Journal Article Analysis

Jon and Kate: I Hate

What is a celebrity? In the editorial Jon and Kate: I Hate, Gary Hoppenstand shares his personal dislike for the decline with the media industry standards of what a celebrity is today, in particular Reality TV celebrities'. His emphasis is on Jon and Kate and their lack of talent. He describes the decline in industry standards from the 19th century, Historical figures; 20th Century, Actors; 21st Century celebrity; and today the no talent Reality TV celebs. The editorials aim is intended for the general public or anyone who watches Reality TV,--according to Hoppenstand, "This is a noxious form of television program, and the actors have no special talent" (Hoppenstand, 2010). It is also important to mention, Hoppenstand's observation of the media industries target audience and the idea that the entertainment industry was established for the working/middle class. Today, the audience has evolved to include a wider segment of the popular culture such as youth, minorities, and women. In my observation of the article, it is quite clear Hoppenstand would like to have most of these shows off the air, and especially Jon and Kate: Plus eight.

First of all, the lack of talent--this is why he states we shouldn't watch this type of TV. He points out that when the term celebrity was established back in the Industrial Revolution the person called celebrity had some Historical significance. He names a few such celebrities of that time such as Buffalo Bill, Daniel Boone, Jesse James, etc... I don't think you could compare the celebrity of today and the celebrity of the 19th Century because the process of change in the cultural values, ideas, traditions, and beliefs. The industry has also transformed quite dramatically since the 19th century definition of celebrity. There is a significantly different approach to entertaining, and Reality TV is in popular demand. The Reality TV celebs become stars overnight. Reality TV interest a vast majority of people I'm not sure why, but it has taken over prime time TV.

Personally having viewed Jon and Kate on several occasions, I liked the show until the series was cancelled due to Jon's infidelity. Although they have no specific talent except for having the sextuplets, I find it entertaining to see the family work out everyday life situations with that many kids. That is why I find this particular show interesting and entertaining. I guess we watch Reality TV because it is real people dealing with real issues, and I guess I would be considered a Reality TV junkie. There are literally hundreds of Reality TV series on the air, and the media industry continues to overflow us with a new Reality TV series almost weekly. We can't get enough of this type of celeb.

It seems Reality TV is here to stay. And our society's fascination with Reality TV and other people's lives will continue whether it is mindless entertainment or not. Overall, the article is organized quite well. Hoppendstand gives a brief explanation and general ideas about the decline of industry standards and the definition of celebrity from the introduction of the term. This article is clearly one man's opinion on the subject, and although he made a valid point about this genre of television, I think far too much emphasis is put into the literal definition of the term celebrity. You really don't have to watch it. It seems there will always be someone who has a negative opinion about something popular in our culture so just keep in mind--it is just their opinion.

Celebrities: Powerless to Powerful

The celebrity pheomenon is mysterious, why do we like our favorite celebs. What attracts us to Oprah, Jay-Z, Celine Dion and others? Most of us only dream of becoming rich and famous and these celebs have obtained celeb status and come from very humble beginnings, in fact they were living in abject poverty while growing up. Their stories are both amazing and empowering. Celine Dion grew up in rural Quebec very poor, and today she is said to be worth 250 million. Celine is one of the highest grossing female entertainers. Oprah Winfrey had a very troubled childhood and she also lived in severe poverty. Oprah is said to be worth 2.9 billion. Jay-Z grew up in the projects of Brooklyn and today he is said to be worth 150 million (Deane, 2010).

We are fascinated with power and success and these individuals have achieved just that. Their stories are truly success stories. These stars have overcome insurmountable obstacles, and achieved the American Dream. What is their appeal and how did they get there big break? You might attribute their success to pure luck, but one thing is for sure they all believe in giving back. I think this makes them even more popular and successful. Jay-Z and Celine often do benefit concerts to support worthy causes and charities. And Oprah well she has given back enormous amounts through her philanthropic causes. The companies whose products are featured on The Oprah Show or in Oprah's magazine often receive instant success. They call it the Oprah Effect, and it is big!!! After peoples no name products were showcased on the Oprah show their profits soared (Quintanilla, 2009). All of these mega stars gave back to the community, they followed their dreams, and displayed amazing talent; as a result, they gave their best, and they got the best.

Could you imagine getting sick and you need to see a doctor, and you were either denied treatment or had to file bankruptcy because you unexpectedly became sick. Well this is the issue surrounding healthcare reform. There are 45.8 million uninsured Americans in the United States, and the Repbulican party and some of the Democrats don't want to back our President for healtcare reform. (Democratic Policy Committee, Sept. 2005) In a recent article in the Columbus Dispatch Obama's Healtcare Reform plan is still stirring up a great deal of controversy all across the country. Protestors have assembled, Town Hall mettings have been organized, and Internet campaigns have continued against the passing of Obama's healthcare reform plan (Lightman & Talev, 2010). My questions is why would we oppose healthcare reform and allow the current system to continue. We need a reform plan, and Americans need healthcare.

We live in one of the richest and most powerful industrialized countries and yet we fail to allow our citizens access to adequate/affordable healthcare. there are many countries that provide universal healthcare for its citiznes such as Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Iceland, and Netherlands. It seems they care about the welfare of their population. And to top it off when President Bush was in office he approved healthcare for the Iraqi citizens. In Congressman McDermott's address to the house he states, "The Bush administration has endorsed and even funded universal health insurance. The thing is, the President's universal health insurance program is for the people of Iraq, not anything for the 44 million Americans without covereage" (McDermott, 2004).

I guess the politicians that are not in favor of legislation have medical care so; therefore, they don't need to care about those who don't have healthcare. This is truly a travesty, and I have a personal interest in the Healthcare Reform Plan--becasue I'm one of those 45.8 million Americans without insurance covereage.

Cultural and Social Artifacts 1960-80

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Cultural and Social Artifacts 1960-80

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Celebrities going to rehab seems to be a growing trend in Hollywood. The latest celebrity to admit themselves to rehab, Charlie Sheen recently admitted himself to rehab this past week. While I know rehab works (I'm a recovering addict celebrating 10 yrs. sobriety) it seems to be a cop out for these celebrities. Several celebraties have taken the high road and gotten help to deal with their addiction (Jeff Conaway, Whitney Houston, Lindsay Lohan, Brittany Spears, and we know the fatal outcome of Michael Jackson) only to return right back to using their drug of choice after completing a short stay in rehab. With the overwhelming amount of resources available at their fingertips and the best care available, why do they return to the problem that plagued them in the first place?

In my opinion, there is no excuse to return unless they are not serious about getting well in the first place. I guess accepting life on life's terms is often difficult and when reaching the status of celeb it is sometimes extremely difficult. We often hold celebs to a higher standard which creates further pressure to stay clean. I believe there are consequences for bad behavior and in spite of wealth, power, and fame celebs need to be held accountable for their actions. Using drugs is illegal and they are not punished for having drugs or using them. They receive no jail time, they are still highly regarded within society, and they still have their money. Plain and simple the consequences must outweigh the current life style. With no real consequences for their actions then it seems they go right back to old behaviors.

In the article, Why Rehab doesn't work for celebrities (Galbraith, 2009) the celeb must be treated like a normal person in order to succeed with the recovery process. With constant attention directed right on their lives, and the media constantly constantly reporting their gossip, the celeb must work extra hard to get clean and stay clean. In the show on VH-1, Celebrity Rehab, Dr. Drew helps the celebrity with counseling and group meetings in a 12-wwk stay at the facility. The show deals with their issues regarding treatment and relapse while seeking recovery. Once again, they are in the spotlight.

Because addiction is so powerful, cunning, baffling, and given the addictive personality of most people in recovery, the success of the addict depends on a rigid plan to stay clean and sober. One bad choice can be a cocktail for danger and erase years of hard work whether you have been clean for one day, one year, or 10 years, it only works if you work it and you have to work it every day (Personal Communication, NA Meeting).

Legalize or Not

Frankly, I think the issue is a no brainer. Of course we should legalize marijuana for medical purposes. This issue has gotten too much attention for too long, and there is not much to debate about. The whole idea is to make marijuana available for people who have chronic illnesses and treat their conditions without them having to serve a jail term for a drug that has been prescribed by their doctors. Although I'm against the use of marijuana for anything other than for treatment of medical conditions, our society has to think about the millions of people who suffer from chronic illnesses and how the drug has been proven to help them with their conditions.

Some say if the drug were to become legal it would be harmful to our communities. Others say people are already purchasing the drug on the streets, and since alcohol and cigarettes are legal why not legalize marijuana (Crowley, 2010). In our society literally millions of people use the drug for recreational purposes and have been for decades and that is not going to stop. We are using tax payer's money to house the non-violent drug users/dealers instead of using that money to go after real criminals. Our country spends $68 billion dollars per year on corrections, and one-third of those are serving time for non-violent crimes, and 47.5% of all arrests are marijuana-related (Klein, 2009). The United States has more pressing issues to deal with and this makes no sense to me.

Crowley, K. (2010, February 6). Medical marijuana dispute. Retrieved from http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/medical-marijuana-debate.

Klein, J. (2009, April 2). Why legalizing makes sense. Time Inc. Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1889021,00.html.

obama pictures - Ask.com Search

obama pictures - Ask.com Search

Anti-Aging Revolution

Youthfulness and Beauty sell--at least that is what our society seems to communicate. The most beautiful women get the best jobs, the best boyfriends and husbands and have a better life overall--or at least that is the way it seems. With the marketing of this image of youthfulness comes the influx of anti-aging products on the market. Companies that manufacture these products advertise in magazines, on TV, and the Internet. All you have to do is type in anti-aging in an Internet search engine and literally thousands of lines fill your computer screen.

While browsing through O, The Oprah Magazine, I counted 8 ads that advertised anti-aging products for women. Our culture truly embraces beauty. All the manufacturers of these anti-aging products cash in, because beauty sells. Women are forced to compete to be the best looking and most talented, and we spend lots of money trying to keep that youthful image.

These products sell a false sense of youthfulness and encourage women to become self-conscious about the aging process from their youth. I talked with several of my family members and friends and unanimously agreed that they simply don't perform as they claim. The aging process is inevitable and how we accept this process is truly up to each individual. Growing old gracefully is truly a saying that is well worth incorporating in our thought process.

Popular Culture, as defined in our textbook, Profiles of Popular Culture, edited by Ray B. Browne is the system of attitudes, behavior patterns, beliefs, customs, and tastes that define the people of any society (Brown, 2005).

Pop Culture is the majority. Pop Culture is what our communities are made up of and our Democratic government in the aspect of the people's opinion and voice.

Pop Culture is what we believe, how we were/are raised, the influences that have shaped our lives, whether good or bad, and the traditions that we practice. In addition, Pop Culture is our opinions, our race, our attitudes towards life, our thought process, our behaviors, and our economic status in life.

Definitely not having exposure to the elitist culture, and being part of a sub culture (African Americans) as many of us are, the meaning of Pop Culture becomes much deeper in meaning. The apple pie and baseball definition of an American is just a tiny view into our culture. There are a lot of factors such as crime, violence, teen pregnancy, drugs & alcohol, and joblessness that contribute to the values, beliefs, and the overall definition of the people of my sub-culture.

I think it is important to learn about Pop Culture because America is becoming a melting pot and we will be working, dining out, going to the same schools, etc.. All cultures have similarities and America is becoming more and more diverse, so gaining knowledge about Popular Culture will give us the edge we need in any business environment.

I choose to put a picture of a pizza because my family loves to sit down at the end of the week and have dinner together as tradition and discuss our week. One of our favorite meals is Pizza. This is a tradition for my family, and that is the reason I chose the pizza. Pizza is an American favorite and I believe that sitting down to a meal at least once a week helps keep lines of communcation open and provides stability.

Brown, R. , Brown, P. (2005). Profiles of popular culture. The University of Wisconsin Press.