Weekly Analysis of Pop Media - Research Paper Example

Weekly Written Analysis Why Americans are obsessed with celebrities? Why are Americans so interested in what is happening with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, or Paris Hilton? There are two possible reasons. The first is that the media – television, radio stations, and the press are constantly broadcasting the celebrities’ movements and commenting on them – from their personal life, to what they eat and where they spend the vacation. The never-ending gossiping has indeed no boundaries. It seems to me that actually Americans demand this kind of news, they are looking for the stardom everywhere. So, the media responds adequately to the demand pouring all sorts of information that can satisfy the American appetite. The other reason is that looking into the life of celebrities people would like to see them not idealized, but as real human beings, as normal. And Americans are no exception. Star-worshiping is actually a worship of the simple fallible humans. Either celebrities, or not, they also have bad moments like everybody else. They appear ugly on photos, cry or feel pain, too. Apparently, through the celebrities’ mistakes people can identify their own and try to understand them better. Famous people are not less real or less human, just because they receive millions for their performances. On the contrary, they look like us, because we know from the media, that they can make errors and behave ridiculously. Sometimes, we feel that we know our idols, because we have experienced the same troubles that they are going through. And this obsession turns to be quite healthy, as it balances between our emotions and our celebrity hunger. Tattoos – work of art or part of the popular culture trend? In the last decade I have noticed that tattoos have crossed the line of private artistic expressions and have travelled to be part of a very popular trend – to show that you too have the courage to tattoo yourself. The more visible and extravagant, the better. In the past tattoos were a sign of prisoners and outcasts. People wearing tattoos were stigmatized by society and they prefer to ignore them, because they were deviants. Today, people from the popular culture might think that you are narrow-minded if you do not have one. Why is this sudden change? Why tattoos once perceived as demonstrations of outlaw, turned into popular culture trend? I believe that the reason for this dramatic change is hidden again in the celebrities. The film industry, for example, provides the audience with many scenes where various tattoos appear as body art, or act as stimulants to the appealing nature of the character. The pop culture took it from there to incorporate tattoos as rebellion to the 1950s and 1960s. American celebrities are inking themselves with no second thoughts and raise the popularity of this body art into a cult. Nowadays, tattoos are no longer considered personal discovery or let alone work of art. Tattoos are only fashion – imprints that indicate that you go with the flow. For most, getting a tattoo is private and artistic expression of themselves. However, celebrities displaying their tattoos from the covers of numerous magazines transformed the intimate tattoo into media sensation. A tattoo design which was created especially for you and held personal intentions can be sometimes found on the body of celebrity fans – a sign for their ultimate devotion. Where is the art here? Movie industry - an instrument to deliver mass panic - "2012". I suppose that there is not a person who has not heard of the “2012” premier that just passed this Friday 13, November. “2012” is not the first movie presenting the end of the world, and surely, it will not be the last. Long before the premier, I was thinking how the movie industry likes playing with people’s emotions about their own death and takes advantages of that. Movie industry is an entertainment field and should remain so. However, movies depicting the end of the world, citing resources like Mayan calendar and Nostradamus not only crash box office report, but crash people’s perceptions about that. I think that there is quite a lot of hysteria around this date “2012”. And it is far from entertaining, may be even boring to watch grand effects about the end of the world. The interpretations of the theme “Doomsday” are countless. But isn’t a movie like “2012” engaging our self-defense mechanisms and creating even a minor panic about what would be if the world really ends in 2012. On the verge of the new millennium, there were many speculations that this will be it, pointing out medieval prophets and calendars by extinct cultures. Then, nothing happened. So, again we face the next crucial date, supported by movie industry heroes, who survive after the end of the world. Movie-goers have to admit it that film producer companies are instigating mass panic among audience, with endless suggested “end of the worlds” dates and theories. To an extent these apocalypse movies are similar to the horror movies in frightening its viewers, the only difference being that horror movies do not rely on Biblical, Mayan, Egyptian and so on theories. My Space and Facebook social networking. Four-five years ago, “My Space” virtual space took up the lead in global online communication. To a large degree “My Space” happened to be the first phenomenon known as “social networking”. So users quickly learned to share different files, music, comment on blogs and discussion forums all sort of issues. Social websites are the most popular type of online communication and an excellent way to keep track of your friend’s recent interests, photos and what they find fascinating. There are many surveys done, why such web-based social services are so spread. Users are allowed almost everything, if they follow the nice etiquette behavior. The problematic area, though, still remains the distribution of adult content features and delayed restrictions for the consumers. “My Space” mania in particular faces new challenges and rivals – “Facebook”. “Facebook” is a similar social networking space, which in the last year seems to be in the lead. The answer to “why this is so?” is simple. Besides, offering attractive interface and social networking possibilities, “Facebook” has numerous other applications – such as quizzes, tests, online games, chat service, message board, and everything that may come into the mind of an online user. In short “Facebook” has much more entertaining and social character than “MySpace”. And users who once connect to “Facebook” community, usually forget the “MySpace” account. Variety and diversification matter in the virtual reality. That is why “Facebook” will remain the leader in social networking websites, for at least few more years. Read More