pop culture

Author’s Note:
George Carlin once said, “It’s the intention behind the words that makes them good or bad! The words are completely neutral! The words are innocent!” (Kona, 2010, para 1).

Popular American Culture

Culture and values in the United States results from a combination of diverse ethnic groups, which has helped, form today’s values in society. According to the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (2010),

Culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that is learned through a process of socialization (Carla’s Definition, para 1).  

Some ethnic groups value of culture does not align, and conflicts with Americana culture. Individual belief of value forms opinions and conduct.

Dennis O’ Neil describes culture as; “Culture is the full range of learned human behavior patterns”  (What is Culture, para. 1).  American Popular culture results from consumerism influencing society through forms of entertainment, advertising, publications, department stores, fashion, sports, and movies to provide a few examples. American culture has diversity related to the size of the environment and demographic variations.

Current Popular Culture

Pop culture for this week Gary West listed long-running medical dramas in the top 20 shows for TV viewing the week of April 1, 2011 (Top TV, 2011). House landed the 20th spot.  House M.D. is the title of the show. Gregory House is brutally honest and shows characteristics of an antisocial. His avant-garde judgment allows House immense esteem. Most patients dislike him, and the mistrust that follows, places House’s team in a position to defend House not as a person, but rather a world-class diagnostician.  Grey’s Anatomy landed at 17 of the top 20 TV shows. This show reflects work crisis in relation to doctors and take comfort with friendships. All doctors make mistakes, and showing the human side of learning and how it influences the work, mirrors the health care delivery system today.

. Trends in Popular American Culture
One cannot overlook the trend regarding networking and social sites like Myspace, and Facebook. This is the new medium for marketing.  The ability to communicate with a variety of individuals’ friends and family allows personal promotion, and the site also has business pages that deliver posts to the home page of the individual.  
A trend exists with celebrity perfumes, made popular when Elizabeth Taylor produced White Diamonds in 1991. The Now Smell This website (2011) lists new perfumes in the store, or launching including Jennifer Anniston, Beyoncé Knowles, Daisy Fuentes, Victoria and David Beckham, and Halle Berry for example.  

Popular American Culture Decision-Making

Advertisers market products by targeting specific demographics deliberately. Research evaluates a number of topics including how to create a dependent need for the product. Advertisers develop linkages between the person and the product. Advertisers do systematic work gauging desirability.  The appeal of the product is a critical aspect of marketing. Desirability includes tradition of value, to act on impulse differently from others, how the product flatters the individual, if the purchase is realistic, and is the desire authoritative, or pull on sympathy to exploit.
The consumer desiring a product on the other end of the continuum has a different definition. Tradition of value crosses the mind first before, allowing one to want a product.  The consumer wants to have the product. The product price is within range of affordability for the consumer.  The demographic appeal must have a suitable range of attainability for those who do not meet the financial affordability target. This creates the unattainable level increasing the desirable influence for that target.

Conclusion

Culture is relative specific. Cultural norm means what is normal for that group. Americana pop culture however, lacks limitation globally because American markets dominate other countries, along with the culture. Most developed countries adopt English as a second language. Culture has permeated the English language with slang and slurs specific to the English language. The explosion of pop culture begins at that point. Trendy or tacky, Americana is here to stay.

References

Now Smell This.  (2011). New perfumes and fragrances for 2010, 2011 and beyond Retrieved from http://www.nstperfume.com/new-perfumes-fragrances/

O 'Neil, D. (2008). Human culture: an introduction to the characteristics of culture and the methods used by anthropologists to study it. Palomar College. Retrieved from http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm

 University of Minnesota Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition.  (2010). What is culture. Retrieved from http://www.carla.umn.edu/culture/definitions.html

Kona, P. (2010, Fall). Being george carlin: carlinesque as performative resistance. Americana: The Journal of American Popular Culture (1900-present), 9(2),

http://www.americanpopularculture.com/journal/articles/fall_2010/kona.htm

Journal of Popular Culture

Facebook

I spend way too much time on Facebook. I admit that I see advertisements all the time and unless they appeal to me like TV commercials I just skip it. I see advertisements to like pages. I ‘liked’ one that said something to the effect like if you love your kids’ ok so I did.
On Farmville today Frito-Lay had a fake farm we were told to go and receive two gifts. So I did and received a Frito truck and stand for watching the message under the crops as they were harvested to say baked, and a plant in California went green in 2008.
Once I was able to put the truck and the stand on the farm I was told my reward was related to the extra points I would collect for the next two days. I have to say they are the third advertiser to do this since I have started this game. Stouffers was another.

Grey’s Anatomy, House, and Private Practice

I watch these shows because they are about medicine. I work in health care. I have a morbid curiosity. I like the reality trauma shows, but have not watched them in a while. I have a sincere interest in learning diseases and evidenced-based medicine to treat illnesses, and symptoms. I did not opt to be a clinician because I am bit too nervous about harming a patient. Instead I do continuing medical education courses to understand diagnostic decisions.

Ghost Hunters

I have a natural curiosity about paranormal topics. My parents had a farmhouse that was haunted as a child. I believe in ESP. My mom, my daughter, and I are deeply connected with each other enough to know when we are being thought about, only to pick up a ringing phone knowing it is one or the other.

Criminal Minds and NCIS

Mark Harmon, what a hottie! If I had not gone into health care I would have gone into forensics or criminal investigations of some sort. I like the scientific side of evidence.

How I met Your Mother, Three and a Half Men, Wendy Williams, Ellen, and South Park

I like to laugh. It relaxes me. Not to laugh on a daily basis is a wasted opportunity. Being able to laugh at something on these shows occurs because I find something funny that I relate into. I love South Park. I am one enjoy the dummy down level of humor that makes me laugh. This show does many parodies on current issues. Wendy has lots of gossip that I for some unknown reason like to here about celebrities. I enjoy Ellen not only is she funny, but she also advocates, and gives to others who cannot do for themselves circumstantially. My daughter told me to write about a car and tell her all our cars die and the last one caught on fire.

All my Children, One Life to Live, General Hospital

I love to lose myself in a good story is so outrageous it is just not believable. Sometimes the storyline is too ridiculous. I do like watching what the actors where.

Boondock Saints II All Saints Day

I saw the first one and love the action enough to want to see the second one. These guys are the incredibly sexy bad boys I want to see more these bad boys. Not only are they bad but also the purposes are good for getting even. I can for a brief time live through the movie and do all what I cannot get away without retribution. I do let my morals and religious beliefs guide me.

People Magazine, and Costal Living

I live on the Chesapeake Bay, I love living on the water and decorating my home in this fashion without looking too much like the water lifestyle. The trick to decorating style here is to not overstate, but rather understate because this is year round living. I am for new ideas when concerning decorating. I am also a gossip hound. I think People magazine is more credible than say the Enquirer. I like being able to see how the rich and famous live among us in society, or the clothing choices they make. I mean some of them lack style and fashion sense.