Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Assignment 1-3

King Kong Ain't Got Sh** on Me, Allegories, Anxieties, and the Performance of Race in the Media

The article that I read is titled, “King King ain’t got Sh** on me: Allegories, Anxieties, and the Performance of Race in the Media (Henderson, 2010). “. The article goes in depth as to how the roles and awards given to African-Americans in the media, feeds into America’s stereotypes. As I analyze the article I will discuss the intended audience, the summarization, the style, and the key ideas I got from the article.
The intended audience for this article is anyone who is interested in the debate over how African Americans stereotypes are immersed in movies and how this affects our view on blacks in today’s society. This has been a trivial debate because the roles that African American males and females play are often seen as being the sidekick, not the main character. However, if they are the main character, the character usually has problems. Such as the females are single moms or the males have no direction or guidance. While others may argue that these characters are just that characters and they have no affect on society. But these views are instilled in our minds and they become stereotypes. The roles they play become the norm for the way Americans believe African Americans live and behave.
This article began by discussing how in 2002, Halle Berry was nominated for the 2002 Best Actress Award for her role in Monster’s Ball (Henderson, 2010). Given the previous history of not many blacks being nominated for the roles, this was a huge step for African Americans. However, the role that Halle Berry was played in the film was that of a poor single mother, because her husband was just executed in jail for murder. She also played in an explicit sex scene in the film between her and her love interest the racist executer, played by Billy Bob Thornton. Some may argue that the sex scene alone put Halle Berry up for the Best Actress nomination, and her portrayal of a poor single mother in the movie does not pain African American woman in a positive spotlight.
Then the article discusses how men are perceived in roles on film. For instance in two other films nominated for Best Picture, The Green Mile and The Cider House Rules both depict men with troubling sexual dynamics (Henderson, 2010). The Green Mile shows a man on death row convicted of the rape and murder of two white girls, for which he claims innocence. The Cider House Rules has a black man, named Mr. Rose who is shows to have impregnated his own daughter (Henderson, 2010). These portrayals of black men affect the way that society views black man, as being on a lower rung and as having many problems. Another movie called Boys n’ the Hood, portrays black men as being just that boys, without any guidance or direction (Henderson, 2010). The debate is that many people believe that for African Americans to be able to move up in society, the media’s depiction of African Americans on screen will have to transform to a positive spotlight.
While this article was mostly logically organized, I do believe it jumps around a little. They started out with a great opening discussing Halle Berry’s nomination, they the article begins talking about African American male roles in film, and then it goes back to Halle Berry’s roles in Monster Ball. The main ideas were clearly presented starting with the title, introduction, and body and in the conclusion. The title alone gives it away calling it “…Performance on Race in the Media (Henderson, 2010).” The article was a little difficult to read at certain times because it made references to some movies I had never seen before and the article used many big words. An excerpt from the article, “these oversights return attention to those narratological paradigms that seek to silence the speaking subject through the semiotic process of mimetic representation (Henderson, 2010).” I was very confused by this statement as they were talking about the movie Hurricane, I have never seen before.
The main idea taken from this movie is that the depiction of African Americans develops stereotypes, and this affects how blacks are viewed in society. The article gave many specific examples, and used quite a few different films for references. My analysis of this article is that it was well written but at times was a little confusing to read. However, the main point was clear and was defined throughout the article, and was well researched and gave specific examples. The beginning caught my attention, and had an obvious beginning, middle, and end. The main idea and points were also clear and thoroughly discussed with specific examples given.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

U.S. Historical Events: 1980's-Present

1980: Mount St. Helens Erupts
Located in the Cascade Range, of southern Watshington, this was the worst U.S. volcano eruption in our history. 57 people were killed, and thousands of animals and surrounding plant life.



1981- Assisination attempt of President Ronald Reagan

A man by the name of John Hinckley Jr. shot at the president outside a hotel in Washington. President Reagan was hit by one bullet that puntured his lung. The president survived the ordeal, the nation was shaken, but he was okay.

1983- Martin Luther King Jr. Day becomes a national holiday
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1984- AIDS virus is discovered. This caused much panic in the United States due to people misundestanding the true cause of the disease and how it is spread.

1987-The Dow Jones dropeed 23 points in one day, referred to as "Black Monday."

1989-Exxon Valdez oil spill occurs in Alaska, spilling million of gallons into the ocean.

1990- U.S. involvement with the Gulf War begins after Iraq invades Kuwait.
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1993-World Trade Center is bombed. 6 people killed, thousands injured.

1998- U.S. President Clinton impeached, due to evidence of an extra marital affair with his sectrary Monical Lewinsky.
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September 11, 2001: The World Trade Center collapses and the Pentagon is attacked by terrorists, after they hijacked four air liners. Over 3,000 people were killed, beginning the start of the war against Al-Qaeda.



2005- Hurricane Katrina hits the United States in New Orleans. Over 1,300 people perish, hundreds of thousands were without homes, and causing billions in damage.

2006- U.S. population reaches 300 million people. Also instilling a debate on foreign immigration and immigration policy.

2009- President Barack Obama is sworn into office making him the first African-American president in the history of the United States.
President Barack Obama

Works Cited

About. (2010). 20th Centrury History. Retrieved April 28, 2011, from about.com: http://history1900s.about.com/od/timelines/tp/1980timeline.htm
America's Best History. (2010). 2000's The War on Terrorism. Retrieved April 28, 2011, from America's Best History: http://americasbesthistory.com/abhtimeline2000.html

Assignment 5-1 Netflix

NETFLIX

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Netflix is a quickly growing company that allows users to watch movies and selected tv shows on their computer or on their tv, through another device such as a Wii, Xbox 360, or Playstation. Their account users have no contract, and pay only $7.99 a month for unlimited use of their movies and tv episodes (Netflix, 2010). Since I am not a current user of Netflix I wanted to gain knowledge on this company and compare the pros vs. the cons of having a Netflix account.
The pros of using Netflix are that you get unlimited access of their media for a small set price. Also Netflix users have the convenience of selecting their movies and tv shows from home. Another pro to being a Netflix member is that there is no contract, so you can cancel at any time. Also one of the best pros to having Netflix is there are no late fees!
 Some of the cons of being a Netflix user of that if you do not use their services for the whole month, then you still get charged the monthly fee, if you have not cancelled. In addition, if you do not have another device that will allow you to watch on your tv, you can only watch Netflix on your computer. 
 In conclusion, I believe that the pros of being a Netflix member outweigh the costs, as long as you have a device to transfer Netflix on your tv, and will frequently utilize the services you are paying for. Netflix accounts have grown to more than 20 million members globally (Netflix, 2010). They are quickly paving the way towards becoming a new trend in movie rentals.

References:
Netflix. (2010). Unlimited TV episodes and movies instantly. Retrieved April 27, 2011, from Netflix: http://www.netflix.com/HowItWorks

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Assignment 5-2 Formula Analysis

Analyzing the formulas of the Disney movies Tangled and Cinderella
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Most people know the story of Cinderella, about a beautiful girl raised by her evil stepmother. She was forced to cook and clean for them. Some beliefs of the story are that a fairy godmother will save you in a time of need, that mice can talk to people, and that one day your dreams would come true. The myths of the story are the good vs. evil and the romance myth. The good vs. evil is represented by the battle of Cinderella, who is good, against her evil stepmother and her stepmother’s daughters. The romance myth is shown when Cinderella and the Prince instantly falls in love, and they get married. The formulas for the movie, Cindrellaare that good beats evil in the end, the girl lives happily ever after, and everything is black and white/ good or evil. Also despite Cinderella being raised by her stepmother, she remained gentle and kind.

For the movie Tangled, the parallels to Cinderella are very similar. Tangled follows the traditional story of Rapunzel, with some modern twists. An evil witch steals the princess, Rapunzel, in the night. The witch keeps her hidden in a tower and use’s Rapunzel’s magic hair to keep herself young. The two myths of the story are the good/evil myth and the romance myth. The formulas for the story are that good will beat the bad and the main characters live happily ever after. In addition, despite Rapunzel being raised by the evil witch, she remains good and kind. Also as Rapunzel is facing adulthood she is dealing with the struggle to rebel and live her own life, while still wanting to please her mother. 
As you can see the commonalities between Cinderella and Tangled are many. For example, the setting, myths, and some stereotypes and formulas are similar. Since these are both animated films and they both are princess fairy tales, they have the same storyline. A beautiful good girl is raised by an evil woman, but they fall in love and lives happily ever after. The formulas are similar because good trumps evil in the end. The main differences in the stories are that Cinderella was made in the 50’s and Tangled was recently made in 2010 (Cha Cha, 2010). Since the views on woman have changed, Cinderella’s character is more helpless then Rapunzel’s.  

Refrences:
Cha Cha. (2010). When was the original Cinderelaa movie made? Retrieved April 27, 2011, from Cha Cha : http://www.chacha.com/question/when-was-the-original-disney-cinderella-made

Friday, April 22, 2011

Assignment 4-1 Easter

Who is the Easter Bunny?
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               The Easter Holiday is a widely celebrated holiday in the U.S. and among Christians around the world. Most of you know the religious reason for celebrating Easter; Jesus resurrected from the dead and rose up to Heaven. However, in today’s society many families celebrate by having the “Easter Bunny” come and bring candy and small toys to children, decorating Easter eggs, and having Easter egg hunts. So where do all these rituals come from and how does it affect modern society?
                First of all, the Easter bunny originated in 13th century springtime Germany, where they worshipped Eostre, the goddess of spring (D'Souza, 2011).  She was represented by a “comely maiden carrying a basket filled with dyed-red eggs and little cuddly baby hares (D'Souza, 2011).”  Eventually the idea of the basket, eggs, and bunnies stayed, while the goddess became an Easter Bunny. These rituals were passed down to early settlers in the United States. In the early 1700’s children even left carrots out for the bunny to eat if he got hungry along the way (D'Souza, 2011).   The mixture of pagan and secular views were mixed together over time to combine the tradition of the bunny with eggs, and the religious holiday of Easter, since both celebrations take place during the spring.
                This holiday has affected popular culture today because this holiday is marketed to the media. Some rituals we celebrate are the purchasing of Easter baskets, Easter candy, toys, dying eggs, and having Easter egg hunts. Also girls and boys are expected to dress up in their best “Easter outfits.” Since I work at a retail store, the purchase of dresses and suits and toys has increased in the past two weeks. Many people may worry that the true meaning of Easter is lost. I believe that the religious message of the Easter holiday can still be maintained if you make it the focal point of your celebrations. Anyways, would Easter still be as fun without the Easter bunny, candy, and egg hunts?


Works Cited

D'Souza, K. (2011, April 19). Why is there an Easter Bunny? Retrieved April 22, 2011, from MercuryNews: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_17869734?source=rss&nclick_check=1




Saturday, April 16, 2011

Assignment 3-3 Stereotypes of Pirates



I'm sure that you have all heard about stereotypes. The true meaning of a stereotype is to characterize or give a fixed form to (Dictionary, 2011). In the Pirates of the Carribbean: Dead mans chest movie many stereotypes of pirates are portrayed. Some of the stereotypes of pirates include them being percieved as drunken, dirty untrustworthy womanizers, who are thieves, and love buried treasure. Even though this does not paint of pretty picture of pirates, the characters are still likeable. They do have a sense of humor, somewhat of a moral code, and stand up for those they care about. This movie feeds into our stereotypical beliefs of pirates because it is appealing to people.

Their are many example of stereotypes in the movie One includes the stereotype of pirates being drunks, where Jack Sparrow says, “Why is the rum always gone?” then he stands up and starts wobbling, and says, “Oh that’s why.” He was clearly already intoxicated as he said that. Even Jack Sparrows own crew has abandoned him before and marooned him on a small island. This follows the stereotype of pirates being untrustworthy.

The forces that have impacted our stereotypical beliefs of pirates are represented through cultural forces such as books, movies, and television. I believe that stereotypes emerge because people get assume things and like to categorize people. Then these stereotypes become ingrained in other people’s ideology about a certain group, race, nationality, illness etc. The media tends to romanticize these ideas. For example, with pirates life on the seas has been made to seem thrilling and fun. When in fact, many pirates dyed young and were persecuted (National Geographic, 1996-2009).  Many stereotypes are passed down from parents to children. Since these beliefs are also instilled at an early age, educating children to understand and have acceptance of these differences is key in eliminating stereotypes.

Dictionary. (2011). stereotype. Retrieved April 13, 2011, from Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stereotypes
National Geographic. (1996-2009). Blackbeard Pirate: Terror at Sea. Retrieved April 13, 2011, from Natio;nal Geographic: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pirates/bbeard.html
Wilson, T. V. (1998-2011). How Pirates Work. Retrieved April 14, 2011, from How Stuff Works: http://people.howstuffworks.com/pirate5.htm

3-1 JcPenney profits and competition

Retail has been a popular topic among business sources and online. Especially during the holidays, retailers compete for those holiday sales, because these sales can be the most profitable.  As an associate for JcPenney, I feel it is necessary to be somewhat knowledgeable on how well the company is doing compared to other leading retailers. Some of JcPenney’s competitors are Macy’s and Kohl’s.
                JcPenney was founded in 1902 by James Cash Penney, and operates more than 1,100 department stores nationwide, and in Puerto Rico (J.C.Penney, 2010). Since JcPenney first began in the early 1900’s the company has been innovative and quickly changing with the times. They began as a small dry goods store, and quickly grew into the major retail chain that exists today. The popular catalogs that JcPenney used, has been phased out since e-commerce hit the market. JcPenney now has an online store that contains most in store merchandise, as well as many items not available in the store. This transition has helped JcPenney adjust to changes in markets and keep up with the customer demand.
                During the fiscal year of 2010, JcPenney’s profits were 389 million, had a one year growth of 1.2%, and an income growth of 55% (staff, 2010) These sales figures are pretty good consider the economy just recently came out of a recession. Macy’s reported steep earnings that increased 50% to $667 during the fourth quarter, including the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011 (Cho, 2011). This sales increase for Macy’s means that they will be competing with them throughout the year. Kohl’s reported a 14% increase in net income and $493 million in income (Wichita Business Journal, 2011). While these other two retailers are competition to JcPenney, their increase in sales is also a good thing because this means that the economy is slowly improving, and that expected sales results should increase during this year.
Cho, J. (2011, February 22). Macy's profits jump 50%. Retrieved April 16, 2011, from Cleveland.com: http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/02/macys_profits_jump_50_percent.html
J.C.Penney. (2010). Our History. Retrieved April 16, 2011, from J.C.Penney: http://www.jcpenney.net/about/jcp/default.aspx
staff, J. (2010). JcPenney sales, profits rise. Retrieved April 16, 2011, from JCK The Industry Authority: http://www.jckonline.com/2011/02/25/jcpenney-sales-profits-rise
Wichita Business Journal. (2011, February 24). Profits jump for Kohl's. Retrieved April 16, 2011, from Wichita Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2011/02/24/profits-jump-for-kohls-in-4q.html