Icon Analysis

My three icons are the Hollywood Sign, the icon for Google, and McDonalds

I picked the Hollywood sign because it has been an icon in both real life as well as in television, and movies.  It has been around for a very long time and to some represents and is a symbol of their hopes and dreams.  I have seen it myself and I find it to be a bit "cool" to say that I saw it.  It is a powerful symbol and brings forth memories, passions, and inspires hope to many "wanna be" actors and actresses.  It is one of the symbols that is strictly American.  You are not going to go to any other country and see it.  It looks better in pictures but it does tend to stir some pride when you see it.  Hollywood itself, specifically Hollywood Blvd, it is a pit!

Google icon for me is the world at my fingertips.  It is known worldwide by anyone who may have or do use a computer.  Even those who still use Internet Explorer, know what Google is.  Not only do people use it for research, they use it for images, and Google maps and Google earth as well.

As for me, I use it because I am an innately curious person and anything and everything that may pop into my head, I can just Google for the information I need.  I always have said to my children and others that knowledge is power, and now I can get instant gratification to anything I want to know.  I LOVE GOOGLE.

Last but not least is the golden arches of McDonalds!  Who does NOT recognize those arches?  Even in other countries McDonalds is recognized.  They are everywhere.  I have never met anyone either here in the United States, nor out of the country that did not know what or about McDonalds.

Those arches symbolize a part of American history for many generations.  Even today, with everyone eating more healthy, McDonalds is usually always busy.  All these things I have spoken on are and will be a large part of our history.

Myth Analysis - Romance

Myth Analysis on Romance

Mona J. Barnes

Popular Culture

Instructor Jenifer Garey

April 12, 2015

            My myth is about romance.  The myth of romance in days of old to current times has certainly changed.  In earlier times, when a guy walked you home or carried your books, it was sweet and innocent and a way for a guy to show a gal he was interested.  If he was very bold, he may even try to put his arm around you in a movie.  Now fast forward to today, there is groping, partial nudity, people walking right up to each other and kissing them just for notoriety or shock value; quite a difference.

             There are many types of myths; some based on truth to some extent, and some based on tales.  When I was in Scotland, my honey and I took a ride on Loch Ness and heard stories about the professed but fake monster.  Currently there are still people who hold onto this belief and still search the Loch for such a creature.  There are myths regarding religion, as some people believe that Jesus really turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt, some others believe it was a parable to make a point.  Some atheists’ believe that the whole story of God and Jesus is a myth.  Others believe that Scientology is a myth but many who are considered educated and intelligent believe that it is real and seek out this “religion” as their own.  I think the more “bigger than life” the story is, the easier chance it has in becoming a myth.  Myths are everywhere and true or not, have captured our imaginations and/or hearts throughout time.

            I am currently watching on TV the Starz channel, a series based on books by Diana Gabaldon, titled Outlander.    I have read all of the books in this series over and over in the past years and I find it to be the epitome of romance, as I perceive it to be.  The myth that romance is all stars and unicorns and everything is always wonderful is not true romance to me.  However, many stories and movies portray that as a fact.  I believe that this is a disservice to our youth as well as us to believe that a romance is like the Cinderella story. 

Many myths are used as fairytales with heroes and Gods and good and evil.  However, when young people see these things when it is in regard to romance, they believe these things to be real and put these misconceptions on any potential mates that come along. 

            Micheal Novak (2014) writes, “Westerners have come to think that the central fire of human happiness is romantic love, love forever and ever (love “happily ever after”).  Imagination ends with the romantic couple walking hand in hand across the fields toward the sunlight.  Many people spend their entire lives looking for such love, wanting to feel such love, wondering, when they are first attracted to another, if that’s what they’re now feeling.  Above all, most people love being in love, love the feeling of loving, love even the mad passion of being in love.

            Now obviously, there are flowers, sunshine, and uncontrollable flutters when it comes to romance in the beginning.  However, the myth of the happily ever after does not include how there are so many obstacles along the way.  There are changes that couple go through.  I don’t mean the metamorphosis like Cinderella changing from a house grunt to a princess through the meeting of a rich and wonderful partner.  I am talking about realities of how sweet it is in the beginning, the process of setting up house, the introduction of babies and the hardships and tests that come along with living a long happily married life. 

            I always told my daughters that you may always love the person you are with but you darn sure don’t like them all of the time!  I have been married since I was seventeen (17) years old and am now soon to be fifty-four (54).  My hubby and I have been through many changes in our thirty-six (36) years together and not all of them have been glitter and rainbows.  The person you fell in love with at a young age may become a completely different person through the years and you may too.  It is important to change together and go through the hard times as well as the good.  I think the myth of romance, while wonderful, needs the added ingredient of reality versus fiction.  Too many people think that romance is like it is in the books and movies and then when it isn’t they assume they are with the wrong person and give up. 

            Often times, there is no one rushing in to save the day, they don’t have a lot of money just laying around to fix anything that needs fixed and they get mad at each other and have opposing viewpoints on things that maybe were not important to you at twenty but at thirty have become very important.  I don’t want to dispel the myth of romance, as it is there and wonderful, just not always in the form that is presented in the media and stories. 

            To get to the story I mentioned earlier, a woman travels back in time inadvertently and is forced to marry another man even though in current times she is already married.  There is no romance at the beginning other than a mutual attraction and the circumstances are far from romantic as to how they get together.  The story, like the Star Wars reference made in the class notes regarding Joseph Campbell’s monomyth components, has a story of how the main character is initially separated from a world she has known and a husband she is just getting to know again due to the war having separated them.  She is initiated into life in the 1700’s in the Scottish Highlands, and at one point during a famous battle that basically ended the clan ruling in the Highlands, she was sent back to here own time again to face a husband who thinks she left him on purpose and to whom she has to tell she is pregnant. 

            I believe that romance is still and will always be alive but in stories, especially fairy tales, although striving for magic, the writers have set up an impossible act to follow when it comes to real life.  I think the dichotomy for those kids who read those things and then see such fighting and horror in their homes must certainly be scarred for life at the contrast.   For escapism, I adore these movies and stories but that is never stressed to anyone, that they are stories; based on wishes and hopes.  Those are wonderful things but they send out a message that is untrue and make it too easy for people to give up on when it doesn’t turn out the way they think it should, like the movies and books and love songs.

           

References

Balnicke,J., Free, W., Kennard, D. (1987). Monomyth. Documentary Movie.

            United States.

Gabaldon, Diana   (1991) Outlander. New York, NY: Delacorte Book

Novak, Michael (February 14, 2011): The Myth of Romantic Love retrieved from

            www.firstthings.com/web-exlcusives/2011/02

Written Analysis  #1

Mona J. Barnes

Popular Culture – Facebook

Instructor – Jenifer Garey

April 10, 2015























Facebook

It is of popular belief that Facebook is going to be passé’ soon as the younger users find other ways to send and share information.  Facebook was initially something originally for the younger generation as a way of keeping in touch and sharing information.  Once the concept caught on, parents of those school age children started signing up just to watch what their children were doing.  Once initiated into this application, older generations started seeing the ease with which they could keep in touch with not only their children but also their family members, especially ones that were not nearby, as well as their own friends from college and other periods in their life.  Facebook began to take on a life of its own.
This being the reason that now many of the younger generation are moving away from it and using other applications such as snap chat.  They don’t want their parents so involved in everything they want to post and rant about.  If they use snap chat, it will appear and disappear in minutes, therefore, maintaining privacy.
Much like myths, Facebook has become universal.  It is known worldwide whether by name only or by supported usage.   It is used in many countries and is a great way to make contacts with people of other cultures and ways of life that we may never experience physically.  Anytime anyone sees the little blue f, they know that icon stands for Facebook worldwide.
The theories that apply to my topic is that, as mentioned previously, that this would be a great way for college age students to communicate.  It appears through many interviews that that this original theory was proven wrong as more and more people come to Facebook to make contact, to rant, to express views, to share family pictures and happenings, and Facebook has turned the old fashioned hand written invite into something of a relic for gatherings.  It is and has changed the way many people communicate with each other when a face-to-face is not possible.  Most people will respond a lot faster to their Facebook messages than they will to phone or even e-mails.
I have certainly learned that sometimes a small idea can have much a much larger impact than what was originally intended.  It appears that Facebook is changing the method and the speed with which we now communicate with each other and about each other.  I have also learned that this can either be good or bad, like everything, depending on how it is utilized.  It makes me think about how something created for fun turned out to be something that has changed the rules of etiquette when it comes to communication.  

Pop Culture 2015

Hello Fellow Classmates!  As you can see, I chose Facebook as my artifact of Popular Culture.  Everyone knows what it is, even if they do not use it.  Some have strong opinions about it and others are rather blase'.  Some use it for communicating with people from their past and catching up.  Some use Facebook for posting pics of family so other family members who are not in the vicinity can keep in touch and view pics.  Some air their very dirty laundry and cause drama, some only post happy news and thoughts.  Regardless, just about everyone from approximately age 8 to 78 and more are aware of it.  

I read key points for this week and am answering these questions even though we were only instructed to consider them as we read.

What is popular culture, and what does it mean to you?

In my opinion, I feel that popular culture consists of relative, universal things referenced in our society for whatever group you hang out with or deal with on a daily basis.  I could reference a Frank Zappa song and although it may have been universal and would be understood by peers of my age, a young person today may not have ever heard of him.  I believe that popular culture does span years and years of universal terms, slang words, speech etc, however, it is also relative. 

Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant to you in a business environment and in your present and future career.  

I believe it would be in the area of communication.  Whether using the latest "it words" or understanding references made in the workplace.  You need to stay relevant.  I have a staff that range in age from mid twenties to mid sixties.  I need to be cognizant of references I make that some may understand and others won't.  I don't want to exclude anyone or make them or myself feel irrelevant and "out of the loop".  If someone says "What day is it?" on a Wednesday, I would expect the reference would be universal, even if by accident, from the Geico commercials. All people want to be able to relate and have a common ground with which to build on.  I have also found that pop culture may be in reference to the latest tool everyone is using, like Facebook, Instagram, or snap chat.  They are important social tools that are used by many and at least some knowledge of them should be there, even if only in reference and not is actual usage.