Can't Buy Me a Bigger Impact

The Beatles have had such a huge impact on popular culture that I can’t even begin to fathom it. And not to mention rock music in itself. They redefined the way people release records (they made the album more important in a time of singles), and they brought along the musical innovations of the British invasion in an era of basically just jazz and Broadway musicals. A large number of artists have acknowledged them as an influence, and some have even had chart successes with Beatles cover songs. They marked the beginning of a new era. They were so big that some radio stations (like WABC) banned the playing any “pre-Beatles” music. People went as far as to emulate their clothes and hairstyles. The Shea Stadium date when they opened their 1965 North American tour became what was then the largest audience in concert history and that show is seen as a landmark event in the growth of rock music. To be more specific it was the first entertainment act to ever have a large stadium concert (which sold out in 17 minutes). From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group grew to be viewed by their fans world as the representatives of certain ideals associated with transforming an entire culture. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, they basically became a catalyst for activism in all these social and political areas. This helped fuel movements like women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. On top of that the amount of references to their music and themselves in modern pop culture in just ridiculous. There’s a Beatles Monopoly game for crying out loud!!!The Beatles have had such a huge impact on popular culture that I can’t even begin to fathom it. And not to mention rock music in itself. They redefined the way people release records (they made the album more important in a time of singles), and they brought along the musical innovations of the British invasion in an era of basically just jazz and Broadway musicals. A large number of artists have acknowledged them as an influence, and some have even had chart successes with Beatles cover songs. They marked the beginning of a new era. They were so big that some radio stations (like WABC) banned the playing any “pre-Beatles” music. People went as far as to emulate their clothes and hairstyles. The Shea Stadium date when they opened their 1965 North American tour became what was then the largest audience in concert history and that show is seen as a landmark event in the growth of rock music. To be more specific it was the first entertainment act to ever have a large stadium concert (which sold out in 17 minutes). From what began as the Beatlemania fad, the group grew to be viewed by their fans world as the representatives of certain ideals associated with transforming an entire culture. As icons of the 1960s counterculture, they basically became a catalyst for activism in all these social and political areas. This helped fuel movements like women's liberation, gay liberation and environmentalism. On top of that the amount of references to their music and themselves in modern pop culture in just ridiculous. There’s a Beatles Monopoly game for crying out loud!!!

Modern Family Blog

 Does the media affect the view of the modern family more or is it the media? Media and the view of the modern family is such a skewed topic. I think that it is probably a common answer but I strongly feel that the view of the modern family is based more on society than the media. I have always felt like society is always evolving and the media is always a step behind. Even it's by a little bit i still think that society is a lot more stretched out. To me the media is so ingrained with what society is doing at the time. It's completely reflected on us as individuals. For example think of any t.v. show you've ever seen. Even if it's something completely vague and ridiculous. To some element they all seem relatable. Advertisements especially above everything else. The slogans that they're captioned with play on emotions and part of the criteria to display these advertisements is based on relatibility to public. That's the whole point of them. They want to make them relatable and make it something that you want. But I also thing that the media has a small effect on society as well. Someone could see something portrayed through the media and be inspired to do that act. Or not so much inspired but they might be more inclined to have it stuck in their head. I know it's pretty cliche' but I think that the media has an effect on society and completely vice versa.

Identity Crisis

To start off my parents are extreeeeeeeeeeeeeemely old fashioned. This had a giant impact on my upbringing and identity. Mostly in a good way... I think... Since day one they've told me that I should be respectful, polite, and courteous. I was taught to respect all people in all ways. No matter what they look like or anything like that. It was just the way I was brought up and it's so ingrained into my system. To some people though it might be kind of quirky. For instance, say a really beautiful girl walks by. Some of my friends would go like " Oh my god dude she was fucking hot!!! I have to fuck her!" To me, hearing that is just so weird. My family influenced my love for music. I can forever remember stuff like the Stones, Nick Drake, The Beatles, and Bob Dylan creeping its way out of the vinyl player in my living room to my brain. My family's taste made me appreciate a wide spectrum of art from a young age. I watched my mom make stained glass for countless hours of the day and we read books about Frida Kahlo. My sister introduced me to Punk rock. My dad inspired me to start learning guitar. My dad is also one of those people who tells the most stupid jokes and they're just so lame that you can't help but chuckle. I definitely got that from him. So he kind of affected my sense of humor. But sometimes what I tend to think is funny is a lot darker... But my identity is something that I think was more constructed by my parents when I was younger than anything else. In that retrospect I was more concerned with it at the time. Here's another example. My mom is Catholic and my dad is Jewish. I personally am an atheist and have never cared for religion and just don't believe in it. I still had the same train of thought when I was younger. However I was raised with both religions. But my dad was almost never around before I turned 12. He was always busy working . Eventually he wanted me to have a Bar Mitzvah. I really didn't care for it or want one but I ended up doing it to try and win his approval. I almost felt like if I did it then it would make him happy and he might stick around more, so I just went along with the program. I sacrificed my own beliefs to try and make him happy.

Anyon Article

B. “These differences man not only contribute to the development of the children in each social class of certain types of economically significant relationships and not others but would thereby help to reproduce this system of relations in society.” This is a definitive quote from the article. I think that it really sums it up nicely and gives you a better understanding of the topic and most importantly puts an alternate meaning behind it. For me that makes it is also to a degree more relatable. It’s not to me but I could see what Anyon is trying to get at which. But that doesn’t mean I necessarily agree with it either. She is trying to say in her own way that our education makes us a constant replica of previous generations. That through our education we become nothing more than a shadow of what they were. I couldn’t completely tell what the tone of the article was, but I could definitely tell how cynical and sarcastic it sounded at certain parts. At least that’s what it sounded like going through my head as I was reading it. But while her research was very descriptive and well thought out, that again doesn’t mean that I fully agree with it. It really does show education’s influence on society but that I still don’t believe that that is everything that makes or breaks our decisions and societies.

Memoir Reflection

I thought the memoir project was pretty cool. But I definitely had more of a blast with the mixed media part of it than anything else. I am almost a complete noob at audio editing and the experience of the whole thing was pretty badass for me. That was basically my first time doing something out of Garageband and it worked out pretty well. It felt amazing to tie a piece of paper in with something that I'm really most comfortable with. It just helped my overall mood and made the whole process a little easier. Especially considering the topic of my memoir. I never talked about it with anyone but it felt good to get it out. But I thought the mixed media was amazing. I wish I could do stuff like that more often with projects.

I Just Wanna Be Average

A. The funny thing to me was how much of a slacker the guy really was at first. He didn't really have any ambition to do anything. He was always extremely observant, careful, and mindful of his surroundings, but for a really long time he never had that buzz to succeed or do anything else. It wasn't until an experience with MacFarland that he really buckled down, and for lack of a better word really gave a shit. But once he started giving himself the actual chance to succeed he was extraordinary. He became completely captivated by all these things he was experiencing and all the stuff he was reading. The guy was naming a zillion different authors as if they were almost like appendages to him. His education influenced him  because it gave him the confidence he needed in order to succeed. He always had it but didn't realize it until he really tried to.

B.As far as the individual cues that he talks about, I think that it is more of a metaphor for noticing what other people are doing around him. He always noticed things but just went idly by until MacFarland. He took a lot of cues from him. And the thing is that they weren't limited to just educational cues either. I thought he learned a couple of social ones too. Cues play a role in identity because I feel that a lot of people when confused about their own identity, try to take a semblance of someone else's. And then they just build on that.

The Social Meanings of Gender

The article was kind of nuts to me but at the same time it had a weird sense of being relatable. I thought it brought up some interesting points but it's not really anything I haven't head before. I took A.P. Psych my senior year of high school and I remember this as on of the chapters that we spent a lot of time on... i.e. how you're influenced by all these different factors when you're young that determine how you're going to act eventually. Basically it has to do with that whole classic nature vs. nurture argument. Which one affects us the most? I personally think that the argument is kind of pointless because to me there's obviously a connection there with points from both sides. But it can really stem from your upbringing as well which goes more with the nurture standpoint... For example think about what your parents may have gotten you for your birthday when you were very small. For girls it could have been a doll or for guys a toy dinosaur. As for today's society I think it's relevant because it could help you understand why certain things are they way they are. But I personally think that the whole gender role thing is a load of crap because it really depends on the person. There's always going to be the "black sheep" of a culture's norm and it really shouldn't matter to anyone but that particular person...