Assingment 2-2 Icons

The three icons I chose are Real Housewives of Atlanta, Celebrity Apprentice, and Amazing Race.




The Real Housewives of Atlanta (all of the Housewives shows), is an icon of what people perceive as how rich women live their lives. The Atlanta version is different because it includes African-American females. Some of the women are shown as the stereotype of how African-American women are viewed in society: Loud, obnoxious, and always fighting. All shows that show only the negative side of women are encouraging bad behavior of girls.



Celebrity Apprentice shows how people will do anything in the name of getting ahead in business. Donald Trump is portrayed as the ultimate business mogul that the players need to impress. Every show features some sort of meltdown, fight, or scheming by the players. As with other shows, it draws audiences that are interested in seeing the negative side of human nature.




One of the best “reality shows” The Amazing Race. This show is interesting to watch because it shows how relationships change under pressure. The contestants are tested regarding what they will do to win or what level of sacrifice they will do for their partner. Each week a team is faced with a challenge and decisions that could mean they stay in the game or go home. As reality shows goes, this is one of the best.

Assignment 1-4 Weekly Analysis 1

During the weekend of May 13-15 it was determined the movie “Thor” was the number one movie in the United States. This was the second weekend the movie obtained the number one slot. Interestingly it beat several new releases to maintain its number once status. There is still a love and fascination surrounding superheroes. The love of superheroes has been constant since the first superhero was introduced in comic books decades ago. As new mediums were created (movies, television, cable, internet) the superheroes has continually been embraced and displayed.

What is the fascination of superheroes that transcends the changes in popular culture? Regardless of how popular culture changes from generation to generation, there is still a need for people to believe that there is someone or thing with superior powers that will use it for the “higher good”. Superheroes represent a mirror of how many people want to be Human and flawed yet more powerful than the enemy. Each generation in popular culture has explored this dynamic and has displayed their interpretation using the most current media.

For example, the evolution of the Batman and his is enemies have changed as popular culture has changed. Batman’s introduction in the comic books detailed the two sides of his character that was created by life experiences. Through the years Batman and his enemy the Joker has been portrayed with a comedic focus on television, a mixture of comedy and seriousness in the movies during the early 1990’s, to a dark and foreboding character in the movie the Dark Knight. The 2008 Dark Knight portrayal of Batman and the Joker garnered an Academy Award for Heath Ledger for his depiction of the Joker in a violent and terrifying way. The move also showed the complexities of Batman in how he was willing to be views as a villain at the end for the common good.

Popular culture has shown it does not tire of the superhero characters. Clearly there is a feeling that there is much more that can be see and learned form these characters. When the latest installment “The Dark Knight Rises” opens in 2012 moviegoers can enjoy another view of their superheroes.

Pop Culture Assignment 1-2

Pop Culture is the trends, movies, electronics, music that is popular in society currently. As time and each generation evolve, the new items become part of pop culture. Items that are popular in a certain part of society become popularized when someone that has a specific following decides an item is “cool”.

Pop Culture is important to me because it is an indicator of potential future trends economically and morally. As a single mom it is important to know what kind of influences are affecting youth of today. Having a dialogue regarding why an item is considered “hot”, and what is being valued in pop culture is important. From a business standpoint, companies need to understand the buying power of people that drive pop culture so they can position themselves to capture the potential profit. In addition to be competitive in the employment market and understanding of the effect of pop culture can drive the hiring process. Human resources departments are using Facebook and Twitter to understand the character of future employees.

The IPad is the epitome of pop culture. When the first IPad was introduced in changed the game in pop culture electronics. It brought together in an electronic device all the things that pop culture stood for at this time. The ability to stay constantly connected, to share information, music, books real time is part of how it has formed a pop culture opinion. The IPad has also evolved how information is shared is business and medicine. IP ads are being used by doctors to view the results of X-rays and other medical test. This is improving the level of care provided. In business, the IPad is used to enhance the presentation to potential clients. In a world where presentation is almost everything, the IPad is key to reflecting pop culture.