Question 13

Overlooking the images obvious knock on Sarah Palin for being an idiot, and the racial element, the cartoon can be a tool in explaining differences in feminist movements. The first movement was quantitative, women just fighting for access into the workplace, voting, equal rights, etc. The first movement never really addressed social equality, or elements that were silenced in discourse. The second wave of feminism was aimed at social equality, recognition as equal, changing the construction of Woman. Second wave feminists would not accept a job for being hot, they would fight to be equal with men on almost every level, and not be distinguished for their gender. Second wave feminism never addressed the power behind being a women in a mans word. The third wave of feminism was about empowerment and embracing the articulation of Woman. A third wave feminist would take a job even if the boss hired them for being hot, because they know that was why, so it would be okay.

Question 12

The episode about Mr. Marsh becoming a nigger guy and Cartman not learning anything about sensitivity contains many critiques and allusions. Critical of Jesse Jackson and blacks for taking ass kicking as a form of repayment for being racist. Token's opinion about Jesse Jackson not being the emperor of black people in ontological because he is the role of the black person who it saying just because Jesse Jackson says it's cool its not. The comedian at the club is aesthetic, alluding to black comedians and how they're supposed to act. In the store the scene in which a black person may be turned away is turned around on Mr. Marsh for being the Nigger Guy. Mr. Marsh inhabits what it means to be black when he is hunted down by the country should be racists. An over arching theme is what it means to be a white person who isn't racist but has to almost overcompensate for past or subconscious racism. Therefore whiteness is characterized by having to not say or do anything racist.

Question 11

This Fox News advertisement from over a year creates a myth surrounding a rally in Washington DC decrying taxing and government spending. The ad falsely portrays the rally that took place by making it seem much more crowded than it was, and attacks other news stations for not paying more attention to it. When Fox News attacks other stations for not covering the rally as extensively they are supporting the imaged community of "Americans mad with taxes and government." The Croteau and Hoynes reading on Media Giants pointed out how most of the public doesn't notice how media is being controlled. This advertisement for Fox News is a shot across the bow of other stations that didn't cover the rally because it wasn't as large as Fox claimed. The Network covered the rally like it was the largest political statement ever made claiming the crowd was up to 7 times larger than actual estimates suggested. This is due to the removing of friction from capital. Less people have a controlling interest in the media and decisions can be made much faster and ideas can be propagated. If an individual never turned on another station, they would be poorly informed on what actually occurred that day in the nation's capital. I never covered Media Giants in my because I focused on the ads themselves but my entire argument about partisanship in advertisements is a result of Media conglomerates being consolidated to the control a few individuals who can support their own interests with their networks. Rupert Murdoch CEO of News Corp. (Fox News) has the power to agenda set and gatekeep the information that travels across every channel he owns, intern what they people who watch see and believe.

Question 9

Fake:

Obama Replaces Costly High-Speed Rail Plan With High-Speed Bus Plan

Real: Double-Dip Recession Possible Without Tax Deal, Obama's Top Economic Aide Warns

This news story on the Onion News Network, although fake, has a serious critique in regards to President Obama and government spending. The Onion story doesn't need to gatekeep any information from it's audience because it is fake news, there is no higher up agency telling Onion writers what they should or should not say because its fake. Likewise it will not fall pray to Network agenda setting. The humor behind the fake news is what bring in the audience, but it allows the video to be very critical of Obama and government compromise. Baym states "The Daily Show attracts many of them with its initial discourse of entertainment. But comedy also provides the method to engage in serious political criticism; the label of "fake news" enables The Daily Show to say that which the traditional journalist cannot" (Baym 273).

The Fox News article on the other hand must struggle with gatekeeping and agenda-setting from the higher ups. I don't find this article really falls into those categories but unlike the Onion video that points out the hipocracy of Obama's recent compromises and failure to take action on our countries infrastructure, the "real news" article must stick to the facts.

Question 10

Political Economists would say that teenage girls listen to pop music because it is produced and sold to them, and they really have no say in their consumption of it. Cultural studies would say that girls who live in this culture chose this kind of music as apposed to others because of their culture.

The Pop music cultural this video critics can be analyzed in the context of Shor's appearance of success. The video critics pop music videos that portray for teens and young adults what it means to be successful. Pop icons dress in cutting edge expensive clothing (because they are produced and marketed specifically through pop videos and magazines) to show the audience what it means to be a success.

The video is allusive to pop culture/boy bands/ pop music. The video alludes to so many pop music videos, specifically NYSNC and Back Street Boys, by recreating the scene, look, feel, etc. The signifiers of pop music are all over the video. It is ontological because John Lajoie is inhabiting the pop star persona. The lyrics that point out how pop music is targeted to insecure teenage girls that just want to hear stuff like "baby."

Question 8

One thing I noticed from Mouse Trapped was how all the employees even though they were complaining so much about the wages, still said they loved their jobs. Even if the working conditions were bad they still said they were people who loved their jobs, as in loved Disney. Political economy would say that these people who are working for low wages are doing so because they love the place because that is what production tells them.

Mickey Mouse Monopoly is about how Disney is very dangerous as a company because it is so influential to American's especially children. Political economy would suggest that people have no choice in the way Disney does it's business and what it produces, either way people will purchase their products and buy into the way of life. Cultural studies gives more credit to the people as having a choice and being able to buy and believe what they want. Grossberg states that consumption is just as important as production, meaning people's wants and desires will be reflected in the product.

Question 7

The video is an appropriation of porn videos that usually start with some stupid premise just as an excuse to get things started. The man is supposed to be some strapping handy man and the women will usually have large breasts dressed scantily. The video appropriates the early porn video quality as well as the fonts used on screen. All their mannerism, the guy being portrayed as strapping and handy, the women as in distress and needing assistance, is all appropriation of early porn. Push up bras and modern techniques at pushing up your cleavage is a reappropriation of early pornography and how when men would see the cleavage the sex would start.