5-1 Artifact Analysis

I was thinking about what popular culture artifact I would write about this week when I looked down at my lunch. I was hastily eating a microwaveable Smart Ones meal for the fourth day in a row. I realized frozen convenience meals like this have revolutionized society’s eating habits. It seems like society is always looking for ways to make things more efficient and understandably so. Times have changed as people are spending far less time preparing large meals at home. Eating out or ordering in is the new norm, but it’s not always an option for really busy people. I personally do not always take a lunch break from work and end up eating at my desk a lot. Microwave meal manufactures jumped at the opportunity to tap into this market to provide fast meals to time-crunched workers.

Microwave meals are extremely easy and fast to make, so they are great for people on the go. These meals did not become popular until the mid-50s, but frozen foods in general have been around since the ‘20s. Where did frozen food come from? Let me give you a little history on the invention.

Clarence Birdseye (1886 – 1956) was born in Brooklyn, New York. After partially completing his education at Amherst College, he got into the fur-trading business in 1912. Birdseye was in Canada for about five years when he made his discovery of freezing foods (Time Life Books Inc). He observed Eskimos freezing meats in the bitter cold of winter and wanted to research it further. It turns out that quickly freezing foods in extremely low temperatures does not cause cell damage as with the slower freezing processes. This lack of cell damage allows the food to keep its maximum flavor, texture, and color when thawed (Time Life Books Inc.). Birdseye went on to become a renowned technologist, food expert, industrialist, and inventor. When he returned to the United States again, Birdseye perfected a freezing machine to create quality frozen foods for public sale (Time Life Books Inc). Among his many inventions, Birdseye is still best known for his invention of quickly freezing foods.

Microwave meals have come a long way from the earlier products of the twentieth century. Today, you can walk down a frozen foods isle in your grocery store and find a whole side dedicated to microwave meals. There are at least a dozen companies that produce frozen meals and compete for the top selling meals. Thanks to this competition, there is a vast variety of meal options to choose from. I personally prefer the Weight Watchers brand Smart Ones meals as they are very affordable and quite delicious. You can choose from pastas, Asian dishes, Mexican favorites, Panini’s, pizzas, desserts, and more! Several of the microwave meals come in healthier options for those people that watch their calories.

I’m so thankful for these microwave meals. The same old sandwich every day gets old fast. I keep a stockpile of the frozen meals in the freezer at work so I can “pop” one in the microwave any time I need!

References

Time Life Books Inc. (1991). A sudden chill. Inventive Genius, 5(2), 34-36. Retrieved July 31, 2008, from the Academic Search Complete database.

Picture provided by: Smart Ones, Weight Watchers. www.eatyourbest.com/products/productsearch/searchdetails.aspx?sid=2020

1-3 Journal Article Analysis

Psychotropia: Medicine, Media, and the Virtual Asylum
By Lawrence Rubin

The article, Psychotropia: Medicine , Media, and the Virtual Asylum, focuses on the major increase in diagnosing mental illnesses. Lawrence Rubin includes an important explanation in the article addressing the source of the problem as well. Rubin’s article does a thorough job of explaining the problem with society’s prescription dependence referred to as “Psychotropia.”

The topic addressed in the article is focused towards the general public. Rubin discusses the concern for deteriorating mental health boundaries from society as a whole. He is not worried about one small group of people. According to Rubin, “Without such a boundary, the whole of society becomes a potential community of deviance- a global asylum- and all its citizens, residents.”

The article was well organized for easy understanding. Rubin began by explaining the previous research conducted on psychiatric institutions by Sociologist Erving Goffman. It helps lay a basis for understanding the original use of psychotropic medication for the mentally ill. Rubin goes on to explain the transition from patients staying in asylums to members of society just taking more medication. Rubin then supports his argument about the media pushing medications on society through the use of television, movies, and music before stating his conclusion.

The main topic of the article is how the media influences society to take medications they do not need. The related culprit to the issue is how major powers of society like their people to be docile and calm rather than defiant. This is a very big issue these days as parents are putting more children on “ADD” medications every day. The number of people taking pills for little problems has risen drastically. The percentage of people taking antidepressants rose from 37 percent to 75 percent between 1987 and 1997 (Gottlieb, 2002). Rubin raised a really good question in his article, “Which came first, the illness or the cure?”

The article describes the advertising seen by society through various mediums. According to Rubin, over $1.5 billion was spent on consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies once the FDA lessened the restrictions on direct-to-consumer drug advertising in 1997. People are now directly targeted by psychotropic drug manufacturers through popular magazines, television shows, radio ads, Internet, and dozens of other similar ways.

The drug manufacturers have also been focusing on subliminal advertising to the public through several mediums. Rubin made an excellent point about many movies and television shows featuring mentally ill protagonists for the sake of marketing psychotropic drugs. One example, Sex and the City, constantly shows “cool and sophisticated” women popping Prozac and Valium on a constant basis.

In Rubin’s conclusion, he reminds the reader that not all drugs are necessary if they take a step back and assess the mental situation. He expresses his concern again that society has created a virtual form of an asylum for itself. His tone expresses frustration towards society opening the doors for pharmaceutical companies so much. Society has to wonder how so many children finished school in earlier times without ADD medication. Society needs to remember how so many adults got by before without Paxil or Prozac.

I have to agree with Rubin’s message in his article. Too many people feel slightly unhappy or uncomfortable and think it should be fixed with a pill. Every time another mentally healthy person goes to the doctor for a prescription they don’t really need, insurance premiums rise, another mind is dulled, and another pharmaceutical company makes more money. Many mentally healthy members of society are letting advertising influence their medication needs far too much. I feel there would be a lot more hesitances in prescription buying if society had a better understanding of the pharmaceutical company’s marketing schemes.

References

Rubin, L. (2006). Psychotropia: Medicine, media, and the virtual asylum. The Journal of Popular Culture, 39, 2. Retrieved July 27, 2008, from The Journal of Popular Culture database.

Weekly Analysis 4-1

I had decided I would analyze a popular movie this week and thought about recent movies that have influenced common phrases in society. I couldn’t help it; I kept thinking about the Austin Powers series. As ridiculous and silly as the Austin Powers movies are, I still think they are entertaining. The series of movies certainly qualify as a popular culture artifact.

The first Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was released in 1997 with a lot of marketing campaigns. Audiences flocked to the movie and were spouting off quotes from the movie for several years. The second movie, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, was almost just as popular as the first. The second movie also had some rather famous actors to help attract audiences (i.e. Heather Graham). In 2002, the third movie of the series, Austin Powers: Goldmember, was released. This third movie was also really popular as it had pop-star Beyonce Knowles as the leading lady. All three movies were are full of bad humor, sexual connotations, shoot-outs, and investigating.

The main character, Austin Powers, is a ‘60s British secret agent that still thinks he’s hot and hip. Powers was frozen in the ‘60s then thawed 30 years later to catch an old enemy. The story line was just goofy and different enough to make the original movie very successful. I give my applause to the writers who selected just the right “absurd” phrases to hook audiences. I still hear people make a few Powers quotes now and then like, “Yeah baby” and “Do I make you horny?”

Besides the witty remarks and famous phrases, the Austin Powers movies also show a good example of constant changes in society. Powers was thawed out in the ‘90s and could hardly believe the changes that occurred over the last 30 years. He didn’t understand why people weren’t having random sex anymore. He had to quickly learn a lot about new technology, higher prices, politics, and proper etiquette. There was actually a moment in the movie where I felt bad for Powers. His assistant detective gave him some DVDs to update him on the last 30 years (once he figured out how a DVD worked). When you really think about the biggest events of the last 30 years, almost every event is tragic and heart-wrenching. That would be a lot to take in for a person that’s missed out on the world that long!

The villain of the movies, Dr. Evil, is not just the typical villain. Dr. Evil is also behind the times; which really adds to the humor. It was a great example of how much costs have risen when Dr. Evil threatened to blow up the world unless he got a million dollars. Another comical element that made the movie such a success was the small person named, Minnie Me. The Austin Powers movies broke a lot of “politically correct” rules and enjoyed every bit of it. I can see Austin Powers as a pop culture artifact that many generations will carry on.

Picture Reference:

Internet Movie Database (2008). Austin Powers: International man of mystery. Retrieved on July 23, 2008, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118655/

Artifact Analysis 3-1

We know a pop culture artifact helps define a society during a given time. Among the various artifacts, I would have to say Starbucks coffee is definitely one of them. Starbucks, the company, has completely shaped the way Americans drink coffee over the last two decades. Coffee is no longer just made at home in the morning; it’s purchased at coffee bars at all hours of the day.

The people of our society have fallen in love with the convenience and persona of ordering their coffee from a trendy coffee bar. As workers continue to crunch their spare time with busier schedules, it’s easier to swing by a Starbucks drive-thru than take the time to brew coffee at home. Many people also like the atmosphere of the Starbucks locations. The stores are really trendy with sleek furniture, designer lighting, popular music, and wireless Internet available. The Starbucks coffee bars have become a popular hangout for studying, distance working, and social networking.

Here’s a little history on the company. Starbucks Corporation is an international chain based in Seattle, Washington. It actually started out as a coffee bean seller before venturing into the beverage industry in the early 1990s (Starbucks Corp, 2008). It’s now the largest coffeehouse chain in the world! By the end of 2007, Starbucks had over 15,000 stores in 44 countries (Wikipedia, 2008). It seems like there is a Starbucks every 3 miles in my home city. There’s even a Starbucks inside my local university!

Starbucks serves a large variety of beverages including their infamous brewed coffee, hot chocolate, espresso, teas, Fruppuccinos, and fruit smoothies. One of the greatest things about Starbucks coffee is the option to order a coffee just the way you like it. Whether you like cappuccinos or simple coffees, you can request steamed milk, whipped topping, ice-blended, flavors, or even additional espresso shots. I personally like the Carmel Frappuccinos the best if I’m going to Starbucks. The coffee bars also offer several snacks and trendy coffee merchandise.

The days of coffee only being consumed by adults is over. Thanks to Starbucks’ various forms of coffee, we see a lot of teenagers drinking coffee as well. I’ve personally witnessed high school students going to a nearby Starbucks to buy a frozen coffee on their lunch break instead of eating a “real” meal. What’s even crazier is the price they are paying for the coffee. Our society is willing to spend absurdly high prices for Starbucks beverages even though we know how cheap the ingredients are. I have several friends that spend hundreds of dollars a year on Starbucks coffees. Is the Starbucks coffee that much better? Is the image someone gets by drinking the brand coffee? Whatever it is, Starbucks can be proud of what they have created!

References:

Starbucks Corporation (2008). About us: Starbucks Coffee Company. Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/

Wikipedia (2008). Starbuck Corporation, Wikipedia Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 15, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/starbucks/

Artifact Analysis 2-1

Google has emerged as one of the most influential and memorable pop culture artifacts of our time. What began as an experiment in a Stanford University dorm room in 1995 has rapidly become the most widely recognized search engine in the world (Google.com). Since then, the American company has been offering a free internet search service, web-based email, online maps, and social networking. The Google search option has become so widely used that its name became a verb!

The ease of using Google has made it one of the best known brands almost entirely through word of mouth. The Google Toolbar, usually left in the top ribbon of your internet window, is an option that enables you to conduct a web search from anywhere on the web. One of the great features of the search engine is the option to use the “I’m feeling lucky” button. The user can enter a couple of misspelled key words and the search engine will try to find the most popular and probable topic to those words.

Google made the wise decision to generate their revenue by displaying advertisements. Many advertisers pay to have their advertisements show up on the web page when it is relevant to their product. This targeted advertising has been very successful for Google and the advertisers as well as useful to the person browsing. One of the other best decisions the company made, and my favorite, is to not allow pop-up ads of any kind on the site. If the user occasionally receives a pop-up, it would be from within a particular site visited or from using a URL that tried to look like the original Google URL (Google.com).

I think Google is a great popular culture artifact as it has influenced so many. People are almost obsessed with Google for their information needs as they completely ignore other sources available. Whether you’re young or old, “Googling” has become the way to find information these days. I think the name Google in itself quickly gained an emotional attachment. It’s a fun and quirky word that is easy to remember next time you sit down at your computer. The Google search engine doesn’t just represent a new way to find information; it represents a new era for humans and their computers. I think Google created a path for web-intimidated people to become comfortable with using the internet for their information needs. Using Google, anyone can look up directions, check on store hours, and view homes for sale with a simple search word!

References
Google.com (2008). About Google, Google, Inc. Retrieved July 9, 2008, from http://www.google.com/about.html

Icon Analysis 2-2

Many contemporary pop culture icons exist these days. Although there is no single definitive test for establishing the pop icon status, there are several factors that help determine the difference. The first pop icon that came to mind was the actress Angelina Jolie. Another major icon that I’m positive everyone has heard of is Tiger Woods. As a third example, the television series Sex and the City is an icon that swept the nation.

The first icon, Angelina Jolie, is an excellent example of an American actress that became so much more. Since 1993, Jolie has been in many successful movies that led her to become one of the most well-known sex symbols in Hollywood. Since she became involved with another pop icon, Brad Pitt, the media and fans have been following her every move. Jolie is tracked and obsessed over on several websites, fan clubs, and magazine articles. On the other hand, Jolie has become known worldwide for her humanitarian efforts. She has been traveling to suffering countries for the last few years to raise awareness of aids, poverty, and other horrible situations (Wikipedia, 2008). I did not think Angelina Jolie was as special as the fans and media made her sound until I recently read about her efforts to help the children of war-torn countries. While she is an icon to the movie and gaming fans, I see Jolie as an icon in the political and humanitarian fields as well.

Golf has had its icons over the decades, but none quite like Tiger Woods. While the professional game of golf was slowly humming as always, young Tiger came along and wowed the nation. He quickly made a name for himself with his amazing achievements. Tiger has actually received 9 PGA Tour awards for Best Player of the Year (TigerWoods.com). Many professional golfers now want to golf like Tiger. A huge fan base has accumulated that holds Tiger on a “golden pedestal”. We see him on golf wear, sporting goods, television ads, and even sports drinks. The main reason I like to see Tiger Woods as an icon is that he brought the fun and sport back to golf. Watching Tiger try to win a fifth consecutive major to beat a record is really exciting. He has refreshed the game of golf and influenced many more people to try the sport.

The hit television show, Sex and the City, has become a major pop icon. The show stars four New York women that have created a huge fan base and forever changed the way television shows would address the topic of sex. The show aired for six years and earned many awards. There are Sex and the City blogs, games, dolls, and even a full-length movie. I think the writers of the show influenced women in many more ways than they ever thought possible. I worked with two women that would actually miss important functions if they were unable to tape that night’s episode.

References

Tigerwoods.com (2008). Tiger Woods, ETW, Inc. Retrieved July 9, 2008, from http://www.tigerwoods.com/defaultflash.sps

Wikipedia (2008). Angelina Jolie, Wikipedia Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 8, 2008, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelina_Jolie

Photos courtesy of:

http://lugar.senate.gov/photos/leaders.htm ,Angelina Jolie

www.tv.com/sex-and-the-city/show/456/summary.html ,Sex and the City

www.tigerwoods.com ,Tiger Woods

1-4 Analysis of the iPod

I imagine anyone that would be reading this blog would know what an iPod is. The Apple iPod has completely changed the way people listen to their music. The little device is everywhere. You might even own one yourself or at least know friends that do. I was just downloading more songs to mine earlier today. The iPod allows music lovers to easily download music whenever they want to and organize the songs in various ways. You can also download movies!

Released in 2001, the Apple iPod has been evolving over the last few years to offer several sizes and price options. There is the iPod shuffle and iPod Nano which are smaller and lower priced versions. The iPod Classic and iPod Touch are the bigger versions for a lot more money. The iPod Classic has been the reigning music device since it is extremely user friendly, has an amazing 160GB storage capacity, and has a long-lasting battery life. The iPod Touch is a newer version that does not have near the memory capacity, but it meets the recent demand for touch-screen operating.

The Apple iPod Classic has made it possible for people to listen to their favorite music anywhere they want to. There are tons of accessories available like ear buds, cigarette lighter adapters, attachable speakers, and docking stations. I use what’s called a Monster iLink cord to plug my iPod into my car’s accessory outlet. The cord is able to use radio stations to play my iPod through the car stereo. This has been wonderful since I commute 40 minutes to work every day! I can also use a 12v cord to plug the iPod into my boat so we have good music out on the lake. I love having my favorite music at my disposal!

I’m beginning to think the iPod phenomenon is getting a little out of control with today’s youth. I have been noticing a growing number of kids listening to their iPods when they shouldn’t be. Someone please tell me how it could be safe for an eighteen-year-old to have iPod ear buds in his or her ears while driving a car. I’m also noticing people behaving rudely with their iPods in public. I sat in a class last year where one of the students actually listened to his iPod during lectures. I’ve also observed people not turning their iPod off when others try to talk to them.

There are several blogs and reviews available online that are dedicated to such topics as the iPod. A late June issue of Entertainment Weekly included a list called, “The 25 gadgets and innovations with the biggest effect on pop culture since 1983.” In the list, the Apple iPod ranked fourth after the DVD player, Napster, and TiVo (Crave, 2008). It’s obvious the iPod has already begun to replace fancy stereos, CD players, and radio stations. Many people are happy with the new wave of music technology while the older generations are having a tough time understanding it. Reading the various opinions about the iPod only confirmed my feelings that the iPod is one of the most important pop culture items around!

References

German, K. (2008). Top tech and no cell phone? CNet Networks. Retrieved on July 2, 2008, from http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9981428-1.html?tag=blgs


Pictures retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://www.apple.com/ipodclassic/