Iconography of
the U.S.

Find
an icon of the U.S. that imposed upon other cultures in an attempt to persuade or gain favor or to
achieve business purposes.  Using this icon, answer the following questions:

A. What is the icon?

The icon is Six Flags.  It is a very popular amusement park.  Most people would know what the flags stand for just by seeing the image.  

B. How did it become iconic in the U.S.?

Six Flags kept expanding and becoming more and more popular.  Not too many other amusement park companies competed with it.  

C. How is it employed outside of the U.S.?

Currently there are two Six Flags outside of the US, one in Canada and one in Mexico.  There were several in France, Belgium and Spain, but due to lack of money they had to sell them. They wanted to earn more money and become more well known around the world.  Around this same time, DreamWorks and Universal Studios were trying to expand as well.

D. Was the cultural response to this usage positive or negative? Was the U.S. response to this usage positive or negative? Why or why not?

From what I have found, the response was positive both for the U. S and for other cultures.  People enjoy roller coasters and the atmospheres of the parks.  The downfall was that Six Flags was in trouble financially and had to make budget cuts. Now there are only two in other cultures.  They are both going strong and excepted well.  

E. What might have been a more culturally relative?
I think in this case, Six Flags is a very universal icon and place.  It can relate to every culture and can be for everyone.  I am not sure anything could have been more culturally relative.  The only thing I can think of is if instead of having the "Looney Toon" feel, they could have changed the feel to fit the culture that particular park was in.  

Pastiche

Here is an Example of Pastiche in Film. It is the movie Airplane! (1980).

A. How is this pastiche a reworking of the past?

     "Airplane" is a movie that represents past disaster movies as an entirety.  (before 1980).  The plot and the scenes in the movie are similar to and recognizable with previous disaster movies in general.

B. Is this pastiche only or pastiche with parody? How?

     Airplane is pastiche with parody.  It mocks/makes fun of with humor most specifically Zero Hour! but also

     references to Airport 1975, Jaws, 60 Minutes, San Fransisco International Airport, The Untouchable, and From

     Here to Eternity. Those movies were starting to be so familiar, that the initial scared emotion felt when seeing those movies were no longer felt, so the movie Airplane was able to then make a parody out of those past movies. 

C. How is this work a questioning of the status of the original?
     This is a pastiche and not "an original" because Airplane used ideas from several different "original"  disaster movies
      to come up with this one. 

(Visit http://graphjam.com/, which allows users to create graphs that depend on knowledge of popular culture.)

Answer the following questions:

A. How is this pastiche (the individual graphs and the whole site) a reworking of the past?
     Many of the graphs on this site compare things from the past with things of popular culture today. This graph specifically is showing the difference of the originality of past movies verse movies of today, which is also showing in a way that these movies are pastiches.   

B. Is this pastiche only or pastiche with parody? How?

    This is pastiche with parody. It is mocking and adding humor to the situation.  The website it not serious in any way, showing the parody side of site.   Specific graphs are taking specific topics and mocking them.  

C. How is this work a questioning of the status of the original?
     This graph specifically to me is not a pastiche, but the content that it is talking about is one.  It shows how much the content of movies have changed from the past to the present.  Lots of movies now-a-days are pastiches because they take the same ideas from the originals.  So the familiar ideas now-a-days seen from the past initiate a questioning.
     

Journal 6 - Part B:  Coolness, Anti-Ads & Culture Jamming 

The Marketing of Coolness

The marketing of coolness, which began in the 1960s, defines a social shift in which advertisers and marketers attempt to attach the ever-elusive quality of coolness to an array of consumer products. The attribute of “cool” is usually seen as unique, distinct, and uninfluenced by the marketplace. Ironically, there are many paradoxes in this shift: the selling of products through values that appear to reject consumer culture; the attachment of youth culture to a range of brands that is marketed to a range of consumers, not just young consumers; the selling of brands through ads that pretend not to be ads; the social embrace of consumerism as a means to project the idea that we are all above consumerist values; and the selling of coolness, an attribute that is supposed to be genuine and difficult to reproduce. 

The selling of brands through ads that pretend not to be ads reminds me of product placement. Here in the TV show "Two and a Half Men," this scene becomes an ad for all of the companies/products on the laptop. These brands are being advertised in an "ad" pretending not to be an ad.  It is a subtle way of promoting the brand to the audience.  Society now-a-days is so used to advertisements that many people just look away from them, but with the advertisement being hidden and subtle in the way of product placement on a TV show, people will see it. This type of advertising works in a way of almost tricking people into seeing advertisements, which in todays popular culture many people seem to think is a necessary way.  Advertisements are getting more and more interesting and to catch peoples attention advertisements need to be very eye-catching, or placed in a "pretend ad."

Anti-Ads and Culture Jamming

Artists used advertisements to critique the popular culture and advertising. Remaking ads to intervene at the level of daily life to counter the passivity and alienation of modern life and spectacle is referred to as “culture jamming” and borrows from the Situationist group of artists and writers in France in the 1960s. Culture jamming interrupts the passive viewing of an ad by “détournement”—rerouting a message to create new meaning.

Today, most of society is overweight.  The typical man and woman are not stick thin like we see in magazines and on other advertisements. The most common look for today is sadly chunky to obese.  This culture jammed advertisement goes off of the Calvin Klein advertisements. Many of the Calvin Klein advertisements show buff and muscular men or skinny women on them.  They portray a people that does not exist in reality (with the majority of people). With this advertisement it is showing what that typical male looks like and relates to more men this way. In today's society, this is the look.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

1.  How was art used as a political tool in ancient times?  How is it used in current day politics?  Give an examples for each.  


          Kings and rulers in the ancient time used art for visual persuasion.  Derius the Archer was the first political image/logo shown on a "billboard".  Alexander the Great used images of his face on a coin to reach out to all the people in his kingdom and also used statues to get his image out. Every person, doesn't matter the language, can understand and relate to art. Alexander used his face because people are more influenced and intrigued by what they see in a face.  By looking at a face you can tell what they are like.  For example, Augustis/Octavian used an image of his face with big curly hair and a stern face.  The republican people did not receive this image well because of this particular face, so he changed it to a softer, more humble looking face with straight short hair, and people were more open to him then.  The idea of putting a face on a coin is still used today.  All our currency has a face of a leader on it.  Art is used a lot in today's politics as well.  One example is with presidential elections.  Having just the right campaign logo and slogan is essential and having the right display and setup for important speeches is critical.  People associate the candidate with the images and things around him that represent him.  

Self-Portrait

1. Take a self-portrait photo. You can use a mirror, a tripod, or hold the camera in front of you to do this. 
2. Then, create a self-portrait using signs, shapes, and forms which describe you as a person, using one page. You can use design software (such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop) or draw by hand. 
3. Write a one-page explanation of the two, answering the following questions

1. How does your empirical representation (the photo) differs from your rational and/or symbolic representation (the signs)? 
2. Are there any areas of intersection? 
3. Why did you choose the symbols you did? 
4. What in your photo describes you symbolically or rationally?

     My empirical representation differs from my symbolic representation in several ways.  Since I was limited to signs, symbols, and simple shapes there is a lot less detail in the symbolic self-portrait. I also choose to keep the self-portrait I made all black and white unlike the real photo.  There are also unnecessary lines and filled in space in the symbolic self-portrait because of the symbols I was using.  There are many areas of intersection in my symbolic self-portrait. The leo signs(hair),nose,paint,basketball players and heart are all intersecting with the peace sign.  I intentianally intersected the hair to make a more filled look. 

     Every symbol I used making my self-portrait represents me. The top hair is the symbol for Leo because I was born on August 23rd. The ears are paint and a paint brush because I am artistic and like to draw and paint.  The bottom part of my hair which is put into a side ponytail is made from spirals/swooshes.  This is to represent the my busy and energetic life. My face is mainly made with a big peace sign.  I do not like to fight.  My nose is a heart because I have a big heart and love and trust easily.  My jaw bones are shaped with a basketball player shooting a basketball which leads to the eyes.  Basketball is my favorite sport and takes up most of my time.  My eyebrows are symbols of a girl to show that I am a female.  My teeth are symbols of luggage because I love to travel and missionary work interests me.  My chin is made up of the cross symbol because I am a christian and my neck is a One Way sign because I believe Jesus is the only way.  

     In the empirical photo the way I am dressed and styled my hair represents me.  I am wearing my bright and colorful sweater which describes my artistic and energetic side. My hair in a ponytail represents my active side.  It gives a clue that I was just working out/playing basketball. My smile also describes me.  It shows that I am a happy person.  

Media Tracking

	FRIDAY,  JANUARY 27 , 2012
6:00am	texted (10 mins)
7:00am	Texted (5 mins) Checked Email (2 mins)and Facebook. (20 mins)
8:00am	Texted (5 mins)
9:00am	texted (2 mins)
10:00am	texted (1 min)
11:00am	texted (15 mins) Phone call with mom (10 mins)
12:00	Texted (2mins)
1:00pm
2:00pm
3:00pm	texted (5 mins)
4:00pm	TV on in background (hour)
5:00pm	TV on in background (hour) Checked Facebook (30 mins) Went on MSN.com  (15 mins)
6:00pm
7:00pm
8:00pm
9:00pm	Music (hour)
10:00pm	Music (hour)
11:00pm	Music (30 mins) Texting (5 mins) Checking Facebook (20 mins)
12:00	Sleeping…………..

 SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 2012

6:00am
7:00am
8:00am	Texting (5 mins)
9:00am	Texting (10 mins) Checked Facebook (15 mins)
10:00am	Music (hour)
11:00am	Texting (2 mins) Sermon on Laptop (30 mins)
12:00	Music (30 mins) Texting (2 mins)
1:00pm
2:00pm
3:00pm	Checked Facebook. Checked Email. Went on MSN.com (an hour)
4:00pm
5:00pm
6:00pm	Texting (10 mins)
7:00pm	Texting(10 mins)
8:00pm	Texting (2 mins)
9:00pm	TV(hour)
10:00pm	TV(hour)
11:00pm	TV(30mins)
12:00	sleeping…………. ____________________________________________________________ Which one form of media did you use the most? How much time did you use it? I used my phone the most for texting in that I texted at lease once during 16 out of the 48 hours. Total, it added up to about 69 minutes. However, I watched TV the most in the amount of minutes/hours, which is 4 1/2 hours.  Which one form of media did you use the least (but still use)? How much time did you use it? I checked my e-mail the least. I spent a little over 5 minutes total on it.  How much time was spent communicating with another person over media (phone, e-mail, etc.)? I communicated via texting for about 69 minutes and about 10 minutes on the phone.  I checked my email, but never responded to an email.  How much time was spent using media that was monologic (one-sided, such as TV or radio)? 9 hours was spent between TV, sermon on laptop, and pandora music.  What surprised you about the amount of time you spent engaged in the use of media? Why?  It seems like I spend more time with media than I do with people and communicating with them face to face. I knew I watched a lot of TV and monologic media, but it puts it into perspective seeing the hours add up over 48 hours.  Based on this exercise, will you do anything differently (increase or decrease) in using media? Why? I don't think I will do anything too different.  The days I choose to keep track of my media times are slower days because it is the weekend.  During the week days I do not spend as much time listening to music or watching TV. I do text a lot, but I won't change that.   If the answer to question F was no, why will you maintain the current amount of time you spend using media? I know I could do with less time using media, but I don't think I over-do it.  Ideally, there are some things I would like to change, like less TV and Facebook, but I don't think it will happen.

Appropriation in Popular Culture

What is the original intended meaning?  

      The intended meaning of this sculpture by Michelangelo was to be of the biblical man, David.  The statue represents strength, confidence, and a healthy physique. 

In what way is the image or artifact appropriated?  

      This image is appropriated by adding the image of Ronald McDonald to it.  The subject of the sculpture changes from David, to McDonalds, and the meaning and appreciation for the original masterpiece is lowered. 

What is the new meaning intended through the appropriation?

      The new meaning that I see is rather contradicting.  I know that McDonalds fast food is not the healthiest food, and I know that if you eat too much of it, you will gain weight.  However, seeing this image makes me think that if I eat McDonalds, I too will look all buff and fit.  The new image is humorous in knowing that McDonalds and a healthy physique do not usually go together. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is my own example of appropriation based off of the popular Gatorade advertisements. It is changing the meaning of Gatorade's advertisement from athletics and sports to Jesus and seeking Him.  In the Gatorade advertisement, the sweat drops are Gatorade, but in my advertisement, the sweat drops are blood like Jesus perspired at the garden of Gethsemane.

My Gatorade Advertisement

Gatorade's Advertisement

Looking at Icons in Our Society

I think that Jesus is iconic.  If people(not all, but a lot) see a picture of Him, they know what He stands for, they know who He is, they know about Christianity. He is someone that many people look up to.
The picture Neil Armstrong took on the moon is iconic, Christopher Columbus, Leonardo da Vinci, Princess Diana, Walt Disney, Super-heros, Einstein, Gandhi, Michael Jackson, and Steve Jobs are all iconic people.  They are iconic because they made a huge impact on society and some, the world.  Many of these people would be only iconic for America though, so icons can be cultural.  All of these iconic people brought on a positive impact, so I think hope and confidence is a shared meaning between icons.

Got Milk advertisements are great at getting peoples attention through using famous icons and people.  Here are some advertisements using iconic super-heros; Batman, Superman, and The Green Lantern.  All of these super-heros represent strength, courage, fighting for the good, and making a positive difference. These advertisements are effective in persuading the audience.  When you see pictures of the super-heros you feel a sense of security and you have a gut urning to want to have at lease some of the characteristics they have.  If batman, superman, and the green lantern drink milk and are that amazing, then I should drink milk too.  Seeing these advertisements definitely persuades me personally to drink milk. The small paragraph of information is also persuasive and catches my attention.  I would not normally stop and read a paragraph, but I think since the picture itself is so intriguing and eye catching, I want to read the paragraph too. Its an added way the advertiser connects the milk and the super-hero.