Assignment 2-2, Icon Analysis

              What do the Statue of Liberty, Michael Jackson and Pac-Man all have in common?  They are all pop culture icons that have survived the test of time and remain recognizable to the masses.  Popular culture icons represent importance and value to the people who embrace their significance.

            The Statue of Liberty was gifted to the United States from France.  It symbolizes freedom and liberty.   It is visited by millions each year and is one of the most recognizable icons throughout the world.  It is one of the first things new immigrants were introduced to as they came to this country through the New York harbor.  Throughout the years, the image of the Statue of Liberty has been used in movies, on stamps, license plates, and coins just to name a few.  I do not know exactly why I am drawn to it, except that these days I find myself drawn to all things American.  I have never visited the Statue of Liberty, but have it on my "bucket list".

            Is there anyone who does not know Michael Jackson?  According to the New York Daily News.com, he is number 5 on the list of the top pop culture icons of the past 50 years.  He started out singing with his brothers as the Jackson Five and can claim holding the record for most albums sold with Thriller.  Millions of fans worldwide adored him.  They would scream and cry, just like with Elvis or the Beatles.  He moonwalked and everyone was doing it.  Let's not forget the single white glove that became a Michael Jackson symbol.  Just like Elvis, there are Michael Jackson impersonators everywhere.  I grew up listening to Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five.  My friends and I would watch his videos on MTV and VH1 over and over.  We tried to dance like him too.  Michael Jackson was known as the king of pop and will always be recognized as such.  Just like Elvis, he has left an impression on the world that will forever remain.

            Pac-Man is actually "one of the most recognizable pop-culture icons of 80s America" (2010).  It is a simple video game that was featured in its own movie, was a cartoon, breakfast cereal and a board game.  When Ms. Pac-Man was introduced to gamers, more women could be found at the arcade.  Pac-Man is also seen as the game that "helped videogames break into the mainstream awareness like no other videogame" (2010).  I have fond memories of Pac-Man tournaments with friends and family.  In fact, a good friend of mine gave me a retro Pac-Man game for Christmas.  My husband and I play it on our iPad, too.  This past Halloween, some neighborhood folks were dressed as Pac-Man and the four ghosts (Blinky, Pinky, Inkey and Clyde)  and just ran down the middle of the street.  It was awesome!

Assignment 2-1, Weekly Written Analysis 2

I admit it, I am a "gleek".  If you are a "gleek" too, you know what it means.  If not, you do not watch Glee, a TV show about a high-school show choir and its mixed bag of members.  The choir consists of a football jock, cheerleader, a diva, special-needs student, the overweight girl, bad-boy and homosexual who sing, dance and get picked on by the rest of the school.  After all, being a member of show choir is not "cool".  Or is it?

            "Show choirs combine choral singing and synchronized dance routines" (Parade.com, 2010).  They first became popular in the sixties and the first competition (think Glee Nationals) was held in 1974, at which time, only seven groups competed.  Today, glee programs can be found at over 800 high schools all over the United States.  This has been referred to as the Glee effect (Parade.com, 2010).  Since this program debuted, show choirs have catapulted in popularity. 

            Take, for example, the high school show choir, Sound Check, from Waubonsie Valley High in Illinois.  This last May, ten of the boys from the choir graduated and the director was worried those empty slots would not get filled.  He had 36 guys try out for those empty slots.  Interesting enough, these auditions were only weeks after Glee's second season began. 

            The 54 kids who comprise Sound Check feel connected to the group from Glee.  They consider being part of the group a "safe haven and creative outlet" (Parade.com, 2010).  They feel they can be themselves and not worry about being judged here.  These kids enjoy the friendships as well as the music. Participating in the competitions, the singing, dancing and  performing brings many of these kids out of their shells. It's cool to be in show choir, however, they also know their most important focus is education. 

 

References

Gotta be Glee! (2010).  Retrieved from http://www.parade.com/celebrity/2010/10/gotta-be-glee.html

Assignment 1-4, Weekly Written Analysis

          We are a connected society.  We can reach, and be reached, by anyone at anytime, 24/7.  Technology is a wonderful thing...or is it?  "Smartphones, text messaging, video calling and social media" (Meece, 2011) have invaded the business world.  These gadgets not only keep us in touch with our friends and families, they keep us connected to our jobs even when we are with our friends and family.  We can be available to our work while at our kid's Little League game, to dinner with our spouses, or even the beach in Maui.  The good and bad of these technological advances really forces us to create a balance between work and home.

            At times, it is hard to figure out if it is the organization we work for that is somehow creating an environment that requires us to stay connected or are we just creating that perception.  Some of us may fear the employee who chooses to stay connected has the "upper hand", so to speak.   The truth of the matter is it is up to each one of us to make the determination of how much these wonders of technology will become part of our daily lives.  Some of use prefer to keep our personal and home lives separate and not be "on" all the time.  Others can manage to be connected at all times.  For the sake of our health and sanity, some need to shut down and relax.  Others function just fine managing a blackberry for work and an iPad for home. 

            Does staying connected really make us better at our jobs?  Some believe we are too distracted by our gadgets and this "always connected" mindset may have us doing too many things at once, which increases our margin for error.  Remember the pilots "who overshot their destination two years ago because they were using computers" (Meece, 2011)? 

            On the upside of our connectivity, we no longer have to stay at the office to complete projects after hours.  We can bring it home with us and be with our families while working.  Of course, for those employees whose work often takes them away from home, these "gadgets" can be an invaluable source of connection to the family they miss while on the road.      

            I love all the gadgets available that keep me connected with my family, friends and work.  However, that does not mean I love the idea of being available to any of them at any time.  I like my down time.  At this time in my career, I do not need to be connected 24/7.  However, since my husband and I work for the same company and he is connected 24/7, I guess I am too.  Technology is here to stay and so is 24/7 connectivity.  It is all about creating the balance that works for each of us.

 

 References

MEECE, M. (2011). Who's the boss, you or your gadget? New York Times, , 1. Retrieved from http://0-search.ebscohost.com.olinkserver.franklin.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db= a9h&AN=57809059&site=ehost-live.

Popular Culture Blog - Assignment 1-2

          Popular culture has so many definitions or so many interpretations.  However, in its basic form, it embodies those elements of everyday life that we choose to help form the way we think and behave.  These ideas are common to certain groups at certain times and will probably change many times over.  We are influenced by so many mediums including television, radio, magazines, friends, and teachers to name a few.  Most of the time, we do not even realize how these forces are affecting us.  At the risk of dating myself, Miami Vice was a huge television hit in the mid to late eighties.  The style of clothes worn by the stars may have been more popular than the program itself.  Men everywhere wore colored T-shirts under their sport coats, no socks with their shoes, and a full (although manicured) five-o'clock shadow.  It was everywhere.  Today, the style is sagging - wearing pants half-way down your derriere.  Have you heard the song, "Pants on the Ground"? Another example could be the Oprah Book Club.  If Oprah does it, we all should do it.  People everywhere belong to book clubs.

            Since popular culture appeals to the masses, it makes sense to be more in tune with what the majority of people want.  If an organization is in tune with what is thought to be normal or accepted by the masses, they have a better chance of producing and marketing a product that meets their wants and needs.  In today's business environment, most companies appeal to the masses through their web pages or through the use of Facebook, Twitter, wiki's and blogs.  Staying abreast of what is popular, can help give companies a competitive advantage.  I am sure whatever becomes the next big thing in technology will also be the newest business driver.

            They are doctors, lawyers and business men and women by day, and easy riders when the work day is done.  I chose Harley Davidson as my popular culture icon.  The Harley always exemplified freedom, America and the open road.  It also brought out some of the "bad boy" or "bad girl" in everyone.  Easy Rider, the film, was a popular culture hit that brought much attention to Harley Davidson.  I never realized how large the Harley culture really is until I vacationed one year in Orlando, Florida.  Bike Week was being held in Daytona that very week and we just had to go.  The whole city and beach was just inundated with motorcycles, especially Harleys.  It was amazing!