Fanboys

Imagine yourself surrounded by men dressed up like wookies, a woman walks by in Princess Leia's slave outfit, and you hear "PEW PEW" and "SHWOOOM SWOOM CHANG." Are you on the set of another Lucas Film? No, you're at a Star Wars Convention. People around the world have created such a die-hard fandom for Star Wars, hundreds across the country gather to rejoice all that is the Force. However, in Fanboys, four men take their fandom even farther. They travel across the country to break into George Lucas' home. The movie mocks Star Wars fan culture, though in doing so, it also celebrates the kind of friendship that can grow out of extreme love for a franchise and can be embraced by the fans it mocks.

Star Wars is the kind of franchise with "books, hooks, and looks." Hooks included the love story between Leia and Han, the desire of Anakin to find and save his mother, and the good v. evil dichotomy. There are plenty of highly recognized looks in this franchise. Some of which include "Luke, I am your father", "May the Force be with you", the many sounds of light saber battles, the sound of Darth Vader breathing, the unmistakable storm trooper garb, as well as many, many others. Plenty, if not all of these, are included in fan boys. They even put a fake R2D2 on their van.

This parody, not of the Star Wars franchise, but the Star Wars fandom, is the perfect example of ways in which companies can capitalize on fan culture.

While researching this movie, I came across a question as to whether LucasFilm had anything to do with the production of this movie. It did not, surprisingly, but after viewing the film, George Lucas approved and offered the rights to sound effects from the Star Wars movies.

Parallel Television Universe

Part of the appeal of watching television is that you get to watch other people make embarrassingly funny mistakes, while forgetting about your own. Viewers love to watch middle-class men make idiots out of themselves while their intelligent and forgiving wives chastise them. However, I do believe there is a parallel between this and reality television. 

Take the Real World for example. The contestants are put on television to drink too much, get into fights, and sleep around. The guys get reprimanded for flirting with too many girls and the girls get into drama over cheating on their boyfriends. Their behavior is mockable because no one does that in real life. Similarly, middle class men are portrayed as buffoons. Homer Simpson is always at the bar. Hank Hill has been quoted as saying  "What the hell kind of country is this if I can only hate a man if he's white?" which exemplifies institutionalized racism and unintelligence. These kinds of men are laughed at just as reality television stars are. In both cases, the demographics of middle-class men and twenty-something men and women are grossly misrepresented. Rather than portraying middle class men as hard workers and passionate family men, they are drunk and unintelligent. Rather than portraying young men and women as being interested in school over alcohol, they're represented as promiscuous and drunks. This perpetuates a cycle of misrepresentative stereotypes. 

Products of the Media Environment.

"...What the media do is help to construct a violent masculinity as a cultural norm... Violence isn't so much a deviation as it is an accepted part of masculinity," Jackson Katz.

The quote by Jackson Katz is a striking realization that men believe they are inherently violent as they consume popular culture that displays men this way. Thus, they act out in violent ways, whether it's abusing a woman, getting into bar fights with me, or even carrying around weapons for "safety". This is completely normalized in pop culture. Take Eminem, for example. Many of his songs include lyrics about the hate he has for his ex, Kim. In the song of the same name, Eminem basically screams emotionally abusive words as well as saying things like "bleed bitch, bleed." Such a popular artist exemplifies Katz argument perfectly. In more recent news, Eminem has also been the target of anti-violence groups for his video "Space Bound" which includes him dreaming of killing his girlfriend and then shooting himself in the head. The UK anti-violence group, Mothers Against Violence, stated, "People who do this are really quite evil. Children are influenced by the things they see. If we feed violence, it becomes strong. Like an addiction. It's all about the money with these videos. Eminem isn't thinking about the families affected. It's selfish - it comes to a point when selfishness becomes evil."

It comes as no surprise to me that men are more violent than women. Men are accustomed to being portrayed as violent, whereas violent women, such as those in SuckerPunch, are nearly mockable. Boys are pushed to play football while girls are pushed to be dancers. Men are supposed to have control while women are to be domicile. I believe the roots of violence begin to grow in childhood and if children of both sexes are pushed to achieve goals through intelligence as opposed to force, as they grew up, the world may be a less violent place.

The Glamourous Life

Barbie has been the quintessential toy for girls for years. She had everything: a car, a house, a boat, a horse, many friends, a boyfriend, and a killer body that she didn't have to exercise in order to get. She was the blonde-haired, blue-eyed American sweetheart. But girls were learning more than just roll playing with their imaginations, they were learning to be the perfect American consumers.

The doll has been used to advertise products implicitly, in a way that may not have been noticed by parents or the children themselves, such as by Barbie wearing McDonald's or Pepsi clothes or accessories. Children are highly susceptible to advertising, though it may be easy to dismiss advertisements on television, it is not as easy to dismiss the fact that the adult a young girl may see in Barbie is the adult they wish to be: with a wardrobe full of clothes, a hot pink corvette, and even a hotel to get away from the oh-so-tough life she lives. Not only does Mattel profit from the purchase of countless outfits and accessories, but other companies, such as McDonald's, profit from any sales garnered from having their name plastered on a Barbie box, however that may be difficult to measure.

Hegemonic ideals are present in Barbie. She is a consumer, you are a consumer. If she doesn't have an astronaut outfit, neither do you. She has to be everything from a horseback rider to a Nascar driver on your dollar. Girls grow up believing that the more outfits you have, the better you look and feel. But as Steinberg pointed out, there is no homeless Barbie. She never runs out of money, which is far from realistic or truthful in America.

Girls are left with unrealistic ideals of adulthood, with money being the root of all evil. Even though Barbie has everything, she is still greedy and insatiable.

Racist Uproar

Racism plagues humanity, always choosing a new victim, while never ignoring past victims. Since the unfortunate attacks on September 11th, Americans have chosen Muslims, or any person with a Middle-Eastern appearance, as their target. Middle-Easterners are believed to be violent in nature because of the ignorant belief that Islam is inherently linked to violent jihad, however this is almost never the case.

This recently institutionalized racism was made incredibly apparent when Lowes pulled their ads from TLC's All-American Muslim because of pressure from the Florida Family Association. The group said that the show didn't accurately portray muslims because they were not extremists. There has been plenty of backlash from civil rights groups and celebrities which makes me feel like we have come a long way from the days in which racism was blatant in advertisement and media.

TLC stated that they aired this show to combat "preconceived notions" of who Muslims are. The network has chosen to expose the targeted group in order to shift the idea of Muslims being extremists and challenge the institutionalized racism. However, from the backlash from the right wing group, it is apparent that we have a long way to go in America. 

You're not doing it (the way I believe is) right

The reason we, as humans, stereotype is to put other groups into schema, thus making it easier to "identify" who other people are. Our brains are only capable of so much at once and it would be overwhelming for us to form and reform ideas of groups with every encounter. One group frequently stereotyped in pop culture (more recently than not) are gay males.

The movie I Love You, Philip Morris features Jim Carey and Ewan McGregor, two straight actors, playing gay men. There are examples of the gay stereotype galore, especially through iconography. Carey plays a con man named Steve Russel, and Russel is SO gay. Initially, viewers aren't supposed to see it, however after a life-threatening car accident, Russel announces, "I'm a fag!!" In subsequent scenes, his homosexuality is established because he has small, cute dogs, loves to shop, and is interested in fashion. McGregor plays his lover, who is also gay. He's very sexual, speaks femininely, and is very mild mannered. However, as these are straight actors playing gay men, I am unconvinced of their homosexuality. Obviously, it would be difficult to act as a homosexual in a perfectly convincing manner, but I don't see the characters gayness for a second! Carey plays the same character in this movie as every other-- a caricature and a clown. McGregor is mild mannered, yes, but where is the flamboyance?

But maybe Carey and McGregor just didn't portray gays the way I thought they would, but that doesn't mean they portrayed them incorrectly. In my mind, I have a stereotypical opinion of how gays should act. However, thinking about social-types I have encountered, most don't match up to my stereotypes at all! Some gay men can't put together an outfit, some don't speak femininely, some were very flamboyant in their dress or personality, but some you couldn't tell at all.  There is too much diversity within the gay community, just like any other group, for stereotypes to be accurate by any means.

SAVE DERPY

In order to be a successful television show, producers must listen to their audience. The audience consumes the media texts, applies personal experiences to the situations, feels strongly about certain situations or characters, and thus become fans and regular consumers of the text. When a  favorite character leaves the show, so do the consumers (like Grissom leaving CSI). Producers must accommodate the needs of their audience as best as they can, instead of ignoring the fact that consumers bring their desires when they watch TV, not just their ratings. A certain event has come to my attention recently, and offers the perfect narrative to explain and utilize this idea of reader-oriented criticism.

There is a growing fan base for Hasbro's My Little Pony show on the Hub. And they are mostly men. Called "bronies." Yes, bro+pony=brony. Demographically, they are 87% male, aged from their teens to their 30s, and 43% have had some college education!

Their story goes like this: An animator for the My Little Pony show crossed the eyes of a background pony as a joke, and bronies became instant fans, naming her "Derpy Hooves." What started out as a joke, became such an impressive fandom that animators moved her character from the background to the foreground. She became the "community's pony" as one fan put it, and was treated like a Where's Waldo as a challenge for viewers to spot the silly pony in the episodes. In this instance, the animators listened to their audience and adhered to their requests to their benefit.

However, things got bad. To the bronies' fury, Derpy's eyes were uncrossed, her voice was "underped" and she lost all the magic that was Derpy Hooves. Unfortunately, many critics posited that Derpy was "one big retard joke" and Hasbro complied to their requests to tone down the mentally disabled actions of the pony. Even though Ponyville is a place that fosters friendship and acceptance, Derpy just did not make the cut.

According to Gawker.com, "Bronies have become a rather unlikely internet powerhouse, but it's unlikely they'll persuade Hasbro—who must feel both blessed and cursed by a fanbase as entitled and obsessed as that of any adult sci-fi series or comic book—to restore their beloved Derpy." But this instance goes to show that the audience has heart, not just ratings for a show.

"Tribalism" in The River

Humans are innately ethnocentric. Dr. Said researches orientalism, or the ethnocentric views of the middle east, but what about other parts of the world? Televised media is rampant with foreign stereotypes. Most recently, I noticed an ethnocentric portrayal of a group that is less popular, but still extremely misrepresented: indigenous tribes. The Steven Spielberg show, The River, takes place in the Amazon and in the third episode, the characters cross paths with a tribe and their actions are calculated and terribly misunderstood.

Since the colonization of America, native tribes have been viewed as savages, polytheists, and below any deserving class status as assumed by the colonists. They are misunderstood, and thus feared by westerners who have taken their rights, their lands, and their lives in droves. In The River, their portrayal was no less misunderstood or misrepresented. The tribe was savage, causing blindness for the characters, judging them on their behavior and if deemed undeserving of travel on their land, they would be killed.

I cannot think of any instances in which tribes are portrayed positively. They are victims due to their own decision to live off the land instead of embracing the power of technology. But as Americans, we are in terrible debt and have a huge dependency on foreign oil, but those who utilize the land without destroying it are to be feared and are nearly "stripped" of their intelligence in the media and represented by 'kill or be killed" instinctual beings. This "tribalism" has caused pain and suffering for thousands of individuals in the past and present and should not be tolerated.

Voting Rocks

It is easy to say that important political topics are not covered by the media adequately nor represented accurately in pop culture. For example, South Park can take a topic, such as the Occupy Movement, and mock it until it is remnants of what the true nature is. Another example is the unequal coverage of presidential candidates, thus making few more salient to consumers, increasing their likelihood of being voted for. However, I think it is important to point out just how impactive pop culture can be in the political world.

An example is the "Rock the Vote" campaign that began in 1990. In 1992, Rock the Vote had helped increase the youth vote in the presidential election by 20%! One of their main strategies to attract young voters is by celebrity advocacy. It's not surprising that the youth gives a lot of respect and attention to well known artists and actors, who in turn have influence over young voters. Not only does Rock the Vote promote voting in elections, but it also educates the youth on topics such as health care and environmental issues.

Even though pop culture is low culture, in that it covers topics that are trivial and fleeting, it is proven to have positive impact in the political arena on the youth of today.

Robin Hood: The Socialist

Little John: You know somethin’, Robin. I was just wonderin’, are we good guys or bad guys? You know, I mean, uh? Our robbin’ the rich to feed the poor. 

Robin Hood: Rob? Tsk tsk tsk. That’s a naughty word. We never rob. We just sort of borrow a bit from those who can afford it. 

Little John: Borrow? Boy, are we in debt. 

      In the 1950's, to propose a more equal distribution of wealth would warrant you jail time for being a communist. Today, you'd be considered a socialist, negatively so to some. This ideology has been attacked many times in history, but why? A shrinking middle class and an increasing poverty rate is feared, but those who have the money seem to not be willing to give a little of their fortunes for the well being of the less fortunate. If I'm not mistaken, Robin Hood is praised for doing just that his own way, valiantly, however illegally. In a fictional sense, the idea is applauded, so why not in application?

     The Occupy Wall Street movement has roots in Marxist ideology with the slogan "We are the 99%" which attempts to create a disparity of the middle class from the richest 1% of the United States. Supporters assert that those with the most money have caused the current recession because of their money-hungry methods of capitalism. Bansky, a famous British street artist, challenges capitalist ideals with his installation at the Occupy London movement. He satires Monopoly, a board game based on owning as much real estate as possible with the goal of bankrupting opponents or becoming the richest player. Poor Mr. Moneybags, the face of the rich in his sleek black tuxedo, has been left to beg for money and has lost at his own game. 

      With the economic conditions as they currently are, Marxist criticism as exemplified in pop and high culture I believe will be springing up everywhere. Marx alleges that hegemony creates a status quo unattested, but a challenge has been issued by the middle class, and this challenge is one Marx himself would be proud of. 

Now, I ain't sayin' she a gold digga...

Women have come a long way. They are no longer property, can wear pants without criticism, vote, be educated, and have jobs. Their place is no longer in the home, and even though there still is a glass ceiling, they are closer than ever to being equal to men. But what's with this stereotype of women being after a man's money?

I believe it comes from the previous ideology that men were the breadwinners in our patriarchal society. Good Charlotte takes a stab at criticizing the current status quo by making a mockery of it in their 2002 song "Girls and Boys". The lyrics read "She'll get what she wants if she's willing to please/ His type of girl always comes with a fee/ Hey now, there's nothing for free." However, as a woman myself, I can tell you that as nice as it is for men to pay for things, I am not willing to "please" just for a free night out, nor are most women I meet.

 I have been to the bar more than once where I will be approached by a man, have a conversation with him, and then hear the words, "Just so you know, I'm not going to buy you a drink." I appreciate that men challenge this double standard, however for any man to assume I am only interested in a free drink is an insult. And to this I say "I can assure you, I am independent and can buy my own drinks, thank you," before I walk away.

Orange is the new pink

Am I the only one who remembers when music videos used to be an art form? For example, Michael Jackson's Thriller can now be found in the Library of Congress, as one of 25 films being preserved for their significance "culturally, historically, or aesthetically," according to David Itzhoff at the New York Times. MTV used to be all about the videos that artistically interpreted the content of the song and offered a visual companion in which consumers could indulge in beyond just listening to music. But now I feel as if it's nearly a lost art form. Why, might you ask? One word:

Money.

Intellectual force in the media has fallen by the wayside to make room for material force. Instead of being creative consumers, we are now material consumers with money that corporations want. For example,after viewing Britney Spears' video for Hold It Against Me, I noticed product placement for the following: Radiance Perfume by Britney Spears, Make Up Forever, PlentyofFish.com, and Sony. The ruling class, instead of offering creative diversity and artistically stimulating material, has caused mainstream music videos to be four minute-long commercials.

Just like the scene in Josie and the Pussycats movie where the music industry subliminally embedded "orange is the new pink" in a song, causing masses of teenagers with expendable income to blindly follow the new fashion "trend". Think for yourself.