Formula Analysis

Which theories seemed to best relate to your popular culture topic?

My popular culture topic is for this assignment is. Hip Hop There are many different theories that applied in a manner where the audience can relate it has a variety of different scenarios that apply to everyday life. You are able to really create your own input and visual of a story being told it doesn't necessarily have to be the content that fits your life exactly but in every song or lyric I think there is some truth to it.  

How do these theories describe, analyze or evaluate the topic you have selected?

In this particular topic so many different theories can take place depending on how you look at the subject manner. There are stereotypes, triumphs, victories. We can all relate to a story and I think that there are many different formulas that are inside of hip hop. There is a base of repetitive words, rhyming words and wordplay plenty of element that can be found in poetry. There is always a clever punch line or memorable moment in each song. 

How will you think of your popular culture topic differently based on your analysis? 

Before my topic and knowledge on hip hop culture I did not think of how the rap and gangsta rap had such a negative connotation on how other races and people perceived hip hop in general it challenged me to think about what or how was I contributing to the issue. I see how the formula of repetitive messages keep the same negative anti-black view up and running. 

Journal Analysis | Stereotypes In Hip Hop

Stereotypes in Hip Hop


In Hip-Hop the evolution of this culture has come very far thus far. There are so many different elements that make hip-hop what it is today it is more than just music, it is clothing, media, it has become a way of life for many. In this article the author describes the different stereotypes within the hip hop/rap community and how it the African American community and how other races and authorities perceive African Americans off lyrical content.


The article is well written and very detailed in the orientation of the information the writer is working to explain to the audience the stereotypes but there are some issues that arise in this article that I think somewhat derailed the message. The predictions of what will happen in the future to me can be confusing to the readers leading them to be confused with the facts within entire article. It is a long article that could have been broken down to have less information but it was a research article instead of 20 pages it could have easily been cut down to 10 pages by decreasing the information and using more summarizing. The foundation of the article provided many facts and citations within the article which would have better if there was in text explaining the citations beforehand. In this article there was specific research and studies done that were through they broke the study down to three different sections.


The authors explain how anti-blacks and other groups perceive the violence and drugs in the songs a reason to why the black community commits these crimes and breaks laws because the people who listen to the music become influenced by the story that is portrayed by the artist. The authors really understand that the music is not encouraging this behavior it is more less people describing what happens in their lives around them. All the main points in this are relevant and allow the reader to understand anti-blacks, blacks being blamed for economical issues. It allowed the audience would be able to see a perspective even if they had no current history or background on the hip hip/rap culture.


The author does include opinions but there is more facts, statistics, and general information in this article the author does include too many opinions outside of the section with the predictions because predictions are not an actual blueprint to what will happen.


This article is very important because the stereotypes are a major reason to why the stigma behind hip-hop and rap has the inability to move forward. When something is not understood and is taken for face value it may not always be what it seems. To provide people with awareness of a situation can provide a preventive measure and hip-hop will not be viewed as something that is a harmful entity. The authors in this article acknowledged the issues in the culture but also provided all the tools to show why these issues exist.


REFERENCES


Reyna, C., Brandt, M., & Viki, G. (2009). Blame It on Hip-Hop: Anti-Rap Attitudes as a Proxy for Prejudice. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 361-380.

Written Analysis Three

What theories seem to apply to your popular culture topic?

The topic that I chose was Hip Hop it is somewhat has grown to have it's own culture.  There are many theories in hip hop about the artists, the music and who they choose to advertise the music to just to mention a few. One of the things that seem to be growing a life of it's own that the hip-hop no longer represents what we know be of African decent or created by African Americans. It has different genres and some feel that Hip-Hop no longer belongs to them.  I feel that many of the theories that we have been studying throughout the course relates to my topic. 

How do these theories describe, analyze or evaluate the topic you have selected?

In the topic I selected I do think that we have pioneers and heroes in their own right that have changed the way over time. We have a lot of groups in the early 1970s that created this sound and paved the way for the younger generation. The music didn't include so much violence and drugs it was more about connecting over dancing and life experiences. The topic I chose is a 'culture' as a have mentioned before. There is clothing, lifestyles, people who have grown up knowing that to be apart of their culture sort of a unspoken.  There are different genres inside of Hip Hop such as Rap that connected by not exactly the same but have a similar  sounds but not the same idea exactly. 

What insights do you gain from applying these theories to your popular culture topic?

There are so many different ways to apply the theories of what is happening in today's society. We have so many different outlets that contribute social media, television networks, and so much. It has changed the way we distribute music even the way we watch it.  

Written Analysis: Rituals & Stereotypes

The topic I chose for the popular culture class is Hip-Hop for a number of different reasons mainly because it has been apart of my life for long as I could remember. The culture is something that has grown with me as an adult. I wanted to keep focus on making sure I can find information based on my topic throughout the entire class. There are two popular theories that were asked to be discussed the first is stereotypes.

In Hip-Hop there is are per-conceived notions about the artists in general such as they are prior drug dealers, thugs, pimps and criminals just to name a few. Now granted this is the reality for some but we cannot group all these artists in the same group many are not given opportunity to identify themselves properly or fairly. “Their purpose can be toward either the good or the ill of a particular people or group, and although they can be intended to favor or disfavor a particular group, more likely than not they will be used for negative purposes” (Browne 2009, p.102)

Rituals in for this particular topic is a little tougher topic but I can definitely see how rituals play a part in this topic. I would say that the core of hip-hop has remained the same over the years and what it represents. Even with the sounds they have remained consistent over a long period of time. They also have award shows that celebrate the triumphs and pay homage to artists in the hip-hop industry. “Ritual is arguably a universal feature of human social existence: just as one cannot envision a society without language or exchange, one would be equally hard-pressed to imagine a society without ritual.”(Carrico)

I think that I would gain allowing others to see different perspectives that may not been seen if not choosing to use these theories. I want to allow people who may not be familiar with the culture and be able to look at the entire spectrum and it will make my analysis well-rounded.

REFERENCES

Carrico, K. (n.d.). Ritual — Cultural Anthropology. Retrieved November 28, 2015, from http://www.culanth.org/curated_collections/4-ritual

Brown, R. B. (2005). Profiles of Popular Culture a Reader. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press.

Icon Analysis

Since I have regained new 'time on my hands'  I have been getting my fair share of Netflix and Hulu fix on. Constantly watching various documentaries, listening to different music and reading more eBooks that have been collecting dust on my iPad. 

The first icon is 'America's Most Wanted' it i a reality television show hosted by John Walsh, it showcased different crimes, missing children and criminals that needed to be found/captured.

As a child most young girls were playing with their dolls watching My Little Pony, Doug, just to name a few in my generation. I was patiently anticipating Saturday to come to watch John Walsh. It started around the age of 8. It became my weekend routine. The reason I was so intrigued to watch it is because Walsh's son was near my age and I found it to be so inspiring that he wanted justice and created a platform for it. It really was the only show of its kind for over 20 years it just recently a few years got cancelled.  It changed the way we were able to catch criminals and get justice for families that were seeking a resolution.

Even with this show being fairly American Horror Story is one of my favorite shows to watch. It has done something most series don't normally do. It has many different story-lines and using the same or select actor/actresses from the previous season. I think this show is extremely iconic each season tells a story that is captivating and thrilling.  This show believe it or not challenges my creativity and the way I think about writing. It allows you to tap into your imagination and use it farther than you would have imagined you could have. 

I chose Janelle Monae for my final icon she is an American Singer from Kansas she has worked with top artists such as Erykah Badu, Outkast even Prince. She has really created her own sound and style by being timeless and really being innovative. She is definitely a positive role model with music I would not mind my little sister or young family members listening to. I have all of her albums and I try to listen to her on a regular basis. 

Artifact Image: The Real World

What is popular culture, and what does it mean to you?

Popular culture or pop culture is a variety of different ideas, images, visuals, and entertainment pertaining to what is popular in our society. What pop culture means to me is entertainment (movies, music, TV), sports, news (as in people/places in news), politics, fashion/clothes, technology and slang mainly what is happening around us in our everyday life.

Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant to you in a business environment and in your present and future career?

In our everyday lives we use popular culture even in the workplace we use it to relate to each other, and to understand how to be relative in everyday situations. In my current line of work I rely heavily on the use of the internet and technology which is hand in hand with so many different aspects in pop culture in our current time.

What would you consider to be an example of a pop culture artifact? And why would you choose it?




The example I choose for my artifact is a reality television show called 'The Real World' it essentially had a pivotal place in what now we know as reality television. It showcased many different individuals from many different backgrounds and they lived together learning how to adapt to new situations with each other.