Walk on the wild side

Walk on the Wild Side:Subliminal Advertising

Ever been watching a movie and suddenly get the munchies? Or sitting on your sofa watching TV and suddenly get the irresistible urge to buy a new car? If so, you may be the victim of a subliminal advertising conspiracy! Proponents include Wilson Bryan Key (author of "Subliminal Seduction") and Vance Packard (author of "The Hidden Persuaders"), both of whom claimed that subliminal (subconscious) messages in advertising were rampant and damaging. Though the books caused a public outcry and led to FCC hearings, much of both books have since been discredited, and several key "studies" of the effects of subliminal advertising were revealed to have been faked. In the 1980s, concern over subliminal messages spread to bands such as Styx and Judas Priest, with the latter band even being sued in 1990 for allegedly causing a teen's suicide with subliminal messages (the case was dismissed). Subliminal mental processing does exist, and can be tested. But just because a person perceives something (a message or advertisement, for example) subconsciously means very little by itself. There is no inherent benefit of subliminal advertising over regular advertising, any more than there would be in seeing a flash of a commercial instead of the full twenty seconds. Getting a person to see something for a split-second is easy; filmmakers do it all the time (watch the last few frames in Hitchcock's classic "Psycho"). Getting a person to buy or do something based on that split-second is another matter entirely. (The conspiracy was parodied in the 1980s television show Max Headroom, in which viewers were exploding after seeing subliminal messages called "blipverts.")

 I won't claim no eager beaver account executive ever slipped a subliminal message into an ad,  but Wilson Bryan Key is the kind of guy who could find something suggestive in a dial tone. Revealing testimony on this score comes  from the Skeptical Inquirer. The images are just happenstance, the equivalent of seeing a face in the clouds.


 We Fall for "Tradition"

Some people believe that squeezing a lime into a Corona beer is a time-honored Mexican custom that came about to enhance the beer's taste. Others maintain that the ritual derives from an ancient Meso-American practice designed to combat germs, with the lime's acidity destroying bacteria. The truth? The Corona-and-lime ritual dates back only to 1981, when, reportedly on a bet with his buddy, a bartender popped a lime wedge into the neck of a Corona to see if he could start a trend.

This simple act, which caught on like wildfire, is generally credited with helping Corona overtake Heineken as the best-selling imported beer in the U.S. market.

 Shapes Have a Draw
A large food manufacturer once tested two different containers for a diet mayonnaise aimed at female shoppers. Both containers held the exact same mayo, and both bore the exact same label. The only difference? The shapes of the bottles. The first was narrow around the middle and thicker at the top and on the bottom. The second had a slender neck that tapered down into a fat bottom, like a genie bottle.

When asked which product they preferred, every single subject--all diet-conscious women--selected the first bottle without even having tasted the stuff. Why? The researchers concluded that the subjects were associating the shape of the bottle with an image of their own bodies. And what woman wants to resemble an overstuffed Buddha, particularly after she's just spread diet mayonnaise on her turkey and alfalfa sandwich?

 Subliminal advertising--hidden messages embedded in ads--is considered a deceptive business practice by the Federal Trade Commission. Yet a legal kind of "subliminal" persuasion happens every day. Shoppers are regularly encouraged to buy by appeals to their senses or unconscious assumptions. I believe it is plausible, some just tend to over do it.

Unpopular culture quest

  Negative Effects of Porn in popular culture

We all think that we are not affected by porn, but we have because it's embedded in surrounding pop culture.Porn effects you whether you view it or not.
It's ironic, but it is hard to have an adult conversation about porn. In some areas, topics are so taboo that you risk your reputation even to raise them. Kind of like I am doing bye picking this for my unpopular culter quest.

 Anti-pornography activist, Gail Dines, notes that young men who become addicted to porn “neglect their schoolwork, spend huge amounts of money they don’t have, become isolated from others, and often suffer depression.” (Pornland, 93). Dr. William Struthers, who has a PhD in biopsychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, confirms some of these and adds more, finding that men who use porn become controlling, highly introverted, depressed, dissociative, distractible, narcissistic, curious, and have high anxiety and low self-esteem (Wired for Intimacy, 64-65). Ironically, while viewing porn creates momentary intensely pleasurable experiences, it ends up leading to several negative lingering psychological experiences.

Porn demeans and objectifies women.This occurs from hard-core to soft-core pornography. Pamela Paul, in her book Pornified, quoting the research of one psychologist who has researched pornography at Texas A&M, writes,
‘Soft-core pornography has a very negative effect on men as well. The problem with soft-core pornography is that its voyeurism teaches men to view women as objects rather than to be in relationships with women as human beings.’ According to Brooks, pornography gives men the false impression that sex and pleasure are entirely divorced from relationships. In other words, pornography is inherently self-centered–something a man does by himself, for himself–by using another woman as the means to pleasure, as yet another product to consume

Porn lies about what it means to be male and female. Dines records how porn tells a false story about men and women. In the story of porn, women are “one-dimensional” –they never say no, never get pregnant, and can’t wait to have sex with any man and please them in whatever way imaginable (or even unimaginable). On the other hand, the story porn tells about men is that they are “soulless, unfeeling, amoral life-support systems for erect penises who are entitled to use women in any way they want. These men demonstrated zero empathy, respect, or love for the women they have sex with … (Pornland,).”

I know I enjoy the company of women and when I was much younger I viewed porn. I believe we all did at some point in our lives, whether your willing to admit it or not is another thing. I now have evolved beyond all that. I hope my argument was persuasive enough. 

Movie Poster Quest

In my movie poster quest I chose the movie Clash of the Titans first made in 1981. A film adaption of the myth of Perseus and his quest to battle the Kraken monster to save Princess Andromeda. In this poster you witness the age old battle of good verses evil. Our hero is atop his Pegasus wielding  his sword  about to deliver a blow to the Kraken as it breeches the dark blue water to swipe his foe from the air. While Princess Andromeda looks on in awe, hoping Perseus will prevail victorious. In the background you can view the soft light shining through the clouds as to hint to the Gods which also plays a part in the movie. As for Andromeda the beautiful woman chained to the rocks makes you ask the question, "Why is she chained to a rock?" Hinting to the movie patron that they  must see the movie in order to find out. The title "Clash of the Titans", tells me that there will be battles to do with Greek Mythology. Because, most of us know the Titans came before the Greek Gods such as Zeus, Athena, Apollo and so on. My first thought is this poster is wanting to draw in  families young children who like fantasy, so it is done in soothing colors that would appeal to kids and parents who don't wont their children seeing gore movies.

In this poster for the movie  "Clash of the Titans" 2010 the remake  idea of an action packed  film is the same. The creatures have been amped up such as the Kraken, which is far more fierce looking  than the original poster. The Kraken features tentacles instead of four arms. The head of the Kraken  resembles a alligator snapping turtle on a steady regiment of steroids. Giving the move poster the feel of fright and wondering what will happen next. In this poster I love the changes they made to Pegasus.  Making the horse black instead of keeping it white breaks the stigma, of white symbolizing that it can only be good. In this movie poster black creatures also fight against evil. The colors are a lot darker in this poster, hinting that it takes place during the dark times in mans history. In the upper right corner you can see a golden light shining, but not much, hinting there is light or good in this film, but overall you have to have both.
This poster also gives a bonus look at some new creatures that will appear in the film, the winged beast circling the Kraken's gigantic head look to be Harpies but you can't be sure until you see the film. The lettering in the title hasn't changed much it still looks to be centered around ancient Greece, and the time of the Olympus Gods. "The Clash Begins" above the title hints to the poster viewer there will be plenty of fighting and action. This poster was geared toward young teenagers to adults in their mid 30's. This poster was done in a much more darker sense for a totally different generation than in the 80's classic version.

My TWEEPS

For one of my TWEEPS I chose Tony Horton exercise and Fitness Consultant. Over the past 17 years Tony has helped millions of people from stay at home parents, military personal and celebrities change their lives and alter their bodies through multiple motivational work outs. Tony Horton attended college at the University of Rhode Island in 1976 and that is were he became in tune  with fitness. Tony has a massive 200 million in sales and an impressive library of fitness programs such as the highly used P90X, Power 90, One on one with Tony Horton, Power half hour Tony and the kids, (for kids ages 5-12) Tony and the folks, (for senior citizens) and Great Body Guaranteed. The "Master of Motivation" has been featured in national publications such as Men's fitness, People, Self,and  Woman's Health. He has also appeared on national television programs CNN, NBC, and CBS. Although he has written only one book titled  "Bring It"  I look forward to reading it. His experience as a comedian is also show through in his videos he isn't that funny, but it takes your mind off the pain while you are there sucking wind.  In the future when I am ready I will upgrade to the the P90X2  I enjoy doing the videos they make me feel good about myself and motivate not only in my living room but also in life. As Tony always says "DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST"

For my Second TWEEPS I chose  of national syndicated show  "The Clark Howard Show" on  HLN  on Saturdays and Sundays.  He also gives consumer advice  on products that help us save money in this recession. Clark also has a nationally syndicated radio show with his popular radio program, Howard empowers his Clark Howard viewers to make smart financial decisions in all aspects of life with the promise to help them "save more, spend less and avoid getting ripped off!" Howard is based in CNN's world headquarters in Atlanta.
Clark attended American University in 1976 with a B.A.  in Urban Government. He also attended Central Michigan University.Were he went on to receive his Masters of Business Administration degree. Howard's career has included stints in both government and private sectors. He was employed by the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. He launched a travel agency in 1981 that grew into a chain with locations across metro Atlanta. In 1987, he sold the company and retired at 31 years of age.
In 2011, Howard published his timely ninth book, "Living Large in Lean Times," a New York Times #1 Bestseller, which followed 2007's "Clark Smart Real Estate" that addresses relevant issues in today's mortgage crisis. His "Get Clark Smart in 2002," and "Clark's Big Book of Bargains" in 2003, also both charted on the New York Times Bestsellers List.
 Howard's Web site hosts a forum called "Clark Stinks!" for people who disagree with his advice.Once each week, Howard's executive producer reads him posts from the "Clark Stinks!" for him to respond to on-air.

Fads and Trends

In my pop culture class we must focus on what is a fad and what is a trend. I only try to keep up with tech trends and sports trends. So this was a bit of a challenge  for me. For some of the fads I used my kids influences, because I seem to be the one always buying them that new fad.

Fad One:

 The kids in my neighborhood are really enjoy these Beyblades. . The series focuses on a group of kids who form teams with which they battle one another using highly powerful spinning tops called "Beyblades". The manga was adapted into three different anime series that aired from 2001 until 2003 on TV Tokyo. The series returned to TV Tokyo in 2009 with the launch of Beyblade: Metal Fusion, a new series featuring a new cast and Beyblade system. So my kids will move on too something else and it will cost me more money. I love my kids.

 Trend one:

Lego's are a trend because they have stood the test of time.Lego came to the market in1947, Since it began producing plastic bricks, the Lego's Group has released thousands of sets with a variety of themes, including town and city, space, robots, pirates, trains, Vikings, castle, dinosaurs, undersea exploration, and wild west.Over the years, Lego has licensed themes from numerous cartoon and film franchises. These include Avatar: The Last Airbender, Batman, Ben 10, Cars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean, Prince of Persia, Speed Racer, Spider-Man, SpongeBob SquarePants, Star Wars, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Toy Story. Doing this guarantees the immortality amongst toy creators. I played with legos as a kid and my kids play with legos, I don't think they will going  anywhere.

Fad two:
  
Ab Lounge
Last we checked the “lean back” wasn’t exactly for the abdominals. But if the sight of a flimsy lawn chair just makes you want to bust a move, go ahead, get your crunch on! (No money-back guarantees, of course.) This was a fad that came fast and went even faster. It promised quick results in no time flat. It never really took off, but if you really want on I am sure u can find one at a yard sale or craigslist.

Trend Two:

With the U.S being considered one of the most O beast nations, most would have just past this of as just anther exercise fad. It is not Tony's videos have sold all over the world and following of in the millions. P90X is a 90-day program that combines a variety of exercise techniques including strength trainig, cardio,yoga, plyometrics, and stretching. The program consists of a nutrition guide, fitness plan, calendar and series of DVD videos featuring Horton as instructor assisted by several male and female fitness models who demonstrate a variety of techniques. For workouts that require weights, for example, one of the models demonstrates the exercise using elastic resistance bands. The models also demonstrate some moves at lower and/or higher levels of intensity. P90X provides a fitness test to determine if the program is suitable for an individual. If you take a look at the infomercial you can get abetter understanding.http://www.fatlossblogger.com/p90x-informercial/ 

Fad Three:

Skinny jeans I am happy to say are a fad, but they just haven't left the fashion seen. Slim-fit pants or skinny jeans have a snug fit through the legs and end in a small leg opening that can be anywhere from 9" to 20" depending on size. Other names for this style include pegs, drainpipes, stovepipes, Asian tight-pants, cigarette pants, skinny pants,insolent pants or skinnie. I don't sport skinnie jeans, becaue i wouldn't be able to handle the restriction the obviously offer.

Trend Three:

The Hoodie on the other hand is been here decades. The hoodie took off in the 1970s, with several factors contributing to its success.Hip Hop culture.developed in New York City around this time, and the hoodie's element of instant anonymity, provided by the accessible hood, appealed to those with criminal intent. Today Hoodies come with a wide range of designs from local companies to professional sports teams. Long live the HOODIE!!http://www.altrec.com/the-north-face/womens-half-dome-hoodie

Fad Four:

Planking: Not many see the point of laying – abs squeezed, arms tight against your side, head down – on benches, garbage cans and cars. But that is the point.  While planking might seem pointless, it is an entertaining was to use your imagination, utilize your surroundings, have a good laugh and get a good abs workout! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRHnTFesv7c

 Trend Four:

Break dancing will never fade, it has embed itself into the pop culture and will always be here.

Fad Five:
 I know a lot of wish it wasn't so but American Idol  is on its way out! Posting the lowest rating ever this season Fox is not sure it will bring it back next season. Sorry I was never a fan. I believe it popular enough to were I don't need to post a link. YOU ALL KNOW WHAT IT IS!!.

Trend Five: We all have been caught watching reality T.V. I and my family enjoy some reality shows like SHARK WEEK on The Discovery Channel. We are all captivated by its raw nature. That is what keeps use coming back. We could get on a plane and go there, but we would be leaving the safety of our homes. We would prefer to just see it. On the other hand seeing some reality experiences  could also motivate us to go there. It is all how we choose to act upon it.Reality T.V. Has been here a very long time and has grown into entire networks and movies. As long as we keep watching they will keep filming.

THEN

The person I chose for the "Then" part of this quest was my mother, Barbara. She grew up in the late 60's early 70's and that is the part of her era and trend I asked her about in my interview. In 1973 she graduated high school and many things were popular to her culture.

Pet rocks sound absurd today but in the early 70's everyone either had on or new someone who did.  It was a pretty simple idea. Most of the teens then like most teens today didn't want a whole lot of responsibility. The pet rock was ideal for them. If the responsibility was overwhelming the rock also came with a set of instructions. Today we have Farmville or Pot farm.  Just have to do it electronically.

My mother's parents were very old fashion and believed in making their own clothing. One in particular was using gunny sacks to make dresses.  Although this picture shows a dress a lot shorter than her parents would have liked, you get the general idea. If she  received clothing she learned to sew in order too prolong its use. When it got older or couldn't be take out anymore it became a hand-me-downs to her younger sibling. They didn't waste anything back then and recycling something was a big part of life for them. Today we recycle bottles, metal and glass. We may do for money but mostly we do it to save the planet.

When my mother was on her own while still in high school she had two jobs and supported herself. What ever my she had left over that didn't go to bills she got to spend a little on herself. She bought herself a pair of Bell Bottoms. She took very good care of them and only wore them after school, because most women wore knee length  dresses to school.

Big hair was popular as my mother grew up. It has come back in and gone back out again. Now it is a matter of how you like to wear your hair. I still see kids and adults with the Afro. This style of hair was part of a generation of people who went against the grain to fight for what they thought was right. Today we still let our style define us. We were taught from earlier generations to stand up for what we believe in. It still holds true today as we see the 99% protest against the 1%

Polyester clothing was new to my mothers era. It was already in carpet in most homes. Manufacturing clothing from it provided cheap means of dressing up . It could be used in many designs that appealed to the popular culture. It really caught on during Disco.  Today polyester is still widely used and has made way for other new synthetic fibers such as Nylon. We as consumers today are wearing things that are more natural, but most still look for affordable.

NOW

One thing that influences me is music that tells a story. I have always found it gets my attention. It can tell a fictional story, but the best songs too me come from history. It could be about a person, a place or an event that took place. My favorite group that tells stories in their music is Old Crow Medicine Show, album name Tennessee Pusher. They have a story in every song for all kinds of moods. When I travel Like to listen to this album. When I leave and listen to their music in my car a feel much better once I get there.

Comedy is the second popular thing I like to listen too. When I don't feel in the mood for music I like to listen to Bob and Tom in the morning. They have short skits that sometimes pertain to current events. I love it when they make fun of celebrities and sports personalities. In the mornings I am tired once I get my kids off to school and need a little comedy  pick me up. It helps me to set the mood for the rest of the day.

 The smart phone is the next selection of my aspect of pop culture. It just does everything. It almost makes me God-like. If I don't have the answers, it is only a search away. Who ever came up with apps is a genius. I love the GPS features that never lets me get lost.(AS LONG AS I HAVE SIGNAL) If i don't have signal I can always turn on the Wi-Fi  and make calls search the web and order those concert tickets.

My son and I love NFL football. It is a time when we get to shed our normal routine for some full unadulterated madness of yelling at the T.V. (no swearing please) and jumping around the living room like a bunch of crazed animals when our teams does well. there is also the yelling when they don't do so well. It has its ups and downs. I feel it is the best kind of therapy when bringing a father and son together. He enjoys it as much as I do, and knows more about the players than anyone I know. I gives more things to talk about with the rest of our family who are big fans.

I know not everyone likes adult swim. I would never let my kids watch it. I however am not a kid. Well maybe a big kid. I enjoy watching this channel because it takes me back to my childhood when I would have too fight to watch the cartoons of the day. Not only do i get to watch old cartoons, they put a hilarious spin on them. I only wish i could have come up with the idea. My favorite show is Robot Chicken. They us all the old likenesses of the cartoons from the 80's and some new cartoons and make parodies of them. Plane and simple it just takes me back.