Popular Culture F1FF: Assignment 6-1

* How much do you understand about American popular culture now, compared to before you took this class?

My first day of class, I did not know what to except about the study of popular culture. I did not realize that popular culture was very fun and interesting to study. During the 6 weeks of this course, I read a variety of readings covering many topics. Now, I have another idea about this topic. I understand it better; I can talk freely about differences between various concepts such as heroes, myths and celebrities. I am also able to talk easily about stereotypes and cultures.

* Do you have any stereotypes toward people who are of different races?

Before saying anything about this question, I will first define the world stereotype. A stereotype is a popular belief about specific, social groups, or any types of individuals. Stereotypes can be considered as generalizations, or assumptions, that people have and make about the characteristics of all members of a group, based on an image (often wrong) about what people in that group are like. Stereotypes exist everywhere. I was a victim of it, and I did stereotype other persons. But, since I became mature and aware of these bad assumptions, I choose another approach when dealing with people of different races or culture.

I am, myself, in a situation where I deal with this concept every day. I am an international student living in United States of America. I will not appreciate it if someone came and stereotyped me because he/she has a specific belief about people of my race for example. Each individual is unique.

* What role will stereotypes play in your chosen major, current career, or future career?

My major is Computer Sciences. When asking my friend Fabrice, what he thinks of Computer Sciences people, he said that: "it's a weird bunch of people addicted to sit in front of their high tech computer or games, playing World of Warcraft, or Call of Duty black ops and drinking Dr Peppers." This shows how bad the role of stereotype affects my major. In my case, I do not like to stay in front of the screen because it's not good for my eyes, and I do not like so much video game. But still, I like my major and I am going to graduate in it. What people need to know is that, generalization is not often the good thing to do. Because one person has a reaction toward a situation does not necessarily mean that two or three other people will react the same to this situation.

* What personal values have you identified while learning about American popular culture? How will you maintain those values?

A value represents something that is meaningful. For example, Tide detergent company's belief in the values of solving problems of society. The company has returned to New Orleans four times to help families, still attempting to recover from the affects of Hurricane Katrina, to wash their clothes for free. In 2008 the company returned for the fifth time to aid relief efforts after Hurricane Gustav.

Leaning about popular culture help me identify many values, such as Collaboration, Discipline, Friendship, Fun, Integrity ... etc. There is no specific way to maintain a value. I believe it is something everyone needs to figure out. All I know is that without values or beliefs, we (Human) would be empty of sense, reasons and goal. We need to believe in what we think is the best for us. We need to be open minded.

* How will you implement those values into your life, career, and business?

In my life, those values have been already implemented because of my religious beliefs. As a Christian Catholic, I believe in GOD and all his recommendations: The 10 commandments of GOD.

Each commandment is about one value that any men or women, regardless of his faith, should respect and use every day in his life. The first commandment is about Loyalty. The second commandment is about Worship. The third commandment is about Reverence. The fourth commandment is about Sanctification and Relationship. The fifth commandment is about Respect for parental authority. The sixth commandment is about Respect for Human life. The seventh commandment is about Purity in relationships. The eighth commandment is about Honesty. The ninth commandment is about Truthfulness. The tenth commandment is about Contentment.

Popular Culture F1FF: Assignment 5-3

Decide what artifact you would like to create.

The artifact that I decided to create, as you can see it, is a paper plane. This one seems very difficult to create, but with a little bit of practice, it becomes very simple to do. When I was young, my friends and I used to create that kind of paper plane to play. The one that I have in my hand will not fly if you throw it into the air; instead, it flew in our imagination when we were young boys, fascinated with planes and travels.

What icons would you like to incorporate in your chose artifact?

When I look at my paper plane, I think automatically to the only one super plane that everyone knows on the planet earth: Air Force 1. Air Force 1 is not only a plane. It is the official air traffic control calling of any United States Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. This plane, as the White House, which is the place where the US president lives, is considered as a sacred artifact for all Americans. This plane is capable of refueling midair, and it can carry the President wherever he needs to travel. Air Force 1 is really a well-known symbol of the American presidency and its power.

What functions will your icons serve?

Air Force One is one of the most recognizable symbols of the United States of America, recognizable not just in the American culture but all across the world. The plane is decorated with the word "United States of America," the American flag, and the Seal of the President of the United States. All these symbols are synonym of power and success.

What myths should be considered in your chosen artifact?

The myth that I may consider in my artifact is probably the American dream.

Why did you choose those myths?

I believe that success is what the American Dream is all about, and Air Force 1 is one of the most important symbols of success of the United States Nation. It was in 1943, for the first time that the idea came that a special plane is required for the President of America to travel. The main purpose was to increase the security and safety of President of America.

What beliefs would you like to convey in your artifact?

The most important belief that I would like to convey is that America is the land of the free, the land of success, and the land where everything you want can be possible. Artifact such as the statue of Liberty, Air Force one, the White House, the declaration of Independence… etc have helped make this country better, wiser and more prosperous with the diversity of melting pot

What is the role of stereotype and rituals in your artifact?

Rituals and stereotypes play a great role in the security and the image of Air Force my artifact. Since it symbolizes the greatness of the USA, this plane needs to reflect it in all the senses.

What hero will you create in your artifact? What values will the hero evoke?

In my artifact, the hero who first came in my mind is Captain America, the first avenger. This fictional superhero first appears in 1941, during the Second World War. Captain America, In the comic books, was the alter ego of Steve Rogers, a sickly and thin young man who was enhanced to the peak of human perfection by an experimental serum in order to aid the United States war effort. He was brave, courageous, and patriotic toward his country. Those are the values that I can evoke when thinking about this superhero. Americans are proud of him, because he is the reflection of the power of the United States of America, so is Air Force 1.

Will you use celebrity in your artifact? If so, why will you choose that particular celebrity?

The particular celebrity I will choose in my artifact is President Barrack Obama, current president of the United States of America. The celebrity of the plane is link to the one of the President, simply because the plane was originally made for him. For example, Air force one got the status of most desired, most photographed plane in the world. It is a celebrity.

What formula(s) you would like to use or create for your artifact?

Every time Air Force 1 lands to a foreign country, it is like the entire United States move to this country. Before it lands, a great number of procedures and security check are executed first on the plane and secondly on the country of destination. After that, the plane takes the sky. It can be refueled in mid-air if the destination is very far away. This plane is able to stay in the air without landing for a long time with a full tank. When it arrive at destination, the crew immediately prepare for the next departure and security procedures, just to ensure a total security and zero failure for their mission.

What values will your artifact demonstrate?

It is the most famous, the most photographed plane on the world. It is more than a plane. It is the symbol of the success of the United States of America. It shows pride and dedications for all American, and especially for the people who work hard to make it fly, and be the most reliable possible for the President.

Popular Culture F1FF: Assignment 5-2

* What formula can you identify?

The first movie I choose is “Dawn of the Dead” (also known as Zombie internationally). It is a 1978 zombie film in which George Andrew Romero, "Grandfather of the Zombie.” shows the effects, in larger scale, of a zombie epidemic apocalyptic on society. In the film, a pandemic of mysterious source has caused the reanimation of the dead, who prey on human flesh, which then causes panic in the society. In this movie, the formula that I was able to identify is the Romero formula (extract from George Andrew Romero, "Grandfather of the Zombie."). This formula shows how the types of zombies are not the typical dead people crawling out of their graves, but they are essentially living dead.

The second movie I choose is “28 Days Later.” It is a 2002 British zombie horror film.

The plot depicts the breakdown of society after an accidental release of a highly contagious "rage" virus. In this movie, I identify the Virus formula. In this formula, the types of zombies are people that have been infected by some type of wide spread virus causing symptoms such as aggression, extreme mutation, and loss of all rational thought.

* What are the commonalities in each column of the grid?

In all culture, the zombie represents several different fears. I believe that Human have the same fear the possibility of zombies. Zombies are nothing more than moving corpses who prey on human flesh and who are extremely aggressive. According to George Andrew Romero, Zombies are a rough combination of, werewolf and vampire. They exist in our world between life and death, they consume our flesh like werewolves, and they transmute their disease by biting like vampires. Another similarity about zombies is that do not prey on each other, they only prey on humans. They finally will not respond to any emotions in any circumstance you can imagine.

* How do formulas change over the years?

In the 1970s, the concept that our own friends and family may return starving for our flesh was very disturbing. It was a paranoiac way to criticize the politics by talking about capitalism and communism.

In the 1980s when AIDS became a shocking reality, all zombie concepts changed into an infectious disease. In “28 Days Later” (2002) for example, the “rage” infection spreads in seconds and causes infected persons to attack anyone in sight, spreading the disease through blood and saliva. The concept that our own family and friends may return starving for our flesh is disturbing indeed.

* Is the formula of yesterday still applicable in today's society?

I do not think that the formula of the past can be applicable in an actual society. Reasons are numerous; but what we should think of is that yesterdays society is different from today’s one. The way of thinking was different, and the ideology was different. Therefore, there is no way that a concept or any formula of the past can be applicable for an actual problem. Each different time has its different problems.

* If you could be the director of the movie, video games, television commercial, song writer, or author of a novel, what changes would you make to the existing formula?

In my principle case, Zombie movies, I will try, if I could make a movie, to find a cure and to give humanity a second chance. In our current era, I believe that we are capable of greatness; we need to be more open-minded, more compassionate, and willing to share everything that we have. Humanity knows that life is precious. We should be more careful and help our friends and family and any people we could.

Popular Culture F1FF: Assignment 5-1

France 24 is an international news and current affairs television channel. It started broadcasting on 6 December 2006. It is similar to BBC World News and CNN. It broadcasts through satellite and cable operators throughout the world. During 2010 the channel started broadcasting through its own IPhone application.

The channel broadcasts principally world news. Currently, the news is given in English and Arabic in addition to French. This channel currently represents a real popular culture topic for people all around the globe, and especially for the little community of Ivorian (from Ivory Coast or Cote d'Ivoire) living in the USA. Why Am I saying that? The reason is because France 24 is one of the popular ways to have information about the current political turmoil going on in Ivory Coast at the moment.

France 24 gives us accurate and updated information on the crisis, videos and breaking news directly through their application on IPod. The Ivorian first TV channel, RTI, by deciding to become favorible to only one presidential candidate, makes it very difficult for people to have accurate and true information about the country. France 24, and other international TV channels and radio, which were received in Ivory Coast, have then been ordered to stop broadcasting any news about the country.

This is how the desire and the necessity to have news about families, friends and about our country make the channel France 24 very popular among people outside Ivory Coast, and even inside, due to the fact that they can access information through the Internet

Popular Culture F1FF: Assignment 1-2

1. Who is the intended audience for this article?

The type of reader for whom the resource is written is not the general audience. I believe that this article has been written for a particular audience, experts in economics, and who have some knowledge in philosophy and art (especially horror movies). The authors used some specialized vocabulary. In addition, the way the resource has been written is too specialized, and therefore, not appropriate for the general reader.

2. How would you summarize the article?

The author discusses the motion picture "Dawn of the Dead," directed by George A. Romero. He surveys scholarship concerning the film. He argues that the zombies in the film reveal the persistent consumerism of humanity. He mentions that the movie's social model shows that surviving humans lose their identity and are reduced to a level where any labor they expend is in the service of survival. The author concludes that Romero's depiction of the destruction of social systems suggests that commodities and material possessions provide no contentment which can be achieved only through purpose and community.

3. Style

The article is logically organized and the main ideas are clearly presented in my article. The author, before presenting his own analysis of the movie Dawn of the Dead, first talks about the conception of Zombie and the world in which the movie has been elaborated director by George A. Romero. Next, He introduces his own analyze and interpretation of the movie and finally, he gives his contribution, his criticism and suggestion on relation between Zombies and Humans.

Unfortunately, the text was not easy to read. The first reason is because the article is too long. It is about 17 pages. In addition, some words were difficult to understand. The audience must have a background in economics, philosophy and must of all like movies especially gore and horror movies, because the author refers to many other Zombie movie made before the one we currently study right now.

4. What is the key idea that you take away from this article?

From this article, I retain that the principal purpose of the movie Dawn of the Dead was not only to be seen on Movie Theater, but to show the relation of large corporations with American consumerists. The idea was simple: Zombies needs to consume human flesh, and humans act like zombies when shopping and consuming. The society in the 1970s turns mankind into brainwashed avid consumers.

 

References

WILLIAM BISHOP, K. (2010). The Idle Proletariat: Dawn of the Dead, Consumer Ideology, and the Loss of Productive Labor. Journal of Popular Culture, 43(2), 234-248. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2010.00739.x