Want a Challenge?

OK…Quiz Time!

Here is your first question – When it is cold out and you need to feel warmth running through you to take off the chill, what would you love to have?

Second question – When you are sick, cold, and not hungry (but know you should eat), what is the first thing you think of?

The answer to both questions is Campbell’s Soup. This is the comfort food that we grew up with. When we needed to feel better, Mom or Grandma would heat up some soup. In the first question, my answer would be Campbell’s Tomato Soup. Nothing was better than coming in after playing in the snow and having a big bowl of this treat, except for maybe a peanut butter or grilled cheese sandwich to go along with it.

The second question is even easier to answer, Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup. This has to be the #1 comfort food of all time. Who hasn’t watched a movie or TV show where someone is sick and chicken noodle soup is offered? Of course both of these (and many other flavors) are interchangeable. It is the red and white can, with the gold seal, that says comfort. (CSC Brands LP, 2009) Most people remember the snowman commercial that plays on TV every winter, if not, please go watch it. It is a great symbol of what this soup means to us all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PdeGx1obvc (Chenoholic88, 2008)

It has been as least 20 years since Mom or Grandma have fixed me soup, but I have carried on the tradition. Maybe a week has past since I last fixed soup for my kids. They came over last week and I made tomato soup and peanut butter sandwiches. Both of them remarked on how good it was, just like when they were little. I’m sure when they have kids the tradition will continue. The Campbell’s soup label still brings a feeling of comfort just by seeing it. I can’t even bring myself to buy generic, unless it is for cooking. It just wouldn’t be the same!

Chenoholic88. (2008, Nov 28). Classic Campbell's Soup Winter Commercial. Retrieved Nov 25, 2009, from youtube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PdeGx1obvc

CSC Brands LP. (2009). Products. Retrieved Nov 25, 2009, from Campbells.com: http://www.campbells.com/condensed_soups_products.aspx

Three Contemporary Icons
The Icons that first stood out in my mind were the emoticons, the Golden Arches, and all the people with headphones. The emoticons are those annoying little facial expressions made from key combinations on your computer such as :), :(, and :D . The Golden Arches are the universal symbol for McDonalds. The people with headphones are usually sporting MP3 players.
Why I Chose These Icons
Emoticons were the first icon that I thought of. I see them everywhere, even at work (on government e-mails). I don’t think that I ever receive a text message or IM without a few at the end. I next tried to think of what kind of symbol I see every day. McDonalds immediately sprang to my mind. I see it at least twice a day on my way to and from work, not to mention all the others I pass throughout the weekends. The last symbol took some extra thought. What symbol do I see representative of our lifestyle. I thought of the people that seem to spend their lives in headphones.
What They Mean to Me
Does everyone use the little emoticons except me? I have been guilty once or twice (ok…maybe more). I know that it can be difficult to express yourself through e-mail or especially in a short text message. The emoticons can help with these problems to some extent. If you say “I don’t think so,” it may sound harsh. If you add a “;>)” wink to it, then the meaning changes to say “just teasing.” Although they are not very professional, they do have their uses.
The giant “M” for McDonalds is all over the world. I have seen commercials and stories that show people from a large variety of cultures visited their local franchise. It is kind of comforting to know that when you visit I foreign country, there is the possibility of at least one place with recognizable food. The headphone craze is just that…craz-y.
Everywhere I look I see people wearing headphones. Even while riding down the road I see teenagers, and sometimes adults, plugged in to some kind of device. I guess what this means to me most is a safety violation. Kids on bicycles or skateboards riding on the road are another safety issue. My feeling on this is probably why I notice their usage so often.


Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoticon (November 19, 2009)
http://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/ (November 19, 2009)
http://cdn.buzznet.com/media-cdn/jj1/headlines/2008/05/scott-speedman-bicycle.jpg (November 19, 2009)

"Real" Wrestling

My second choice for my main popular culture topic was televised wrestling, mainly WWE (WWE, 2009). I have always found this “sport” interesting. I have to admit that I am a long-time follower (but don’t tell anyone). I started watching in the days when The Junkyard Dog still had teeth to bite with. The ring had about three sets of bleachers around it with less than 10 rows each. It was shown once a week in a time slot that didn’t compete with anything else worth watching, unless you were a fan of cooking shows or the farm reports. At that time of my life my main use for cooking was how long to set the microwave and did we have both milk AND butter for macaroni and cheese. I also didn’t realize, as a teenager, the importance of crop prices – unlike now.
As the years have gone by, wrestling has grown unbelievably. Ticket prices have increased from “2 free tickets with purchase” to over $30 for mid-level seating. Wrestlers used to follow their managers into the arena with an announcement from the referee on who they were. Now you aren’t anything special without full fireworks and loudspeakers. They even have their own theme songs. The only part that hasn’t changed over the years is the feel of it being scripted.
If one of the aspects of popular culture is that it lasts over time, wrestling certainly meets that requirement. It has been at least 30 years since I first watched it. It doesn’t necessarily appeal to everyone but it does have a large following of fans. Even though it seems to appeal more to the blue-collar types, I have to admit that I wear a business suit to the office every day; and still enjoy sitting on the couch, ordering a pizza, and wasting two hours that would be better spent on schoolwork.
There are so many products that have been created to signify just who particular fans idolize. There are items such as T-shirts, hats, armbands, etc. Wrestling has to be one of the top money-makers in the world of popular culture. Even gestures have been created to show alligence, for example, crossed arms for DX and only showing the whites of your eyes for The Undertaker. Wow…I do know too much about this, don’t I?

Works Cited
WWE. (2009). World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

Popular Culture - Meaning & Importance

• What is popular culture, and what does it mean to me?
I see popular culture items as a symbol of an important aspect to a group of people. This can be something written, oral, viewed, etc. It can be anything from a hot dog to Rap music to Mickey Mouse. These items affect the way people act, even by changing such things as their personality traits, speech, and actions. As an example, my 21 year old son still speaks with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s accent at times. We are exposed to popular culture so many times a day how could it not affect us? This can be a good way to connect with others. I believe that in our day to day lives this exposure helps to bond people, groups, and even countries.

• Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant to me in a business environment and in my present and future career?
I believe that the United States is one of the most important places in the world to study a wide variety of popular culture studies. Our melting pot of nationalities means there is an almost limitless amount of pop culture icons to learn about. This creates a desire to learn what is culturally important to people from different backgrounds. The awareness can lead to sharing thoughts and having discussions with persons you may otherwise not talk to, many times because you feel there is nothing to say. It is important to be able to relate to coworkers and other people you come into contact with. I plan to continuously seek and be aware of pop culture items from the many nationalities I know now and will meet in the future. I am currently employed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Public Affairs. I am consistently speaking with people from other parts of the country and foreign nations. I think it is especially important to have topics to discuss with a large variety of people. I am the first contact with many of these people and might spend a substantial amount of time with them, while they are either on a tour or just waiting for a meeting to begin. The ability to have knowledge of their popular culture creates a better variety of topics in our interactions.

Welcome!

I'm glad you found the place! My popular culture subject was inspired by all the teenagers around me at home. I have chosen vampires, specifically what I call the "Twilight Phenom."(Meyer S. , 2005) Even to someone who hears the term "Popular Culture" without understanding all the aspects of it, the vampire craze being pop culture would make sense. It has affected patterns of speech, clothing, attitudes, etc. I will be going in to more detail as this blog progresses.

Stay tuned for more...



Works Cited
Meyer, S. (2005). Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and.