An Analysis of Neologism - Research Paper Example

Here Here Here March 23, An Analysis of Neologism A long-standing practice in popular culture, the concept of neologism is defined as creating terms to explain or classify particular situations, trends, objects or events. While terms of neologism include black hole, jumping the shark, murse and dot.com are common examples of this literary concept, the purpose of this analysis is to provide an in-depth view into one term of neologism and complete research on the introduction and usage of the term. For this analysis, the featured term is “wardrobe malfunction.” Before breaking down the amount of usage and popularity of this term, it is important to first start by discussing the background of this concept as well as how it entered popular culture. On February 1, 2004, the American television station CBS aired the event which culminates every season of the National Football League (NFL), the Super Bowl. Broadcast to 90 million people, the Super Bowl has a nationwide audience of viewers of all ages and backgrounds. During this game, the halftime show entertainment featured a duet between pop music entertainers Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson. At the end of their song, Timberlake completed a choreographed move where he tore at Jackson’s clothing. This motion caused an unexpected and actual tear of her costume thus causing a few seconds where her breast was exposed to the audience. Nearly instantly, public outrage ensued over the broadcast nudity, which resulted in Jackson now famously blaming the incident on a wardrobe malfunction. As Joe Flint of the LA Times wrote, this example of neologism represents “a phrase that became part of the lexicon” almost instantly (LA Times, 2011). Upon Jackson’s description of this incident of a wardrobe malfunction, this phrase has infused into all aspects of common usage as it now describes any clothing slip-up. The latest example of a wardrobe malfunction in action was seen at the 2011 Oscars where actress and singer Jennifer Lopez accidentally exposed her breast while wearing a dress with a very low cut, revealing neckline. With the background and origin of the neologism term “wardrobe malfunction” established, this paper can now progress to discuss how the research on this topic was completed. Key Words Upon choosing the term “wardrobe malfunction” for this assignment, it was necessary to develop a list of key words for the purpose of research. Given the recent origin of this term, the key words used for this search include specific incidents as well as government regulations on the topic itself. The key words searched included: - wardrobe malfunction - federal communications commission (FCC) - CBS - indecency - broadcast regulations - Super Bowl 2004 - Janet Jackson interview - Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson duet - 2004 Super Bowl halftime show - FCC regulations With the understanding that the term “wardrobe malfunction” was created as a result of a pop culture event, it seemed most pertinent to conduct research within the scope of pop culture publications in an effort to document the reactions to this event as they happened, in a sense. In order to ensure that the research found is from sources that are considered to be ethical and have a high sense of integrity, I searched for news sources that had covered stories which featured my key words in the topics. I chose well-known and established newspapers, government policies and court coverage. The bibliography at the end of the assignment lists the six sources used for this assignment in addition to how they are featured in the text. Directions for Future Research Along with the bibliography of references and background information on the neologism term of “wardrobe malfunction,” the choice of sources allows for the continued monitoring of how this concept is used in popular culture. The importance of following the use of this term is to determine what the lasting effects of this example of neologism will have on society. It is also worth nothing that future instances of possible wardrobe malfunctions can be compared for their impact on society as well as the public’s reaction to these events. Summary Upon review of these sources, there are several key factors to note about the origin and progression of the neologism term “wardrobe malfunction.” First, the FCC Regulation of Broadcast Indecency describes what is expected for television content in regard to what is considered satisfactory for viewers (Bernstein 1991). By setting standards for morality with given examples of obscene terms, images or gestures, the FCC is working to create a television viewing community where audiences can feel secure that the content they will be watching and potentially exposing their children to is appropriate and safe for their families. While the FCC has worked to establish these rigid guidelines for broadcasting standards, the other references for this assignment demonstrate that there are shades of gray within these regulations. Beginning with Flint’s coverage of CBS winning their appeal of the original ruling, these news stories demonstrated how the court system has the ultimate right to interpret regulations as they see fit. In the case of Janet Jackson’s unintentional wardrobe malfunction, the few seconds her breast was exposed did not provide a clear and defined picture of her and was covered up quickly. As the court ruled, the malfunction aspect of this incident along with a prophetic apology from CBS was enough of a reparation for the public (Flint 2011). The potential danger in this type of ruling as Glinow discusses is the notion that these wardrobe malfunctions are occurring at an alarming rate to where some celebrities are being accused of doing this as a publicity stunt (2011). With this understanding, it is clear that there needs to be a balanced punishment or reprimand for wardrobe malfunctions. Through continued monitoring of this neologism term, society can determine what is the best reaction for wardrobe malfunctions. It is evident that through the chosen sources of news coverage surrounding usage of the term wardrobe malfunctions that these sources demonstrate the impact of this term. Works Cited Bernstein, J. (1991), FCC Regulation of Broadcast Indecency, Web, 24 March 2012, http://funcrunch.org/enyadatta/fcc/. Bickel, B. (2011), Appeals Court Rules (Yet Again) on Janet Jackson’s Wardrobe Malfunction, Crime and Justice America, Web, 24 March 2012, http://crimejusticeandamerica.com/appeals-court-rules-again-on-janet-jacksons-wardrobe-malfunction. FCC Regulation of Broadcast Obscenity, Indecency, and Profanity, (2006), FCC, Web, 24 March 2012, http://www.ucop.edu/irc/services/documents/indecencymemo.pdf. Flint, J. (2011), CBS Wins Again Over FCC in Janet Jackson Case, LA Times, Web, 24 March 2012, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/11/cbs-wins-again-over-fcc-in-janet-jackson-case.html. Glinow, K. (2011), Celebrity Wardrobe Malfunctions As Publicity Stunts: Why It’s Really Not OK, Huffington Post, Web, 24 March 2012, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/08/celebrity-wardrobe-malfunctions-publicity-stunts_n_1327643.html Gratereaux, A. (2011), Jennifer Lopez Oscars Wardrobe Malfunction, Latino Fox News, Web, 24 March 2012, http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2012/02/27/oscars-jennifer-lopez-oscars-wardrobe-malfunction/ Read More