Question 12; South Park

Aesthetic: In the opening credits, the show acknowledges that it is a text, demonstrating self-awareness. Randy saying “nigger” and being labeled as the “nigger guy” serves as a symbol of race relations and sensitivity in the United States, and serves no relation to the real. Token’s offended attitude particularly serves as signifier to black sensitivity. Whiteness is thus constructed around blackness. For example, Randy is identified by the basis that he said “nigger” on TV. South Park also demonstrates intertextuality by drawing from various shows such as Wheel of Fortune and Seinfeld and by identifying people such as Mark Fuhrman from the O.J. Simpson trial. The show does little critiquing of these shows and characters, keeping it within the aesthetic realm. By referencing various genres of TV shows, such as drama, South Park acknowledges that it too is a TV show.

Critical: South Park wants you to understand its popular culture references, such as the reference regaurding Mark Fuhrman. The problems of racial tensions and other social injustice (for example, involving midgets) are contemporary social issues. Because the opening of the show is offensive (it is obvious that the word on wheel of fortune is “nigger” even though it turns out to be “nagger”) South Park acknowledges this problem on a critical level. Also, when the midget tries to keep his cool and then looses it, the problem of social criticism is further addressed. The concept of white trash is addressed when balding men with facial hair show up with shotguns, in a pick up truck, wearing clothes with holes, talking slang and saying things such as “you got trouble.” Censorship is also addressed when Randy seeks to make the term “nigger-guy” illegal. It is critiqued because the word is not even a legitimate term, thus mocking the idea of censorship in the U.S. Significantly, the only politician who opposed the banning of “nigger-guy” was a black man.

Ontological: This show demonstrates the ontological because it makes us rethink what we consider about race, and therefore disrupts the way in which we think about the world in terms in race. By showing blacks such as Tokin who are over sensitive about Randy saying “nigger” on TV and by showing whites who are “socially ignorant” (such as Eric when he won’t stop laughing at the midget, and how Eric says his dad isn’t stupid—he’s just racist, and how Randy believed that Jesse Jackson was the emporer of black people) both races are critiqued in order to challenge the dominant constructions of race. This disruption makes us consider the process of discourse and causes us to consider the alternative and adopt different ontologies involving race categories. South Park, like the Chappelle Show, uses humor to change the way we think about whiteness. Additionally, the concept of “white trash” must be reconsidered. Their role is reversed in this episode of South Park. Instead of being bigoted and ignorant, the men claim that they “don’t take kingly to social ignorance.”

Question 7; Appropriation & Reappropriation of Sexual Signifiers

In this video, the woman has appropriated sexual signifiers from mainstream society and turned them into something unique and different, not typically reflective of women and sexuality. Reappropriation occurs when such signifiers reenter mainstream culture and become associated with the new meaning on a regular basis. In this video, the woman has appropriated various sexual signifiers--the husky voice (from cowboys or burly men, also used in early pornography), stretching and working out (from athletes, although the bending of women's bodies is seen in pornography as well), massaging (from masseuses and again seen in pornography), eating sesame seeds (from oriental chefs), and the use of makeup (originally from prostitutes and pornographers).

She appropriates these signifiers in various ways, often by using something for a reason other than its indented purpose. For example, the woman appropriates makeup by applying it to her cleavage in order to make it appear more pronounced, whereas normally women would wear makeup on their faces in order to enhance facial features. Another example of this form of appropriation in seen when the woman eats sesame seeds, massagers her boobs, and works out. Rather than eating the seeds because they taste good or are good for you, massaging herself because it feels good, and working out to stay in shape, she does these things in an attempt to make her boobs grow or appear bigger. The husky voice and stretching, on the other hand, are turned into methods of seduction. These two traits have been reappropriated and have reentered mainstream culture. When people think of husky voices, they often think of sexy, seductive celebrities and movie stars. Additionally, the contortion of women’s bodies via stretching and bending is a commonly accepted gesture for a male's attention. These signifiers are often accompanied by sexual word puns (i.e. “come quickly” and “Hank Rugburn always comes twice”). Finally, when the women says no to sex with Hank at the end of the clip, it reinforces her power and the fact that her authority comes from her now larger breasts, which solidifies the notion that she has successfully both appropriated and reappropriated sexual signifiers.

Underwear:
How To Make Your Breasts Look Bigger

Question 13; Feminism

The first wave of feminism focused on equal rights; a quantitative measure, such as the right to vote, own property, divorce, have equal protection from husband, to have money and custody, and other basic human rights. They fight for basic necessities, arguing that the Constitution applies to women, too. This involves no discussion of being looked down upon. If the woman is physically being hurt its first wavers (domestic abuse).

Second wavers extended this by concerning themselves with the quality and happiness of life, which is qualitative, and by trying to gain equal recognition. Second wavers claim that having children ruins womens’ lives, and that sex with men is rape. Sexual harassment should be wrong. They do not use negative terminology to describe women. They support the idea of equal pay for equal work, as they promote equality of the sexes.

Third wavers add to the first and second wavers by including agency (empowerment). They say that women are not victims of society. They understand terms such as “bitch,” that were previously offensive, as ironic or satirical. They add the idea that women have choices. They appropriate signifiers of the domination of women. They appropriate having kids and being housewives by recognizing that they have the power to make those choices. Seconds wavers may say you should not be a housewife, which is a restriction, whereas third wavers say you can do whatever you want, as they believe people should not judge women.

The image below signifies all three waves. In terms of first wavers, the idea that women are allowed to vote signifies quantitative equal rights. In terms of second wavers, the man speaking discusses the image of the Woman and her social role by implying that women do all the housework, and furthermore by suggesting that establishing a peaceful marriage is a woman’s responsibility. This argument relates to the quality of womens' lives. Third wavers would argue that if a woman wants to do all the housework, than that is perfectly acceptable. Women are not victims of social order but rather have to power to choose their own lifestyle, whatever that may entail.

Question 11; Topic and 2 Texts

The New Politics of Consumption: Why Americans Want so Much More Than They Need, by Juliet Schor, and Why Johnny Can’t Dissent, by Thomas Frank, relate to and expand upon the idea that the construction of teenage female identity is in part formed through commodification and signifiers of aspirant class, and that while magazines appear to support individuality, they actually encourage conformity through consumption.

Schor discusses how the system is structured so that an “adequate” income is an elusive goal, as our sense of social standing and belonging comes from what we consume. She also discusses the need Americans feel to keep up with others (“competitive consumption”), and how the “new consumerism” entails an upgrading of lifestyle norms, as the upper/middle class and the rich have became a reference point for people of various income distributions. This relates to the idea that teenage identity is constructed through signifiers of aspirant upper class. Teenagers from various demographics seek to “compete” with the upper class by displaying signifiers of wealth, such as expensive jewelry, nice clothing, and professionally done hair and makeup (see the image below). This also relates to commodification, as teenagers seek to identity themselves by the possessions they own, in this case, expensive items that imply high social standing. With so many teenagers buying the same items or investing in the same signifiers of wealth, conformity through consumption is demonstrated.

Frank’s reading discusses the counterculture idea and how consumerism is no longer about "conformity” but about “difference.” He claims that capitalism now encourages diversity, constant change, the breaking of rules, and elimination of rigid corporate structure, so that counterculture rebellion becomes corporate ideology. The concept of dissent (going against the norm, Dominant, or “organized man.”) is addressed. However, many magazines such as Seventeen depict females who cannot truly dissent. These girls, such as the one on the right in the advertisement below, are young, beautiful, white members of the middle class. They fit in, and are conformists despite the fact that they may feel otherwise. This “average girl” thinks of herself as a rebel and thinks that she’s dissenting. However, often these girls are not outcasted. There is a certain expectation for their class, and there is nothing, actually, to dissent against. The Girl is unaware the she is conforming and wants to look like she is dissenting but is unable to. She is identified through class signifiers and other restrictions.

This advertisement for deb is from Seventeen. I will focus on the girl on the right--the white girl in the black dress who cannot truly dissent. She may think she is dissenting because she embraces diversity by having a black friend, but is restricted by class signifiers. She is shown in a casual diner—somewhere members of the upper class would not eat—thus branding herself as a member of the middle class. The girl therefore appears ordinary and mainstream. In terms of Schor’s reading, the girl embraces signifiers of the upper class, for instance she is in high-heeled shoes and a sequenced black dress. These products thus help to indentify the girl and support the idea of identity through commodificaiton and signifiers of aspirant class, using the upper class as a reference point for those with lower incomes.

Question 10; 3 Texts, Critical Media and Cultural Studies

The “Sex and the City 2” movie trailer can be applied to Radway’s “Women Read the Romance: The Interaction of Text and Context,” Schor’s “The New Politics of Consumption: Why Americans Want So Much More Than They Need,” and Ghosh’s “Con-fusing’ Exotica: Producing India in U.S. Advertising,” as they relate to and build on one another to give insight regarding critical media and cultural studies. Radway talks about how women feel the need to “escape” everyday pressures and tensions, and do so through reading romance novels, which typically entail the perfect heroine, the ideal masculine character, and a happy ending. In "Sex and the City 2" the four main women also feel the need to get away—due to the stress of being in a serious relationship, being a mother, or just being a middle-aged working woman. From a different approach, women who watch Sex and the City 2 also feel the need for a vacation and seek to “construct a fantasy world” in which they live vicariously through the characters in the movie in the same way that Radway claims readers live vicariously through the lives of the characters in romance novels (Radway, 71).

Schor’s article on consumption explains why women feel entitled to such luxuries. She explains that America is dominated by a consumer culture, and how consumption and social standing go hand in hand. Thus, because the women in Sex and the City can afford nice clothes, shoes, and vacations, it is implied that they have a higher-than-average status. Going back to the viewers perspective, Schor discusses how the “lifestyles of the upper middle class and the rich have become a more salient point of reference for people throughout the income distribution” (Schor, 185). She then explains how television shows and movies, such as "Sex and the City 2," help create this reference point by often depicting the lifestyles of upper middle class, thus inflating the viewer’s perceptions of what others have.

Ghosh’s reading on exotica in America is depicted in the movie when the women go to Abu Dhabi. Ghosh argues that foreign culture is misrepresented in America. For example, the women are shown riding camels—a signifier of the “primitivism” of that culture. From the viewer’s perspective, much of Abu Dhabi’s true culture is left out, which supports Ghosh’s argument that our perception of foreign culture is largely constructed based on the absence of that culture in America. What aspects of culture we have acknowledged, for example the elaborate, floor length clothing styles, have often been Americanized and thus do not truly represent that country’s true identity. Thus, movies such as "Sex and the City 2" do not accurately capture Abu Dhabi’s culture, however thought-provoking they may be.

Question 9; News, Gatekeeping, Agenda-Setting, Discourse

Gatekeeping (a process through which certain people such as reporters, writers and editors decide whether or not particular issues are to be seen or heard on the news) and agenda setting (the process whereby the mass media determines what we think and worry about, and the idea that the news often focuses on unimportant things) combine in an attempt to control our access to news, information, and entertainment. The Onion News Network features a story entitled “Thousands Of Girls Match Description Of Missing Sorority Sister.” In this case, gatekeeping is demonstrated because those who help comprise “news” stories for the Onion decided that the issue of teenage conformity and the stereotyped image of the Sorority Sister is an important issue. Agenda setting is illustrated because the Onion has determined that this is something people need to be concerned about, although it is actually a fairly unimportant topic. The more alarming aspect of the story (the fact that a girl has gone missing) is covered up by prolonged discussion on the girl’s description and how it fits thousands of other college girls. Thus, discourse (the way in which people talk about a topic) makes the case of the missing girl insignificant in comparison to the fact that such as large number of girls “could be Jessica” because they are all so similar and fit the same description (Ugg boots, “pink” pants, etc.) An authoritative tone is maintained throughout the clip, which holds true for Fox news stories as well. However, humor remains unique to the Onion’s story. Baym discusses how “fake news,” with the agenda “to make people laugh,” actually triggers intellegent conversation about the topics presented, which often breaks down traditional social boundaries, and is thus more influential than people initially perceive it to be. (Baym, 260). Satire is the main form of discourse used in this “news” clip, and Baym supports the idea that it is an effective way to communicate ideas to an audience.

Real news stories, taken from Fox News online, also demonstrate gatekeeping, agenda setting and discourse. Supporting the idea that agenda setting involves reporting unimportant news stories, Fox featured an article entitled “Vandalized Snail Art Has Locals Shell Shocked,” discussing vandalism to a series of large, pink snails (part of a temporary art exhibit). On a more serious note, a story called “U.S. Falls in World Education Rankings” exhibits how Fox has established that the slacking of America’s educational performance, in comparison to that of other countries such as China, is a critical concern. By showing a clip of Obama addressing the issue and by interviewing Eva Moskowitz, C.E.O. and founder of the success charter network, Fox illuminates agenda setting by reinforcing how improving the performance of U.S. students is, or should be, of top priority. Thus, we being to think of this issue through the way it is discussed and dealt with on the news (in terms of discourse). Baym claims that traditional news sources such as the nightly Fox News have been "fractured” and are losing authority (Baym, 259).


Thousands Of Girls Match Description Of Missing Sorority Sister

Question 8; Political Economy and Cultural Studies

Political economy is the idea that influence is spread via power. One example of how that influence is spread is through media. The positive basis of political economy is the power of economics to shape our world. It’s the idea of how our world is structured by money and cooperate power by an economic standpoint. Political economists study “the cultural producers and the organizational sites and practices they inhabit and through which they exercise their power” (Grossberg, 268). Mouse Trapped 2010 serves as a direct example of political economy. The video interviews numerous employees who all have the same argument—that because Disney pays them so little they cannot afford a satisfactory standard of living. For example, an older male employee discusses that in order to feed his two-year-old granddaughter, the other members of the household may not be able to eat at all. Furthermore, another man cannot afford adequate dosage of insulin to fight his diabetes while a woman is faced with bankruptcy. In this sense, the employees argue that the lack of money directly and negatively impacts every aspect of their lives, supporting the notion that influence is based on economic power. In other words, Disney cares about profit before people. Mickey Mouse Monopoly approaches political economy in the second half of the film, when the narrator explains that Disney is a “transnational media conglomerate, owning TV and radio networks… magazines…sports teams”…etc. This shows Disney’s success in terms of power, as Disney penetrates the media market and other markets, such as the sports network, and continues to grow (for example, how Disney bought ABC). Disney owns so much of the media, and is therefore able to shape what we hear and see, presenting us with a limited worldview “skewed and dominated by corporate interests.” Thus, Disney’s power from shear size, influence and prevalence in the market, and financial success make the economics of the company the most important factor. Political economy is linked with cultural studies when the narrator concludes, “as a result, Disney exerts a tremendous influence on national and international popular culture.” Grossberg challenges Garnham's history of the relationship between cultural studies and political economy, arguing that political economy and cultural studies have “always been divided over the terms of an adequate theory of culture and power” (Grossberg, 262).

The basic idea of cultural studies is how culture shapes our world, and that economics isn’t the basic factor of the world. It’s the idea of how people and culture structure our world, and how we think about the world in terms of those structures when defining ourselves. Grossberg discusses how the commodification of culture is never complete. He argues that “part of what cultural studies has always been about…is the self-production of culture--the practices by which people come, however imperfectly, to represent themselves and their worlds” (Grossberg 629). In Mouse Trapped, the employees argue that the managers of Disney make a conscious decision to leave cast members in a “perpetual state of poverty,” creating very negative and spiteful feelings for such managers. While they know Disney can afford to pay their employees more (effectively disproving economics as the most important factor), those who run Disney limit their employees to near minimum wages--showing how people have the power to shape our world. One woman directly claims that Disney’s “source” is its people. Mickey Mouse Monopoly approaches cultural studies from the start by describing its cultural impact on children, as it promotes innocence, fun and magic. A man speaks of how Disney is important in terms of culture and identity, stating that children are often “raised on Disney,” for example the college student who can sing a foreign song from “Little Mermaid” by heart. Additionally, a young woman discusses how she associates Disney with family love and bonding, yet again reinforcing the power of people and culture to shape our world view.

Question 6; Exotica and Globalization

The American Express advertisement, featuring Conan as he travels to India in search of silk, can be discussed in terms of the articles on the exotic and globalization. In terms of the exotic, Indian culture is depicted in an oversimplified (sometimes downright inaccurate) way, so that images of Indian culture remain narrow and clichéd, as discussed by Ghosh in Con-Fusing Exotica, Producing India in U.S. Advertising. Furthermore, the author argues that a commodified and Orientalist vision of India is produced, and that western cultures view India as unchanging, as it is steeped in traditions that keep it "backward". In this advertisement, such commodification and traditionalism is demonstrated. Products that Americans associate with India are shown: quilts and other textiles, including the dye used for coloration, not to mention the silk that Conan is after. These commodities help “brand” the people as Indians. Also, traditionalism, such as the smashing of the berries to make dye via foot stomping, is prevalent in this advertisement. The “privitism” of India characterized in U.S. advertising is illustrated when Conan rides an elephant after the car breaks down. Also, the ethnic music reinforces the “exotic” that Americans seek through foreign cultures.

Globalization, the sharing of ideas with other nations and the spreading of cultures and capital, etc., is also evident. Conan spreads capital by paying an unknown amount, most likely well over 10,000 Rupees, for silk. In turn, he takes the silk back to the United States. On the positive side, such exchanges can raise the status in some countries like India. Basing identity off of multiple nations encourages cultural hybridity. Coleman in Black Sitcom Portrayals claims that imported culture even contributes to the creation of new ethic identities. On the negative end, globalization can be seen as “Americanization” or cultural imperialism, as it can take away from individual cultures and misrepresent other cultures. Also, sometimes cultures are picked apart, like how, according to the advertisement, Americans take silk and other textiles from India, and market them as products such as curtains in the U.S., creating a false sense of identity. Additionally, symbolic violence, when the wealthy spend conspicuously rather than sharing the wealth with those less fortunate, is shown when Conan obviously has a large amount of money (he is willing to pay a large sum for the silk and can pay travel expenses) and does not share it with those in need, such as the girl dancing on the street. Everyone who Conan talks to in India knows him by name, suggesting that everyone there recognizes the United States as a global superpower.

Question 5; Ideology and Hegemony (the Urinal Game)

Ideology refers to the idea itself. Formally, it is the study of, or science of, ideas. Informally, it’s the idea of common sense. The study of ideology is the study of how our world is structured.

Hegemony is the construction and maintenance of an ideology, via education systems, the workplace, religious institutions, everyday life (ex: seeing a cop makes you slow down even if you are not speeding or violating the law in any way), etc. Hegemony is formed when one feels like someone is in a higher authority than they are, for example at a doctor’s office (where white lab coats give doctors authority). Family construction, such as how the dad sits at head of dinner table and how kids go to the mom when they get hurt, is another example of how life is always mediated through hegemonic structures.

The game demonstrates both concepts. The main ideology presented is that men want to be as far away from other men when using urinals in order to obtain the “maximum amount of buffer zone” and personal space. Other aspects, such as distance from the door and the type of men surrounding you, are also considered. This ideology is maintained through hegemony, as it is reinforced by example in all sorts of institutions—at school, work, gyms, and other public facilities. In such facilities with public restrooms, men repeatedly chose urinals farthest away from other men, which establishes the concept of which urinal is “acceptable” to use.

Question 4; Magritte's Pipe

Magritte’s image implies the process of signification or semiotics (the study of signs) because upon viewing the pipe, one automatically associates the idea of the pipe with a larger concept. This larger concept, I argue, is that the pipe signifies wealthy, older males with power or authority, for example Hugh Heffner. In terms of cultural studies, the pipe represents the myth of the Man, as signifiers construct cultural mythologies. Magritte’s picture of a pipe, accompanied by the words “this is not a pipe” provokes thought regarding perception verses real life and challenges our pre-established perceptions of reality, in effect changing the way in which we construct our view of the world--which is what cultural studies is all about.

Question 3; Race Portrayals

In Ghetto Delta Airlines, race is portrayed primarily through language, as the narrator uses slang, very improper English, and profanity throughout the video (i.e. “we be flying all over this bitch…” “then you be back at yo crib, we dun already flew up in there”). Also, blacks are portrayed as overweight and arguably inferior, since the narrator is white and holds all the power (he and his airlines can fly blacks anywhere), while not a single black person speaks at all during the film.

In Everest College Advertisement race is portrayed in both similar and different ways. Like the Delta video, the Everest College advertisement speaks directly to the audience though use of the second person--“you.” However, while the Delta video is comical and the narrator appears to be addressing a crowd, the Everest College Advertisement is serious and personal. Significantly, the narrator in the Everest advertisement is black, unlike in the Delta video. Both videos give blacks negative connotations, but the Everest advertisement gives a more descriptive illustration of the black race and is arguably more offensive, as the speaker claims that blacks just sit on the couch, watch T.V., spend time on the phone, procrastinate and let life pass them by. The speaker challenges and persuades blacks to defy this stereotype, which is an element ignored in the Delta video.

Question 2; Fallacies

One can never assume an author intends one thing or another, which is considered an authorial fallacy. Also, one can never assume a certain interpretation or action by an audience or the author, considered an audience fallacy. This is significant because such fallacies are not based off of fact or reliable information and thus cannot be made legitimate arguments. Instead, a person must base his/her argument on what the text shows, and not what the company did. While one can say “I argue that this advertisement implies that teenagers are conformists,” it is invalid to directly say that the authors claim or intend to claim that teenagers actively support conformity (authorial fallacy) and that the readers support or reject this notion (audience fallacy).

Question 1; Capitalization

When cultural studies theorists use words with capital letters even if they are not proper nouns, they do so because they are referring to the symbolic. It is significant because it suggests that the concept is inaccessible. For example, reference to an actual woman (“you are a woman”) requires a lower case “w” while the concept of the Woman requires capitalization.