Much like an insidious disease, pre-movie commercials have crept into theaters within the last few years. It seems advertising will stop at no length to reach into as many facets of life as possible. This is only natural considering the purpose of advertising is to announce a product to a wide audience and induce a motive to buy.
The placement of advertisements before movies in theaters is a very recent occurrence. I can still remember experiencing the “Fanta, Fanta, get a Fanta!” jingle for the first time before a movie; a part of me most undoubtedly died at that moment. I can understand the need for movie trailers. I can also understand the purpose of television commercials during a show I did not pay for. I cannot, however, understand the purpose of pre-movie commercials playing at the start of the scheduled showtime of a movie I did pay for. It almost seems like a theft of time.
With the theft of time notwithstanding, advertisements exist in many things that have already been purchased. For example, magazines are commonly filled with advertisements. According to Gloria Steinem (1990), advertisements in magazines exist as a way to lower costs to readers. Without advertisements, magazines would have to increase prices to reflect their own costs (such as production, distribution, etc). Another example includes a yearlong experiment New York City underwent that involved embedding advertisement screens in the backseats of 120 taxicabs (Skenazy, 2003). While some of the backseat screens only play looped feeds of advertisements, many are interactive and provide useful information such as restaurant and event listings.
Perhaps it is through my lack of information that I scoff too hastily. Pre-movie advertisements, much like those found in magazines, could very well be a means of reducing theater costs and keeping ticket prices lower. When fake-buttered popcorn fails, advertise.
References
Skenazy, L. (2003). There’s no escape from ads: even in the backseat. In R. Browne (Ed.), Profiles of popular culture. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press.
Steinem, G. (1990). Sex, lies, and advertising. In M. Petracca and M. Sorapure (Eds.), Common
culture: Reading and writing about American popular culture (pp. 123-139). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Ritual Development
1. What is your understanding of the word "ritual?"
As far as I understand a ritual is a symbolic act that is practiced regularly.
2. What rituals do you observe in our society?
Rituals can vary from the more prosaic acts such as waking up at a certain time, grooming oneself, drinking a cup of coffee before heading to work to the more reverent such as attending regular church services, a child’s christening, observation of a sacred holiday, etc.
3. What rituals do you observe in your family?
The upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving is a prime example. It represents a time of year in which the family comes together under one roof, shares a well-prepared meal together, and enjoys the company of one another.
4. Are there any rituals that you can identify that are prevalent today? If so, what are they?
There are numerous rituals that take place daily that many of us easily overlook. For example, having designated times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Watching television, checking email, paying bills, and dating are all examples of rituals prevalent today.
5. What ritual would you like to develop for either our society or your family?
A ritual my girlfriend and I particularly need to develop in our own household is washing our dishes regularly – be it immediately after they have been used or at a designated time each evening. Without the regularity of such a ritual our sink (not to mention my sanity) goes into a total state of disarray.
As far as I understand a ritual is a symbolic act that is practiced regularly.
2. What rituals do you observe in our society?
Rituals can vary from the more prosaic acts such as waking up at a certain time, grooming oneself, drinking a cup of coffee before heading to work to the more reverent such as attending regular church services, a child’s christening, observation of a sacred holiday, etc.
3. What rituals do you observe in your family?
The upcoming holiday of Thanksgiving is a prime example. It represents a time of year in which the family comes together under one roof, shares a well-prepared meal together, and enjoys the company of one another.
4. Are there any rituals that you can identify that are prevalent today? If so, what are they?
There are numerous rituals that take place daily that many of us easily overlook. For example, having designated times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Watching television, checking email, paying bills, and dating are all examples of rituals prevalent today.
5. What ritual would you like to develop for either our society or your family?
A ritual my girlfriend and I particularly need to develop in our own household is washing our dishes regularly – be it immediately after they have been used or at a designated time each evening. Without the regularity of such a ritual our sink (not to mention my sanity) goes into a total state of disarray.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Assignment 2-1: Weekly Written Analysis 2
Form fitting jeans are the latest fashion trend in America. They are highly sought and many people are willing to pay excessive amounts of money for them. Contrary to current popular interests, tight jeans have not always been in such high demand. In fact, denim is rooted in very humble beginnings. It is only a matter of time before a new fashion trend comes to the forefront in popular culture.
Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Iggy Pop have all proudly flaunted skintight jeans (Zappia, 2005). They are three pop icons that very much embody rock. Form fitting jeans were at the height of fashion in the 70s and 80s. It was not until the late 1980s and early 1990s that they had fallen in popularity with men. With form fitting jeans gone, baggy jeans took over the male denim market. Carpenter jeans, with their purely aesthetic hammer loops, rose in popularity toward the late 90s and pre-“weathered” jeans (including but not limited to: grass stains, paint splatters, oil spills, and fraying holes) soon followed. It was not until a few years into the new millennium that tight jeans gained in popularity again. This rejuvenated interest is due almost entirely to music-scene male hipsters wearing tight “girl jeans” for camp appeal. Irony faded and the trend soon spiraled out into the mainstream.
Before the recent rebirth of form fitting jeans and even rock fashion of the 1970s, denim existed as a type of trousers worn only by the blue-collar working class. Jeans were tough and inexpensive but certainly not vogue. The hippy counterculture movement of the 60s adopted bell-bottom jeans and the trend was soon diffused into mainstream culture; designer denim was born (Heeney and Shen, 2003).
Everything has an origin in popular culture. Trends ebb and flow with the ever-changing interests of the societal whole. One must keep this in mind to remain fashionable.
References
Zappia, C. (2005). Real men wear it snug. The Village Voice,
Retrieved November 12th, 2007, from http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0514,zappia2,62697,15.html
Heeney, A. (Producer), & Shen, P. (Director). (2003). Flight from death: the quest for immortality [Motion picture]. Los Angeles, CA: Transcendental Media.
Mick Jagger, David Bowie, and Iggy Pop have all proudly flaunted skintight jeans (Zappia, 2005). They are three pop icons that very much embody rock. Form fitting jeans were at the height of fashion in the 70s and 80s. It was not until the late 1980s and early 1990s that they had fallen in popularity with men. With form fitting jeans gone, baggy jeans took over the male denim market. Carpenter jeans, with their purely aesthetic hammer loops, rose in popularity toward the late 90s and pre-“weathered” jeans (including but not limited to: grass stains, paint splatters, oil spills, and fraying holes) soon followed. It was not until a few years into the new millennium that tight jeans gained in popularity again. This rejuvenated interest is due almost entirely to music-scene male hipsters wearing tight “girl jeans” for camp appeal. Irony faded and the trend soon spiraled out into the mainstream.
Before the recent rebirth of form fitting jeans and even rock fashion of the 1970s, denim existed as a type of trousers worn only by the blue-collar working class. Jeans were tough and inexpensive but certainly not vogue. The hippy counterculture movement of the 60s adopted bell-bottom jeans and the trend was soon diffused into mainstream culture; designer denim was born (Heeney and Shen, 2003).
Everything has an origin in popular culture. Trends ebb and flow with the ever-changing interests of the societal whole. One must keep this in mind to remain fashionable.
References
Zappia, C. (2005). Real men wear it snug. The Village Voice,
Retrieved November 12th, 2007, from http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0514,zappia2,62697,15.html
Heeney, A. (Producer), & Shen, P. (Director). (2003). Flight from death: the quest for immortality [Motion picture]. Los Angeles, CA: Transcendental Media.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Icon Analysis
The popular culture of America is densely saturated with icons. Celebrities, cartoon characters, baseball, apple pie, and numerous other things can all be considered cultural icons. However, three contemporary examples in the business world include McDonald’s, Grey Goose, and the iPod. While all three may seemingly be unrelated, each has managed to carve its own marketing niche in today’s mainstream that is immediately recognizable,
McDonald’s is by far the most successful fast-food chain in the world. With its golden arches and bright red and yellow décor, it is hard to mistake a McDonald’s restaurant for anything else. They have executed many marketing techniques and strategies to form such a strong brand identity over the years. One such marketing tactic that has proved most successful for the corporation is specifically targeting children. In addition to the Happy Meal, McDonald’s has created an entire mythology with Ronald McDonald, Hamburgler, Grimace and the rest of the McDonaldland crew that captivates the minds of children. It is through this widespread success and memorable marketing that the corporation has been able to reach iconic status. Even I fondly think back on memories of going to McDonald’s as a child despite my strong distaste for the corporation now. Back then it represented a fun place to eat in my mind.
Grey Goose is a widely recognizable brand of vodka. It is often name dropped on hip-hop tracks because it is viewed as a symbol of prestige. Much of its success and iconic status is owed to marketing, its high price, and perceived high quality by its loyal imbibers. For many it may represent prestige but for me it is not much more than a marketing gimmick. Similarly priced but much less well known, Pravda is a true enthusiast’s vodka of choice.
As with McDonald’s and Grey Goose, another product that has achieved iconic status through clever marketing is the iPod. It was first marketed toward younger consumers with its silhouetted and youthful advertisements that were and still remain nearly inescapable. As a result of successful marketing, the iPod phenomenon has gone well beyond just the youth demographic and now resonates throughout all markets. It is sleek, innovative, and represents not only to me but numerous other consumers a quintessential a device to own in our technologically advanced world. This is why I feel the iPod has vastly become the portable media player of choice in our society.
McDonald’s is by far the most successful fast-food chain in the world. With its golden arches and bright red and yellow décor, it is hard to mistake a McDonald’s restaurant for anything else. They have executed many marketing techniques and strategies to form such a strong brand identity over the years. One such marketing tactic that has proved most successful for the corporation is specifically targeting children. In addition to the Happy Meal, McDonald’s has created an entire mythology with Ronald McDonald, Hamburgler, Grimace and the rest of the McDonaldland crew that captivates the minds of children. It is through this widespread success and memorable marketing that the corporation has been able to reach iconic status. Even I fondly think back on memories of going to McDonald’s as a child despite my strong distaste for the corporation now. Back then it represented a fun place to eat in my mind.
Grey Goose is a widely recognizable brand of vodka. It is often name dropped on hip-hop tracks because it is viewed as a symbol of prestige. Much of its success and iconic status is owed to marketing, its high price, and perceived high quality by its loyal imbibers. For many it may represent prestige but for me it is not much more than a marketing gimmick. Similarly priced but much less well known, Pravda is a true enthusiast’s vodka of choice.
As with McDonald’s and Grey Goose, another product that has achieved iconic status through clever marketing is the iPod. It was first marketed toward younger consumers with its silhouetted and youthful advertisements that were and still remain nearly inescapable. As a result of successful marketing, the iPod phenomenon has gone well beyond just the youth demographic and now resonates throughout all markets. It is sleek, innovative, and represents not only to me but numerous other consumers a quintessential a device to own in our technologically advanced world. This is why I feel the iPod has vastly become the portable media player of choice in our society.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Weekly Written Analysis 1
A current topic in regards to pop culture that interests me is the film industry’s seeming inability to produce an original screenplay anymore. Aside from rentals, I cannot even remember the last time I saw a film that was not a remake or an adaptation. The current market is almost entirely devoid of any new and engaging works. Between remakes and adaptations of novels, studios are now turning to videogames and “graphic novels” (in other words: comic books) as cinematic fodder as well. There are probably numerous other sources I am neglecting to mention.
One of the most recent cases that I find particularly aggravating is the remake of Japanese director Takashi Miike’s One Missed Call. First of all, the original was intended to be taken as satire. Apparently when the rights to the remake received its greenlight, somebody was completely oblivious to that fact. Takashi Miike, who is more well known for his extremist depictions of violence and sexual taboos (imdb.com, 2007), made One Missed Call as a statement about all of the ridiculous J-horror films being released at that time. Hollywood either didn’t understand or just chose to ignore that fact and saw it as a money making opportunity just to cash in on the success of Japanese horror remakes such as The Ring, The Grudge, etc.
Sometimes a remake can be appropriate given the right context. Take for example Peter Jackson’s remake of King Kong. The original (and to a lesser extent, its ’76 remake) is known for its “pioneering special effects using stop-motion models, animatronics and evocative story" (Wikipedia.org, 2007). Peter Jackson’s 2007 remake followed in that same tradition and won three Academy Awards for visual effects, sound mixing, and sound editing (Wikipedia.org, 2007). I am generally not one for big, over-the-top summer blockbusters but I can at least appreciate the film for what it is.
Remakes and adaptations have been around since the very beginning of cinema. However, I find it absolutely unbearable when every new film inundating the mainstream falls neatly under one of these two categories. It is a larger epidemic than the majority of people seem to realize because, often times it seems, titles are changed and the films are not even acknowledged as a remake. Drawing influence from a work is fine but, in my opinion, there is little to no artistic merit to be found in a direct remake. They exist primarily as a means of making money. But, after all, the film industry is a business and making money is their objective. I, however, desire more out of film. I’ll take Antonioni, Bunuel, Bergman, or Fellini over Michael Bay any day.
One of the most recent cases that I find particularly aggravating is the remake of Japanese director Takashi Miike’s One Missed Call. First of all, the original was intended to be taken as satire. Apparently when the rights to the remake received its greenlight, somebody was completely oblivious to that fact. Takashi Miike, who is more well known for his extremist depictions of violence and sexual taboos (imdb.com, 2007), made One Missed Call as a statement about all of the ridiculous J-horror films being released at that time. Hollywood either didn’t understand or just chose to ignore that fact and saw it as a money making opportunity just to cash in on the success of Japanese horror remakes such as The Ring, The Grudge, etc.
Sometimes a remake can be appropriate given the right context. Take for example Peter Jackson’s remake of King Kong. The original (and to a lesser extent, its ’76 remake) is known for its “pioneering special effects using stop-motion models, animatronics and evocative story" (Wikipedia.org, 2007). Peter Jackson’s 2007 remake followed in that same tradition and won three Academy Awards for visual effects, sound mixing, and sound editing (Wikipedia.org, 2007). I am generally not one for big, over-the-top summer blockbusters but I can at least appreciate the film for what it is.
Remakes and adaptations have been around since the very beginning of cinema. However, I find it absolutely unbearable when every new film inundating the mainstream falls neatly under one of these two categories. It is a larger epidemic than the majority of people seem to realize because, often times it seems, titles are changed and the films are not even acknowledged as a remake. Drawing influence from a work is fine but, in my opinion, there is little to no artistic merit to be found in a direct remake. They exist primarily as a means of making money. But, after all, the film industry is a business and making money is their objective. I, however, desire more out of film. I’ll take Antonioni, Bunuel, Bergman, or Fellini over Michael Bay any day.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
An Abridged Summary of Assignment 1-1.
What is popular culture, and what does it mean to you?
Popular culture is an ever-present, ubiquitous force that surrounds and shapes our daily lives. Existing on an adaptive and perpetually shifting continuum, popular culture has the power to influence what we, as humans, consume or think.
As I view it, pop culture is a unifying social device that, despite its largely superficial and insipid doctrines, has the ability to influence progression, bring about social change, and define entire generations.
Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant to you in a business environment and in your present and future career?
It enables a business, or an individual, to make decisions that are considerate to the shared interests, values, and social concerns/issues of the current mainstream demographic. If a business can accurately discern these needs it will ensure its financial future.
Take in example the iPod. It is, without a doubt, the current hotness. A business would be foolish to try marketing a Walkman on a large scale to directly compete with the iPod. In order to realize this, all one must do is turn to popular culture. iPod advertisements are every where from subways, Internet advertisements, to even product placement. Take this year's summer blockbluster Transformers in example. What was that media device Shia LaBeouf had with white ear buds? Oh that's right, an iPod.
What would you consider to be an example of a pop culture artifact? And why would you choose it?
When thinking of pop culture, one name immediately comes to mind: Michael Jackson. His reputation in the public’s opinion certainly is not what it once was but, at one time, he was considered the King of Pop. His career began in the 70s and his legacy still lives on -- albeit in mostly a negative light anymore but whatevs!
Popular culture is an ever-present, ubiquitous force that surrounds and shapes our daily lives. Existing on an adaptive and perpetually shifting continuum, popular culture has the power to influence what we, as humans, consume or think.
As I view it, pop culture is a unifying social device that, despite its largely superficial and insipid doctrines, has the ability to influence progression, bring about social change, and define entire generations.
Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant to you in a business environment and in your present and future career?
It enables a business, or an individual, to make decisions that are considerate to the shared interests, values, and social concerns/issues of the current mainstream demographic. If a business can accurately discern these needs it will ensure its financial future.
Take in example the iPod. It is, without a doubt, the current hotness. A business would be foolish to try marketing a Walkman on a large scale to directly compete with the iPod. In order to realize this, all one must do is turn to popular culture. iPod advertisements are every where from subways, Internet advertisements, to even product placement. Take this year's summer blockbluster Transformers in example. What was that media device Shia LaBeouf had with white ear buds? Oh that's right, an iPod.
What would you consider to be an example of a pop culture artifact? And why would you choose it?
When thinking of pop culture, one name immediately comes to mind: Michael Jackson. His reputation in the public’s opinion certainly is not what it once was but, at one time, he was considered the King of Pop. His career began in the 70s and his legacy still lives on -- albeit in mostly a negative light anymore but whatevs!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)