The purpose of this blog is to create an outlet for SUU Communication graduate students interested in the critical analysis of popular culture artifacts to post insightful contributions to our understanding of popular culture.
After reading through this module what I found most interesting is the difference of what the songs "communicates" and what is communicates "rhetorically".
I immediately thought of Macklemore's "Same Love". The melody from the beginning sets up the song as hopeful song that seems to be supporting. The song talks about stereotypes and lists them and persuades the listeners to get past even if they fall into the category he is speaking about.
"A bunch of stereotypes all in my head
I remember doing the math like "Yeah, I'm good a little league" A pre-conceived idea of what it all meant For those who like the same sex had the characteristics The right-wing conservatives think its a decision And you can be cured with some treatment and religion Man-made, rewiring of a pre-disposition. Playing God Ahh nah, here we go America the brave Still fears what we don't know And God loves all his children it's somehow forgotten But we paraphrase a book written 3, 500 hundred years ago"
Because the song starts in the melody that is nostalgic and calming it gives the listeners a reason to continue to listen even if it offends one of then. It is interesting that he shows how long ago that the religious context context was written and questions it as well as talking about political standpoints. Both are extremely touchy concepts and yet it's mixed so well into this song. Regardless of what you believe in this song is still extremely catchy and makes you want to listen to what he has to say.
My questions to the class are: Does melody play the biggest role in how we perceive a song? Because he said "we" does that make people feel less judged?
After reading Sellnow’s A Music Perspective: The Illusion of Life on music, I began to think about past music that stuck out in mymemory. The ideas and terminology presented in the reading, especially that of the issuing of life, caused me to reflect on musical pieces that stood out in mymemory. Perhaps by re-evaluating it using what I learned, would show me some insight into if there was anything deeper going on that helped the piece to stand out in myrecollection.
Without a doubt, the song Agony from Into the Woods stands out in my music memory.Hereis the performance that I enjoyed during myfirstlisten to the song in the 2014 film adaptation.
For ease of discussion, here are the lyrics in written form to make it easier to examine.
"Did I abuseher Or show her disdain? Why does she run from me? If I should lose her, How shall I regain The heart she has won from me? Agony! Beyond power of speech, When the one thing you want Is the only thing out of your reach. High in her tower, She sits by the hour, Maintaining her hair. Blithe and becoming and frequently humming A lighthearted air: Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah- Agony! Far more painful than yours, When youknow she would go with you If there only were doors. Agony! Oh, the torture they teach! What's as intriguing- Or half so fatiguing- As what's out of reach? Am I not sensitive, Clever, Well-mannered, Considerate, Passionate, Charming, As kind as I'm handsome And heir to a throne? You are everything maidens could wish for! Then why no-? Do I know? The girl must be mad! Youknow nothing of madness Till you're climbing her hair And youseeher up there As you're nearing her, All the whilehearingher: Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah- Agony! Misery! Woe! Though it's different for each. Always ten stepsbehind- Always ten feetbelow- And she's just out of reach. Agony That can cut like a knife! I must have her to wife."
First, it was the humor in the nonverbal communications of the two singing princes that are particularly entertaining. Their gestures and paralanguage highlight the meaning packaged in their song’s words. In true manly fashion, they try to outdo and one-up each other in their ‘agony.’
The songseems to be set musically with release patterns. Lyrically, the song Agonyseems to be tragic, but I think it presents a dramatic illusion that looks forward into an unresolved future.
Together, the release pattern and the tragic lyrics in this songform what is known as a congruent interaction. This is an interaction “where the emotional meanings of the lyrics and the musicreinforce one another (Sellnow 2001).
In this song's case, the body language aspect of the performance is what gives it a secure spot in my memory. The hidden meaning is in the gestures, which is probably typical for songs written for the specific packaging of a musical play.
That being the case of works from musical plays, where do typical mainstream songs written for purely auditory enjoyment tend to earn their memorability from?
In this week’s readings, I got to thinking about my favorite pop artists (and quietly defending them in my mind) especially while reading Adorno’s article on Popular Music. Especially when he said pop music promotes “pseudo-individualization – “endowing cultural mass production with the halo of free choice… [keeping people] in line by making them forget that what they listen to is already listened to for them, or ‘pre-digested’. (Adorno, On Popular Music, 69) That may be true for many pop-musicians, but not all.
For my defense of pop music, I chose the artist Lizzo – because her music is catchy but in a way that forces ALL of my attention to the lyrics, beat and melody of her music. It does not draw my attention in a way (as Adorno would say) that “is simultaneously one of distraction and inattention”. Lizzo's music focus all my attention because it is funny, sexy and catchy, but also because it is socially accepting of large women, people of all colors, and all sexualities.
Interestingly while researching Lizzo further online, I did discover that in spite of her unique messaging, she has been accused of copying other’s work. One of her most popular songs “Truth Hurts” has been under fire for being too similar to artist Rae Sremmurd’s song “Black Beatles”. Listen to a comparison below.
Additionally, Lizzo has been taken to court and ordered to give partial credit for using a twitter post by singer songwriter Mina Lioness as a lyric in the same song.
Whether right/true or not, I feel like this is an example of Bermingham’s Remix manifesto – specifically “that our future is becoming less free” by allowing copyright to limit innovation. I personally cannot explain how acoustically this song still seems groundbreakingly original to me, I simply do not have the knowledge or vocabulary to do so – but I know that it is the “paralanguage” of many compelling sounds, lyrics, beats etc. reshaped into a unique form that did it. “Paralanguage refers to the nonverbal vocal cues that accompany words (e.g., pitch, volume, rate pauses) to convey the emotional tone of a message… We can only determine which emotion is communicated by considering all the paralinguistic cues holistically in conjunction with one another and with the words.” (Sellnow, 172)
This video on the making of Lizzo’s music breaks down some of the very thoughtful inspirations, and unique sounds used in the making of “Truth Hurts” and how they were combined to create the record-breaking album “Cuz I Love You”.
Start at 2:47 to hear about "Truth Hurts" specifically.
After reading and listening to the videos above, my question for you is, do you think Lizzo stole from fellow artists or is her song “Truth Hurts” an original work inspired by others?
Probably by far my favorite section of our reading all semester. Music in general has always been a favorite pastime of mine. It probably doesn’t matter what I’m doing, I always find an excuse to listen to music. I listen to music while showering, doing homework, working out, working,or even cleaning. Music has always influenced my mood. Interestingly enough I can honestly say that I consider music as an aesthetic. A term that comes easily to me now is Musical Aesthetics, according to Sellnow, it's the appreciation and evaluation of musical form or design (Sellnow,pg 170). I would consider myself someone who appreciates music to the extent of simply just enjoying listening to music. I agree with the idea that Music as communication is often used for individuals and unique meanings each of us might give to certain types of musical work. For example, the song “ We are Young” by F.U.N would be considered an uplifting song. Others might interpret the song otherwise resulting with a different set of unique meaning and understanding to the individual. Back in high school this would be a song I constantly listened to when I needed to feel good. I sometimes think of all the times I’ve been feeling down or depressed and very often music was always there to comfort me. It was honestly something I was always able to lean on.
Another thing I found interesting would be the fact that music is able to communicate emotions by determining the release pattern & intensity pattern. Release patterns are feelings of relief as opposed to intensity patterns which are feelings of tension(Dewey 1934). Examples of release patterns could be piano pieces called “River Flows” by Yiruma. This is an excellent example of a soothing melody that can lead to release patterns. This can mirror a heartbeat , depending on how fast a certain beat is the heart rate would soon follow the rhythm. As opposed to an intensity pattern like “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor. Thus resulting with a faster resting heartbeat.
My question to my fellow classmates would be are there songs in your life that can communicate certain release or intensity patterns? If so, what are they and why would they be considered a release or intensity pattern.
In light of recent events, on a global scale, we have seen a major transition in the way music is perceived, experienced, and written. Artists have gone out on a limb to connect with their fans, in a white knuckle attempt to stay relative.
Country artists have taken center stage in doing Facebook live sessions with their fans and allowing the masses to enjoy them in their prior “private” settings causing an influx in demand for a more personal approach to music delivery. Luke Combs and Garth Brooks have over 50 free Facebook Live sessions with millions of views, and the numbers continue to rise. Garth, being the innovator that he is, found a way to capitalize off of the pandemic by streaming live to paying customers at drive in theaters only. Pay to get in, and you get to see. A “concert” of sorts, which were sold out within hours. People didn’t care how, where, or when…...they needed human experience because the superficiality of their own lives seemed to satiate very little, outside of a demand for whisky and increase in divorce attorney searches.
The rock music scene experienced an interesting twist as well - promoting an underage angry teenage girls - not because she was scantily clad skipping around the halls of a school in a “uniform” and pigtails, but because Billie Eillish brought something different to the table - honesty. In like kind, “Parasite Eve” by Bring Me The Horizon found a way to say what we were all thinking in light of the conspiracy theories and unconventional at best social situations we faced.
But from the fringe, what has become more interesting than the usual players getting innovative to maintain status - or new trends hitting the airways with green hair - is a reinvention as the causation of a band to rise to unparalleled heights in the music industry.
Asking Alexandria, is an English rock band that formed in 2006. Three years later, a few band member additions, and a heavy dark sound, they released the album “Stand up and scream” in 2009.” Mild success, a move to the US, and an escalating drug problem reflected in their music - leading to a stagnation in their careers and a dissemination of the band. Warsop (lead singer) is fired from the band, despite being the front man. The drug and alcohol consumption of the band had ultimately led to a highly toxic environment that left little room for music, a band, a career, or friendship. However, two years later - after flirting with a new front man - the band made a decision to first: get sober and second: get back together.
What happened next was nothing short of impressive. The new sound, which carries a much lighter base line, and far more substantial lyrics - boosted the band to heights they could not have imagined. Ranked as the number four band on the planet, their new record “House on Fire'' features singles such as “House on Fire” and “With all due respect.” New/old front man Danny Warsop took it a step further and released a blues/country album as a solo - breaking all rules of “don’t die in the eye of a stringent ear” as defined by historical music law (Corey Taylor being an exception).
Shrouded with opinion from the media - the listener base just keeps growing and the songs keep coming.
In an interview with The Guardian the band commented:
And are you all happy now?
“Completely. That’s why it’s such a bummer when you see people getting so spiteful towards you for discovering your happiness. This band has always been about us. Since day one, it’s been about five people telling their stories to the world. That’s not changed. Maybe you relate to a certain part of our story more than another, and that’s fine. That part of the story is still there. It can be re-read, it can be re-listened to, but it can’t be re-lived for us.”
The relatability of their new music has struck a cord with their listeners - even the angry ones from 2006. It emphasizes a rise from the wars we all face and the identification of those who hold us back - most commonly, ourselves. Their new “enlightened” and introperspective vantage is resonating with a world who is starved for a deeper meaning to their own life, rather than the superficiality of the next “superficial soul mate” or ‘f&#k you B#@$@” chorus line.
Do yourself a favor - listen to this song. Close your eyes and listen to the transitions between the harmonies, piano, and brutal truth that could only be delivered by a rock band.
“I saw the world a couple times, tried to cure the ache with absence
But that hole was still a hole, and my mind kept playing tricks on me
Feeling older every day, took everything I had to not crash and burn
But I'm starting to learn
Sometimes I'll fall down, sometimes I'll lose hope
But those days will be few if I keep my feet on the ground
I might be lonely, but I ain't alone here
So I keep pushing the limits of what makes me me”
When you’re done - listen to the original recording (not acoustic) and decide which one resonates more with you, and why.
And because you are now aware of intent behind the music - finish it up with “House on Fire” and decide who/what it is you need to leave behind so it all falls away - like a house on fire.
Like a house on fire
“Wage war on your preconceptions
Of my exception to come
What you rely on to give purpose to your lifelong dreams
Of being what you'll never become
'Cause you gotta give
More than you've got to give
To watch it all fall
As I watch it fall away from me
(Like a house on fire, like a house on fire)
And all I am turn to all I can be
(Like a house on fire, like a house on fire)”
As the world, devoid of knowledge of the intent behind the album, drinks it in bottoms up - there is a new motivation developing. If breaking the chains of preconceptions and rising is the new mantra - I’ll put up with the YouTube ads and keep it on repeat.
Of all the elements of pop culture, I think music is one that I relate to and get the most excited about. I love listening to music and using music to change my environment or mood, whether that be putting on a killer playlist when friends come over, or listening to music that gets my hyped when I go for a run or something.
An element of music that I found interesting was the idea of congruent and incongruent music. Congruent music is when the lyrics match the tone of the actual music, and incongruent is when the lyrics don't feel like they match the music, so if there are really sad lyrics but the sound of the song sounds really fun. One of my favorite examples of congruent music is in the Taylor Swift song Exile from one of her recent albums. The lyrics of this song are a duet between a man and a woman and their breakup. Here's the chorus of the song:
So step right out There is no amount Of cryin' I can do for you
All this time We always walked a very thin line You didn't even hear me out (you didn't even hear me out) You never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs)
All this time I never learned to read your mind (never learned to read my mind) I couldn't turn things around (you never turned things around) 'Cause you never gave a warning sign (I gave so many signs) So many signs So many signs (you didn't even see the signs)
The lyrics are sad and heartbreaking about how this couple couldn't make it work and how they failed to read each other's mind or turn things around in the relationship. The reason this song is congruent is because the actual instrumental music of this song is very deep and sad which matches the lyrics, and when this chorus hits the music matches the anxiety and sad feeling. The piano hits the chords very hard and strong and the sound gets a bit more high pitched which alludes to the anxious feeling of the breakup. This type of congruent music is my favorite kind. When the lyrics and instrumentals match and are congruent like this, I feel like that's when the illusion of life comes out for me in music. The illusion of life is, as defined by Susanne Langer, when we symbolize our own life experiences through music and the emotions we are hearing through music represent our own emotions and experiences in life. I've been through breakups in life before and I could relate to these emotions in this song because it wasn't just the lyrics I was relating to, it was the lyrics and the instrumental music all together that put together this virtual experience.
My question for the class, do you prefer congruent or incongruent music?
Have you ever noticed when you are listening to the radio and a song comes on and it sounds familiar? Or a song references another song by using a line out of it and everyone understands the reference. This is nothing new and has been going on for a long time now! Someone finds a beat and years later someone copies that beat or creates something so similar it’s almost hard to tell the difference. People will even purchase the rights to songs and use the chorus in their song in hopes of making it a hit because people recognize it.
Examples of this happening are ones like the time Taylor Swift opened up a performance with a drum-line and people believed that she stole it all from Beyonce’s homecoming intro. Or more recently Jason Derulo has been accused of copying a teenager’s Tik Tok song he uploaded and people started using. Another example would be Shakira’s famous theme song from the 2010 world cup was actually a song already from back in 1986 by the Golden Sound. Do artists believe that these songs that have done well in the past will perform well again because of the intensity patterns and release patterns? Or is it the linguistic cues that they feel will catch people’s attention with their fast, slow, low pitch, or high pitch cues that people enjoy time and time again? What is the reasoning for artists to continue borrowing and stealing old beats and rhythms?
My questions for you are these. Are artists running out of original ideas? Is it ok in your opinion for artists to use old music in their songs now? How do you feel about borrowing, copying and stealing music whether it be lyrics, beats, or melodies?
Ever since my first viewing in childhood, I have loved the Star Wars movies. The movies that were released in the1970s will always rule the franchise, in my humble opinion. A major point that solidified these movie's endearment in my childhood memories was Carrie Fisher's character, Princess Leia.
This princess was cool!
She was smart. She was strong. She was brave. She was well-spoken. She always hoped. She always fought. I liked this "fairy tale" the best, where the princess got her hands dirty and got that handsome scoundrel.
Now taking this class has stirred my interest in revising this long-time favorite movie to analyze this character that I enjoy so much from a feminist perspective.
The first Star Wars movie, A New Hope, kicks off with what appears to be a mysterious damsel in distress, but she doesn’t go down without shots fired. She must be forcefully detained from fleeing the imperial soldiers that apprehend her space ship.
Before she is captured, she cleverly sends top secret information with instructions for its delivery to the rebels. which goes to key male characters, Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker. These guys pick up two more male characters, Han Solo and Chewbacca, who will provide transportation to Obi-Wan and Luke for a price.
After setting out to bring the top-secret plans to planet Alderaan, they discover that their destination has been completely destroyed by an ultimate weapon. Now with nowhere to go, they end up coming across the enemy ship where Leia is being held as a prisoner. The enemy ship captures their very small ship. By hiding within their ship's smuggling compartments, they avoid immediate capture, hatch a plan to escape the enemy ship, and, as an afterthought, decide to save the Princess.
Luke, Han, and Chewie's "storming the castle to save the princess routine" doesn’t go so well.The men do their best but kinda blunder and blast their way to the princess, and things just don’t go very well or covertly for that matter.
Leia then speaks up taking authority over her rescue, "Somebody's got to save our skins!"
She acts
Leia takes initiative in her own problems. She uses weapons when needed, and resists capture as long as possible in A New Hope. She is brave and faces torture for the sake of her rebel comrades to have a chance of defeating the empire.
She thinks
Leia outsmarts Darth Vader by sending the top-secret info off her captured ship in an unmanned escape pod. She thinks outside of the box even under blaster fire by escaping through the garbage shoot.
She communicates
She presentsherself in clothing that fits the function. We see her dress according to the demands of her tasks. She is a person, not an object. In the last movie, The Return of the Jedi, she is forced to be objectified in seductive clothing when she is enslaved by Jaba the Hutt. She takes change again when the time comes to escape, and she kills the Jaba with the chains he put on her.
The original Star Wars movies seem to present a positive reading in regard to their portrayal of women with Leia. However, male characters vastly outnumber the female characters in all three of these 1970s movies.
I wonder if my classmates think that the newer Star Wars movies or spin-offs offer a positive feminist reading?
When thinking and reading and talking about female empowerment being shown on the big screen and in media, my mind immediately goes to Wonder Woman. I am not a fan of DC comics and had no idea the story of Wonder Woman, but my husband being a fan of all super hero movies got me to watch Wonder Woman with him and ever since she has been my super hero idol. She is the absolute portrayal of female strength. When watching her movies I can see a role model that I can relate to and aspire to share characteristics with. While watching Iron Man and Spider Man are great too, there's something different about being a woman and watching a woman be the most powerful and smartest one in the room.
Now that you know my love of Wonder Woman, you'll understand why this image makes me angry.
Wonder Woman the movie was directed by Patty Jenkins, but in the movie Justice League, the whole group of superheroes in the DC comics, the director was a man, Zack Snyder. Notice the difference in how the 'Amazons' (the woman from Wonder Woman's homeland) are dressed with a man vs woman director. This is a clear example of the feminist perspective mentioned in the readings that is so important to have in media. I loved Wonder Woman not because she was hot, or had an amazing body, or a killer six pack, but because she was smart, fierce, strong and brave. With Snyder as the director all of those traits get lost with the Amazon's for me because they instead choose to focus on the physical beauty of the Amazons by showing more skin and making their wardrobes more 'sexy'.
Having women in media and entertainment is so important for this reason. To show girls and woman alike that it is not their physical appearance that gives them worth and strength, but rather it's their strength that gives them strength. Their worth gives them worth. Without women's perspectives we are not going to be able to break out of the men's perspective that has ruled society for so long.
My question for the class, do you feel that something as simple as a wardrobe choice like above makes as big of a difference as I think? Do you think having a woman vs man director is what causes these types of differences in movies?
This was a great module of feminism. This module helped me
understand some of the thought processes of proclaimed feminists. In addition, I
looked at these thoughts with an empathetic lens. Pop Culture, in some regards,
depicts feminists in a negative light. There are some aspects of pop culture
that depicts feminism as positive. One example is in the movie GI Jane. In the
movie “Jane” is given an opportunity to attend the toughest Military Training
in the world, Navy SEAL Training. Jane was afforded the opportunity to addend
due to a female Senator, jockeying for political capital, pressuring the Navy
to allow a Woman to attend the training. Fully believing Jane would fail out of
the training. To the Senator’s chagrin, Jane was able to make her stand as the
first woman in SEAL training. Furthermore, Jane passes all training assessments
and became a SEAL.
When I was younger, this was one of my favorite movies. It
is a classic American underdog story, but I think it really made waves in congress.
Now, the Army specifically, is revamping many programs to ensure equal
opportunity for all genders. An example of this the Army Combat Physical Test
(currently under review by Congress). This Physical Test is age and gender neutral.
Meaning, regardless of your gender, all are required to take the same test.
Based on an individual’s physical ability assessed through said test. That individual
will qualify for specific Military Jobs that are in line with that individual’s
physical ability. Which I believe is a step in the right direction.
Given your understanding or impressions of the Military, do
you think the Army is on the right path with the ACFT to make ensure fairness regardless
of gender?
I thought a fun artifact to analyze using this week’s readings on feminist theory would be the three-part series, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989), Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991), and Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020). I think these films are fun to analyze through feminist eyes because they span a 30-year period, and evolve to match the “time’s” of each release.
The easiest way to analyze this is by looking at the female characters and overall diversity in each film’s cast.
Film 1: Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
This first film gets a few things right from a feminist perspective. Bill and Ted are in no way stereotypically masculine. In fact, their relationship is so close, an insecure few may even deem it a bit inappropriate. They also poke fun at some masculine tropes such as having Genghis Kahn go berserk using sports equipment.
The fault lies in the way’s women are represent. The cast is almost completely white and male, with some small exceptions. For example, there is Missy a young white woman just a couple years older than Bill & Ted but married to Bill’s father. Missy is very much an object in this film.
Another women Bill & Ted collect during their travels is Joan Of Arc, but because she doesn’t speak English, she doesn’t have any lines. The same can be said of the only person of color in this film Genghis Kan. But somehow white male Socrates can somehow speak in English (instead of Greek), and has many lines. Last of all Bill & Ted rescue two princesses who have names but are instead referred to as “the babes”. The princesses Elizabeth and Joanna are “rescued” from being married off to two old men, to modern America only to later be engaged to the two young men…
Film 2: Bill & Ted’s Bogus Adventure (1991)
From a feminist perspective this film is a bit better, but the cast is still mostly white and male. A couple things of note are that Bill & Ted’s evil robot doppelgängers are obvious representations of toxic masculinity.
They force themselves on princesses Joanna and Elizabeth, who (in this more female empowered plot) fight them back and then break off their engagements. The motive for the real Bill & Ted in this film is to fight their way out of Hell and save their princesses (which is an old worn out, non-feminist plot) from their evil robot clones.
The character of Missy gets a funny plot twist by reappearing as newly divorced from Bill’s dad, and freshly married to Ted’s dad. She is still objectified but reveals the lechery of both dads while signaling that perhaps she is the one in the driver’s seat, not the old men…
Bill & Ted Face the Music (2020)
This last film of the series has Bill & Ted as middle-aged men and yet to write their world changing song. This last film was written and released in the middle of the #metoo movement, Black Lives Matter movement and reflects the times, while still being playfully silly.
First of all, the cast is much more diverse – now middle-aged Bill & Ted have two teen-age daughters, Billie & Thea. Apparently during the writing process Bill & Ted’s kids began as sons but were later switched to daughters. This casting switch may seem like pandering to some, but I think it instead gives a fresh look to what could have seemed like a boring rehash of an old franchise. Unlike their dads, Billie and Thea have been studying music and music history their whole lives and are ultimately shown to be responsible for the world changing song’s creation. The girls have their own adventure through time, collecting famous (and much more diverse) musicians such as African American Louie Armstrong and Lennie Kravitz, cavewoman drummer Grom (played by real female drummer Anne Miller), female Chinese musician Ling Lun and more.
Also Missy makes another appearance by asking Bill & Ted to play music at her third wedding to Ted's brother Decon...
Although all three films are not perfect from a feminist perspective, Bill and Ted’s personalities are the same throughout. Casey Cipriani put it well in his movie review for The Bustle when he said, “Bill and Ted have always been a couple of gently masculine feminist dudes, which makes the fact that their daughters save the world just a natural progression of themselves… an exponential elaboration on Ted’s simple message from the first movie: Be excellent to each other.”
Ta Loca! As George Lopez says in the late night show the George Lopez show. This is something common the character says throughout the TV SitCom soon after his wife says something to him that he thinks is just outrageous. The reading about the “Beauty & the Patriarchal Beast comes into mind, due to how relatable the George Lopez show is. An immense amount of sit-comes have been presenting beautiful smart, strong, and witty women who are often married and partnered up with inept, obese, obnoxious, immature, and somehow always in some kind of trouble type of men.If my memory serves me right, I remember always laughing at George because of all the obnoxious jokes and remarks he makes around everyone. From what I can recall, Regina was always getting mad at George about something. She usually was always right and would always have the stance of crossing her arms and saying “I told you so” to her husband.
Interestingly enough it was quite nice to see this new type of show develop. Other remarkable shows similar to George Lopez would be Modern Family, the Simpsons, and Family guy. One of the things most of these shows have in common would be the fact that they all have men who are shown in a certain light that demeans them and ridicules them. Oftentimes, women in these kinds of shows are shown making fun of them or proving them wrong. Another interesting part in the insights of “Beauty & the Patriarchal Beast” was the fact that domestic comedies do not often show “macho men” only because women are the target audience for sitcoms(slide 5). I find it interesting to see that this is the common trend for people like me. After reading this article, I am convinced that film writers these days do everything in their power to target women like me. Since the majority of the shows that I find entertaining or appealing are shows that are constantly being made. Therefore already showing us things that have already been “pre-digested”.
A question I have for my fellow classmates is are there shows you think target a specific group directly? If so what are they ? and in this case, what are the common trends that movies or shows you started noticing?
Women in pop culture have been put into a box. They have been shown that the most important thing about a woman is nothing is their beauty and their body. More importantly it is the way you look to a man that is the most important. The media tells us were supposed to inferior to men, our job is to look pretty, cook, and clean. Women don't belong in the workplace, shouldn't hold positions of authority, and also shouldn't even think about sports or participate in them because those are all boy things. Girls play with dolls and the boys play sports. There are two popular shows about young football players "We Are: The Brooklyn Saints" and "Liberty City". A young girl looking to watch a show about girls her age has limited options, but the most popular being "Toddlers and Tiaras" where girls get judged based upon their beauty with a face full of makeup.
Media has given women in sports a terrible name. The quote from one of my favorite movies Sandlot is "You Play Ball Like A Girl!" Like a girl? What does that mean? It means again, like everything else portrayed in media women are inferior to men. "A League of Their Own" was one of the first inspiring and empowering female sports movies. Debuting in 1992 it is still the gold standard not just of female-centric movies. A league of their own is the men are called off to war, and the women get to play. The movie is based on a true story and brings light to woman fighting to amount to more than being a pretty house wife. Even in the movie it demonstrates the struggles women faced represents how "sex sales" and the women are playing for the pleasure of men and given skirts to play in, instead of the traditional baseball pants the men wear.
A Superbowl ad by Always created the #LikeAGirl campaign and it shows girls and boys of various ages being prompted questions such as "run like a girl" or "throw like a girl" the older ones and young boys had an un-athletic and un-coordinated demonstration, but when the question was asked to young girls the response was much different. The young girls haven't been influenced by media to think that they "like a girl" is an insult yet. It was very cool to see Vanderbilt's Sarah Fuller be the first female football player in FSU history and represent the words "like a girl" on her helmet. I hope times are changing and we are making strides that doing anything "like a girl" is a positive statement.
My question is how to we keep girls from feeling this way as they get older in not only sports, but in every area of life? Do you think we as a society are progressing in the right direction with female empowerment?
