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.

Homer Simpson and working class TV dads

While watching the Simpsons I realized that although the Simpson family is working class, money and the family's finances are really just skimmed over. They're actual income is basically unknown and never talked about. Homers job classifies him as working class, however the Simpsons live in a well to do neighborhood, and in a rather large house.

Homer Simpsons character is the stereotypical working class Dad character. The working class dad is viewed as inferior to the wife and children, as well as general society. They are concerned with their well-being over everyone else’s, and have extreme views. Homer drinks duff beer constantly. He is seen at the local bar with his friends while Marge is left to chase after their children. The thing that sets homer apart from other working class Dad characters is the fact that he is animated. He can get away with saying more, and doing more on his TV show more than any other working class Dad character. For example, if Homer was not an animated character he would surly be in jail by now for child negligence and abuse from leaving his baby alone, and strangling his son Bart. Also, rather than people and viewers laughing at his obscene and controversial remarks he would most likely be out casted, and the show may be seen in a different light.

The other working class Dad characters salaries and finances are usually at the forefront. Viewers are aware of the characters jobs, and salaries and money issues come into play on their sitcoms often. What Homer and the other Dads all have in common in the end is their stereotyped sitcom character. They’re the reason we all watch the show because we associate the working class Dad with being inferior yet comical, and find comfort in knowing who that character is even if it’s our first time watching a particular show.

The Real Housewives and Racism

It really is so easy to critique and analyze "The Real Housewives" from the Bravo network using the concepts from our Media and Cultural studies class. Although the show may be in place for pure entertainment it is important to take a step back and understand why it is entertaining and why viewers are'nt supposed to take the show too seriously.

Every Real Housewives city/season has its own set of women. However they're race is not very dynamic. The Real Houswives of Atalanta is the only season to have African American women, and one white woman. On the other hand, all the other seasons have white women. Why is this? Why did Bravo do this? I find it hard to believe that it is all a coincidence. Enlightened Racism is not really applied in the Real Housewives of Atlanta because all of the women have various shades of skin, are all rich, and for the most part working. Also Kim is the only white woman on the show and is contstantly outcasted due to the differences in cultures which stirs up drama between her and the other women from time to time. The Atlanta women are all clearly successful. All of their drama is in the same context as the other seasons, so why is Atlanta so different that it is all African American women? When it comes to New Jerseyall the women are italian, and everyone in New Jersey is not Italian just like not everyone in Atlanta is Black, not everyone in Berverley Hills is white, etc etc. What is really going on here? Any Ideas? Im stumped.

The Gay Stereotype in the Media

According to last weeks reading, "Stereotyping," stereotypes aren’t just apparent in films and novels, they are believed and sometimes even conformed to in the “real world.” We must stop and consider how and stereotypes are being portrayed, because they “speak” for the masses in harmful and demeaning ways, rather than focusing on individual people.

The media likes to depict gay men as flamboyant. According to the media, they like fashion, going shopping and helping girlfriends decide what to buy, they like to gossip and complain, and dress up in women's clothing. Rarely do you see a gay man in the media portrayed differently, and when you do they are the complete opposite of feminine. The only gay men in the media are on each furthest side of the spectrum. What this creates is a stereotype.

A problem this causes is with young gay men and adolescents who have yet to "come out." They are still adjusting and figuring out who they are, and how to translate themselves to others. The media is showing these two stereotypes and almost forcing them to pick one, when in reality they are neither. They use the stereotypes to try and project themselves, but they are really just harming their individuality. This has really impacted me personally with a close friend dealing with this. At home he is very much himself and comfortable, but when we are groups of friends he really plays into the flamboyant stereotype.

90210, Cultural Adaption, and Orientalism

As a religious watcher of the series "90210" the new version, I was always curious about the way the character "Navid's" family is portrayed. They are clearly middle eastern, although Navid seems to look and act more "western" than the rest of his family. His father is in the porn industry, secretly, and is seen as a dangerous liar. Navid's uncles are also seen this way, and cheat Navid to get his money and run a car theft business behind his back. They make his family criminals, and its interesting that they chose to portray the middle eastern family this way instead of a white family. With all the negativity and generalizations about middle eastern men the show just emphasises the orientalism going on in media today.

If this show were to be aired in another country a lot of things would need to be changed. First, not everyone in other countries can recognize the zip code 90210 as a prestigious area in southern California. Changing it to the name of a city like Los Angeles would be a better representation. Also jokes, cultural references and signs would also need to be changed in order to understand the context of the show and the young peoples lives, where they live, and where they are coming from. Naomi's character in particular is extremely sarcastic and inherited money off her parents, but over all means well. Some countries people may not be able to pick up on her sarcastic tone or some of her actions.

Hagemony, "The Rachel Zoe Project," and BRAVO

My guilty T.V pleasures for the most part, reside on the BRAVO TV network. From “The Real House Wives” of wherever, to “Flipping Out” and so on. Most if not all of the reality TV shows broadcasted on this network consist of individuals in the upper class. They have extravagant life styles, friends, family, and wardrobes. I would like to specifically focus on my favorite show: “The Rachel Zoe Project.” As a fashion lover myself I watch this show mainly to watch Rachel’s work as a stylist and entrepreneur, but if you look behind Rachel’s hard work that got her to the top you see the people she interacts with everyday. From models, to designers, actresses and so on everyone is in the upper class, even her employees seem to be. The ideology of Rachel’s crowd is basically: Fashion and luxury is everything. At the end of the day that is what their work revolves around. Hegemony is seen in that Rachel and her Employees are driving the industry and creating a dominant ideology for fashion. What is socially acceptable and what is not. However the show does have Rachel’s Husband Roger who seems to being everyone back to earth reminding them that fashion is not everything and that family and loyalty are most important. therefore creating multiple ideologies on the show.

Also, on the topic of reality television in one of this week’s article, the BRAVO network is entirely all reality TV and does exceptionally well. It makes one wonder if more networks and channels will also soon turn all reality TV and stars It seems to be what the public favors and wants to watch. I think reality TV can be just as satisfying and interesting as sitcoms. There are still stories there, but stories of real people. It is an escape from your own world and a peek into the upper classes in BRAVO’s case.