What does this all mean to me?

6.1

As you might have surmised, this blog has been part of a class on Pop Culture.  The posts were either assigned short blog posts or summaries of other longer assignments.

I feel that I understand the concept of pop culture a great deal more now than before I took this class.  I had a vague idea of the implications of theories like rituals, myths and heroes, but not a clear enough understanding to apply it to my daily life.  I think it was more that I took these things for granted and didn't really recognize how these could affect me and my understanding of things.  I believe that I will be more conscience of pop culture as I encounter it.

I have enjoyed exploring the field of politics and political humor more though our topic papers.  This is a field that is very interesting to me.  Believe it or not I would someday like to do stand up comedy.  I have done some amateur stuff but I am still working on material and timing.  My own approach is very satirical and sarcastic, so this research has helped me to understand the success of those in the field.

I would like to think that I am not affected by stereotypes, and I don't personally consider any to be universally true—for race, for gender, for orientation, for any difference.  I have never understood the concept of casting a net over any group of people and considering them all the same catch.  I do, however, strongly believe that stereotypes play a large role in our career success.  I have chosen a more technical field in IT, so being female has been a challenge, and being older might be an issue for me should I try to change careers or move to a new company. 

Look around places of business and sometimes you notice that the staff is not diverse at all, and, in fact, they might be a carbon copy of the boss.  Sometimes people like to hire folks who are very close to their own personality and values.  I don't even think it's a conscience choice most times.  Some people are just more comfortable being around other people just like them.  That situation, providing a single line of thought, can be a death sentence for ideas and innovation.

During the class I have found the joy of writing again.  I have been technical writing for so long in my job I almost forgot how to craft an essay.  Through our research and reading I have identified a number of pop culture artifacts that I want to explore further.  I have also read essay pieces in our books that were outside of our reading assignments that speak to pop culture in preserving the past responsibly and to creating a good self-image.

I am a member of my company’s Diversity and Inclusion Council and work to make sure that all of our employees are an equal part of our team.  Concepts that we learned about stereotypes will help me to understand thinking patterns by some of our less diversity-acclimated staff.

I also want to find a way to be a better role model for my daughter and to monitor who she idolizes to make sure they are worthy of hero status.  I want her to find positive and enriching heroes that inspire her to follow on a path of great deeds.  I will extend this to work as well and work harder to lead by example.  I work in the industry that provides the world with celebrities and faux heroes, so I want to help my fellow employees to recognize the difference between celebrity and hero. 

Who has the formula for success?

1.4.5

Over the years television has crafted its own formula for success.  A formula is like a recipe—what ingredients does one need to use to make things happen, and to make them successful.  While TV dawned in the mid-20^th century it invented itself and became a conventional tool for information and entertainment in American society.  With each new programming genre, the television industry steps out of convention to create a new viewing formula.

Television news has hewn out its formula following trends in public opinion and pop culture.  In the early years, the news was staunch and unbiased, but has become affected by the gleam of celebrity.  TV anchors and those they report about—politicians, the famous, and the infamous—all become stars in their own right.  Political news in general has become more about campaign strategy and creating celebrity than the issues themselves.

Television comedy’s formula had previously been to satirize the news, either by creating caricatures of stories, or developing fake stories that mimicked reality.  Recently, however, political satire comedy and news has melded in to a new formula invention that reports politics in an overt yet accurate way.  Shows like “The Daily Show” and  “Colbert Report” have redefined how America gets their news.  Even shows like “Saturday Night Live” and “The Simpsons” have treated the ridiculousness of things like Dick Chaney’s machismo or Sarah Palin’s naiveté in such a way that they helped to steer public opinion.

I hope that the current convention of reality TV does somehow lose its stability and a new framework emerges in prime time.  I believe that we will see a reduction in the amount of programming in the coming years, as the cable industry changes to a more a-la-carte model and we lose some of the fringe cable channels.  Will this mean an increase in the quality of what programming is left?  Let's hope so.

Do we need another hero?

1.4.4

Heroes are somehow better than us.  They exist, or more correctly we create them, in order to show the rest of us the way to greatness.  Heroes can tie us to our past and give our traditions meaning, or they can fill our current needs for a role model.

Often their greatness is simply myth but their reputation and the outcome of their deeds spreads in to legend.  In today’s electronically connected society a hero’s shelf life can be much shorter and those heroes created simply by virtue of celebrity are quickly replaced.  Celebrities shouldn't really qualify as heroes anyway, as they haven’t contributed any real great action, but apparently our society has a need to create role models of fame and excess.

In the political arena heroes are even more subjective than celebrities, aligning to parties or causes.  Even if a political hero is widely revered, there are those of the opposite philosophy who will not agree.

The 2008 presidential election was a very interesting one for hero watchers.  On the right, John McCain brought his war hero status with him, being a former prisoner of war, and then a long-term political public servant.  On the left, Barack Obama’s hero status was quickly created, representing the hopes and dreams of the civil rights movement, and providing a role model not only for the African American population but young voters of all races who wanted a president more closely related to their American dream.  President Obama’s future heroic story will certainly include his rise past adversity but the rest, that based on his deeds, will be told in time.

Some might say that President Obama already possesses a heroic status akin to a cult of personality.  Dictionary.com defines “cult of personality” as an intense devotion to a particular person.  It would also refer to the person who is arousing such devotion. 

During that 2008 election that seemingly lasted forever, Barack Obama emerged as a larger than life figure.  He won the resolute of the African American community and used the media to ingratiate himself as a man of the people, though critics claim he was cultivating celebrity instead.  The currently divided political landscape helps to create more controversy and inflate his presence even more, polarizing his unwavering fans to his defense against his vehement opponents.  Books are written to broadcast his greatness.  Pundits and critics compare him to the power or charisma of Stalin, Hitler, or Kim Jong-Il.  Some churches call him the anti-Christ, while school children make venerating videos for You Tube.  Selwyn Duke examines his phenomenon in “Beyond the Idea of an Icon”, written for New American in 2009, but ends with an ominous thought.  What if this is less about who Barack Obama is, who comprises his legions of fans, and what his presidency means, and more about the need for the American people to find a deity for a leader?

I am not sure if the adulation for President Obama is as strong as it once was.  I expect to see a great deal more media coverage as we get closer to the November election in order to renew his cultish stature.  I do not see Mitt Romney garnering the same kind of fame and that may seal his fate—to be beaten by Obama’s celebrity and not his record.

Welcome to the 45th iteration of the presidential election ritual.

1.4.3

     Few non-religious social process contain as much ritualized activity as the political process. It would seem as soon as one election ends we are already moving in to the next by way of the same cycle of events. Here too, in the political process and in the media surrounding it, a myriad of stereotypes emerge about the participants, the process, and the media themselves.

    Steven Lukes, in an article titled “Political Ritual and Social Integration”, posted in the Journal of Sociology, links rituals with set rules and symbolism. He suggests that these rituals are what hold a society together. In studying the history of political and social mores; from the official ceremonies like an inauguration, the campaign speeches, parades, and even the way a society reacts and mourns after an assassination, that these rituals draw the public attention and drives public loyalties – even if those loyalties polarize biases held against differing beliefs. Consider the differences between the political parties and how this divide might be more visible during certain rituals, like the party conventions.

     So many of the steps in our political process are ritualized, from the formal statement of eligibility based on our Constitution, the way candidates campaign, to how the winner will do his or her job. On the campaign trail we are used to the visits and speeches, with candidates kissing babies and making promises. Each state has a different ritual to decide its primary elections, whether a vote or caucus, and the conventions cap the primary season by celebrating the values of each party. Our citizens proudly visit the polls on Tuesday after the first Monday in November for the general election and the presidential winner stars planning the elaborate Inauguration parties for January. Each year too, we have the State of the Union Address, and similar events in the states and cities across America.

      Stereotypes can be defined as focus on obvious characteristics of a group, whether real or imagined but certainly don’t generally apply to the whole group, that can be good or bad, but most often are used to detract. In American politics the most frequently used stereotype is the assignment of political parties – either the socialist-leaning, tree-hugging, baby-killing liberal Democratic left, or the heartless, gun-loving, religious nut capitalistic conservative Republican right.

     Many stereotypes can relate to the voters and to the media that report and comment on the political process. Younger voters, who typically do not read newspapers or watch mainstream news are seen as uninformed and naive, while the mainstream news media is characterized as displaying elections more like sports contests such as a horse race, and that they focus more on the campaign strategies more than the actual issues the candidates represent, in effect parroting the campaign promises without an real substance creating a general public ignorance of the political process.

     Those folks who aren’t watching the news networks are shown to be watching comedy and political satire shows like Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show”, or NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”. These shows are stereotyped as fake and unreal, but studies show that they can provide quality political information, oftentimes more detailed and focused than the mainstream news, and that viewers can be more likely to be aware of the political issues and the candidates’ stands.

     There are many facets to the political process in this country—those we ritually participate in or celebrate and those we create generalities about. I personally try to keep an open mind and not fall in the bias and polarization of the parties but view both sides as completely as I can to make an informed decision. I do enjoy the rules and symbolism of casting my vote, and of the formal ceremonies.

     So many others rely on the media to provide the context of the rites we share, and to help them decide between the alternatives. With this type of apathy, at least there are outlets that combine satire and commentary and provide the viewers with the real issues, even if they aren’t aware they are learning while they laugh, against the stereotype of being fake.

The yellow brick road to heroism...

4.1

In the Wizard of Oz Dorothy Gale may be America's most endearing female hero.  The movie was released in 1939, so the treatment of a female hero is somewhat different from the book, where Frank L. Baum wrote about several very strong female characters, but in 1939 young women were much more gentle and naive.  She was not a heroine, who would have helped a male hero on his journey, but takes her own hero's journey instead.

First Dorothy saves her dog Toto from the evil Miss Gulch by running away.  Dorothy had opined to find a place to be happier “Over the Rainbow” anyway, but when she is convinced that her Aunt Em is ill she hurries to return to the farm.  She is fearful in the tornado but does what she needs to do to shield herself and Toto.

Her trip in the tornado results in her accidental killing of an evil witch.  She is rewarded for this, but has made an enemy and must go on a quest to find her way home.  Along the way she gathers companions, all of which lack something that Dorothy has, and she reassures them and becomes their guide.  The Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion listen to Dorothy’s suggestions and follow her lead to find their own reward as well. 

Once they reach the Emerald City Dorothy faces fear of the Wizard and is given a test to return the witch’s broomstick.  She takes the challenge but is captured.  Saved by her friends, once again she uses her courage to accidentally defeat the witch, mostly to save her friends rather than to complete the test.

Once the test is completed she must stand up to the Wizard who turns out to be a fake, but her suggestions save the day once more.

The Wizard of Oz is America’s first and greatest fairy tale.  In the book a much younger Dorothy purposefully defeats the witches, but in the movie version she is made to be much more tentative and like a “damsel in distress”.  It is through her courage, and her heart, and her brain that she leads and succeeds.

Rituals

3.1

A ritual is a set of actions performed that follow a traditional or symbolic pattern.  These apply to things like religion, family, politics, even in everyday life.

I perform a number of rituals regularly in society.  First I go to work Monday through Friday, basically 9-5 (really more like 9-9).  Church is attended at certain times, like Sunday and Wednesday, and following traditional activities during the services (Catholic folks have certain words they say back during the service, and we kneel a lot).  We vote in prearranged elections, and follow the traditional observance of American holidays.

In my family we have some traditions, such as my daughter and I playing trivia  on Thursdays when she is away at school, and my family travels to visit relatives once a year.  My mom and I have recently started a tradition of watching the ten o’clock news together.  We always open one gift on Christmas Eve, and we have a certain ornament that has to be on the tree every year.  For birthdays, we give “experiences” rather than tangible gifts, like going to the zoo, or learning how to skydive.

There are a great many rituals that are prevalent in today’s society.  We sing the national anthem before games, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag at schools and government meetings.  There are a huge amount of ceremonial rituals performed by every religion.  Right now it is Ramadan in the Islamic faith, and observers cannot eat or drink during daylight hours.  Revelers dress up at Halloween, or for Mardi Gras, and observers of Christmas give gifts.  We swear in a witness at a trial, or have visitors sign in at offices.  We send our resume in search of a job, and greet our business cohorts with a handshake.  It goes all the way down to saying hello, and goodbye, in conversations or when meeting others.

A ritual I would like to develop with my family is to spend time together once per week, maybe just have dinner out, and each person tell a story—to share our past with the younger members so that our traditions and history is not lost.

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day...

3.2

The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think. 
Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink?

My very favorite band of all time is Pink Floyd. I am a fan because they create music that is outside the mainstream. I enjoy their experimentation into combinations of rock, blues, jazz and electronica music formats, as well as their story-telling lyrics. I even named my daughter Emily after an early song, "See Emily Play". I find their earlier albums to be exciting, if a bit weird, and their later lyrics to be very intelligent and sometimes sarcastic views of life. My favorite set would be Wish You Were Here, which mocks the music industry, relationships and even the band itself. I like the dystopian story of The Wall, but do not identify with the main character like some fans do. My favorite song, "Time”, reminds me that we only have so much time and to make the most of it.

Especially in the late 1960s, this band was associated with the drug counterculture.  The stereotype was that you could check out on drugs and this “psychedelic” music would aid your trip.  Perhaps that was an early goal of the band, whose members were known to partake themselves, and one of the founding members, Syd Barrett, ended up in a mental institution due to illness exacerbated by drug use.

Syd Barrett

Many fans dislike the “stoner” label, and tend to fall closer to intellectual, academia, or hipster circles, finding philosophy in the lyrics more than escape in the musical style. Certainly there were those fans that preferred to trip out to kaleidoscope-style plasma screens with ‘Floyd’s distinct sound, but I didn’t actually know any of those folks.

Following Syd Barrett’s exit, the band’s stereotype changed somewhat in the 1970s as they achieved great success both in sales and in critical acclaim for their tightly engineered concept albums.  1973’s Dark Side of the Moon remained in the Billboard charts for 741 weeks, longer than any other in history, and is one of the best-selling albums worldwide.  Roger Waters is completing a mega-tour of the late 1970s The Wall this month, having given it new meaning with the current worldwide economic climate and events in the Middle East. This all from a band that got relatively little radio airplay and was seen as simply psychedelic pop music.

Having moved in to the “serious artist” category, and also due to disputes and egos of the songwriters, they were sometimes seen as prima donna art rock.  Roger Waters and David Gilmour were regarded as “difficult artist types”.  Also, since they were British, there were a number of stereotypes assigned by the American audience.

Britons are seen as less attractive, generally pale, lanky and gaunt with bad teeth, and arrogant though quiet and reserved. The band itself plays on many of the perceived British traits in their music, as seen in a line from my favorite song “Time”, “Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way…”.  British rock stars are seen as sexually gregarious, drunkard or drug users, and less refined than their countrymen.

Though their infighting and egos destroyed the unity of the band, the result has been the extraordinary continuation of the band’s legacy through Roger Water’s and David Gilmour’s solo efforts and a number of Pink Floyd albums without Waters.  If you checked my car’s CD player right now you would find Gilmour’s recent On an Island, which is every bit as haunting and beautiful as 1971’s Meddle. Last year, I took my daughter to see a phenomenal show when Roger performed The Wall live in Cleveland. While the recent death of keyboardist Richard Wright ended fans’ dreams of seeing the band reunite, the music still continues.