xZlvHpxxcsRZMedibDFjCo9d0IbnI8EhLtDj5_PWvDpCD0zs1DsEu_Wkp9pLsdZjcqSoFhWkbeySqxyORBtLe27Unbar4ZY/s320/fs_Magritte_Pipe.jpg (50-75 words)


The picture above is of René Magritte’s Pipe reading “This is not a pipe” underneath the picture in French. This painting is making a statement about the signifiers of masculinity. The process of signification, or semiotics, is the study of the signifier to what is signified (i.e., the denotation versus the connotation). Semiotics looks at what a word implies rather than what it actually means. With Magritte’s Pipe, he is questioning the pipe’s connotation of masculinity, asking “do you need to smoke a pipe in order to be a man?” This type of myth construction isn’t just unique to men though. Women have their own signifiers of femininity like dresses or aprons.

Question 3

3) Discuss the way in which race is portrayed in these two videos:
a. Ghetto Delta Airlines-
b. Everest College advertisement-
How are they the same, and how different? (50-75 words)

Both videos construct what it “means” to be African American, though they make this argument in different ways. The Everest video makes a statement about “black culture,” without being critical of it. The Ghetto Delta Airlines the same kind of stereotypical information, but is critical in doing so.

Both videos make a comment on African Americans being lazy. Ghetto Delta Airlines says things like “straight sittin’ on yo ass” and Everest says things like “You spend all day on the phone anyhow” and “yur sittin on the couch, watching T.V. and your life is passin’ you by. You keep procrastinatin’.” Both construct African Americans as being uneducated as can be seen by the slang used in both videos (with Ghetto Airlines being the most exaggerated) and the fact that the Everest commercial is in fact a commercial for black people about higher education. Both videos also contain other stereotypical indicators of black culture, like the man’s crooked hat in the Everest video and the rhyme scheme used by the blond man in the Ghetto Airlines video.

The videos are different strictly based on the idea of the Critical Post-Modern View versus the Aesthetic Post-Modern View. The Ghetto Airlines is depicting the critical, but the Everest video is only the aesthetic. The Everest video flattens the signifiers of “blackness” to appeal to black people. It doesn’t make a statement about the stereotypes that it creates. The Ghetto Airlines video, on the other hand, moves beyond the aesthetic and into the critical. In the Ghetto Airlines video the stereotypes are exaggerated to the point where you know that it’s exaggerated, bringing in the elements of “thick” women, gangs, and slander towards women. Additionally the statements are being made by the stereotypical white man with a “white” accent, making a sharp contrast between the two.

Question 2

2) Why do we avoid what I call “audience fallacies” and “authorial fallacies” in our writing? Define each, provide a brief example of each, and explain the significance. (50-75 words)

We try to avoid what you would call “audience fallacies” and “authorial fallacies” because when you say one of these things you are making generalizations about what the author intends and what the audience of that author is like. “Authorial fallacies” are when you make an assumption of what the author is trying to say. Unless the author comes out and says it, you can’t assume it. An example would be when you say something along the lines of “The author wants to make you think…” You can’t possibly know what the author “wants you to think” unless you personally know the author. “Audience fallacies” are when you make a generalization about the audience that the author is targeting. An example of this would be a statement like “People magazine targets moms.” Does People magazine say that they are targeting moms in their media kit? Again, if it is not directly stated, it can’t be assumed.

Question 1

1) Why do cultural studies theorists separate words with capital letters from those without, even when the words in question are not proper nouns (e.g., woman vs. Woman)? Explain why we do this (i.e., what is the convention a shorthand for), and what significance it has. (30-50 words)

In cultural studies the capitalized words usually reference what the word signifies due to the construction of the word. So, where as the uncapitalized word could be anything like "men" or "women" or "others", the capitalized word is the construction of that word. For example the "Man" is what a man is constructed to be (i.e., head of the household, the “bread winner,” buff). This is significant because you know that it’s the stereotypical version of whatever they’re discussing.