An Analog Memento in a Digital World

By Matthew Gremo & Brittany McKinney

In today’s society we are seeing more and more throwbacks to “the ways of old”. People seem to constantly be going out of their way to do things in which most would consider inefficient and outdated. Whether that’s purchasing an old muscle car from the 60s that may just get 10 miles per gallon or the very topic of this analysis, the newly rekindled love for the old way of listening to music.

With the resurgence of vinyl records, as with a market to anything older than a decade, comes the social stereotype of the “hipster”. The common perception of this breed of individual is that of a pompous elitist standing outside a Starbucks with a five dollar specialty brew while they flick the butt of their clove cigarette in to the gutter. While they may claim to understand the inner workings of this world, their actions in saving it become incredibly selective. However, their most defining trait is a usually false passion for the old ways of doing things that they won’t hesitate to tell you are so much better than the modern world’s way of doing the same things. In fact, the Oxford- English Dictionary states the first usage of the word all the way back in the 40s as “a know it all”. The attachment of records to the hipster persona brands them with the unfair stigma of being just as fleeting as any passing fad. But what gain would an individual receive to the image of how others perceive them by collecting something that is nearly impossible to keep on his or her person? Or more importantly, what is it that drives someone to cling to the old ways of doing things in the first place?

Jack White, front man and one half of The White Stripes, believes that we aren’t so much clinging to records as we are simply trying to preserve them. Back in 2001, while seeking a location where he could store his equipment and practice, he stumbled upon a building that today has transformed in to Third Man Records. Standing not only as a record store and venue, White has actually created an environment where live performances can be pressed to vinyl as they are performed on stage. It is his belief that music should be heard as it is recorded and by eliminating all aspects of editing and tweaking that exist today, that can be achieved as it once was on vinyl records. This belief, sadly not held by many musicians of our generation, represents an era in which the responsibility of technology was well understood and not abused as it is in modern times.

While your stance on the kind of person who purchases records and your opinions on why they are still being pressed are likely to vary greatly from the person sitting next to you, there is something to say about the fact that they simply still exist. It isn’t as easy as claiming it’s more cost effective to purchase the digital download of an album as opposed to the record, the same way it isn’t so simple explaining why you may write your grandmother a letter instead of an e-mail or why you sit down to play a board game with your family instead of loading the same game with an app on your phone. In a world that is hungry for more and more technology we are losing what it once felt like to actually possess an item. When every book, movie, and song you own is floating in a “cloud” somewhere waiting to make sure you have permission to view it, sometimes it’s just nice to touch a needle to vinyl.

Dove: Camera Shy

By Paige Bequette & Jasmine Acosta

Our show and tell consists of one inspiring Dove ad about natural beauty. We picked this ad because we know how it is to “hide without makeup”. The makeup industry today is all about making girls feel bad about themselves or feel like they need to look a certain way to be beautiful. This is an increasingly scary problem because the models in ads are all photoshopped to be more skinny and angular. Girls starve themselves to look like fake, posterized humans. What’s sad is that young girls today can not see past all the ads and fake models and continue to think that there is something wrong with themselves. Dove see’s these alarming issues and is now targeting a different kind of audience: The average female.

The Dove Camera Shy ad uses multiple women that all are scared of the camera because they do not have makeup on. Does a woman really need makeup to be beautiful though? Why can she not just be beautiful because that is the way she was born? Dove commercials have gone past the point of just wanting to sell their products, but has designed a new goal to change the way women in the US see themselves. Not to say that Dove has entirely selfless motives however, but their goal is a truly amiable act. That women even need to be told they’re beautiful without makeup though, is a depressing sentiment.

By creating lines of ads that address this issue, Dove has become ever the more popular. Women are drawn to the idea of owning a product that enhances their natural beauty. The reverse play on aesthetics is remarkably effective as well. When a woman has her soaps and body washes on display in her bathroom, she wants her guests to notice what she uses. Dove, in this sense, has become a status symbol of natural beauty. These women want others to think they do not need fancy, expensive products to make them attractive. All they need is Dove.

This ad greatly relates to our course discussions about ads playing on the insecurities of their audience to make them “need” the product to be happy or to make others happy. Dove commercials are feel good commercials but, they still make their audiences think about how they are seen. Dove advertises body wash and deodorant to a specific crowd feeling bad about a certain part of themselves. Whether that be body odor or even just having bad skin, Dove advertises that their products will give natural beauty to their consumers. However, Dove does so in a more sneaky way. Dove addresses that a beautiful woman does not need the expensive soaps to have beautiful skin. Why not have a cheap, wonderful smelling body wash that enhances the natural attractiveness of their skin? Dove makes their customers feel bad about not having natural beauty and makes their commercials seem like they are protecting the average woman. While the ads are ‘feel good” commercials, they still effectively find their target audience.

Dove does do many good things for women though. Dove’s ads are very user friendly and “feel good” in nature. Also very light hearted and motivational. In a sense, Dove commercials are opposite of Axe and Old Spice because they do not try to sell by making their audiences feel like they need their products to be attractive or accepted in society. In fact, Dove ads make women feel good about themselves where as Axe is all about sex and making young adolescents think differently about women. Dove ads are actually very motivational and help women see that life is not about wearing the latest clothes or looking very skinny; Dove ads are about finding your inner beauty and loving yourself. Every woman today should have a chance to feel beautiful and attractive. Every woman should have a chance to be happy about who they are.

Same Love

By Jenna Eaker & Sarah Rapp

Over the past 20 years, society has viewed same sex love as wrong, not appropriate to what we think should be what love looks like. Society thinks that the right way of loving someone is with a man and a woman. The older generation doesn’t believe that a man should marry a man or woman with a woman. Even with bi-racial relationships also, people view those relationships as wrong. They think that you should only date the same color as you. In the song same love, you hear about that it is okay to be in love with someone of the same sex or even of a different race.

We chose “Same Love” because in the song you hear how Macklemore sings to us about how that it is okay to be in love with the person of the same sex. Its not like your genes are altered because you are in love with someone that is of the same sex, or different race. Macklemore states how people drop “faggot” and “gay” all the time, and people don’t realize how it truly hurts individuals that are gay. We chose this song because “Same Love” is proving that society is starting to become accepting of same sex marriage. Society still has some problems with same genders being together because they were brought up with different views. They think that because the bible says that it is wrong, they will not accept anything other then what they have been told. Same sex marriage has been around me for my entire life, so I see no difference in what the bible says. I follow the bible but because I was raised around the idea it never bothered me. Love is love and people need to look at it that way, if someone is happy being with a person of the same gender then they should be allowed to be with them.

“Same Love” ties in with this class because popular cultural today with the gay community is more accepting then a couple years back. American pop culture is stating to open up with supporting gays, and also some artists are coming out themselves. Frank Ocean for example just came out, a well know musician, who no one would of thought would be gay. His follows still loved him and his music; even though he was gay he did not lose peoples interest in his music. Same love ties in with our class because Macklemore tells a story that not every artist would tell through a song. He talked about how that hip-hop would bash gays because they do not love woman and that society wouldn’t agree also. When in reality society does more understand with states making gay marriage legal. Ellen DeGeneres is one of the biggest icons in the public eye that is gay and married. She has never got looked down upon because she was a lesbian. Pop culture acts people that take stands to fight for what they believe is right and believe that if it makes the person happy, then nothing else matters.

Macklemore took a stand and stood up for what he believed in. He was letting people know that it doesn’t matter if you love the same sex or love someone of a different race. Love is love, and no one can take that away from somebody because they do not agree with the people’s actions. The song “Same Love” became a huge hit because of the message it sends to everyone.

"Wrecking Ball"

By Emily Sanders & Olivia Bogolin

The artifact we chose to analyze was the music video “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus. In this video Miley Cyrus is depicted as a very vulnerable woman. Her vulnerability is shown through her actions and emotions. The actions she performs are things such crying, crouching over, leaning against a wall, and walking very slowly. Her vulnerability is really shown when she is stripped down to bare skin and is swinging on a wrecking ball. Throughout the entire video she carries around a sledge hammer and violently swings it against the walls. Not only does she convey sad emotions while swinging on a wrecking ball, but also enraged emotions when using the sledge hammer. The twist of emotions in the music video leave for a very powerful story.

The story and controversy behind this music video is why we chose to analyze it. Some may say that Miley Cyrus is just going crazy, meaning her drastic hair change and shift in clothing or lack thereof, while others believe that she is just trying to break free from the innocent reputation she built during her years as Hannah Montana. Little do they know, that a lot of her actions are a mere reflection of her trying to show the world that she is her own person. The story within the “Wrecking ball” video specifically hits on her relationship gone wrong with Liam Hemsworth. The couple met on the set of the 2010 movie “The Last Song”, and since then they have had an on and off again relationship. In 2012 Hemsworth and Cyrus announced that they were engaged. After their 15 month engagement, they ended their relationship. The video basically tells the story of how all she wanted to do was be with him for the rest of her life and then he “came in like a wrecking ball” and destroyed that. The younger generation of today’s society is very intrigued by the story of Miley and Liam’s relationship. Having began their relationship on the set of a romance movie and remaining in constant scrutiny, just like any other Hollywood couple, the two instantly became a fan favorite. The fans are able to feel connected to Miley’s heartbreak through the story she tells in “Wrecking Ball”. Overall we chose to analyze this music video because it not only shows great controversy but also allows us as fans of Miley to feel connected with her.

“Wrecking Ball” contributes to our class conversations because it clearly shows the change in popular culture. When you look back at music videos from the early 2000s, you see little to no scandalous clothing and bare skin. An example is in the music video “Genie in a Bottle” by Christina Aguilera. She may be wearing clothing that is portrayed as promiscuous, however she is not naked like Miley Cyrus is in “Wrecking Ball”. As the years have progressed popular culture has become more and more open to risky behavior and nudity. This is evident through Miley’s actions and lack of clothing in the “Wrecking Ball” music video. Although some of society still looks down upon the change and openness in popular culture, that will not stop artists like Miley Cyrus from being who they are whether they are naked or not. Popular culture is always evolving and we believe that Miley Cyrus’s recent actions have been prime examples to prove that it is never going to stop. Although some may be completely against the changes popular culture is undergoing, it is something that they will just eventually need to accept.

Johnny Football

By Brody Bence & Tucker Schwengel

Today when most people bring up college football one of the first names that comes to mind is, Johnny Manziel.  He’s by far the most polarizing college athlete in the nation today.  Most could argue that we’ve never seen anything like the 2012-2013 Heisman winner.  Manziel is the definition of somebody people love to hate.

Johnny lives the American dream by most people’s standards.  He has the looks, his family has money, and perhaps atop all he is the starting quarterback for Texas A&M University.  All these factors considered it’s no surprise that a lot of people are trying to knock him off his pedestal.  It doesn’t help that he has an arrogance that you rarely see.  He has a right to all of this confidence though.

Manziel was the first freshman ever to earn The Heisman trophy as the top college football player in the nation.  He broke the SEC record for total yards in a season.  He broke almost every individual record at Texas A&M also.  Never has college football seen somebody burst onto the scene and make so much noise in only their first season.  Nobody will tell you Johnny is perfect though.

Most analysts speculate that Manziel is too short and not a disciplined enough player to be a successful QB.  This is part of what makes him so polarizing as a football player though.  The fact that he does so many things on a football field he’s not supposed to do really draws their attention to him whether they like him or not.  He also isn’t afraid to let people know just how spectacular he is.

He never misses an opportunity to taunt the opposing team or just show off in general on and off the field.  Manziel is that typical douche bag starting quarter back bully that is portrayed in a lot of Hollywood movies.  He’s extremely cocky, has incredible athletic ability, and I’m sure he gets whatever girl he wants.  People see him as more of a character than a real person sometimes which forces people to gravitate towards him and see what he’ll do next.

He never fails to give these people something to talk about either.  He’s popped bottles in the club with famous celebrities like Rick Ross and Drake.  He’s sat courtside at The NBA finals.  He also has his occasional run ins with The NCAA as well, and in typical Johnny Football fashion he escapes the pressure.  So no matter what when it comes to Johnny Manziel on or off the field, one thing is certain he’s always going to put on a show.

Most people say that Johnny Manziel is an idiotic, unappreciative, ignorant, and immature kid.  Some people love this about him though.  In today’s society people often love an idiot.  Look at all of the Jackass movies and TV shows.  That is the most ignorant and moronic group of people in the world today.  People eat them up though, so are they really idiots?  You can’t deny that they are entertainers though.  Like Manziel they peak people’s interest regardless of their methods.

Whether you like him or not you can’t help but be interested by Manziel.  He’s one of those people who just have that “it” factor.  People’s opinion of him may be that he’s unintelligent or disrespectful but at least people have an opinion on him.  If he were just an ordinary player who stayed quiet and went out and played he wouldn’t have half the opportunities he has now.  He’s one of the most recognizable and identifiable personalities on the planet.  You may question his methods but I don’t feel like anybody can question his results.

Real

By Megan Peterson & Rachel Wasylenko 

We chose to do our presentation over the song “Real” by James Wesley. We chose this song because it talks about how our society is viewed in the beginning, but then he reminds us of what we actually go through. He brings us back to reality.

We feel as though our culture has changed with the technology. TV use to have only a few channels, now there are hundreds, like it says in the song. We are finding more and more time to just sit there and stare at screens, rather than going out and actually bonding with others, in person. We find ourselves watching meaningless channels like Reality TV. Last time we checked, “housewives don’t act like that.” Those TV shows are all about these high dollar women dealing with their “problems.” Housewives that are not on TV are doing the best they can with their kids and family. They are not high dollar women, and their problems are completely different from the ones on TV. You never see housewives on TV facing the fact that they are not going to be able to pay the electric bill. You never see them praying that they are going to have the money to buy groceries for the next week. The TV portrays the life we would all like to live, but many of us get lost in this fact and lose sight of what is real.

Another thing that is going on in our society is that jobs are moving. People are losing jobs because the companies are leaving the U.S. because it is cheaper. Like in the song it talks about losing jobs because they are moving to Mexico. This is real. There are people losing their job each day and are becoming more aware of the struggles in life. People do not think that the impossible can happen to them until it does. People in our society today walk around like nothing can stop them and that they are invincible. However, this should not be the case. Our culture is changing, and our younger generations are being brought up with the idea that their opinions are right and that bigger is always better. You also have to have the best of everything to be considered up to date with our culture and society. This song makes us ask ourselves, what are the real things in life? The song is saying that we should be looking for the quality of life and not for the quantity of it.

Another thing mentioned in the song is a “21 gun goodbye.” Everyday people are fighting for our freedom and our ways of life. However, this noble act almost always goes unrecognized. Our society has grown to learn to take things for granted. We do not give enough recognition to those who fight for us so we do not have to. We also never recognize our farmers. Without them, how would we get our fries to go with our Big Mac? There are very few people in our day and age that want to grow up to be farmers. The sad thing is, we need farmers. We need them to produce goods for us to survive. Our culture and society is so obsessed with new and change, that we fail to remember these kinds of people who make our lives possible.

We believe that the society as a whole gets so involved with each other about what is new and what is going on, that we lose sight of what is going on in our own lives. We tend to look too much at what other people have and what we want than what we need. We believe that how our new culture and society is growing distracts us from what is real.

What's Going On Here?

Hello and welcome to the ongoing class blog for the Fall 2013 course "Pop Culture America" at Millikin University. In this course, which fits into the larger first-year Critical Writing, Reading, and Research sequence, my students and I are exploring the semiotics of American popular culture. That is, we are examining the many aspects of our entertainment and consumer culture, and asking questions about what these might signify in terms of our larger cultural values and norms.

As part of the class, we are reading a lot of articles discussing the "deeper meanings" behind our popular culture. But we also realize that popular culture is not just the subject matter of academic literature -- rather, it is the stuff of our everyday lives. Thus, in order to enrich and expand our class discussions, I have assigned my students to look to the popular culture that surrounds them for artifacts that they feel reveal something significant about who we are as a society and what we believe. I have asked them to "curate" these artifacts of pop culture: alongside the item itself -- be it song, film, advertisement, social media, etc. -- they are to explain the larger ideas they see at work in the object, and to discuss the implications of the values and norms they feel are being reflected and reinforced, whether for better or worse.

I look forward to what is to come in the ensuing weeks and months. One of the great pleasures of teaching for me has always been how much I can also learn from my students, and I have high hopes that this project will offer me -- and all of us -- a deeper glimpse into how we relate to (and are shaped by) the ever-changing world of American popular culture.

Enjoy!