Origins of Fame

As we try to find the roots of why the Kardashians are famous it leads us to find that they have many facets to it. I feel the family got there notoriety from their father who was a lawyer know for the OJ Simpson trial. But many other believe it was her sex tape. Without her father’s career and her stepfather’s notoriety no one would have cared about the sex tape. From all of this she got her show, which lead to the representation of her actual talent and possible model and fashion career. Although what was the key event that defined her celebrity? This got me thinking as to at what point in someone’s media career do they transfer from nobody to somebody? When is it that you can truly identify the point that a person becomes famous?

Why are They Famous Again?

I have truly wondered why it is exactly that people such as Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian are famous?After discussing the lectures, I have realized that they are people who have been ascribed their fame. Kim and Paris both come from very wealthy families that have social networks and connections to wealthy people and celebrities. Their family wealth made it possible for them to attain celebrity status. Neither of these women have attributed anything to society that would lead to fame. They do not have a particular skill or talent either that have made them acquire celebrity status, such as Derrick Rose. These ascribed celebrities tend to be the ones who annoy me because they are always show on television and magazines in some ridiculous situations spending millions of dollars. Seems like a waste of wealth and fame if you ask me.

Reinforcing the Gender Binary

In this Tide commercial, a mother discloses how upsetting it is for her that her daughter prefers clothing that is marketed towards boys. She also shows distaste for her daughter's favorite games which involve playing outside in the mud and playing with trucks. I was initially so appalled by the commercial that I had to ask myself "Well, this isn't so abnormal, why is it bothering me so much?" What occurred to me that while hitting the personal spot reserved especially for the societal pressure to be a girly, pink loving, cuddly, quiet, clean, and careful, the commercial also managed to reinforce the belief that gender-non-conformity is distasteful, disgusting, and something parents should try their hardest to prevent. In the past I would have seen this commercial and thought to myself "Well, the gender roles for women are out of date, rigid, and oppressive- this commercial is bad because it is supporting them!," but upon seeing it now it occurred to me as much more relevant as a Trans* issue.
While the restriction of a girl's gender expression is oppressive and hegemonic, that is only the surface of the content. What is really being displayed in this commercial, is how upset her gender-non-conformity makes her mother. The emphasis is on the mother's feelings about he daughter's preferences and dismissal of the daughter (specifically at the end with "Another car garage honey? That's beautiful.") makes this much more applicable to the pressures and oppression that trans* people deal with. The interesting thing is that I doubt the ad makers knew at all that it was addressing anything more than gender roles. This commercial serves as erasure for trans* people's experience with the gender binary by diffusing the gender issues to a be a (cis)woman's struggle.
In conclusion, I think that the reason this commercial seemed convoluted and jam packed with offensive material is because whenever gender-conformity and expectations of a gender mentioned, they not only affect cis people of that gender, they affect trans* people even more intensely, and from both that masculine and feminine sides.

Encounters with Celebrities

I haven't had too many. However, being a radio DJ (with future plans to stay a radio DJ, hopefully move to FM sometime in the future), one of my responsibilities is to interview (famous) musicians. Recently, I interviewed one of my all-time favorite musicians ever, Bob Nanna of the local (yet extremely influential) emotional post-hardcore band Braid. Local to Chicago, Braid made a huge impact on the music scene that sprouted here, and the band has been around since the early 90's. I was super excited to interview Bob, seeing that I've been listening to Braid since high school, before I even knew I was moving to Chicago. Don't get me wrong, I definitely freaked out. But because of the fact that I actually have experience with knowing famous people (I used to date someone who was somewhat famous), I used what I had learned from that experience to better my "fandom" towards Bob and his music. In the experience of dating a famous musician, I learned through him as well as his friends who were also famous musicians, that just because someone IS a 'celebrity,' doesn't mean that they're any different from those of us who aren't famous. Sure, they might have super cool jobs - going on tour, playing music for a living, making albums that reach the ears of thousands of people; however (from what I experienced and what I know), these people are the same as everyone else. Famous people also go have insecurities, family issues, and everything else that us 'normal' people struggle with. They expose their imperfections to the public eye, which is a very difficult struggle that fans and audiences alike don't think about when they think about their favorite bands. Therefore, knowing all of this and knowing that famous musicians strive to be treated as humanly possible as normal human beings, I went into my interview less starstruck than I probably would have if I hadn't had this experience. I also feel that I'm prepared for future interviews, knowing that just because someone is famous - doesn't make them any less of a REAL person.

For those of you who are reading this and know of/like Braid, maybe you'd like to hear my interview. You can check that out under the archive section on my website, http://rockethype.net

Students Oblivious to Danger

Today I came across an article/video about how student's at IU are still partying hard and walking home alone at night - even after the disappearance of a fellow classmate; Lauren Sperier, 5 months ago.  The video/news story spoke about how they had an under cover cop roam the streets at night during the weekend after a huge football game at Indiana University.  The under cover cop was 6'5, masculine and African-American.  Whenever he spoke to students one on one (mostly were intoxicated), the students were oblivious to the fact that there was a camera crew in front of them, and they still acted belligerently drunk. The under cover cop spoke about how students were not even intimated or questionable about him, even though he appeared suspicious. It seemed as though students assumed he was part of the "in crowd" because he had a beer in his hand. Why is it that schools need to show how hard they can party, even though there is still a missing person case that is not solved?  Are the students that oblivious and unintelligent to know how badly they are portraying their school? Not only did they students on camera make fools of themselves, but they made it easy for the publicly to understand how Lauren Sperier was abducted so easily on June 3rd after a night of partying. Students clearly assume that just because they are in a safe town, they are invincible to danger.

Sports fans

I was reading articles about fans, and sports fans are the most vicious types of fans ever! I was reading one article and it was just saying how many fans get injured by other fans all the time. I think its ridiculous its a game! Is this normal for fans to get so into the games, basically as much as the players do. I think think violence over a sport needs to end because that is no reason to fight. It would be more acceptable if it was the people actually playing the game because they have a reason to fight maybe. Do people feel the same? or do you think that this is normal and okay for people to fight over a game?

Just Another Blog Post about the Kardashians

In a recent class we discussed why the kardashians have reached the level of fame that they have, and why we care about them. It is evident that we watch "Keeping up With The Kardashians" because we want a peek into what living an extravagant life would entail, what living in the eye of the media entails, living a lavish lifestyle. Kim's success is the most confusing thing for me. Kim Kardashians life revolves around product placement, she is a walking ad. Whether its on her television show, or walking down the street she is truly selling her self out in the name of advertising and greed. Lets not even get started on the wedding.

So why are we not just paying attention to celebrities, but these celebrities whom we know aren't really famous for anything, but as a walking advertisement? Not only is Kim a walking advertisement, but really a reality TV Icon, and with an icon, comes a huge fan base. When it comes to Kims acquiring of celebrity, she can really fall into multiple forms. Her ascribed celebrity results from a famous father who was a lawyer and achieved celebrity through a court case. Her celebrity can be achieved due to her work as a stylist on Paris Hilton and other celebrities, therefore receiving her own show after getting "noticed." Therefore, also he celebrity can also be attributed. Over all Kim is a celeator. She is a character who has become an institution fixture of popular culture, and reality TV. Her face is all over our culture whether we like it or not.

One things for sure, while Kim may be getting a lot of bad press lately, it is very unlikely her and her family are going anywhere anytime soon, especially not off the air.

MTV Teen Mom Debate

The MTV show Teen Mom 2 is coming back to television starting on December 6 to start its new season. I have heard a lot of hoopla about this show in the past and am starting to hear it again as it will soon be back. There has been a lot of conflict about Teen Mom and whether it is appropriate to have a show on MTV, which is known for younger audiences, about teenagers having babies out of wedlock and at such a young age. I myself do watch this show and find it to be entertaining, as do a lot of people I know. I have heard many people say that this show makes them feel better about their own lives because they are so much better off than the girls on the show. I find it very interesting that people are now watching television to make themselves feel better about their personal lives, and not just as a way to be entertained. Many of the girls on this show live in less than ideal situations, but about half have made the best out of their situations and have tried to live a happy life. I still feel bad for all of the girls on this show because they are exploiting their lives, and the lives of their children, to make money. They are so desperate to make money to support their children that they need to be filmed and have an audience who watches the show to make their lives look better than the ones on TV.

Kim Kardahsian's Divorce

I'm pretty sure that all of us have heard that Kim Kardashian filed for divorce after only 72 days. After spending so much money and getting so much publicity it is obvious that she fabricated her wedding for money. Which brings to to the question of do reality T.V stars really care about their fans? After reading the Jenkins article about participatory culture i began to rethink of who benefits the most from the relationship of fans.The tv star of the fan. Sure fans get good music or good movies but ultimately the person making a profit from being a fan is the celebrity. So many celebrities have let their fans down. Kim Kardashian, Tiger Woods, Paris Hilton etc. makes me think people who are hardcore fans should rethink the motives for which they are a fan. The Kardashian have clothing lines, perfumes, nail polishes, stores, they are pretty much sucking as much money as they can from their fans. The wedding scam was pushing it too far in my opinion. I think we have be part of a selective participatory culture.

The Influence of Media in My Life

It is the constant teetering between love and hate that expresses my relationship with modern media. As we discussed in class we look back on our past experiences with television shows that influenced us as children, the commercials with our favorite toys, and the songs that inspired us to grow and become who we are today. This formation of identity is without a doubt intertwined with our relationships with media, and the capitalism that fuels American society. I cherish these memories of Saturday morning cartoons with my family and prime time "marathons" at friend's houses, yet I can't express the same genuine expressions for modern media representations. It is a sense of bitterness that I feel in response to modern programs, whether targeted towards kids or adults. I don't feel confident in the direction mass media culture is taking, especially in regards to the advertisements and skewed realistic portrayals that are repeated on a large scale regardless of channel or network. It is this abundant amount of stereotyping, materialism, and enforced hegemony/ gender roles that I now solely identify in media. Regardless what the premise of a show is about, there are blatant portrayals of gender roles, racial discrimination, "othering" ethnicities and cultures, and other forms of prejudice. It is a whirlwind of controversy that top media controllers understand and regulate, then filtering it down to the consumers who eat this mixture of unrealistic constructs and irregular means in which to shape one’s needs and wants. It is with hesitance that I think about the media of the future, but I truly hope the continuous pattern of simplified, sex-based, and general stifling of individual creativity dissipates, or at least is acknowledged and therefore changed.

Thinking Back

Thinking back over my personal experience with celebrities, I was never really much one to get excited over them. Yes I would jump up and down in excitement whenever we would start watching an Olsen twin movie that I hadnt seen yet but other than that I didn't care for them. I listened to boy band music back in elementary but I never knew their names or cared about their personal lives. Even as a teenager I would listen to rock music and it would only be the groups I cared most about would I know their history, names, etc. To this day Escape The Fate is the group I know most about. And it's not because I'm not a fan of the group, it's just because I'm not obsessed with them. To me there are more important things to live than to waste my life on obsessing over a strangers. Do I go nuts everytime I'm at a concert? Yes. Do I have posters up all over my room dreaming that they're watching me while I sleep like a creepy stalker? (Twilight reference joke) No.

And two of my best friends are the opposite of me. One is a huge Kpop fan and she'll tweet the celebs she likes and get overly excited and spasm and flail all over the place for days when they tweet her back or some huge exciting news happened like they changed their hair color...Oh so exciting.

And the other listens to Arabic music and actually knows the celebrities because her relatives work with them overseas. And she'll get crazy anytime her favorite singer comes to town and she gets to talk to him at a dinner or see him at a club or he mentions her. Which is understandable if someone you're a huge fan of, who is internationally famous and whose music comes on whenever you're at a party, knows who you are and then asks how you're doing, not because its good manners but because they actually care. Its like if Justin Beiber ended up being the family friend of a twelve year old female fan who had photos of him all over her school books. Yes she would be excited and talk about it for like a month and keep a picture of them together on her cell phone as the back ground wall paper but when actually there talking with them, they'll have the sanity and the curtesy to remember they're just a friend coming to visit and hang out.

Kids Today

I was thinking about how much society changes over time. When I was young all I looked forward to was coming home from school and going outside to play. I hardly see any of the young kids in my neighborhood do that anymore. One of my favorite childhood games was kick the can. My friends and I used to make up so many games when we were young. Now all I see is kids on cell phones or computers not using their time to do anything fun. I wish kids knew how much value going out to play has on yourself. You use your mind to be so creative and make up stuff. I didn't even get a cell phone until high school and I guarantee you it wasn't an Iphone either. I just wish kids today would enjoy life because all I think about now is being young again.

Power Rangers & Baby...

When I baby-sat my two cousin last week, it got me thinking about my childhood. My boy cousin Joel brought some power ranger DVD's to watch and Sara had the Baby-Sitting club book. Although I not a hardcore fan of P.R., I can remeber the times when me and my cousins would agrue over which one of us, is the pink Power Rnager, of course I always lost, because they were older then me, and in those situation I never won. I forgot to ask Joel which P.R. he perferred but with the ALL ooh's and ah's coming from him, I suppose it would be quite diffuclt for him to decide. Sara on the other hand did have something I was a die hard fan of and it was the Baby-Sitting Club, I had all there books and somehow I still believe it somewhere in the house, but reading the book with her brought back fond memories and new memeories that I will now have with her.

Just a Celebrity Theory

Over the summer, I had been working out a little conspiracy theory -- actors like Paul Rudd and Justin Timberlake are getting a good fan base now because of their work years ago. People are subconsciously remembering good experiences with them, thus making us want to show them more support now.
Paul Rudd was the goofy, smart heart throb in Clueless (1995), then it seemed as though he disappeared until Anchorman in 2004. After that, he was in bigger movies and even got his own shot at leading man in a few of them. People went to see these movies and show Paul Rudd his support, but how many remember him being in Clueless? It's not until people look up his past movies that they even think about it.
Justin Timberlake never really left the public eye, yet he's quickly taken himself from teen-pop sensation, to solo artist, to comedian (SNL -- you cannot deny the hilarity of "Dick in a Box"), to actor. He's succeeded in all of these fields. Is it possible that we go to see him initially because he's one of those guys from the *NSYNC who undoubtedly entertained us (in, what? Fourth grade?)? Or maybe we still feel bad about Ashton's Punking that made Justin cry...
Either way, I think that we are subconsciously supporting these two actors (and maybe more).

Yeezy Taught me

So this week was an examination of celebrity and fandom, and with every example, comes the opportunity to apply it to our own lives. Let me start off by saying I am an unhealthy Kanye West fan. Ever since College Drop out (his first album in 2004) I've had all the albums. My first concert I attended was his back in '06.. I've seen him 3 times since (it will be four in december after the Watch the Throne Tour). I can attribute a lot of my style to inspiration from him, (bright colors or colored accessories to match against a more conservative outfit). I have Kanye West Bapestars (a limited edition japanese sneaker) and when is signature nike shoe comes out in the summer... I will probably be in line.

To me he means a lot of things, most consider him an asshole and I really won't spend the post trying to defend him, but I discovered hip hop music through his lyrics and I would never have chose to come to this city all the way from Connecticut if it had not been for his music and my interest in its origins. I wonder if I have a sick obsession? If I am just like the avatar people that show up at the comicon conventions or the hardcore sports people. To me, (and as studies indicate) I enjoy referring to myself as extremely different from the obsession that grips those people. To me, I use West as an emblem or physical manifestation of my own creative spirit, a spirit that defies status quos and is an undying optimist and swagger that most people lack. Too often in society people are weighed down by a feeling of self conscience and acceptance of the greater population. His stardom, is a rebel attitude towards others opinion but not one that is bulletproof or not often marred by personal tragedy. For this I follow him avidly and look up to him as an innovator and stylistic genius. This may have been a text book case of idolatry but I ask that if these figures embody higher ideas or ideology that people follow does it make them equally as culpable as the normal fans? Why or Why not

Mary-Kate and Ashley

This talk about celebrity got me wondering about how I feel about celebrities. When I was younger I remember buying everything that Mary-Kate and Ashley made or wore themselves. We never really talked about how children become obsessed with celebrities. One reason may be because they become obsessed with everything that is cool, but I wondered if that is why even adults become so celebrity-obsessed. I work at a store that sells fragrance and the item I’ve been seeing bought the most is the new Justin Bieber perfume and the new Taylor Swift perfume. I’ve smelled both, and they do not smell like anything great. This may not be the case for every purchaser, but I assume that most purchasers are buying these products because of the people who are on the box. I know I used to make my parents buy me the Mary-Kate and Ashley anything!
Today, I wouldn’t buy any Mary-Kate and Ashley products just because their names or faces are on it, but I wouldn’t really buy any product just because someone’s face is on it. So, being celebrity-obsessed at a young age didn’t make me into a celebrity-obsessed adult, but I do read magazines that talk about celebrities. I also “like” celebrity pages on Facebook or add them on Twitter. It’s just so easy to press a button.

Economic Escapism

It occurred to me while watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians last week how different the show used to be. One of the main differences was the focus on extravagance. Newer episodes seem to focus much more on the spending habits and lavish lifestyle the Kardashians can afford. Part of that is because they have more money now, but it also seems that the public’s interest in their economic status has increased. This might have to do with the country’s current economic status. With a growing number of people living below the poverty line and even more in debt, economic struggle is a common worry in America. And this is reflected by the media. Instead of wanting to relate to the characters on that level, the audience would rather escape to a place where money isn’t an issue. Many other shows, both fictional and non-fictional, feature very rich or well to do families. Even the characters on Modern Family appear to be upper middle class and living in pricey Los Angeles, while the real modern family’s income is not nearly enough to cover that sort of lifestyle. It says a lot that some media outlets regarded Kim Kardashian’s wedding as the “American Royal Wedding.” At a time when financial struggle is commonplace, a lifestyle that can afford a $20,000 wedding cake is the modern day fairy tale.

Disney Geeks

As we were talking about fandom in class I thought about Disney. Disney has been a huge part of everyone’s childhood, and some people even go a step further and continue loving this fantasy world. A year ago is when I heard about D23 it is a Disney membership. This membership is either silver or gold and you have to renew it each year for a high fee. They get an exclusive magazine, discounts, exclusive merchandise, and special events for Disney news. They even have a huge expo in Anaheim, CA to celebrate the fan-demonium. It is open for children, families, and adults. The ultimate Disney fan’s dream of knowing everything there is about Disney without working for them! The fascination from hand-drawn animation to Pixar to amusement parks has been around for 25 years and will continue for a very long time. The movies, television shows, Broadway shows, books, etc. give people the nostalgia of such a beautiful world, where dreams come true. There is always a warm, positive, uplifting mind-set that everyone loves to feel when they experience Disney pandemonium. People feel like Disney is a part of their life. It’s a fairytale world just like star-wars conventions, only with Disney characters!

What's All the Hype About?

It seems that the lives of many Americans revolve around celebrities. In this country, more than any other country in the world, we are more interested in the lives of these famous people rather than our own. Whether it is because they are living the true "American Dream" or just because we desire to be attractive, rich and admired like they, it is something that is hurting our society as a whole. And while there are many established celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp that many people look up to, the success and fame of the lower celatoids seems to grab our attention more. Whether it is the crazy success of Rebecca Black's "Friday" or the Penn State scandal revolving around Joe Paterno, these popular subjects consume the lives of many people for a few weeks and then disappear entirely into the void.

The reason that these celatoids gain so much popularity is because everyone seems to be talking about them at the same time. Usually after the the event has occurred, everyone is on the internet blogging and commenting about it. The popularity of the specific person skyrockets and they are known worldwide. But unlike celebrities that have pretty consistent levels of fame, these celatoids achieve great heights of fame that then decrease shortly after to which they are almost forgotten about. I, for one, don't understand why anyone would want to be in the same position as such celebrities. Although fame comes with wealth and admiration, it doesn't always last and it has left some celebrities in a bad position after their stardom has worn out.

Social Media: Egyptian hero

One of my question for the "Quentin Tarantino's Star Wars?: Digital Cinema, Media Convergence, and Participatory Culture" was "What is the role that social media has taken as a part of technological convergence?". Technological Convergence refers to the multiple entry points into the consumption process and at the same time, enable consumers to more quickly locate new manifestations of a popular narrative. Social Media has allowed for people to update their media consumption immediately. One primary example is the role Facebook took in the in the recent Egyptian revolution. Facebook was one of the primary sources used for communication. Facebook and other types of social media like Twitter made it possible to create a single message that would reach the masses and result in a political revolt against the Egyptian President. Students and other supporters created major protesting events using the tool of social media. Technological Convergence and our participatory culture are not just used as tools to create spoofs about Star Wars. They can serve a greater purpose as was demonstrated by the Egyptian Revolution. 

Friendship through Spongebob?

For this week’s blog post I want to focus on Spongebob (yet again). My roommate and best friend, Paloma, LOVES spongebob. She has the tendency to relate everything in our lives (good or bad) to Spongebob (and sometimes the movie Hot Chick). However, the point of this blog post is that for the most part I usually know what she is talking about and she is usually right.

Why is Spongebob (a cartoon) so realistic (to an extent)? I addressed this little in my midterm paper but this time I am wondering why it is that Spongebob ties in so much of reality. Not so much how I tend to find Spongebob counter hegemonic but more of how I tend to find Spongebob as a Kid’s show that actually is doing more than teaching them about dominant ideologies. I find real life lessons in this show that I personally think can be used in real life. For example hating someone, competition, saying sorry, having a friend that is way too stupid. Of course many people could say this about a lot of kid’s show but there is something different about Spongebob. I believe although this show will forever be a show for kids is generally directed toward Adults. I still watch Spongebob when I am stressed out.

The best example I can provide is Paloma’s favorite examples of US. Two best friends that have the tendency to be really REALLY stupid. She compares our relationship to Spongebob and Patrick way too many times in one day. This makes me question, growing up watching this show did it possibly change the way that we see best friends? Did this relationship on TV form how we think of relationships in real life? There are too many examples of how the two of us act like this cartoon. Is that just us or were we made to find people like Spongebob and Patrick?

What makes celebrity?

What is it that makes one a celebrity? That is, what does one have to do, create, or otherwise to gain the notoriety of the masses? In my eyes, as well as the eyes of many other Americans, the Kardashians do not deserve the fame or rather infamy that they presently have. This goes for many of the other psudocelebrities out there who are famous for essentially nothing other than appearing on reality television or in media scandals.

I believe that the great minds of today are the true celebrities who unfortunately remain in the realm of obscurity. Those making great advancements in the fields of physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, communications, and technology are the one's who I feel deserve the notoriety and fame that these present day celebrities are getting.

However, the appeal and excitement factor that draws the public to these celebrities won't likely be found with scientists and scholars. It is unlikely that a Kardashianesque sex tape will pop up featuring physicists or a cat fight between engineers. It appears that for the time being, the nature of celebrity will remain constant and consistently shallow.

Kardashian Kraze

After watching the Kardashians today in class, I really started to think about the traits in a person that make them so appealing to the general public. I then started to become angry at the fact that they are so famous for really nothing at all. They are not good people doing good deeds around the world and got fame from it, they are rich spoiled girls (not women) who enjoy living the rich lifestyle of a celebrity. Although it is sad that people want to watch this families lives and that people actually paid to see Kim get married, it is even more sick that the Kardashians are willing to put themselves in fake situations and have a fake love life just to be famous. These people will never truly be happy because no one will ever truly want to be with them. Kim is the only one who truly banks on fame and money, the others just follow along and enjoy Kim's ride on fame. In ways they are celetoids because they continue to make publicity stunts such as sex tapes, having children, getting married and now even making money off of a divorce? It is unbelievable that our society supports this. She is not a celetoid or a celeactor, she is a pretty girl who made bank off of her looks and ridiculous actions. I am actually glad that people watch the show and I can admit that sometimes I do as well, but as most people sit there and watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians, they mock and make fun of the family and hopefully the Kardashians will one day learn that people are not laughing with them, they are laughing at them.

W.O.W

Talking about fans made me think of one of the largest there is - World of Warcraft. We watched a video about some ultimate fans and the Blizzard convention that they go to in one of my other classes. It was astonishing what I saw. People didn't just use it to get connected to the game but to the people they played with in the game. It was all about an experience and making friends and even husbands/wifes out of it. There were multiple stories of men and women meeting in their online gaming group and then meeting and the convention and getting married. I would have never thought a game could bring people together to that extent but they seemed happier than anyone I knew. It was also this way for all of the friends who met there from online. It was so crazy how they knew who everyone was just from their voice and knew they were meeting the right people. Some even said they have stayed life long friends with their fellow gamers. Also at the convention were the most extravagant costumes I have ever seen. People looked like they could have spent months and tons of money to get them ready for this one big day. Everyone that I was in the class with just laughed at these people thinking they were wasting their time and I must admit that it is not somethin I'd be into as well but it is clear that this is much more than a game to some people, it is a lifestyle.

Where were you....

Where were you when you heard about the passing of Heavy D ? It only recently that we wrapped up the trial for the Legendary King of Pop, now we are faced with another tragedy. As I think about his sudden death I begin to reminisce about the days I would have the radio blasting when his song "Big Daddy" would aired. Thinking about him got me reminiscence about the other beloved artists we lost. I can remember staying at the bus stop with my mom and brother singing to Aaliyah "Miss You", and when I would sit with my grandmother and look at the Golden Girls and Bernie Mac reruns. So many great entertainer have past away, but as long as we remember the as they were they will always be with us in spirit.

Why?

Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga are two female celebrities that are known for transcending the norm and the ties of women in Hollywood. Why do they receive so much attention? Why are they so focused on standing out and being outrageous? Their point is to go against whats normal and average. They thrive on doing the unexpected. Yet, these two women are so obsessed with their looks, their style, and their physical aspects that ironically they keep the dichotomies of women and their bodies still alive today. Their revealing outfits and seductive lyrics continue to show women are dependent on their looks more so then anything else.

Hungry for White Castle?

Although I have not seen it yet, my younger brother has seen the new Harold and Kumar Christmas movie. I've always been somewhat fascinated by the the trilogy of the movies because it was made almost entirely as an ad campaign for White Castle. I can't think of any other movie that was based solely on one product, I'm sure there are other movies that are based heavily on one product or idea; however, I can not think of any others at this moment. I do believe that Harold and Kumar is one of the most well known movies of all of time that is based off of an ad campaign, and since the first one they have been able to make two more movies. Neither one is related to White Castle the premises are different but, when everyone thinks of Harold and Kumar they automatically think of White Castle, so there is subconscious advertisement going on just because the name is so associated with White Castle already.

Keep it Gay

LGBT issues are nothing new in the world of politics. However, it seems that recently they have been brought to the forefront of the media. And like any hot button issue, it’s presence in the media garners a lot of attention. Shows like Glee and Modern Family are both praised and criticized for their portrayal of gay characters and Lady Gaga’s message of acceptance and equality for the LGBT community has only furthered her level of fame. All of this exposure and support helps move the country forward and is met with attention both good and bad. As progressive as it is, however, it also opens up the LGBT community to exploitation. More and more shows, movies, and artists have jumped on the bandwagon, attaching LGBT positivity to their content in order to gain attention and profit. For example, pop stars Ke$ha and Katy Perry both released singles in the past year that were “for the gays.” As nice as the gesture is, it’s also problematic in that both songs were not explicitly gay-positive. The support almost seems like an afterthought in these cases, tacked on in order to increase sales and reach gay-icon status. Last week’s episode of Community parodied this phenomenon, when Pierce’s brand of wipes unintentionally become a gay icon and he takes the praise and runs with it, despite his usual aversion to the gay community. He even makes a product specifically for his new fans. Pride Wipes: “They may cost more, but they’re gayer!”

Fans Gone To Far?

This week we've been talking about fandom and when I think of crazy fans somehow I think of Twilight fans. I haven't read the books, although I have seen all of the movies ( and I'm still not a fan, I more or less see them just to see them). It never ceases to amaze me though, how crazy girls can get over something. I've never seen crazier fans then the twilight fans, I watched a T.V. special on the fans of Twilight and it was crazy. Some of the girls actually dedicated themselves to finding vampires to fall in love with. What is perhaps even crazier then Lady Gaga fans is these girls actually deface their bodies all for the sake of something that is fictional. Die hard fans of twilight have gotten bite mark tatoos put on their neck with sayings above them such as "bite me" or "insert fangs here" what is going to happen in a few years when Twilight is no longer popular? Or when the girls get older and try to start families of their own, or even more important when they try to get a job. I believe that in our society fandom goes above and beyond and there needs to be a definite line be what is appropriate behavior for how fans should and should not behave, because in the long run the only one that winds up getting hurt are the fans.

Making it your own

One of the coolest things that occur when watching or reading something is when you can relate to a character. Not just a few things, but you can almost place and see yourself in their shoes doing the exact same thing. That is what a lot of producers and writers go for. They want relatable characters that draw in more and more audience members. Like the reading this week pointed out, the move toward the audience becoming more involved in the media is evolving and growing. Although the creators will try and keep a tight grip on their intellectual property, it’s hard to say how long they will be able to do so. My guess is that it won’t be too long. Parodies are already a huge, and pretty funny, part of the audience generated media. Who knows, there might be a move from big studio programs to smaller independent programs. Maybe then there would be something good to watch on TV.

This is Coming from a Tavern Wench

I saw that someone wrote about Renaissance fairs... Which is a surprisingly interesting thing to bring up with the topic we have this week. I didn't really consider it to be something like Comic-Con, but it easily can be tied into that idea. People do still go to them and, although we have tools like the internet, the people still don't know anything about that era. Conventions like Comic-Con isn't a specific time nor place and all sorts of costumes and characters are welcome. Patrons will go to Ren fairs dressed up like Captain Jack Sparrow when technically, pirates like that character wouldn't be around for another century. There are also patrons who come dressed as medieval (800-1400 C.E.) warriors or even something from the movie 300 (500-300 B.C.), which, again, are the wrong time periods. People who actually work at the fair end up making fun of these people because of obviously wrong era, the clearly home-made/halloween costume (complete with authentic GYM SHOES) aspect of their "hard work," and because they willingly decided to wear several layers of material on a particularly warm day. Ask any worker who is dressed up in full Renaissance garb and they will honestly tell you that they are only wearing it because they are getting paid to do it.

My View Of Fandom

People indulge in their fandom in many ways. I have friends who are Lord of The Rings fans who will actualy start talking in Elf or Gaelic, Harry Potter fans who role play, Simpson fans who know every episode by heart, Stargate SG-1 fanatics like my family who have every episode on DVD and the original movie on VHS, inside jokes between friends about events that happened in Dr.Who, Fanfiction by writers on Fanfiction.net and Fan Art uploaded onto DeviantArt.com, Anime conventions filled with people in costume, etc. Often times these habits or acts of fandom have been typically reffered to as something for geeks, dorks, and nerds in movies and many times the characters are all alone in their interest but from my experience I find that such people with simular interests tend to seek each other out because its more exciting and fun for people in general to share their interests. This a natural instinct from my point of view, to relate to one another and belong somewhere, a desire for companionship. Why a specific interest may appeal to many people can be just because everyone else seems to be into it and the acts of fandom are more exciting for them than the original object of interest (Such as Harry Potter seems to be for some people) or it could be for the actual object and how they relate to it and its plot and they just want to be a part of it.

Do You REALLY Live in Beverly Hills?

Last winter I became addicted to the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I'm not really sure why I like it but, I just do. It's over the top, and overly dramatic as most shows on Bravo are; however, I have noticed some definite differences between last season and this season. Although the idea of money was brought up last season I feel that it was done a lot more subtly than it is this season. They people on the show this season seem to be very blunt about the fact that they live in Beverly Hills and they have money and lots of it to spend and blow away. In some ways I wonder if this is do to the fact that the economy has certainly taken a turn for the worst and the network still wants to show that all the characters on the show still have money and they have not been affected by it, even though it's clear that one of the ladies on the show, Kim most definitely has been affected by it. They very rarely show Kim's house this season and when they have shown it, it seems smaller and not a house that you would even see in Beverly Hills. I'm curious to see the reunion episode and hear questions that fans have written in, I'd like to see if any of them comment on the over use of stating that they have money or trying to exude the fact that they do. It actually seems really tacky this season. When the season first started I remember thinking to myself "WOW...they really want their fans to know that they have money this season," I wonder how the fans will take it.

Culture Cults

This week we were discussing fandom and how it relates back to the artist and the culture. Now obviously the largest cult of fandom is the Harry Potter fans. This discussion brought back what it was like when the books and movies were still coming out. I recall people dressing up and getting in line at Barnes and noble as well as the movies. For the last Harry Potter premiere everyone got together purchase or made a wand a dressed and like one of the character. I went online like we did on class and started to look at the sites dedicated to this book series and movies I noticed that’s were more sophisticated than other fan sites. This brought on the question of how do these sites reflect the fans; do more complex sites mean more committed fans? I also noticed that the series also gets a lot more positive feed back than other pop culture cults. This made me think about how much Harry Potter has been integrated into the culture so much that it is no longer considered a fandom but natural. I was not surprised when I saw hundreds of people in robes and scars at the final movie premiere, discussing how they might represent the 7^th book in the movie, but instead surprised by the people that didn’t.