Analysis 1-4-4 Heroes

Analysis of Reality Television:

The Hero

            We all watch movies or read books where you can clearly define the hero of the story. He or she is usually the main character of the story and goes above and beyond to show selfless and usually dangerous acts to protect the people. There may also be conflicting ideas of who the hero is. For example, would you consider Superman or Clark Kent to be the hero? At times, it is not so obvious who the hero is. This is the case when referring to reality programs.

            Initially, you would not think that there would be a hero on a reality program. However, if you consider the characteristics of a hero, then you will find that there almost always is a hero of the sorts. For instance, America’s Next Top Model is a reality modeling competition. This season has former “competitors” who were given a second chance. These models were selected by votes that were cast by the viewers. One of the models, Allison, does display hero characteristics. You will not tune in to see her leap tall buildings to save Tyra Banks; however, you will see her genuinely caring for the other models on the show. Whenever someone is upset, she is there to listen, encourage and support them.

            Other reality programs such as Survivor, usually emits someone who leads their team to victory. In this case, the leader would be considered a hero. Some non-competition shows can have several heroes that correspond to different situations.

            I think no matter what form of entertainment we are engaged in, we always look for the hero. In reality programming, there is always one personality that tends to rub us the wrong way. In this case, we anticipate that someone will step up and be the hero and dismiss the enemy. We applaud antics, whether good or bad, that rids us of having to suffer through the irritations of that personality we don’t particularly like. In the end, we all expect a hero in any scenario.

https://www.google.com/search?q=antm+allison+harvard&hl=en&prmd=imvnso&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=1YrWTpavLqKQsAKMvLWgDw&sqi=2&ved=0CCgQsAQ&biw=1440&bih=672

Analysis 1-4-3 Rituals and Stereotypes of Reality TV

              In this analysis, we will look at the rituals and stereotypes of reality TV. You might think that since reality TV is not supposed to be scripted, how can there be rituals? We will discuss some of the rituals that are performed among all reality shows and a few examples that you may or may not have thought of. We will also discuss stereotypes that have been correlated to reality shows.

            Merriam-Webster defines a ritual as an act that is done in a particular situation in the same way each time (http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/ritual%5b2]). As we have learned, rituals can be performed by one person or a group of people and can be done on a daily, weekly, monthly or yearly basis. How does this definition apply to reality shows? Jersey Shore cast members began a Sunday dinner ritual on the very first aired show and continues to current viewings. Another example of a ritual performed on the show is also performed by one person. It is no secret that the cast frequents nightclubs a few times a week. At a certain time on those nights, Pauly D yells out, “It’s T-shirt time!” and then when the cabs arrive, he yells out again, “Cabs here!” Although these may not seem like obvious rituals, they clearly make up the definition of the word.

            Stereotyping has also become an outside factor for the show. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the actions and impressions that the cast envelope. The biggest controversial stereotype is the cast and MTV using the words, “guido and guidette”. Several organizations have filed complaints against MTV for using these slang words stating that they are offensive. According to Wikipedia, Senator Joseph F. Vitale has stated that the show is in violation of the hate crimes in New Jersey and interferes with the pursuit of freedom and opportunity (http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:GB4hqDwmZTEJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controversies_of_Jersey_Shore+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us). While I can understand the feelings of some on this particular reality show, on the same hand, I would like to hear their opinions on popular movies, such as The Godfather or the HBO series, The Sopranos. What is your opinion?

Analyis 1

Analysis of Reality Television

            Currently there are over 500 reality television shows that have aired over the last 10 years. Reality TV began trending shortly after the movie, The Truman Show, was shown on the big screen. According to Steven Reiss and James Wiltz, the reason people watch reality television shows is because the people on the shows are their peers and it is easy for the audience to relate to and also gives them a feeling that can be on a reality show. This analysis will entail theories of popular culture that apply to reality TV.

            Reality TV seems to host the American Myth of Success. As noted above, people relate to reality shows because they can see themselves being part of them. Most of the people casted on reality shows have no acting experience and some profit from various ventures after the shows air. A lot of the “big personality” reality stars create a rather large group of followers. For example, Snooki, a New Jersey Shore reality star has wrote a book, appears on many talk shows and is being tweeted about constantly. It seems that everywhere I went this year, I overheard women who wanted to dress as Snooki for Halloween.

            Some reality shows like American Idol and America’s Next Top Model, offer the winners of the show a career in singing and modeling. Some do not offer cash prizes or careers but there are perks to being casted on the show. For example, Bad Girls Club and Jersey Shore do not offer prizes but do provide a nice place for the cast to stay, trips to different vacation spots and set up places for the cast to work.           

            There are many different points of view concerning reality TV. Some people view it as nonsense while others prefer to watch reality. Reality TV can be quite entertaining as it is real-life. For the most part, the shows are not scripted and the events that take place are not rehearsed. I, myself, enjoy watching reality shows of all kinds because they grasp your attention and are relatable. Many of the events are things that have either happened to me or I have witnessed happening.

           

           

Contemporary Icons of Pop Culture

I chose Hello Kitty, Cabbage Patch Kids and Legos to represent the three contemporary icons of pop culture. These icons represent different eras and continue to play a  major role in pop culture.  I chose these icons because out of all my toys, Hello Kitty and Cabbage Patch are the two I distinctly remember being fascinated by. I chose Legos because my 9 year old son has a mad Lego collection and we are constantly searching for the older ones from back in the day.

Hello Kitty, whose real name is Kitty White, was born in Japan in 1974. Two years later she was introduced to the United States where she was greeted with open arms. Hello Kitty has made her mark globally and has been widely accepted even today. Kitty's face has been attached to everything from coin purses to cars. Although her target audience was to young girls, Kitty has been embraced by women of all ages. In addition to movies and television programs, Hello Kitty's success has brought about two amusement parks called Harmonyland and Sanrio Puroland.

Cabbage Patch Kids, originally called Little People Originals, was crafted in 1976 by an art student named, Xavier Roberts. Xavier handmade the dolls and sold them at craft shows charging a $40 adoption fee. From there, the dolls became a worldwide phenomenon. In 1983, Cabbage Patch dolls had set the record as the most successful doll in the history of toys. Xavier has not only brought the joy of adopting these dolls but has also contributed to various charities with the proceeds. Celebrity dolls were made and sold on eBay to raise money for different charities. Like Hello Kitty, Cabbage Patch Kids are featured in movies, caroons, backpacks and toys.

In 1947 the Lego Company, who previously made wooden toys, started producing plastic interlocking bricks that were inspired by a toy called Automatic Binding Bricks. At first, creator Ole Christiansen's attempt to market these toys failed. Several years later, after changing the design and material, the modern Lego blocks were patented and began to catch on as a creative toy. Today, Lego has liscensed not only toys, but also video games, movies, theme sets including Star Wars, Halo, Harry Potter. Today, you can see Legos on clothing, school supplies and board games. The infamous Legoland is a dream come true for all kids.

Pop Culture

        Popular Culture has been defined as any activity, item or person aimed at the tastes of general masses of people. Toys, music, athletes, actors, musicians, songs, hairstyles and cars are all examples of pop culture artifcats. Other examples can be events that have occured that have a lasting impression on people.
        Pop Culture can also be defined as attitudes, expressions and feelings among the majority of people. These types of artifacts can be seen in anti-war groups, protests and even in mottos or logos of companies. I believe that pop culture is anything, seen or unseen, that creates a trend, whether it be for a small period of time or for a lifetime.
         Pop Culture is important to the business enviroment in many different ways. Any business is about selling your service or your product. If a businessperson is in the "know", they are able to become appealing to several different clientele. You become relatable which in turn, makes clients feel more comfortable in your business. I am pursuing a career in Psychology. Therefore, it would be important for me to know what is trendy because understanding what the norm is for people of all ages, sex and race at any given time could provide a better understanding of situations occuring with the patients.
        As noted above, artifacts can be events that have occured. I believe that the 9/11 events are artifacts of pop culture that not only influenced the world but also affected every person of every nation. Everyone knows exactly what they were doing and where they were on the morning of the 9/11 attacks. This historic event, although tragic, triggered popular emotion, feelings, attitudes, ideals and passions of people all around the world. This event led to an unspeakable coming together of the nation. The 9/11 attacks led to documentaries still today being broadcast. Songs, poems and movies were inspired by the events. The movie, "Remember Me", was one of the movies inspired by 9/11 and it was not revealed until the end of the last scene that it was the final days of a young man's life before the attack. Songs of patriotism, books, documentaries of heroic nature have all been spawned from the event and can be identified as a pop culture artifcat. Bumper stickers, cartoons, comic books all are products of 9/11 and are considered artifacts. Recently the nation observed the 10th year anniversary of that tragic day and the majority of people interviewed said that it still felt as if it had happened yesterday. I believe that the artifacts from this event will be forever a large part of our lives.