Final Exam bonus question #13

The first wave of feminism fights for basic rights, such as simple and human rights for women. It argues that society should allow women to have equal rights, in other words, it argues for the quantitative. The second wave of feminism fights against sexual harassment, and for equal recognition, arguing for the qualitative rather than the quantitative. For example the second wave fights for equal pay in the job and to break “the glass ceiling”. The second wave fights for roles as opposed to rights. The third wave of feminism re-claims power that the second wave takes away by appropriating signifiers of the dominant. For example the second wave says that being a housewife is demeaning, however a third wave feminist would take being a housewife and give it a sense of empowerment. An image of Hooters girls can explain all three waves. The first wave can argue that the girls have freedom of expression, therefore dressing this way expresses this right. The second wave would argue against this image because the girls are being exposed and sexualized, therefore degrading themselves. The third wave would argue that although the women are being exploited and sexualized, they made the decision to dress this way, therefore they are empowering themselves.

Final Exam question #10

Advertising and Lesbian/Gay Identity by Fejes, Ghosh’s Confusing’ Exotica: Producing India in U.S. Advertising, Black Sitcom Portrayals by Coleman all discuss how the media constructs and portrays the lifestyles and identities of marginalized groups. The trailer for Sex and the City 2 is an example of how homosexual, African American, and Indian cultures/identities are constructed by the media from an American perspective. Fejes states that advertisements often portray homosexuals to live a glamourous lifestyle. Media constructs them to seem like they all have a high income, live in urban areas, and enjoy the finer things in life, constructing “fake homosexuality”. This is exactly how Sex and the City constructs its homosexual characters. The Coleman article discusses how media constructs African Americans as either being as white as possible, or playing on negative stereotypes. For example, in the Sex and the City 2 trailer, there are no black people shown at all, leading to the interpretation that African Americans in New York City do not live that type of lifestyle. The Ghosh reading discusses exoticism, as well as how the Indian/Oriental culture is portrayed through advertising and media by distinguishing the difference between “us” and “them”. If something is seen as different or exotic, it is deemed as “cool”. In the trailer, it shows how they go to India for a glamourous vacation, however constructing the image of that culture from an American perspective. Therefore, all three readings describe how media constructs the image of these minorities. Because the affluent white american is seen as the norm/ideal, the media constructs minorities stereotypically, which leads to the creation of inequality between groups and how society views these groups.

Final Exam question #11

The Miracle Whip advertisement campaign “Don’t Be so Mayo” draws on my overall topic of how the “indie” music industry creates an imagined community by using youth and the commodification of rebellion to sell products. This advertisements shows a group of young adults enjoying themselves (partying) while bonding over Miracle Whip. The song in the background is from the rock genre and the people used are wearing “hip” clothing, mimicking the hipster subculture. The copy in this advertisement says “don’t’ blend in” and “don’t be ordinary” which is what the hipster culture prides itself in doing because it is rebelling against the mainstream. The two readings from class that relate to this idea are Frank’s “Why Can’t Johnny Dissent” and Baudrillard’s “Simulacra and Simulations”. In Franks article, he discusses dissent, or rebellion, and how everyone dissents in some shape or form. He says that “Consumerism is no longer about ‘conformity’ but about ‘difference’” In this case, by purchasing Miracle Whip, you are rebellion against the rest of mainstream society. The advertisement then uses young adults to portray this message because they are the ones most commonly linked with rebellion. Baudrillard’s article discusses the real, the imaginary, and the hyperreal. Basically I argue that an imagined community is created to sell products by creating a desire to be a part of that community. The article says that the real “no longer has to be rational, since it is no longer measured against some ideal or negative instance”, however the imaginary no longer exists as well, which creates the hyperreal. Everything in the advertisement is real, however everything that it is displaying (the relationships between the people) is imaginary, which is what makes up the hyperreal imagined community.

Final Exam question # 9

The article from the Onion called “Mexico Killed In Drug Deal” and a “real” New York Times news clip called “The Most Dangerous Beat: Juárez, Mexico are very similar in what issues they discuss, however the Onion is obviously making a joke out of it. The NY Times clip discusses how reporters are put in danger when investigating drug cartels and how the Mexican government and police force are corrupt. The article in the Onion also discusses the corruption of the government and drug cartel problems. In terms of agenda-setting, both news sources give importance to the issue due to the fact that it boarders the U.S and has impacts our country as well, or at least they manipulate it that way. Also, in terms of gate keeping, the NY Times clip monitors how much information they decide to give or not give, while the Onion will say anything because their information is not real.

Final Exam question #8

Mouse Trapped 2010 is an example of both cultural studies and political economy. Grossberg argues "the fact thats people do use the limited resources they are given to find better ways of living, to find ways of increasing the control they have over aspects of their lives, is significant, not only in itself, but also in terms of understanding the structures of power and inequality in the contemporary world and possibilites for challenging them "(630) This is shown with one of the men who was interviewed when he discussed how he has to choose between his medication and the food for the family, and he has to choose food. Understanding his personal troubles, leads us to look at the faults and inequalities of the institution (Disney) and challenge them. This film discusses how the Disney Corporation does not give their workers high enough wages or increases in pay, which can be argued with political economy. Mickey Mouse Monopoly gives an example of political economy when discussing how Disney buys ABC network, showing how the Disney Corporation has become a powerful corporation. This documentary is a great example of cultural studies because it discusses how Disney constructs social identities, and masks them with entertainment. Grossberg says that cultural studies looks at the nature of consumption and how it can produce pleasures, while simultaneously exploiting and manipulating aspects of the market. Therefore watching a Disney movie is enjoyable, however it constructs cultural ideas.

Final Exam question #7

The video How to Make Your Breasts Look Bigger is an appropriation of sexual signifiers such as how the girl "Penny" wants to sexualize herself to become more attractive to the opposite sex. Therefore by buying all the proper products, and doing the proper exercises, she is buying into consumerism and exemplifying how Americans will do anything to get noticed. In the end of the video, the sexual signifiers are then re-appropriated by Penny achieving her goal and rejecting Hank Rugburn, giving her back power in the situation. The film has a cheesy early pornography feel to it. It uses similar structure to the pornographic storyline of the girl calls the repair man to fix some appliance and then she seduces him into sleeping with her. In this case, she calls the repair man to get the attention wanted, and then once she receives the attention, she rejects him.

Final Exam question #6

Globalization is the spreading of cultures to other areas of the world. This advertisement shows globalization by how Conan immerses himself in the culture. It shows how he has already been exposed to the culture by respecting their way of living. Exoticism appropriates other elements of a culture and incorporates it into one culture, making it “cool”. The process of Conan making the curtain for his show, and then bringing it back to America is an example of this. Because the curtain is from another country, it makes it seem better than a curtain that was made in the U.S.