Culture Studies
1. The overall system of values and tradition shared by a group of people
2. That segment of a culture that incorporates the activities of everyday life
1. Culture
2. Popular Culture
1. Anything that bears meaning in culture, determined by the system it finds itself in
2. That whose meaning is completely arbitrary, decided upon by humans
1. Sign
2. Symbol
A recurring character type or plot pattern found in literature, mythology, & pop culture
Archetype
A figure (often a celebrity) who enjoys a commanding or representative place in popular culture
Icon
1. A subset of popular culture that includes the popular entertainments that are commercially produced for widespread consumption
2. The means of communication, often controlled by the culture industry, that includes newspapers, popular magazines, radio, TV, film, & the Internet.
1. Mass Culture
2. Mass Media
What is the difference between connotation and denotation?
Connotation: the meaning suggested by a sign (indirect meaning)
Denotation: the first level of meaning of a sign (direct meaning)
Works that are considered essential to a media tradition (as the plays of Shakespeare are to English literature)
Canon
1. The overall framework of values & beliefs incorporated in a given cultural system or worldview
2. The beliefs, interests, and values that determine one’s interpretations or judgments and are often associated with one’s social class.
1. Mythology
2. Ideology
1. The group within a multicultural society whose traditions, values, & beliefs are held to be normative
2. The condition in which minority groups participate fully in the dominant society, yet maintain their cultural differences
1. Dominant Culture
2. Cultural Pluralism
What is a "guilt ad", according to Solomon, and how does it affect consumers?
A guilt ad aims to accuse its viewer of social transgression, but provides the means by which they may be "cleansed" and "returned to innocence." This plays on the desire to "belong"
That which involves classifying works of art into categories that contain other works that have similar aspects. These could be similar narratives, characters, artistic techniques, or other formal features.
Name the celebrated 1960s Pop Artist who once observed, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for fifteen minutes"
Andy Warhol
Provide an example for each of these terms in our modern society: High Culture and Mass Culture
Various examples, refer to GM :)
In your own words, explain why Goewey considers the popularity of SUVs to be full of "ironies" and "contradictions." (Careful, You May Run Out of Planet)
SUVs are sold as rugged, off-road vehicles, yet only 10% of drivers ever leave streets. Additionally, their design is hypermasculine, and yet women account for 40% of their sales. Obsessed with the wild frontier, and, in actuality, SUVs are seen as the safe vehicle option to protect the family.
What does Johnson say are some of the archetypal situations dramatized by the typical Western? (The Western)
Ranchers vs farmers, Indians vs settlers, and outlaws vs civilization.
What did cultural scholar Roland Barthes mean when he coined the term "Mythologizing Effect" when discussing celebrities?
Celebrities can become "mythic figures" (larger than life) by appearing on various media platforms. They are perceived as "otherworldly figures" who've stepped out of their respective media.
Name the renowned BGSU scholar who is credited with being the "Father of Popular Culture Studies" in academia
Dr. Ray Browne
How do mail-order catalogues create communities of shoppers, in Norton's view? (Signs of Shopping)
Mail-order catalogues create communities reinforced by shared mailing lists. Those who buy a spade or seeds are identified with the identity of "gardener" and receive a deluge of catalogues from plant and garden companies.
In his essay “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” author Stephen King states horror movies encourage adults to think like children. What does he mean by this claim? Why might adults want an opportunity to think like children again?
It may be because we can set aside our penchant for analysis and see the world again in black and white. It may be that horror movies provide psychic relief on this level because the opportunity to lapse into simplicity and irrationality is so rare.
How, according to Carroll, do "cultural influences go both ways" between America and the rest of the world? (American Television in Europe)
Dominant culture in America is formed of settlers, those who've brought artefacts from their homes. Just as other countries have with American products, Americans have also received, altered, and redefined things from other cultures. This exchange can be done through American popular culture items in other countries.