Edward Boadi, the raise of psy

In todays socity there have been many changes to how music/videos are seen through out the world. this is especially true when you go on to youtube. On youtube you can find many videos that are posted for ones entertainment, advertisement, and  job. However, the video i'm going to focus on is PSY-Gangnam style and how music videos become a sensation over a few days. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0

Alicia Scalia

Lord of the Rings, one of the most popular movie triologies. This series was first worked on in the 1930s, during the second world war and has been growing in popularity ever since. Today the books have been made into movies, with The Hobbit being spilt into three movies, as well as merchandise. Everyone has heard of it and is probably familiar with the characters, even if that haven't made it through all three of the three hour long movies or the books. It has captured the imaginations of generations through its creation of worlds, mythology, history and even its own languages. These books have inspired movies that have spun into action figures, board games, and video games. However, not all the merchandise is for children, there are extensive collector editions of expensive swords, armor, and more from the series.

However, the Lord of the Rings is not the only series involving the world of middle earth. There have been multiple other works inspired by the series that explain the history and lore for the different races.

 

 

I plan on using the critical and functionalist perspective to discuss the Lord of the Rings. How the world of this series offers a way for people to come together and reflect on their own vaules, to bond over their shared love of the stories and characters, and how they create and enjoy a collective effervesence. The collective effervesence can be seen through the way fans continue to dress up and go to midnight releases in the freezing weather. There will also be some critical perspective invoving the merchandise and the mass production and advertisement of all things Middle Earth.

Susan Bechtel / Rocky Horror Picture Show

The Rocky Horror Picture show is currently the longest running film release in history.  It is an adaptation of  a London musical that was created as a tribute to the campy B horror movies of the forties.  Although it was originally a theatric production I doubt it was ever considered highbrow.  From a sociological view the RHPS has many characteristics identified with the functionalistic perspective.  There are certain rituals and rules that are expected to be adhered to when in the theater viewing RHPS.  Interaction and role playing done while viewing RHPS, with it's strong sexual, transvestite content could be seen as a safe manner to explore subjects that in the seventies were probably seen as taboo.  RHPS in 2005 was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by The Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.  Is it art or craft?  You decide.wwwrockyhorror.com

Jessica Jenkins

 In today's society the hip-hop culture is a very debatable topic in the African American community, due to the representation of African American women within this culture. African American females are viewed in very stereotypical ways and degrading ways in some cases. These negative images of African American females in the media can affect the way they view themselves and how the world views them. Programs such as Black Girls Rock! is a program that was started in 2006, with the sole purpose of helping to develop and build young African American girls self-esteem and self-worth and to help African American girls and women celebrate the beauty of being African American and to be best they can be, by being positive role models within their communities.

For my cultural analysis paper, I plan to view the history of how the African American women has been seen in the United States. Second, how African American females are viewed today in the United States. Third, I will explain what Black Girls Rock! is and I will talk about the Black Girls Rock! Award show. In my paper, I will discuss mostly African American women and girls perceptions about beauty, self-esteem, the media, and etc. I will discuss class topics such as the interactionist approach as it applies to how these women and girls view themselves, the functions of popular culture, how the representation of social inequality and dominant ideologies relate to how these women and girls feel about themselves, search for authenticity, collaborative circles, and cultural conventions.



Here is the Black Girls Rock! link >>> http://www.blackgirlsrockinc.com/

Below are some discussion on the topics of medias influence on African American females, African American females views of body image, how they define themselves as a black women, and the history of how African American females were viewed.

 

 

Catriona Freeman

The United Kingdom and the whole world recently celebrated the 50^th Anniversary of Doctor Who with Google adding an interactive game on their homepage, Yahoo letting a little blue box float across its name, and displaying the largest simulcast of the anniversary episode around the world at the same time.

But what is Doctor Who?

Doctor Who is the longest running science fiction show in the world. It premiered in the 1960s in the United Kingdom and follows the adventures of a time-traveling alien humanoid called The Doctor. His species is called Time Lords and he comes from a distant planet called Gallifrey. He travels in a blue police phone box called the T.A.R.D.I.S (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) that is “bigger on the inside.” Along his travels, he picks up companions (mainly humans) that join him on his adventures to fix problems and restore order to the universe, not to mention battle vicious alien foes. Then when he gets to the end of his “life,” he regenerates or physically changes into a new form with a new personality. Since 1963, there have been 11 regenerations (meaning 11 different male actors playing the Doctor) and a 12^th regeneration happening by the end of this year.

But why is Doctor Who important?

It has become a global phenomenon, and also one of the largest subcultures to exist in the world. Going to conventions like Comic Con will show people or “Whovians” dressed as their favorite Doctor, or dressed as a companion or alien. People look to social networking to find others with similar tastes and discuss their favorite episodes and news within the “fandom.” It has brought new and old generations together with one common purpose: The Doctor.

 

By observing this group (and being part of it myself), the sociology based on this group is part of the functionalist perspective. There is social solidarity with unity and cohesion of the group, a collective conscience with shared values about the Doctor’s life and goals, and a collective effervescence of happiness and dedication to the alien himself. In my paper, I will be discussing and analyzing the subculture of Doctor Who and its connection to the functional approach of Emile Durkheim and popular culture today.

For more information on Doctor Who characters and history, go to: Doctor Who- BBC One and Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Official Homepage

Ryckia Estes

          In society, it seems as if the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) has been an outcast. Up until 1986, homosexuality was considered to be a psychological disorder, even had a diagnosis in the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM). The irony of homosexuality being a psychotic disorder is that a great psychologist, Sigmund Freud, stated in 1935 that he did not think homosexuality was something someone should be persecuted on. Matter of fact, his theory was that everyone has bisexual tendencies, whether you choose to be homo or hetero sexual is depending upon one's upbringing and the parenting style.
      In cities all over the world, the LGBT community holds a gay parade, which can also be known as gay pride. It's a stance the LGBT community takes against discrimination and violence and use it to promote self-awareness, self-affirmation, equal rights, dignity and increase their visibility as a social group. Majority of the pride events are held during pride month, which is typically in June. 

The annual gay pride has been a tradition for the past 42 years. In June, 1970, the first gay pride parade was held in Manhattan, New York in honor of the Stonewall Inn, a historic gay bar in New York. 
Some people from the LBGT community would refer to the month of June and the gay pride festivities as another Christmas or Fourth of July to them, it a celebration for them.

"Homosexuality is assuredly no advantage, but it is nothing to be ashamed of, no vice, no degradation, it cannot be classified as an illness; we consider it to be a variation of the sexual function produced by a certain arrest of sexual development. Many highly respectable individuals of ancient and modern times have been homosexuals, several of the greatest men among them. It is a great injustice to persecute homosexuality as a crime, and cruelty too...."

-Sigmund Freud (1935)

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Jessica Le

It has become quite common to see a Starbucks within the same block in some major cities. Starbucks is a pop cultural icon and it is much more than just the coffee itself. Beyond those venti triple shot, soy, sugar-free, caramel macchiatos, Starbucks has become a part of lifestyle branding. One can easily brew his or her own coffee at home or walk in to any coffee shop to buy a medium cup of coffee for only $1-2. Some of the customized drinks at Starbucks can reach up to $4-6. It has its own image of trendiness, and even its own language of “tall, grande, venti, and trenta” instead of the typical “small, medium, large, and extra-large.”

Starbucks is well-liked, well-known, targets a general wide audience, and somewhat belongs to the people, deeming it popular. People instantly know what the iconic Starbucks logo symbolizes and it generates certain attributes like the ambience of a warm coffee shop, upbeat music playing on the speakers, comfortable upholstered couches, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Their website states, “We believe a coffeehouse should be a welcoming, inviting and familiar place for people to connect, so we design our stores to reflect the unique character of the neighborhoods they serve.” The style and aesthetics of the design-intensive corporation proliferates in everyday life as people go shopping in the mall, Target, or Kroger and need to grab their morning coffee or mid-day boost of caffeine.

There is a sense of community and global responsibility since Starbucks affiliated with organizations like Create Jobs for USA, American Red Cross, Fair Trade, Global Green USA, and the Starbucks Foundation supports programs that contribute to the community. Their corporation is tied in with conscientiousness for the community, recycling, conservation, and fair trade. The concept of a simple cup of coffee has been transformed into so much more with the proliferation of Starbucks stores worldwide.