Hegemony and Capitalism

 It's quite easy to see how this picture reinforces and legitimates the institution of capitalism. It references that the ideal situation for a young woman to be in, is for her to be in love. The picture seems to reference that she was proposed to by someone, and she accepted the proposal. The dress she is wearing is most likely a wedding dress. The fact that this dress has a huge heart cut in the back, just perpetuates the idea that marriage is the perfect institution. This in itself perpetuates the stimulation of the economy. For a high-scale wedding (as this advertisement is implying), the cost is huge. It could easily re-wire $10,000, $15,000, or even $20,000 back into the economy, after the cost of the dress, service, and reception. Not to mention all of the expensive gifts, that also pump money back into the economy. (Shoes, bracelets, earrings, etc.)

All in all, this picture completely reinforces the fact that the United States thrives on the institution of marriage. Not for peoples' happiness, but instead for the money that it redirects back into the system.

Reading Blog #2

This is my first example of hegemony. In this video, we see that this is representing 'Global Politics in Thirty Seconds'. It is quite obviously a satire on how the United States works in its foreign affairs, quite often enough acting before fully justifying the actions that it does. By doing so, the country continually angers other nations.

This is quite an interesting picture. It (literally) shows a baby hedgehog holding a British coin. This could be construed as any number if different meanings, but most likely it was meant to be a cutesy play on words. (Hedgehog/hegemony) And possibly a loose satire on British economic rule. Since British currency is currently the most valuable, it may be why the hedgehog is seen holding a coin from that country.

Here is a prime example of Economic hegemony, where the credit card controls all in the United States. It takes the popular slogan 'What's in YOUR wallet?' and changes it to a more passive-aggressive 'What's in MY wallet?', and seemingly answers itself by showing a roll of money on a toilet paper dispenser. When money is so readily available for use, without any sort of immediate reprimand, then how do we have the right to complain when our country's credit debt is skyrocketing?

Research Blog #3

My final decision is 4channers. And the site that I will be using is 4chan.org.

Peer-to-Peer (File Sharing)

File sharing is a term that has been thrown around by the music and movie industries. It is not nearly as innocent as the name makes it seem, though. The term 'file sharing' refers to the use of p2p (peer-to-peer) software that allows people to send and receive music, movies, computer programs, etc. There is no question that this practice is very illegal, parallel even to walking into a music shop and grabbing all of a certain band's CDs. But no one who does this sees it as a problem. Why? There is no demand to catch the people that do this. The amount of money that it costs to catch the people that do this far outweighs the money they lose when people do steal this media.

As long as this is the truth, I will continue advising people to file share. In my opinion, the act of file sharing is the way that the current mass-media frenzy will correct itself. The only people that are hurt by file sharing are the huge producing giants, not the actors/directors/artists themselves. These people get paid during and after production, whereas the producers get paid by all the copies that are sold. Because of this, I imagine that in the future, all movies will be released independently, away from these large moguls, leaving more cash flow for the people who deserve it.

Possible Groups for the Research Project

• 4channers     
•  Dudeists     
•  Hipsters     
•  Juggalos     
•  Pachucos     
•  Preps     
• Rude Boys

Commercialism and Authenticity

The question of authenticity and commercialism being related is one that is open for debate. Yes, in many cases, it does ring true that an increase in popularity, and by consequence, commercialism, can change the value (both monetarily and morally) of the item. But then, there are other times when the two have almost no correlation. A prime example is in the music industry. In many circles, it is believed that enjoying the music of a band that no one has heard of is 'pure', and that enjoying mainstream media and music is part of the art of 'selling out'. While the term selling out can mean different things to different people, it is the embodiment of the idea of commercialism and authenticity. Many times, when a band goes mainstream, they will leave their previous fans behind for a new slurry of fans. Ones that 'fit' into a certain social circle, or the like.

Yet, there are other bands who have come to the mainstream that refuse to change for anyone. They sell masses of albums, yet do only what they feel is the correct way to do music. They perform and create music based on what feels right to them, not what their sponsors/record label/fans/etc. want from them. In this day and age, it is very rare for a music group to be popular with many people, and still keep from 'selling out'. But when it does happen, it is a perfect example of how commercialism and authenticity usually have an inverse relationship, there can be exceptions to the rule.

Pop Culture Applications Images (August 19th)

For this first picture, I have selected a (modified) version of the Yin-Yang, a symbol coming from Taoist beliefs. This is a prime example of an application of Binary Opposition. The basis of the yin-yang symbol comes from the belief that all beings have light, and darkness, within them. But within these 'sections' of being, there are opposite, underlying causes. The use of these two opposites not only come together to structure an interesting idea, but also to structure the minds of human beings themselves.

 For the second picture, I have chosen an example of Commodity Fetishism. As defined, Commodity Fetishism doesn't relate literally to this picture, but does so in a more understated way. As an example, a $100 bill is not worth $100, but only costs a few cents to make. Yet, this bill can claim $100 worth of goods. Without questioning this truth, we make purchases with paper money every day. But with this picture, a seemingly sexual double entendre, this fast food sandwich is being linked to sex, causing (hopefully) more people to buy it. For obvious reasons, it seems this is geared towards the male population.