THE O(PRAH)BAMA CONNECTION - TAKE ONE

This blog entry by Juan Carlos Ochoa

The story: "Oprah lends star power to Obama in Iowa"

The analysis:

This article is discussing how Oprah, when she promotes a book, it turns out to be a best seller. So now the nation is wondering, if she starts promoting Obama for presidency, will he become the next president of the US? As the tickets were being distributed, many people grabbed the tickets, which went fast, where Oprah and Obama were going to be campaigning and many others were waiting outside to see if they could get a glimpse of Oprah. So many where questioning, of the people that showed up to the campaigns, were they there for Obama or for Oprah. The people that showed up had to deal with packed rooms. Also most of the people that attended did not usually participate in politics, but they volunteered for his campaign and took some caucus training just to be able to get some of the 18,000 tickets that they had available.

The reason I chose this article was because it just comes to show how such a big pop culture icon in our society could have so much influence in our nation. This is a good strategy for Obama to try to get votes for his presidency, but more particularly the women’s vote. But I don’t think that in the long run it is going to help him win the white house.

Oprah is a great remodel for women and she is very influential person that many listen to. I would be surprised to see if her campaigning for Obama will help him out. But this is not the only time when a celebrity is used to promote something for a certain cause. In our society having a well known face can become very influential in our society and influence people to fight for a cause or in this case get votes.

MORE HIV FOCUS IN POP NEEDED?

This blog entry by Jason Chung

The story: "Figures on H.I.V. Rate Expected to Rise"

The analysis:

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) estimates that over 40,000 people in the United States are infected with the HIV virus every year. However, recent reports and studies have shown that the number of HIV infected individuals have risen up to 63,000 cases annually, and is expected to rise again next year. Whether this drastic rise in American HIV cases is due to the lack of education and prevention of the HIV virus, or due to the fact that HIV symptoms tend to show up years after the virus is contracted, it is clear that HIV is becoming more of a prominent problem in American society.

December 1st was World AIDS Day. All over the globe, people were being made aware of the disease that has infected over 42 million people in the world. CSULB and other universities have dedicated a week to education and promote awareness about HIV, because the general population of students are unaware and confused about STD's. I chose this article because I believe that students should be more aware of the HIV virus. Health and science is a significant aspect of popular culture. We watch commercials and see media references about dieting, exercise, depression, smoking, alcoholism, and other health-related issues, but the only time you hear about HIV & AIDS in our society is news about the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Popular culture tends to glaze over global health problems like HIV. Unless Angelina Jolie adopts a new HIV-positive baby from Africa, you will rarely hear any references to HIV virus and its effects on people. Education of health also plays an important role in popular culture. While we have plethora nutrition specialists and physical trainers all across the United States, there are students who don't even know that the Student Health Services (which is free) on our CSULB Campus gives rapid HIV testing. About $45 of our tuition money goes directly to the SHS, and students don't take advantage of the care that is there for them.

What I'm trying to get at with this entry is that education and awareness of global diseases like HIV should become a prominent force in popular culture. By looking at the statistics and figures (ex: LA county is the 2nd nationwide for the # of AIDS cases), it is of grave importance that people get the facts straight about HIV. The government needs to stop cutting back on domestic efforts programs and our culture needs to take our overall health and knowledge about diseases such as HIV into greater consideration. You, as a student, have all the resources to learn about HIV and prevent it from happening to you. And no, don't worry, you can't get HIV from saliva.

MARRIAGE IS A GAME?

This blog entry by Pablo Ildefonso

The story: "'Who Wants to Marry a U.S. Citizen?'"

The analysis:

The newest reality show, "Who wants to Marry a U.S. Citizen?," is set for independent distribution according to Reuters. The premise of the show deals with an American bachelorette chooses her future husband between 3 immigrants. Creator of the show, Adrian Martinez says, "We're out to prove love knows no borders," and, "besides, that's what America is all about – a multicultural nation." And at the end of the show the bachelorette chooses whom she will marry, though the contestants are not guaranteed citizenship. The article had a link to a video that I was not able to load, though I did manage to find on YouTube. Where the end promo reads: One will win and stay in the country, two will be probably deported.

This comes at a time when immigration is a hot topic in the U.S. and has recently been on YouTube presidential debates. Candidates will soon be in a position of power to implement public policy that deals with immigration. At a time when this campus it self had a tense emotions about immigration, there is a xenophobia climate where exposing your self as an immigrant is not a popular thing to do. Because when someone thinks of immigrant, they think illegal. No one wants to be labeled an illegal because that's when one is seen as threat.

It's seems the creator of this show exploits that vulnerability, not consciously (which is problematic in its self). If you say to someone they have an opportunity to be a U.S. citizen in a game show, they'll do it, especially when becoming a U.S. citizen is such a hard process. I wouldn't be surprise if there were a game show where one has to eat testicles to win a green card. Oh wait, there is. It's called, "Gana la Verde," Win the Green. To add to the injury, its promo amplifies this message: oh well, good luck next time on your citizenship. If Adrain really wants a multicultural nation, maybe she should participate in the political arena to guarantee immigrants their U.S. citizenship as oppose to making a game show out of it.

ONLINE BULLIES

This blog entry by Christina Saunders

The story: "Online bullying a growing part of US teen Internet life"

The analysis:

This article discusses a growing trend of online bullying. “Cyber bullies” have increased from 6 to 50 percent in the past seven years. Kids and teens are finding ways of expressing aggression via the internet. Popular technologies such as instant messaging, text messaging and social networking websites are used to tease, threaten or insult others. Many kids will just turn off their computer or ignore messages, but others are more fragile and easily offended. There have been incidents of violence and suicides as the result of these messages received through the internet. A girl hung herself after exchanging insults on her MySpace with a person that pretended to be a 16-year-old boy. The last message reportedly being sent was “The world would be a better place without you.” This boy was flirting with the girl for weeks before the insults came. The fake boy was actually the mother of former friend of the girl. The mother wanted to find out what the girl thought of her daughter.
I chose this article because I found it so shocking. Social networking websites, such as MySpace.com and FaceBook.com, are very popular in today’s society. They are used to communicate with friends and others, advertise music and trends and many more social activities. It has become the “cyberworld” playground. It’s so sad to read about what people do to other people because of a comment left on their MySpace. People warn you about sexual predators and pedophiles on these social networking websites, but don’t warn you about “cyber bullies”.
I think it’s important because technology is so important. These social networking websites are great for people to make new friends, whether they are shy or not. They are also a great way to communicate, advertise and spread news. Music, movies and almost anything can be advertised on these social networking websites. It’s convenient and fast. The article says that some U.S. cities restrict access to the internet and mobile phones on campus. I think that’s very unfortunate because the internet has loads of information. There are bad things you can view on the internet, but there are also many things you can learn on the internet. As in everything, there are both benefits and consequences.
I also think this article is important because people need to learn to be kind to others and also not to take things said on the internet too seriously. Everyone is a critic, and people sometimes don’t care and sometimes get hurt. When I hear about drama on MySpace, I think to myself, “Calm down people, it’s just MySpace”. But for some or maybe more, MySpace has become the social hub. Being insulted online is just as bad as being insulted in person. Unfortunately, it’s much easier to insult online because it is so convenient and fast. As reported in the article, a girl from Tennessee stabbed another girl because of a comment left on FaceBook. These incidents are what has risen the percentages in electronic aggression and youth violence. I think it’s up to parents and internet user to be responsible when using the internet.

BLACK FRIDAY

This blog entry by Lindy Pham

The story: "Thanksgiving so warm, but woe the day after "

The analysis:

The article illustrates Thanksgivings as a traditional United States holiday to give thanks at the finish of the harvest season. Thanksgivings was established as a national day of giving thanks and praise to God, a significant holiday in the United States. This is the time to get together, to be thankful, and to be with family and loved ones. The article insists on Thanksgiving as being so warm but woeful the day after. This is due to the fact that the day after Thanksgiving Day is “Black Friday”, one of the busiest shopping days of the year in the United States.
I chose this article because it is currently the Thanksgivings week and I think it is very interesting and important for us to know how to manage our time, our money and our stress levels on this special holiday. Black Friday is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season. Black Friday was formerly so popular because it has been one of the busiest days in terms of the customer tours, real sales amount, heavy traffic, and busiest sell shopping day of the year. Many stores will put out popular items on sale, just to attract people to their store to spend more money. We see buyers lined up early hours before stores with big sales open. Traditionally, Black Friday sales were intended for those shopping for Christmas gifts. The earliest uses of "Black Friday" refer to the heavy traffic on that day, an extremely stressful and disorganized event.
The purpose of this article is to give us opinions about what we should do on the day after Thanksgiving day: we should spend our time with family and loved ones, by going to the movies, listening to music with each other, walking in the woods, reading, eating leftovers, sharing and giving of our time; instead of spending our time, our money, our spirits running to the mall to get material possessions that we do not need and get in debt with our exceeding spending.
In my point of view, nothing is cheap enough to make me wake up very early, go out there in the cold weather and line up to shop. From my experience, I could not get the special things that I love on Black Friday because I always come after thousands of people. I also know that I should keep purses and wallets very carefully, carry little of cash, and it is also dangerous while driving in the shopping malls, it is easy get into an accident that day. I tell myself, I will never look for something I usually would not buy, but have to because it is 75 percent off in Black Friday. However, I would still wake up very early even I stay up late on Thanksgiving night, driving four more hours long to a famous outlet store get a brand name jacket worth $300, for a fraction of the price. We can not change a tradition, including me! Celebrate the day. Give thanks.
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SAMANTHA WHO?

This blog entry by Stephanie Nathon.

The story: "‘Samantha Who?’ is an unlikely sitcom queen"

The analysis:

Of the many new television shows this season is “Samantha Who?” starring Christina Applegate, and unlike many of the other shows that debuted this season this one is actually having some success. I found this article on MSNBC, which starts by explaining how rare it is to have a successful comical television show with a female role. The last comedy television shows with female roles include “Bewitched,” “I Love Lucy,” and most recently “Rosanne.” The story behind “Samantha Who?” is she was a serious business woman whose morals are questionable. After being hit by a car, and suffering a serious head injury she wakes up not remember anything from her past has to put together the pieces of her life and all the details that go along with it. The article continues to describe the plot and quips of the show but begins to question if it will remain successful on its own. “Samantha Who?” is currently being aired in the time slot after “Dancing with the Stars,” one of the currently most watched shows. The writer is skeptical if viewers will make the decision to watch Samantha on their own when it is not following their other favorite shows since Christina Applegate has had a few television flops since being the cute blonde on “Married with Children.”

I chose this article because I found it very interesting that it was a featured article on MSNBC, and also I am a watcher of “Samantha Who?”  Christina Applegate is a familiar face to most and like many others I was anxious to see what the show would be like. After watching, I found the show witty and funny but never thought twice about the fact that it was a female lead role.

The purpose of this article is almost congratulating a female leading role for being successful. The author appears more surprised that the show is being received well despite the fact that the rest of the cast consists of C list actors at best. It is also discussed whether this show will be able to stand on its own against “Two and a Half Men,” a male dominated comedy. I find it amazing that a female leading role in a comedy is something rare and it is still necessary to acknowledge that a female can be successful on her own, or as a lead. Though the author leaves it on a positive note mentioning that it is a show with potential to be long running, he is still skeptical that Samantha will be able to stand on her own once “Dancing with the Stars” is no longer helping her out.

DEAR MAMA

This blog entry by Christine Song.

The story: "How The West Was Lost"

The analysis:

The topic that I decided on was the tragic death of Kanye West’s mom. When I first saw it on the news, my heart dropped for him. As we all know he comes from a single mom that raised him to be the top star that he is today. Through their rags to riches story, she was his number one fan and the only person that could hit this strong spoken, at times conceived cocky, driven man’s soft spot. What a vulnerable feeling it must be to feel on top one minute and feel like everything has been lost the next. I am sure that Donda West never thought the worst, and went in thinking only about how great she would feel afterwards with a new body to prove.

People do not realize how much we put our lives at stake when going under the knife. It makes me wonder, is society to blame or is it the sole individual for being sucked into society’s pressures to fix your flaws if you can. Regardless of being persuadable or not, we live in a world where image can be the ticket to many things. Image is everywhere in the media. We drive everyday across billboards of beautiful people, see magazines of flawless bodies, and living in Los Angeles we are surrounded by a world of people who buy their way to happiness. People have operations performed thinking that it will get them closer to their dream job, significant other, and be that last confidence booster that one needs.
According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, “Nearly 11.5 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2005, according to statistics released today by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). Compared to 2004, surgical procedures increased 1% to 2.1 million, while nonsurgical procedures declined 4% to 9.3 million. The Aesthetic Society which has been collecting multi-specialty procedural statistics since 1997 says the overall number of cosmetic procedures has increased 444% since the collection of the statistics first began. The most frequently performed procedure was Botox injections and the most popular surgical procedure was liposuction.”

Surgeons like Dr. Jan Adams makes a living by telling his clients that “they don’t have to live with their flaws.” Although one’s “flaws” depends on the judger, it makes me wonder whether society’s views of plastic surgery has gone out of hand or whether it really is not a big deal. I have had a friend who has had a nose job because her once bigger nose made her feel very self-conscious and different from the rest. Of course we all loved her for who she was, but we were also happy to see that she was happier after the procedure. She illuminated a sense of self-confidence that she never really portrayed before. We can all look at it and say that in the big scheme of things, if the person is happy, isn’t that all that matters? However, what if we view it as her being a victim of being brainwashed into the common expectations of beauty? Shows like “The Swan” where very low confidence-troubled people have operations done to feel better about themselves gave me a new perspective to plastic surgery after seeing some people so happy for the first time. They deserve to feel confident and the reactions that people had after their procedures proved that people definitely treat people differently regarding their looks. It is a shame that many go under the knife in desires to be treated a certain way and to make one feel better. The thought still crosses my mind of whether it will ever be enough and people will just stop caring about physical appearances. Sadly enough, I do not think this will ever occur.

TOO SMART FOR BET?

This blog entry by Mako Crawford.

The story: "Little Brother's "Too Intelligent" Says BET, Network Responds To Allegation"

The analysis:

It's hard to believe that it's been over half a decade since I came accross the underground hip-hop soul group Little Brother one night in my dorm room online. I was hooked from the get go. I couldn't get enough of Ninth Wonder's magnificent instrumentals, Phonte's mic finesse was unbelievable, and Rapper Big Pooh had a young college freshman going nuts. As a fan of hip-hop I think it is degrading that Little Brother isn't getting the true respect and success that they have worked for and deserve. About two years ago BET television would not air any Little Brother music videos because execs felt that Little Brother is too intelligent for the BET audience.

It dawned on me then that the music business is only concerned with keeping their listeners in their so called place. What I mean by this is that the commercial interest in present mainstream hip-hop is content in flattering stupidity and branding ignorance. Little Brother's second album , The Minstrel Show, clearly conveys their feelings about the current state of hip-hop. It is almost as if Little Brother is trying to awake a degenerated pop generation to what the true nature of hip-hop is.

Last Monday a few friends and I ventured to the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles to catch Little Brother's only Los Angeles performance. It was sold out and packed from wall to wall with beautiful people digging deep into the strong rhythms that blared out of DJ Flash's set. I've been privileged enough to have seen Little Brother a few times before this El Rey show and I have to say they have only improved at rockin' it. They performed soul acts in between songs and Phonte even busted out on some M.J. Human Nature. They even had a big curtain call at the end with all the nights performers, Dilated Peoples, The Away Team, And Murs who was a special guest. They really gave the impression of a great show that people pay money to see and that's when I thought back to their reference of the greatest colored show on earth from The Minstrel Show album.

As I stood in the crowd I observed that there were a good number of white Little Brother fans out representing. I took this observation as a credit to Little Brother as perhaps in fact being able to have an influence on popular culture and the ability to bring all people of all colors together. With their third album, Get Back, out in stores now, I am only hoping that the industry will finally accept Little Brother for the true entertaining artists that they are.

RACE FOR THE WORLD CUP

This blog entry by Matt Preston.

The story: "FA confirm England will bid for 2018"

The analysis:

England’s governing soccer body, the Football Association (FA), has announced their intentions to host the 2018 World Cup, but it is only 2007! The article states that soccer’s world governing body, Federation International Football Association (FIFA), will decide on the hosts in 2011, but bids will have to be officially submitted at least two years beforehand.  The competition to host this sporting event grows every time the tournament is to be hosted.  Alongside England, countries like the United States, Mexico, Russia, and Australia will all be competing for the right to host the 2018 tournament. The growing competition is due to enormous potential for hosting nations to make some money. Television rights, merchandise, official sponsorships, gate ticket receipts, and traveling soccer aficionados provide an enormous return for hosting the month long tournament. With the potential to make so much profit from this tournament, it makes one wonder if the World Cup is still about soccer?

Interested countries must invest millions and even billions to even be considered to host the world’s finest sporting event. The campaign alone for England to host the 2018 tournament will cost ?15 million (about $30 million)! England is fortunate to possess a superior infrastructure as well as excellent stadiums to host the event, but other countries are not as privileged. South Africa will host the tournament in 2010, but it lacks the same infrastructure and stadiums as England. To be selected as host, this African nation invested substantial funds to development their hosting cities in time for the tournament. This investment put hosting a sporting event before more important matters in South Africa (i.e. HIV/AIDS pandemic and post apartheid struggles). South African leaders believe that hosting this event will develop their country both economically and socially. With this kind of economic force, the World Cup has evolved into a mechanism that transmits powerful messages.  

The World Cup is produced and consumed by the masses. Capitalism and nationalism are weaved into the foundation of this tournament. The World Cup, like the Olympics, is a stage to flex national superiority. Nations are praised for hosting successful tournaments and glamorized for winning the prestigious sporting event. Germany witnessed this praise for their successful job of hosting the 2006 event and Brazil is worshiped for their success as the winner of 5 World Cups. With their bid, England is looking for the same praise and worship. As the inventors of the modern game, England has only one World Cup title (as they played host and victors of the 1966 tournament). England looks to host the most successful tournament in the history of the World Cup. In the eyes of the English, this means not only hosting a successful tournament, but also winning it. 

Sport has developed into a powerful tool for development. The World Cup will be hosted in two developing nations in 2010 (South Africa) and 2014 (Brazil). These events possess the potential to develop these nations both economically and socially. Whoever the host may be, hopefully, the 2018 event will not be a completely profit driven corporate investment; yet, instead a celebration of sport and its ability to accomplish great things.

TIPSY OFF (TILA) TEQUILA

This blog entry by Ciara Calsita.

The story: "Tila Tequila, Who?"

The analysis:

The title says, “She’s Famous.” My only question is who. By just reading the first line of this article, the reader comes to the realization that the female in question of being famous is Tila Tequila. Personally, I have no comprehension to who entirely this individual named Tila Tequila is. The brief biography at the beginning of this article was not giving me enough information on Tila Tequila. Therefore, out of curiosity, I turned to Wikipedia and her MySpace page for a quick reference to who this person may be. As stated, in the article, Tequila is not her real name, Nguyen is. According to Wikipedia, she is an American model, entertainer, and singer. Just recently, she premiered her show on MTV television titled, A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila on October 9. Not knowing what her show was exactly about at first, I assumed it was some type of dating show. I discovered later that my assumptions were true but the show takes it a step further. A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila is a bisexual-themed reality dating show where 16 heterosexual males and 16 lesbian contestants compete for Tila's love.

The article is mainly about society’s fascination on personalities like Tila Tequila and Paris Hilton. These individuals are famous for reasons that are not of actual value to our society. Tila Tequila for example is famous for her appearance as Playboy’s Cyber Girl of the Week. Society has now given celebrities a false feeling of accomplishment (i.e. hailing Paris Hilton as in the same league as Marie Curie). Having some type of talent is no longer the perquisite to stardom because now anyone can become famous.

I choose this story because I found it absolutely shocking. I do not understand how and why this individual, Tila Tequila is famous. In my opinion, Tila Tequila serves no purpose other than a character that has an appealing smile. I have personally visited her MySpace, previewed her songs and in all honesty, do not think she can sing. She has no talent and her greatest achievement may be “she posed provocatively for Maxim” and yet miraculously holds the #1 position this week in MySpace’s Unsigned Top Artists. It is important to understand how mainstream society places value on celebrities that do not give anything back to it. Tila Tequila did not receive a Nobel Prize or find a great scientific discovery that would be beneficial to society and yet she is glorified for being what? A personality.

Is this really the direction that our society is following? Placing no talent individuals on pedestals and hailing them “Famous!” The downfall of western civilization will indeed be our ridiculous fascination on individuals that have done nothing of productivity to our society.