Assignment 1-3 Journal Article Analysis

All of us at some point have watched what society calls a “chick flick.” Whether we have been forced to watch it or it has been at our own will chick flicks seem to carry the same theme. They usually involve romance, some comedy and center around the life of a woman. This woman could be ill, crazy or funny but in some way woman are drawn to these types of movies. Some popular chick flicks are Hope Floats, A Walk to Remember and How to Lose a Guy in 10 days. These movies contain good looking women, men and romance.

This is a book about chick flick movies and how they have boomed over the past 20 years. It is made up of 12 essays and explains that as each movie is produced, it allows for the range that defines what a chick flick is to be expanded. The timeframe for the movie topics that are covered include the 1950’s to early 2000’s. The authors compare various movies in a unique style.

One movie comparison included Audrey Hepburn in the 1957 movie Funny Face and My Fair Lady from 1964 to the 2006 hit The Devil Wears Prada (O’Bannions, 2008). These movies are considered to be “makeover” flicks because the leading ladies go from one type of woman into one whose personality and style is new and different.

Some of these essays also address the issue of feminism which seemed to have played a large part in the making of this book. Other comparisons include postfeminism to postmenopausal passion (O’Bannion). The movies included for this are Steel Magnolias and Devine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and how women can be equal and make a stand for themselves. The Postmenopausal movies are like Something’s Gotta Give which was addressed in one essay. The point of this essay is to explain how this type of story line with an older woman has brought about a new style of chick flicks.

One particular subject of interest that was included in this book was on the lesbian style films. The film Go Fish was compared to the traditional chick flick movies. Because the lesbian films are centered around the lives of women who are attracted to other women there is a totally different story line than the traditional chick flick. While the women can have similar personalities the situations and circumstances they deal with are diverse which make for an interesting turn of events and fan base.

The final type of movie that is described in this book are about those that include women in the military or those that hold a strong, masculine character role. These women are strong and portray to a crowd of men and women. This type of movie would include G.I. Jane.

This article was mind opening and gave good insight into what the book Chick Flicks is about. It is interesting to see the wide range of female movies that were made and comparison to each of them. To think chick flicks from the 1960’s had a similar storyline to those of today. Apparently the basis for a good chick flick is relatively the same other than a few minor details.

References:

O’Bannion, C. M. (2008) Chick flicks: contemporary women at the movies. Journal of Popular Culture. October Vol. 41(5) p. 899 – 901

Assignment 5-1 Weekly Analysis

Shania Twain hit the country scene in 1993. Some of her popular songs include Man! I Feel Like a Woman, Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under and From This Moment. Now in the limelight again she is dealing with her split from husband Robert “Mutt” Lange due to a possible affair he had with a family friend. People recently reported that she is spending time with friends and Frédéric Thiébaud (Haralson, 2008).

Shania was married for 14 years and had several hits and won numerous awards (Chiu, 2008). Her husband was a very well known producer in the music industry and preferred living a private lifestyle so they move to Switzerland. That is where they raised their son Eja. Shania was born in Canada and began singing at the age of 4 (Chiu).

Since the news of the affair Shania has been writing songs, spending time with friends, going skydiving and playing tennis (Haralson, 2008). Hopeuflly this time with family and friends will allow her to heal and possibly become more involved with her music. Maybe eventually she will begin to tour and create an album. I am sure her die hard fans will come out of the woodwork to buy the CD and see her in concert.

References:
Chiu, A. Shania’s broken heart. June 9, 2008. People magazine. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20204147,00.html

Haralson, J. Shania Twain enjoys time with pal Frédéric Thiébaud. December 12, 2008. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20246450,00.html

Assignment 4-1 Weekly Analysis

Jennifer Aniston has been in the public eye since she got her primetime start on Friends in 1994. The show ran for 10 seasons and other than being in a few episodes of various television shows she has not been a part of a primetime cast like she was in Friends. Since she gained such popularity she made girls and women want her shag hair style, her body and especially her leading men. Brad Pitt, Vince Vaughn and John Mayer are pretty easy on the eyes and with her looks it is no wonder that each of them have been a part of her life.

On Christmas Day her new movie Marley & Me with Owen Wilson will be hitting the theatres and it looks like it will be pretty entertaining. Some of her other popular movies that I really enjoy are Along Came Polly, Rumor Has It, The Break-Up and Bruce Almighty. Prior to Friends, Jennifer stared in a television show based on the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off entitled Ferris Bueller, an episode of Quantum Leap and Camp Cucamonga.

The most recent news about Jennifer Aniston is her interview in Entertainment Weekly and her choice of words regarding being pregnant. She is 39 years old and seems hopeful in becoming pregnant at some point in her life. I think it is interesting how Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have so many children now and Jennifer does not. Maybe that is one reason why Brad and Angelina fell in love.

I have a 3 three year old and one on the way. Being a mom has its challenges but it is an amazing journey that I hope everyone that desires children can experience. Maybe someday Jennifer Aniston will have children of her own with John Mayer or someone else. There is no doubt that when she does the media will be all around her wanting details and pictures.

Assignment 3-1 Weekly Analysis

A popular game at family gatherings, tailgate parties and office picnics is Cornhole. This game is gaining players both young and old all over the United States. This simple act of throwing a bean bag into a hole on a wooden board is a great way to pass the time. There are two teams that compete to be the first to reach or exceed 21.

This game is played for fun and also as a tournament. There is a local pub in my area that has a Cornhole tournament every Thursday where the team wins a cash prize. Some nights there are a lot of people that attend while other nights there are hardly any.

To learn more about the game and purchase special gear simply go to www.playcornhole.org. This is the website for the American Cornhole Association. This site lists the rules, how to play, how to start a tournament and any recent news related to the game. Cornhole boards can also be bought on numerous other sites or you can have a set made especially for you. Due to the fact we are in the Buckeye state it is not hard to spot the popular OSU Cornhole boards with scarlet and gray bean bags.

Some other accessories for this game include scoreboards, totes for the bean bags and even lights for the holes on the board. These lights run off of a 9 volt battery and can be attached to any board. This type of accessory can allow for all night cornhole playing.

Who would have thought a simple bean bag game would gain such popularity in society. It is a game that is played year around in our family whether outside in the grass in the summer or in the barn in the winter time.

Assignment 2-1 Weekly Analysis

Although John McCain did not win the Presidency this November, his running mate Sarah Palin left a mark on the election and hopefully opened the door for women to fight for their spot in politics and their place in the White House. Sarah Palin is currently Governor of Alaska and has worked to eliminate senseless spending and even removed the private jet, chef and driver designated for the Governor from the state’s expenses (About Sarah Palin, 2008).

Governor Palin has been married to Todd Palin for 20 years and is a mother of five. Her oldest son recently joined the military, her daughter became pregnant and her youngest son has special needs (About Sarah Palin). While dealing with various family issues in the public eye she handled herself in professional and strong manner that showed she was not one to back down over a little criticism.

In recent news Governor Palin recognized and honored fallen soldiers who died in a helicopter crash in Iraq (News & Announcements, 2008). While these two soldiers were from different states they were stationed in Wainwright, Alaska (News & Announcements). Last week she also appointed people to several government boards including the Mental Health Board and the Natural Resources Conservation and Development Board and recognized that the unemployment tax rate for Alaska has been decreased (News & Announcements).

The work that Governor Palin has done for Alaska is remarkable and she sets a great example of what someone can do when they are determined to make changes and works to accomplish them one step at a time. Hopefully this will encourage other young women to make their mark in their community and eventually obtain a position such as Governor and possibly even President.

References:
About Sarah Palin. (2008). Retrieved on November 18, 2008 from http://www.johnmccain.com/about/governorpalin.htm
News & Announcements. (2008). Retrieved on November 24, 2008 from http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1550

Assignment 2-2 Icon Analysis

When thinking of icons that have made an impression in society three that come to mind are Elton John, the television show Friends and the ever popular NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr. These three are all very different from each other but are easily recognized by a song, character or a number.

Elton John has had an incredible career since the 1970’s and can be recognized for famous songs such as Crocodile Rock, Rocket Man and Candle in the Wind. I had no idea who Elton John was until I spent time at my friend’s house as a kid. Her father was from England and was a huge fan of Elton John. From the time I was in third grade to now it never fails to hear an Elton John song playing at some point. I had it played at my wedding in honor of her dad who was not able to attend. Although I only know a few songs of his, his music will always be a part of my childhood.

The show Friends had a fantastic run on NBC for 10 seasons. This show can be considered an icon because it left mark on society and kicked off the careers for six actors who no one was that familiar with. The episodes are still being run on various channels and while there are no new episodes I am sure many people can sing the theme song while having flashes of the shows introduction going through their head. This has been and still is one of my favorite shows of all time.

When Dale Earnhardt Sr. died at Daytona in 2001 the NASCAR community suffered a great loss. He was a legend and an icon in the sport. His death prompted the initiation of head and neck restraints in the race cars. He was not only known for his famous number 3 but also as “The Man in Black.” He was my dad's favorite driver and his car was the first one I learned to recognize.He had a large following and while he may have been disliked by some he was loved by many. When thinking of NASCAR his career comes to mind and the fact that even though he had a full and successful run, it still seems that it was cut short.

These three icons may not mean much to other people but they always will to me. It is very interesting that while individually they are very different, they are each an icon of societies music, television and sports industry.

Assignment 1-4 Weekly Analysis

Popular culture affects people of all ages; toddlers, teens, adults and senior citizens. Each person has their own idea of what they enjoy and what influences them. For most three year olds a popular television channel is Noggin. This channel offers all of their favorite animated characters such as Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Backyardigans and Wonder Pets. For teenagers this channel is probably not watched much unless there are youngsters in the household. Noggin teaches preschoolers different shapes, animals, rhymes and numbers through the different shows. They understand how to relate to children and keep their attention.

Twenty years ago this type of educational programming for children was mainly through Sesame Street and a few other shows on PBS. Nowadays there are several outlets for children to learn basic and out of the ordinary information. For example, Go Diego Go is about a young boy who rescues animals in the jungle. These animals include pumas, llamas, sloths and even chinchillas. This type of cartoon educates children that there are animals other than just dogs, cats and fish. It also interacts with them about what type of equipment he should use to save them.

Most of the cartoons include music in their story line. The Backyardigans sing almost the entire time and even perform well known dances like the Charleston. These musical songs can be very catchy for the parents as well as the children.

Whether you are 3, 30 or 80 there are popular shows on television that have an influence, great or small, on the way we think. Noggin is very popular for children and while it is time that they are in front of the television, at least they are learning new things in a creative and nonviolent manner.