Blog 4 Due 2/26

Over the last few weeks of pop culture class, we have studied and analyzed beauty, sex, and romance. We have analyzed how they are reflected in, and how they have influenced, society. Two readings that we have done that seemed to be "on the same page," so to speak, were Ten Seconds to Love and  Porn by Chuck Klosterman. Both articles examine sex from a historical and modern prospective. Ten Seconds to Love discusses the differences between the sex idol of the our past and the sex idol of our present. In the passage Porn, Klosterman analyzes the age of information and how it has altered society's view on sexuality. He makes his argument based on the prevalence of online pornography. With these two articles, the author makes a critical analysis of how society has shifted from a private value of sexuality to a more open and prevalent view.
His articles also slightly contradict each other. In Ten Seconds to Love, he states that Pamela Anderson is the most crucial woman of our generation. He states this is because of her character and actions, and discusses what that says about modern culture. He makes the case that society desires a perfect female body that is exposed and altered to meet the standards of perfection. The article Porn discusses the prevalence of amateurs, or "the girl next door." Although the shape of the models body may be different, both articles make the case that, as a society, we are desiring a more open and real sexuality. Each article provides a unique insight and can be related to the culture we live in today.

Blog 3 Due 2/19

In this week's class we discussed beauty and advertising. As a marketing major, these topics are directly related to my line of study. We learned in class that Victoria's Secret runs a multi-million dollar business by advertising to men. This seems strange when their target customers are women. The genius behind this marketing is that they play on women's assumptions that, to be attractive, they must look like the models on the ads. The message behind the marketing is that Victoria's Secret knows what a man desires, and if women purchase their product they will be desirable. Although Victoria's Secret is well known for their portrayal of physically perfect models, they are not the only company to use this marketing technique. Over the last 4 decades, several companies have attributed to society's change in view of the human body.
Another reading we did for class focused on how we, as a culture, have grown a resentment to the human body. The reasoning behind the authors arguments was that our bodies have resulted in constant disappointment. We could be eating too much or having too much sex. Either way, our bodies have become a source of dissatisfaction. It makes you wonder how much marketing is to blame.

Blog 2 Due 2/12

This week in Popular Culture class we discussed evaluated and analyzed sex in our society. Sex is one of the most basic parts of being a human yet its a topic that makes many uncomfortable. The writing by Chuck Klosterman show us how our view of sex in society has changed over the last century. He examines how Marilyn Monroe personified the attitude her time period had on sex. In his passage he describes her sexuality as unseen and mysterious, reflecting a time period where sex was more private. He then precedes to compare this to the current sex idol Pam Anderson. Society now has little respect for celebrity privacy and Pam Anderson is no exemption. Klosterman describes the sex tape he is watching starring Anderson and states that nothing is hidden. These illustrations showcase the change society has had on its attitude towards sex.

If the comparison of Anderson and Monroe shows a more detailed and open view our society has towards sex, then the rise of online pornography only further emphasizes that point. The new technologies of the Internet have given society an uncensored out let of its secrete desires. Pornography is the largest source of revenue on the Internet and is astronomically large in proportion to other sites. This argues that society is obsessed with sex and is more open then ever in participating and engaging in sexual activities. The articles written by Klosterman give a perceptive view of how our society values sex and the attitudes it has towards it.

Blog 1 Due 4/5

Jon Gertner has provided a unique insight into one of the most basic aspects of humanity, what it means to be happy, and how this motivates us. Through his research he has argued that happiness is not a state of being, but rather a motivational tool utilized by our bodies. We act on a desire because we think it will make us feel happy, but in reality the longest stretch of happiness we can experience is 3 months, according to Gertner. This impact bias, or the amount our estimation is off in how happy something will make us, is important because it motivates us as a society. If we could achieve happiness we would no longer be motivated to accomplish or strive. Our psychological immune system ensures that we will not always be in a state of happiness, as well as creating synthetic happiness when bad things happen. This ensures that we are always moving and evolving as a species. The research done by Gertner gives us a better understanding of what it truly means to be human.