Sam Szabo's Blog

Final Post By: Sam

Sammi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:16:10 +0000

Let me start of by saying, I took this class because I took a very similar class like this in high school called “Media Analysis”. I absolutely loved it and I was hoping there wold be some classes like it for me to take in college. It turns out that “Popular Culture” opened my eyes so much more then I could have imagined. Blogging was not something I was used to, occasionally I would blog on my Myspace and tell people how I was feeling about a certain topic but of course I never had to back my facts up if I didn’t want to. This class helped me to understand more indept about the importance of references and backing up your topics.

A few of my posts were very fun to write and it was easy to see in my writing that I was excited about it. My first post Lyrics Run My World was small but meaningful to me and I think I was able to relate our readings in class very well. It took me awhile to find out exactly how I was going to relate it to class…but when I did I was very happy. My other posts weren’t as great though. In general I wish I would have taken more time and really researched what I was trying to get across. If I were to take the class again, I would know better and be able to get an even better understanding of popular culture.

My favorite part about blogging was the fact that I was able to read others thoughts and opinions and I was then able to comment on them. I was not forced to comment on a blog that I couldn’t relate to or a blog that I was unsure of. Our class was awesome and everyone was very understanding of others views and we were all very professional if we ever disagreed with someones thoughts or ideas. I personally do not think that I fully disagreed with anyone actually. This is shocking because I usually have a completly different idea for at least one person. I liked writing for this class, althought as I type I keep looking down at the bottom of the page hoping that I was at least fifty words closer to being done.

I wouldn’t change anything besides needing better refrences in my project. I believe it highlights who I am, even if it is not done perfectly. Blogs can’t be perfect. I think my worst post would be My Avatar…wanna date her? besides a couple of my lasts posts because of my time crunch. My Avatar started off as a really good idea…and then it just flopped. It was rather sad. I had something to say about it but I couldn’t relate it to class the way I wanted to.

I really enjoyed being able to look at the media from another ange rather then just a viewer. It made me feel like I know what the media is trying to portray and even though the class is over I have a feeling I’m going to be using what I’ve learned for a lot longer. I was able to realte to many in class and understand ideals and it was fun, which is a major factor in learning.

The class really made me see popular culture in a different point of view and I would recommend it to anyone who in the media studies major or anyone who just has a general interest in popular culture. It helped me to think in ways I never thought possible. Blogging was a very helpful and effective in teaching.

Blog Blog Blog

Sammi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:35:10 +0000

So this is my last actual blog and because I am absolutely all blogged out this one may not make too much sense. But I have just come to realize that by blogging… I have been doing everything that I don’t want to do. I’ve said how bad infomercials are- and I go and post an infomercial. I’ve said how being arrogant gets celebrities noticed…and I go and post a video to get them even more noticed. I’ve said a bunch of things basically just promoting what I usually wouldn’t promote. Go me! And it’s all because of blogging. Pop culture is everywhere and I can’t get away from it! Ah!

Ok I’m done. 0 points for Sam.

No matter what…

Sammi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:28:54 +0000

This is a comment on Anthony’s post: Arrogance. Is it worth it?

Arrogance…funny word, but in all seriousness celebrities who act arrogant usually get more out of their stardom. Like Kanye, yea a lot of people were extremely unhappy with him, but everyone knew about it. Those who listen to his music are not going to stop and those who never did mught take a closer look at him now. It’s all give give for celebrities. They can not lose. They are already famous… so whats gonna happen now? Is there someway they can become unfamous? I don’t think so… Kanye is now infamous for his interupting of Taylor Swift and even after that Taylor Swift has become more famous. As seen on Saturday Night Live with Taylor Swift’s SNL Monolougue:

Celebrites gain everything for being arrogant so why stop? They won’t, hell their already famous. Screw you guys who aren’t!

SNL: Youtube Uploader: ilovemusic1629

How does one get fans?

Sammi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:35:03 +0000

Not to long ago a friend of mind showed me the Myspace of a very interesting person. She goes by “triplesix” although her real name is Mandee. My friend automatically assumed I knew who she was… well I didn’t. I had never heard of her before. I had no interest in her as well, she’s just another person. But my friend started talking to her on Myspace, eventually got her phone number and apparently “the triplesix” will be coming to her graduation party. Yeah! Huh? After I heard this I took a closer look at her Myspace. She sells…hair. She models, takes pictures, edits pictures, and attends parties and events. She is only 25 years old. She has 65,599 friends on Myspace! I’m just blown away. I don’t understand how she became so popular. I’m not bashing her in any way but it amazes me just the same.

http://www.myspace.com/triplesix

This is her Myspace page, to those who would like to read about her and maybe someone could catch something that I didn’t. She wants to meet new people and I guess I’m helping her with that my giving her link out but OH WELL. How is this possible that she got so many people following her… is she the next Paris Hilton? (By the way…she met her as well as Tech N9ne and Mike Jones) I admire the way she has become an idol to many people… for doing nothing but have fun.

Credit card infront of the TV

Sammi — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:37 +0000

Here is another comment on one of Erin’s posts : “Advertisment Rules…literally”

I agree that advertising can be good in some cases. But I believe that we are (or at least I am) being controlled by commercials. I have been known to turn on the TV after I have woken up i the middle of the night and just leaving it on whatever channel is on. 90% of the time it’s an infomercial. I love them! Why…because you can have 2 for the price of 1! And not to mention if you call within the next 20 minutes (at 3am) they’ll throw in 3 self help books and FREE SHIPPING!

Just last night I found myself watching a carpet cleaning infomercial. I don’t have a carpet… but I suddenly really wanted one so that I could buy the carpet magician. I mean! It’s better then the three other carpet cleaners they showed! I need a carpet!

OR even better! My favorite!

I have to put my credit card out of sight so I don’t jump at the chance to get my very own Magic Bullet.

You think I’m lying? Well sadly I’m not.

So as for commercials being informative, yes. But I think their sucking the money out of many pockets.

References:

www.buythebullet.com Original Video
Youtube

Agree…But I’m gonna be difficult.

Sammi — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:40:22 +0000

This is a comment on Erin’s blog “A Little Too Much Branding!”

Sooo…I agree. Uniforms are very useful in highschool. It helps to stop forming cliques. BUT I just wanted to point out, that Erin, your roommate went to an all girls school just as I did. So in a public school situation I feel it’s different. I also went to a private grade school (co-ed) with uniforms and the atmosphere was completely different. Cliques everywhere. I feel like if you put guys and girls together there are always going to be some problems.

When it came to branding in my high school it was still there even though we had uniforms. The girls with the white knee highs were friends, the girls with the leather purses were friends, and the girls with unnaturally colored hair were friends. Granted we all got along rather well… but the cliques were still there. I still believe that if it were a co-ed school…it would have been just as bad as a public school.

Here are just a few things that separated some girls from the others in my highschool.

DC shoes for the rebels who ended up getting detentions for wearing tennis shoes to school. (Me)

Vera Bradley for the girls who had enough money to buy them. (Not me)

Coach Sunglasses…Yea…You wore them on top of your head all day just to show you had them.

Basically brands are everywhere, there’s no way to stop them, even with uniforms.

references:

Coach, Vera Bradley, and DC Pictures

Not lost at all…

Sammi — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:08:44 +0000

This is a comment on Erika’s post “are you LOST?”

LOVE LOST! Ok now that I got that out-of-the-way I wanted to add onto Erika’s post. I also read Steven Johnson’s, “Everything Bad Is Good For You”. I based his theories on one specific show as well, “Gilmore Girls”. Of course. Just like “Lost”, “Gilmore Girls” has overlapping plots to a certain degree. The main point I wanted to get out of Johnson’s theory was the fact that to be able to completely understand the witty banter of “Gilmore Girls” you need to have some previous knowledge outside of the show. So I’m going to refer to “Gilmore-isms” again (as I did in my paper).

Two outside references in the fourth season stuck out for me that might not have to others watching the show…before reading “Gilmore-isms” for references.

“25, and then 30… and then 45 and then 50, until we find all 59 and take back the square! Yeah!” was shouted by one of the shows characters explaining they will find all the rotting Easter eggs. The first time I saw this I thought it was funny, just becasue the character said it rediculously, but the second time I got! It was a rference to Howard Dean’s speech during the 2004 Democratic nomination campaign.

References:

Gilmore Girls

Howard Dean 2004 Nomination Speech

Re: Slayer (W/ some more As and Es)

Sammi — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:17:18 +0000

This is a comment on Spencer “seat stealer” Radcliffe‘s post.

AGREE! Can I get one of those “APPROVED” stamps!? Please! No but really this is just like my post about mushroomhead. Battle cries! Awesome! I found the slayer fan in the video Spencer posted in no way weird, a little funny? Yes. But it hit me when the fan was explaining the connection between him and the guy across the street with the Slayer shirt, I totally got that. I make so many friends walking around with Mushroomhead shirts and stickers on my car. There really is that connection that breaks all limits of being complete strangers. Hey if your wearing a Slayer/Mushroomhead shirt…we go way back.

*Chants* Mush-Room-Head *Chants*

References:

Youtube uploader- mcbaine7

What’s so special about religion?

Sammi — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:37:01 +0000

Some read the above question and feel very offended, others will sit you down and pull idea upon ideas out of their back pocket, and some will pretend like the questions was never asked. Why is this? Because! Simple yet vague answer. But truth be told… I don’t think anyone can honestly answer why religion is so important. Everyone has different views and popular culture helps everyone to get their points to thousands of viewers. Like we have discussed in class, youtube has become a major way to get the flow of religion out there. But even Urbandictionary has become another breeding ground for people to express the way they view religion. Below are two definitions of religion from urbandictionary that I found hilarious.

“Religion-The biggest lie in human history. It has been responsible for more deaths throughout human history than all other unnatural causes combined. For a thousand years the Church was a tyrannical dictatorship that used religion to control the uneducated masses. Free your minds and come into the 21st century”

“Religion:A series of fanciful concepts that people believe as to:
- Help themselves get up in the morning, achive inner peace, etc.
- Keep their family happy, because all their family are in the religion.
- Feel superior to other people.
- Provide moral guidance because common sense would render them otherwise lame.
- Justify war or general hatred of other groups.”

So… we know for a fact that those are not the correct definitions for the word “religion”. Let’s see what I found on youtube…No wait! Let me just tell you what the computer thinks I’m going to type after the word “religion”.
Religion:
-is bullshit
-debate
-conspiracy
-is fake
-comedy
-documemtary
-& spirituality
-vs science
-from danny

Now I don’t know about anyone else…but if I went on you tube looking for a documentary on religion, there are 5 other sayings before it. And me being having a short attention span it not going to help matters. I’m obviously going to pick bullshit or debate…it sounds so much more interesting, but all it is…is bashing religion.

The last key thing I wanted to point out: With all the videos and definitions out there do people even believe there is a god? How many people are on Facebook? Did you know that out of the millions of people on facebook only 108 of them have joined the group “THERE IS NO GOD” -for all those sensible people not under the influence of the pope.

References:
Urbandictionary “Religion”
Facebook Group Search

A bit about reality.

Sammi — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:57:15 +0000

I had always wondered why reality shows just started popping up out of no where. Lately it seems as though there is nothing else on the television. But, I am guilty of watching them. I know they are fake, I know they are staged, and I know the producers edit the film. I can’t help it though, they are so funny. From shows such as The Real World and The Gauntlet to Real Chance at Love and Tila Tequilla have worked their slimy ways into the lives of Americans everywhere.

It was said in class that reality shows are cheaper to make for reasons such as paying actors and directors. And although I know these are very large expenses, I can’t help but think of all the smaller expenses reality shows bring. For instance: A large fully furnished house, costs for all the items broken (for those participating who didn’t pay for their mishaps), the need for security guards 24/7, and not to mention having to deal with lawsuits of their participants.

Just take a look at the damage to furniture and people in these reality shows. Priceless fights and it seems like we feed off of these.
ven VH1 does a count down of the top 20 best reality fights.

References: VH1 “Top 20 Reality Show Fights”