Assignment 2-1

Seinfeld is a NBC sitcom that first aired on July 5, 1989. The sitcom lasted for nine seasons. It is still shown today through syndication. The main character of the show was Jerry Seinfeld. The show featured many of Jerry’s acquaintances who were also popular characters of the show. The show didn’t really have a plot or theme. It was based on the everyday activities or situations that Jerry or his acquaintances experienced. The sitcom was written by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld based upon people in their lives (Lavery & Dunne, 2006).

Seinfeld was one of the first sitcoms of the time that did not revolve around family members. The sitcom was also different from other sitcoms because the main characters never learn a moral lesson in any episode. The show based in Jerry’s New York apartment but it was mainly filmed in Los Angeles. TV Guide named Seinfeld as the greatest sitcom of all time in 2002.

Seinfeld has become part of popular culture through various catch phrases. The catch phrases and code words are referred to as Seinlanguage by Seinfeld fans. Seinlanguage was also the name of Jerry Seinfeld’s best-selling book (Lavery & Dunne, 2006). Seinfeld has a very following of fans and the catch phrases and episodes are still popular twelve years after the series finale. Seinfeld was popular because of the wide variety of characters and there was someone that the viewers could relate with.

It is hard to say if Seinfeld will remain popular in the future. However, the many catch phrases that were introduced on the sitcom will remain in the pop culture vocabulary for years to come. The younger generations will be familiar with one of the greatest sitcoms of all time as long as Seinfeld remains in syndication and is shown regularly on TV.


References

Lavery, D., & Dunne, S. L. (2006). Seinfeld, master of its domain : Revisiting television's greatest sitcom. New York: Continuum International Pub. Group. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip062/2005030744.html

Assignment 2-2 - Icon Analysis

The three contemporary icons that I chose to discuss are Rocky Balboa, Howard Stern and Ronald McDonald. Rocky Balboa is a fictional boxer portrayed by Sylvestor Stallone. The Rocky’s series of movies are very popular among all generations. Rocky Balboa represents the underdog that uses courage, hard work and love to overcome great odds. Howard Stern is a radio pioneer. He created the “shock jock” style of radio personalities. He was one of the first radio personalities to be syndicated and helped to promote and legitimize satellite radio. Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as a mascot by McDonalds fast-food restaurant. Ronald McDonald is known worldwide. Willard Scott, the weatherman from NBCs Today Show, is credited with creating Ronald McDonald (Hall & Hall, 2006).

I chose these icons because I believe they represent the American culture. Rocky Balboa is an American hero. In the movie Rocky IV he defeats a Russian boxer in an epic America versus Russia boxing match. Howard Stern is known worldwide. He has a large audience and is a very influential person. He revolutionized the radio industry and used his off color humor and offensive remarks and opinions to become the “King of all media”. He is also a bestselling author and actor. Ronald McDonald represents one of the most recognizable United States companies that operate worldwide. McDonalds was a pioneer in the fast-food industry. Although their competition has increased over the year, McDonald’s is still one of the most successful companies in the food services industry.

All three of these contemporary icons mean a lot to me. I grew up watching the Rocky movies. During my career as a professional bull rider I always felt like I was the underdog. I didn’t grow up on a farm or around livestock. I used Rocky Balboa as a motivation to try a little harder and to never give up. Even today I have the Rocky soundtrack on my iPod and I listen to it when I need an extra boost during a workout. I have always related to Howard Stern’s type of humor. I have always been the type to make statements for the shock factor. I listen to Howard Stern on a daily basis. I have been to his Sirius Satellite Radio studios and was a guest on one of the shows on his Sirius channel. I respect his courage to stick with his business model despite vast opposition. He has become successful and has made his mark in broadcasting history. Ronald McDonald was always a favorite childhood character of mine. I had many birthday parties at McDonalds as a child. I still remember how exciting it was when Ronald McDonald made his visit to the party. Ronald McDonald is a great mascot and has brought worldwide recognition to McDonalds.

References

Hall, D., & Hall, S. G. (2006). American icons : An encyclopedia of the people, places, and things that have shaped our culture. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.

Assignment 1-4 Weekly Analysis

Facebook has become a huge part of society and pop culture. Everyone from celebrities, politicians and your friends can be found on facebook. I personally use facebook and I have been able to reconnect with many friends.

On a professional level, I use facebook to communicate with clients. Many clients prefer to communicate online or receive updates about changes in the tax code. Understanding pop culture and utilizing facebook has helped me grow my business and has set me apart from the older CPAs that do not use facebook.

Facebook has more than 400 million active users. 50 percent of those users login into facebook on any given day. People spend over 500 billion minutes on facebook per month. These numbers represent a huge market that businesses can tap into to promote their business and products (Treadaway, 2010).

Facebook is a free social networking service. There have been rumors about a fee being charged in the future. The fee would greatly reduce the numbers of users on facebook. There are several other social networking websites available free of charge. Most users are not willing to pay a fee for a social networking service.

It is hard to say if facebook will remain as popular in the future. However, businesses should utilize facebook and follow the masses to the next social networking site that is developed. With the popularity of smart phones, social networking will always be part of our society.

References:

Treadaway, C., Smith, M & Facebook. (2010). Facebook Marketing : An hour a day. Indianapolis: Wiley Pub.

Assignment 1-2 – Explanations of Popular Culure

Pop culture can be anything from people, items, events, fads or trends that have sustained popularity in a culture and created change that has lasted in that culture. Pop culture seems to be aimed towards the younger members of a society but is so popular that all ages of society are aware of it.

I think that the Internet has made pop culture a very important part of society and a factor in the business community. There is unlimited information and viral campaigns available online and services such as YouTube can create pop culture icons out of ordinary people. Pop culture has been developed into a marketing tools utilized by many businesses.

Pop culture is relevant for my career because I am a young professional and many employers look for new ideas from their employees. By knowing what is popular and knowing how to utilize that at work, I can be an asset to my company. Marketing plans can be developed to utilize current trends and fads.

The pop culture artifact that I chose is the BlackBerry. The BlackBerry has become an essential tool for anyone in business. We all have the need to be constantly connected to email, texts and the Internet. The BlackBerry is a fashionable pop culture icon that people take pride in owning. Although some people need a BlackBerry for business reasons, others simply use it for texting, taking photos and updating their Facebook status.

Many people find that owning a BlackBerry can be addicting. They constantly have to check their emails or Facebook. It has been nicknamed "CrackBerry" by many people because of it's addicting nature. It is hard to say if the BlackBerry phenom of today will still be in the popular culture of tomorrow.

References

Burke, R.J., & Cooper, C.L. (2008). The long work hours culture : causes, consequences and choices (1st ed.). Bingley, UK : Emerald Group Pub.

Danesi, M (2008). Popular culture : Introductory perspectives. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.