Weekly Analysis 2-1

Pop Culture – Reality TV
This week I will be analyzing reality TV. I am a self proclaimed reality TV junky. I am one of those people who just loves to watch other people live there lives on TV. So I decided to see how real is reality TV, and how much of it is fake. My findings may change my view on reality TV. However, I don’t think anything could really make me stop watching.
Weather you watch Big Brother, The Bachelor, The Real World, The Amazing Race, Intervention, The Hills, The Biggest Loser, America’s Next Top Model, or one of the many other reality shows, at some point what you are watching is very cleverly edited to make it appear to be something it isn’t. According to Ponicwozick (2006) this is called frankenbiting, which from my understanding is where they piece together and or change something someone says or does to make it appear to be something else. Why do they do these things? Well ratings of course. With many accusations flying about reality TV being scripted, where do you draw the line? Well apparently it’s a very thin line. With all the contestants having to sign waivers there isn’t a lot they can do about it. So why do people still voluntarily go on these shows, for fame and money.
While we enjoy reality TV, what we don’t see is the bad side of it. For many people the portrait these shows paint of their contestants is not only inaccurate, but in some cases very damaging in their day to day lives. There is usually a villain on every show, and for the most part it is a serious stretch of who that person really is. Many of these shows have been sued because they have cause serious damage to these contestants. This is the dark side of reality TV that most people don’t know about. According to Peters (2007), the sister of one contestant on Extreme Makeover killed herself because of the guilt she felt about what she said and how it was misconstrued on the show. This is the worst thing that could possible happen, so when is it enough? How far should it go before these shows are held liable for these actions? Well, that is what is being debated every time someone sues one of these shows. With every ruling, more and more laws are put into place. So while I do love reality TV, I have a feeling and I won’t stop watching, I will take everything will a grain of salt. I think we need to realize that we judge these people based on what we see, and we need to not do that, because the way they are portrayed my not be accurate.










References
Peters, J.W. (2007). When reality TV gets too real. New York Times. Retrieved August 29, 2009, from http:nytimes.com/2007/10/08/business/media/08reality.html.
Ponicwozilc, J. (2006). How reality TV fakes it. Time Magazine. Retrieved August 29, 2009, from http:time.com/time/magazine/article.html.
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Icons assignment 2-2

Icons
The first icon I chose was the American Flag. This is an icon because it represents freedom for America. The second icon I chose was a house with a white picket fence. This is an icon because it represents the American dream. The last icon I chose was Chevy. This is an icon because it represents strength and longevity.
The reason I chose these items is because to me they represent things I think about when I think Icon. Sure there are many things I could have chosen from. There are many musicians, actors, Presidents, novels and events that I could have used. What it all boils down to for me is, when I think icon, I automatically think about the Freedom, the American dream, and strength and longevity. The American flag, a house with a white picket fence, and Chevy represent that for me.
To me the American Flag represents not only freedom, but so much more. Growing up, when we said the pledge of allegiance I felt proud, strong, and that anything was possible. As a grown up, I have come to realize that this exactly what that flag is supposed to make you feel. That is why I chose the flag as an icon. A house with a white picket fence is exactly what I envision when I think about the American dream. For me the American dream is what Americans, and everyone that wants to come to America, strive for. The American dream represents owning your own home, having 2.5 kids, and a dog. This is an icon to me because it’s what I have always wanted. Chevy has been around for many years. My grandfather’s first car was a Chevy. For me listening to him talk about being able to own a Chevy meant you had worked hard, was successful, and were a good member of the community. It still today to me represents strength and longevity. I know that in recent times, many car dealers have struggled, but they are bouncing back, which proofs by point about strength and longevity.

Popular Culture

What is pop culture? Well pop culture is the trends that most people tend to follow. What I mean by trends is what is most common or popular at any current time. Pop culture is continuously changing, therefore so are what people want. Pop culture can range from what type of music we listen to, the clothes we ware, the cars we drive, the T.V. programs we watch, and even the foods we eat. With all the advancements in technology, pop culture has a direct impact on computers, phones, televisions, CD players, DVD players, and so many other things that we use every day. With the world constantly changing so is pop culture. One directly affects the other. This is what pop culture is to me.
Having an understanding of pop culture is relevant in the business world because you need to know what people’s wants and needs are no matter what business you are in. If you are not aware of these things, you won’t have a successful business. After all, consumers are what drive your business. If you are unaware of current pop culture, you will lose business to other businesses that are. Consumers want what they want when they want it. As a business person you have to stay on top of this your will lose business and ultimately fail. For me knowing what pop culture is in my current career is crucial. Being a manager of a major gas station chain, you have to know what is most popular to your customers in order to keep them happy and coming back. As for my future career, knowing what the current pop culture is will only help me save my clients money, which is part of pop culture all in itself.
For me something that screams pop culture is the songs and videos of Michael Jackson, even Michael Jackson himself is a pop culture icon. Specifically the video and song Thriller sticks out to me. I choose this because Thriller has been around as long as I can remember. Everyone knows the song and the video. When it came out, it was a launching point for music videos. This single video changed pop culture at that time, but had the quality to last a lifetime. For me this shows while things are going to change and grow, some things are timeless, and will always have a lasting affect on pop culture.

Pop Culture artifact

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