Icon analysis 2-2

The three contemporary icons that I chose are, Rosie the Riveter, the Bald Eagle and Neil Armstrong. Rosie the Riveter is an American icon from back in the 1940’s during World War II. She was actually based on a real person according to Wikipedia and she was a symbol to the women at the time to help their country and government by going to work in the factories while the men were fighting for the war. She is shown as a strong American woman choosing to leave the home to work and keep the economy going and supplying manufacturing products needed for the war. I chose her because she is an image that started the working women revolution. Many products featuring Rosie can be bought from briefcases to clocks to apparel on www.rosietheriveter.com .
The bald Eagle is an American icon because it represents freedom. Its image of strength, freedom and perseverance shows what America stands for. According to www.baldeagleinfo.com , this bird is our national bird and is the only bird unique to North America. This website also states, the bald eagle is no longer on the Endangered Species List and it is illegal to transport, sale, barter, trade, import and export, and possession of eagles, making it illegal for anyone to collect eagles and eagle parts, nests, or eggs without a permit. However “Native Americans are able to possess these emblems which are traditional in their culture.” I chose the American eagle as an icon because anyone that looks on the eagle can see its strength and valor and that is why it is our national bird.
The third icon I chose was Neil Armstrong. Neil Armstrong was the first person to walk on the moon and is revered as hero in our culture. I chose him because he signifies that America is always looking toward the future and striving to accomplish our goals. He made the statement, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” when he landed on the moon. He is from Wapakoneta, Ohio and has a degree from Purdue University according to http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov .

Lottery : 2-1

The popular culture topic that I chose to write about this week is the lottery. There are many different types of lotteries that different states offer. You can play scratch off tickets; cash explosions, keno or get into the mega millions that some states offer. Winning the lottery is the hope of getting the American dream in a fast, non-patient, immediate satisfaction generation. The American dream of having a beautiful home with money in the bank can automatically be achieved just by buying a lottery ticket in the hopes of winning. To think of no longer working, buying that mansion and pulling up in a red Ferrari can be bought for only a dollar at a time, it’s easy to see why people buy the tickets. It is a price that many Americans are willing to gamble on and I too fall into that trap. There are some people that play the scratch off lottery tickets for fun and the thrill of gambling but for something like the mega millions it’s played on a hope and a prayer.

The lottery is run by the government of each state. According to www.ohiolottery.com “The Ohio Lottery Commission was created in May 1973 by a voter-approved constitutional amendment. The first tickets went on sale in August 1974. Today, the Ohio Lottery Commission offers customers a wide variety of instant games and on-line games to play at about 8,500 licensed retailer locations across the state. Since 1974, the Lottery has provided more than $15 billion to public education. Annually, we provide about 4.5 percent of the funding needed for public education -- an effort shared by local, state and federal governments.” Knowing this is helping public education and could POSSIBLY win me millions I choose to play the lottery. Because, you have to play to win and hey I’m helping the school system, it’s a win win.

Currently at my job, we have a lottery pool where bi-weekly people put in $1.00 for the lottery. The hope is that if everyone puts in money our chances of winning will be greater as we’re buying $40.00 worth of tickets for the personal price of just $1.00. I’ve heard many people at my work say that even though chances are slim of winning, they couldn’t imagine their regret if they are the only ones left in the office to work while their co-workers get to split millions and retire. I too, fall under this category. It’s a slimy, intelligent beast that the Ohio Lottery Commission has created, however it was approved by the voters. With the popular culture of American society of being rich and beautiful it is easy to see why this was voter approved and why so many of us fall into its snare.

Paparazzi, 1-3

One of the current pop culture topics that interest me is paparazzi. It’s amazing to me the lengths these journalists will go to; to get their story.

The paparazzi are mainly known as nuisances that prey on the rich and famous and try to get pictures of them doing the most normal, mundane tasks. Every time you enter the line at the grocery store you see tons of magazines with pictures taken of the Hollywood stars that they didn’t know about. A lot of times, the paparazzi want to get scandalous pictures of the stars without makeup, dressed up as bag men or women, or in their swimsuits—this one especially if they don’t have the perfect body that’s so highly valued in Hollywood. You always see that magazine in line at the store that has the bodies of people in their bathing suits showing imperfections with the dark black line crossed out over their eyes while reading, “Guess who?”

My personal opinion is that the paparazzi are just too intrusive and use aggressive tactics especially if it’s just their job, I mean, do they really have a right to do what they do? I know that people that get into show biz and become big stars lose their anonymity but the tactics that these paparazzi go to can be incredible! They hide in bushes, they stand in front of a cars when people are trying to drive off, they follow the stars around shopping, or while they are eating at restaurants; or even at a park or beach with their kids. I can come to the agreement that the stars going into this business to be famous and they’ve lost a lot of their privacy, but the way the paparazzi handles the taking of their pictures and practically stalking them is goes way overboard.

Popular Culture Artifact

Popular culture is the culture that people live and experience in their everyday lives and what is trendy, in-style or simply what is known as what’s going on.

Popular culture is important and relevant now in any career and in any business environment because you need to be aware of the happenings around you.

An example of a popular culture artifact is Guitar Hero. It’s a popular video game where it allows the person playing to tap into being a rock star without having the ability to know how to play a guitar.