Assignment 1-3

The article I chose to analyze is Eyes Wide Open: Looking for God in Popular Culture. I located the editorial in the Journal of Popular culture, a peer reviewed publication of the Popular Culture Association (Hoppenstand, n.d.). The article appears to be aimed at any common person wanting to learn about or share their experience with popular culture. In this case, the review was based on the writings of William D. Romanowski. In the piece I reviewed, Theodore Turnau, III writes a peer review and shares his thoughts about. Turnau’s views are shared in first person including himself in perceived thoughts, theories and views of Christians and Christianity. It appears though his choice of words, he is specifically targeting persons with a little above basic knowledge of writing, research, Christianity and education. Throughout the context of the commentary his use of terms like “cultural domination”, “denunciations of sex” and “trend in Christian popular publishing” gives the inclination that this may be a topic he has familiarity with. Though it appears Turnau may have had preconceived ideas regarding the stereotypical behavior of Christians in general, throughout the piece, it appears that he ends with respect for Romanowsk’s work, his views and his writing.
It is brought to the reader’s attention in the article that Eyes Wide Open is a book of reference for Christians that provides a small blueprint of how to discuss popular culture. It offers suggestions on how to engage in the topic without being judgmental.
Instead of the stating the expected stance of Christians avoiding worldly items and way, the article states that Romanowski suggests we view popular culture as an art form we can learn from. It is further suggested that we pay attention to the context of the production by way of market forces (Turnau, 2009) and other things we have learned in class.
Through the review we learn that Romanowski believes humans should take an Atheistic type approach and open our minds because it is his belief that Christians too often belittle popular culture to suit their own needs and agendas. He dissects Christian belief because he feels that Christians like for things to end up okay, so we come up with ways to make it all come together nicely. He talks about the belief that Christians seem to have a Wizard of Oz syndrome and gives the example that Dorothy and her friends travel throughout Oz looking for things that are already inside of them (Turnau, 2009) just as he believes Christianity does. He goes on to state that Christians are characterized by the belief that we are all broken people that need God’s grace because we cannot save ourselves.
I found the text easy to read even though it didn’t go into great detail with concepts. It was logically organized with a chronological detail of the concepts being explored. I am quite familiar with Christian belief because of my upbringing but I believe for those who are not familiar with the idea of Christianity there would be a little research needed.
The thing that stayed with me after reading this article was Turnau’s belief of Eyes Wide Open: Looking for God in Popular Culture being one of the best books available to show the Christian perspective. I enjoy learning about Christianity, however I found it interesting that Turnau believes that persons of “any or no faith” could benefit from the book and feels that the topic should be discussed in the undergraduate academic setting. I am a Christian so I enjoy learning about and strengthening my relationship with Christ. I thought it was interesting that although this gentleman does not discuss his actual belief in Christ or the concept of Christianity, he does still believe it is a valid subject that should be considered and explored by mainstream individuals.


Turnau. III, T. A. (2009). Eyes Wide Open: Looking for God in Popular Culture. The Journal of Popular Culture, 43(3), 581-583. Retrieved September 25, 2009, from http://0-journals.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ejc/pdf.cgi/EJC_Article.pdf?issn=00223840&issue=v42i0003

Assignment 5-1

America is fascinated with lawsuits. Court shows like Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, Judge Alex, and Judge Joe Brown give common folk the ability to sue those they believe have wronged them. It is said that Americans spend more money in litigation than any civilized country; twice as much money than is spent on new cars (Sixwise, n.d.). In 2002, of the 16 million civil cases filed, lawyers earned $40 billion dollars in lawsuit awards (Sixwise, n.d.).
According to Sixwise.com, the largest increase in lawsuits has been in the medical (Sixwise, n.d.), however lawsuits range from labor and employment, breach of contracts, product liability, personal injury and intellectual property or patents and anything else in between.
Some of the lawsuits are frivolous in nature. Such is the case in New York where an attorney filed suit against KFC, McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s for his obesity and obesity related issues. That is not the first lawsuit against a fast food chain. In 2008 a man sued McDonald’s for $3 million dollars worth of damages after he lost his camera phone and an employee posted the nude pictures on the phone to the internet (Farrell, 2008).
Geocites.com comprised a list of the Top Ten Stupid Lawsuits of All Time (Top,n.d). When reading these lawsuits it is easy to see why so many cases bog down our judicial system. These are paraphrased from the website.
10 – A man sued Michael Jordan because he says Michael Jordan looks like him. This supposedly causes people everywhere to approach him. He sued Michael Jordan AND the founder of Nike, Phil Knight, for $832 million dollars.
9 - Anna Ayala sued Wendy's because she claimed that there was a finger in her chili. After a huge investigation, it turns out that she planted the finger in the chili.
8 -Kenneth Parker sued the state of Nevada because he ordered two jars of chunky peanut butter but instead got one jar of chunky and one jar of creamy.
7 - The McDonald's Coffee Case Stella Liebeck sued McDonald's because she spilled their coffee all over her lap and wound up in the hospital with 3rd degree burns.
6 -A drunk girl drove into Galveston Bay in Texas. Her friend got out alive but the drunk driver was too drunk to unfasten her seatbelt. So she died. Her parents sued Honda for manufacturing a seat belt that cannot be easily unbuckled by a drunk driver who is under water.
5 - A man sued Anheuser-Busch for $10,000 claiming that unlike their beer commercials would suggest, drinking their brand of beer did not cause bikini girls to suddenly break into a volleyball game and invite him back to their hotel room.
4 - It's ongoing litigation that was finally settled after 28 years in the courts. The Beatles formed a company called Apple Corps as a record label. They didn't like Apple Computer using a similar name and also selling music. So they kept suing Apple Computer, trying to get money.
3 - A man claimed his employer was discriminating against him. The jury awarded him over $300,000. Because during the trial he held up a convenience store with a shotgun he's in prison for a decade.
2 - Prisoners have so much time on their hands, they think up a lot of great lawsuits. Robert Lee Brock decided to sue the man he blamed all his problems on. He sued him for $5 million dollars. He sued... himself. He claimed that the defendant (him) violated the plaintiff's (his) civil rights when the defendant allowed the plaintiff to get drink. The alcohol instigated the criminal behavior. He argued that since the defendant (himself) didn't have any money, the STATE should pay.
1 - A man sued a strip club because he claimed he suffered from whiplash! Apparently this can happen when a dancer named Tawny Peaks swings her super huge bosoms in your face. The jury rejected his demand of $15,000.

Though there are legitamate lawsuits to hold those who do wrong accountable, there are a large number of lawsuits from people no longer willing to work hard. Instead those individuals look for the easy way to make a quick buck and for some, lawsuits pay off.

Farrell, N. (2008, November 24). Man sues mcdonald's over nude photos - The Inquirer . Retrieved September 20, 2009, from http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1049560/man-sues-mcdonald-nude-photos
Lattman, P. (n.d.). The Land of the Rising Number of Lawsuits - Law Blog - WSJ. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2006/03/28/the-land-of-the-rising-number-of-lawsuits/
Park, M. (2002, July 24). Ailing Man Sues Fast Food Firms . Retrieved September 20, 2009 from www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,58652
SixWise.com. (n.d.). How Many Lawsuits are There in the U.S. & What are They For? An Amazing Overview. Retrieved September 20, 2009, from http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/10/05/how-many-lawsuits-are-there-in-the-us--amp-what-are-they-for-an-amazing-overview.htm
Top 10 Stupid Lawsuits: man sues himself. Wendy's Lawsuit, McDonald's Coffee Lawsuit, Michael Jordan Lawsuit. Stupid Lawsuits.. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2009, from http://www.geocities.com/ernietugtin/stupid-lawsuits-all-time.htm

Assignment 4-1

O-H!… Yell these letters into a crowd anywhere in Columbus and it’s bound to get a response from even the most unlikely people. The gut reaction from some people, any age and race included it to finish with I-O! We call these people Buckeye Fans and this week I chose to review them. Though I too am a fan, I only follow some of the games; even then it is with a somewhat reserved intensity. I do try to wear scarlet and gray on game day and wear my jersey on big game days. Although I am admitting what few people realize, I know very little about the teams’ stats, quarterback or defensive line. Even with my lack of true knowledge, I trash talk for a week before the big game against Michigan and prepare to watch the big game with family and friends. Despite the fact that I call myself a fan, there are those that bleed Scarlet and Gray that would be appalled that I don’t know more. Even if you don’t quite understand the love Ohioans have for the Buckeyes, there is something genuine about watching fans in the Stadium sing Carmen Ohio (Takethebus, 2006) with so much pride. I am always surprised by the intensity of the support shown for our football team. There is so much intensity that builds within the fans that NBC wrote an article advising the police department will have extra officers on hand and suggesting that fans exercise patience and respect for one another (Yost, 2009).
There are websites like thebuckeyebattlecry.com and BuckyeLegends.com dedicated to the Buckeyes and there are small documentaries about them (Rfwbuck, 2009). There are songs about written about them. Songs like Michigan Who (Camaro198692, 2007), OSU Haters (Breezmusic, 2008) and Buckeye City (Lildog69420, 2006) have a way of exciting fans and followers alike. I believe you are born with the love of Buckeyes, such is the case a of 4 year old boys reaction to the Buckeyes loss to Texas in January of this year (Justacio, 2009). I don’t know why people love the Buckeyes; they just do! O-H…..

References
Breezmusic. (2009, August 27). YouTube - Ohio State Buckeyes Song 2008-2009 - "OSU HATERS!" (O-H-I-O) (by Breez The Producer) on WNCI 97.9!. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0SQBseJ8yc
Camaro198692. (2007, September 4). YouTube - Michigan Who. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzV7gJI0uS8&feature=related
CBS. (2007, November 5). YouTube - Buckeye Bedlam. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnx9n2h8AYQ&feature=PlayList
Justacio. (2009, January 5). YouTube - 4 year old's reaction to Texas win over Ohio State. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koaVqoCu-H0
Lildog69420. (2006, April 2). YouTube - buckeye city. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RrPIEJKCFM
rfwbuck. (2009, January 16). YouTube - Ohio State football fans. Retrieved September 13, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZC8EXI44eM
Takethebus. (2006, November 19). YouTube - Ohio State Fans Field Singing Carmen Ohio(Michigan Game). Retrieved September 13, 2009, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icrjwcC2BG0&feature=PlayList
Yost, D. (2009, September 10). Police Prepare, Issue Advice For OSU Fans. Retrieved
September 13, 2009, from
www2.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/local/article/police_prepare_issue_advice_for_osu_fans/22949/

Assignment 3-1

This week I chose to review music and its importance in our lives. Personally I have loved music for as long as I can remember. Though I can not say I love all music, I know I enjoy many different types. Music seems to have a major impact in our lives in many ways. It has a way of changing out emotion. When I was in middle school I can remember the crowd going crazy when the DJ played Quiet Riot’s, “Bang Your Head” or Cindi Lauper’s, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. Music has a way of exciting us and letting our emotions run free. Being a lover of music I can remember getting a Winnie the Pooh record player for Christmas when I was 4 or 5. The record player came with 45’s of Winnie the Pooh music and had about 5 characters that stood up and danced to the music. My parents’ entertained friends of all different classes and ethnic backgrounds so it didn’t matter to me what type of music I listened to, it just mattered that I heard it. I received my very first album; that tells you how long ago it was, at about the age of six. Although it was one my father let me pick from his collection, I was overwhelmed at the thought of that piece of music belonging to me. That Tom Browne album didn’t have many words; my favorite song, “Jamaica Funk” was mainly base lines but I loved it! As a child I can remember listening to Tyrone Brunson, various R&B artists and having an unexplainable feeling inside; it felt like music was made for me personally and I was thankful. I’ve noticed that while they type of music may differ; music still has a way of invoking emotions unlike any other art form. The “Eye of the Tiger” from the movie Rocky, invokes a feeling of inspiration for some, the way “Moments in Love” by The Art of Noise invokes a feeling of peace and calm. The movie industry knows this all to well. They use music to capture tender moments as well as to build suspense and alarm us. When I hear the content of some of the music I hear today I’m disappointed; however, I still think it is a valuable art form. My parents didn’t understand my love for Hip Hop in the 80’s, so the Fresh Prince (Will Smith) again seemed to write the song “Parents Just Don’t Understand” to explain what I felt at the time. I don’t fully understand why my children or their friends love the music they do; however when I put it into perspective, even if I don’t fully enjoy all of their music, I hope the children of their generation continue to encounter a love like no other in music.

Assignment 2-1

Twitter is a relatively new idea created in March 2006 (Twitter, 2009). Jack Dorsey created the prototype in hopes of keeping up with what was going on in the lives of his friends (Twitter, 2009). Now large numbers of people follow friends and celebrities on the service.
I’m not afraid of technology but it took me a while to get as savvy as I am. I have a Facebook account, Myspace account, cell phone, and access to email through my Blackberry. It was my thought that I was connected enough. Though I had heard about Twitter, I didn’t consider the need or reason for an account that gave anyone minute by minute updates to your life until now.
Recently my mother had surgery. While it was not a major surgery, due to her age, her having had a stroke within the last two years, and multiple health problems my entire family was nervous. Although it seemed like each minute took hours, we kept busy and tried to remain optimistic while waiting on an update from the surgeon. When the surgery took longer than expected, we yearned for some update to say everything was okay. Eventually we spoke with the surgeon and he assured us that even with the minor complications, the surgery was a success. We were relieved.
Ironically I was on the internet today and saw an article about Twitter being an open door to the operating room. The article detailed a new process used by the surgery team at St. Lukes Hospital that involves a hospital spokesperson Twitting periodic updates to the patients family. As the patient’s family stated in the article, the updates removed the anxiety that often accompanies waiting on a loved one. Some people feel that multiple social websites are unnecessary; however this is another way that technology helps in unexpected ways.



Twitter opens a door to Iowa operating room. (2009, September 1). Newsday. Retrieved September 1, 2009, from http://www.newsday.com/business/twitter-opens-a-door-to-iowa-operating-room-1.1414329?localLinksEnabled=false
Twitter. (n.d.). Retrieved September 1, 2009, from http://twitter.com/about#about

Assignment 2-2 ICONS

Michael Jackson
I chose Michael Jackson because of millions of fans/ he has. Though his boyishly shy ways, Michael Jackson is believed to have shared his life as an open book. By many he is believed to have been a misunderstood humanitarian. Michael has been a part of popular culture since he and his brothers wowed followers from the age of 6. Generations among generations have grown up listening to his music and grown up with him. His fans believe he is the best performer of all time. Even those that don’t consider themselves a fan must admit his musical influence is heard in places least suspected. Artists from Kanye West and Jay Z to Jennifer Lopez continue to give his music life through their use of samples of his music. Artists like Usher, Chris Brown and Justin Timberlake all have been influenced by MJ and have dance styles reminiscent of his. Many continue to morn his untimely death because there will never be another performer that can fill his shoes.

Princess Diana
Princess Diana was chosen because of her style and grace. Dying an untimely death, to many people Princess Diana was the quintessential lady. Although she was not a performer she was adored by many citizens of Britain and the rest of the world. She was poised, beautiful, polite, elegant and classy. Though Princess Diana died more than 10 years ago, the world still mourns

The Obama Family
For many African Americans the Obama family represents the hope for black families. Although the Cosby show was an All-American show that appealed to people of many ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, some considered the Cosby show to be unrealistic. They believed a show that portrayed a functional family whose father was a doctor, mother was a lawyer and kids are normal kids was unrealistic and sold African American families a lie. Unlike the Cosby’s the Obama family is real. The Obama family represents success in the black family. Though both parents are successful in their own right, the true success of the Obama family comes from their ability to put family first. The love Michelle and Barack seem to share is an example to African Americans of the strength and possibilities that come from a strong family. Though they are both in high profile positions, their ability to make time to enjoy the little things with their daughters model the importance of the role parents have in rearing their children. Personally, I don’t think their family is important because he has become president. I believe the Obama family is an important icon because the hope for success they inspire to the African American community. I don’t have to look far to see that the breakdown in the African American family has become an epidemic that has affected the community. The Obama’s are a real life representation of what a black family should be.

Assignment 1-4

I chose to review Facebook for my weekly analysis. I heard about Facebook about three or four years ago. I created my first profile at that time and only used it about 3 times over the course of about 3 years. I didn’t see the point at the time and because it was a new format, not many people were on it then. At first it was only know by a few but now my family and friends, old and young are choosing to use Facebook as a tool to keep in touch with one another instead of email or Myspace. From my understanding it was a networking tool designed to help college students network and connect with one another. Now Facebook is used by the masses. I use it to invite family to events and let them know what is going on in my life. My children use it, so I have made them friends. As a parenting tool this helps me keep up to date on what their friends are doing and allows me to have discussions about issues at the right time. Some of their friends have requested me so it allows me to keep with the old adage “it takes a village to raise a child” and be parents’ eyes and ears about concerns.
Through the different networks on Facebook, I have connected with elementary school friends I have not seen or heard from in years. Through the site I am able to visit with friends, and view their families, see their children and get an idea of there interests. In a small way, it’s a prolonged class reunion without the plane tickets.

As it states in the introduction of module 1 on the course web site, culture is a way of life and popular culture is the study of one component (Franklin, 2009). The class offers a lot to think about. Popular culture is just that; it is our own personal beliefs, traditions and choices. Popular culture can be influenced by such overlooked items as economics, exposure and education (Franklin, 2009). We only know what we know. Our upbringing, experiences and values encourage us to take an interest in certain things. These influences have an impact on things such as if we watch movies and the types of movies, and if we read and the types of books we read. Popular culture influences everything we do. This is evident with the youth of today. To see examples of this all you have to do is watch a commercial during your favorite TV show. Because we live in a technological age, we are able to obtain information at incredible speeds. This assumed need for speed has made cellular phone companies market to the perceived need and create multimedia packages targeting this speed. From cell phones to smaller laptops, companies are marketing to the youth with cuter, faster, smaller phones and notebooks. Exploring the subject of popular culture encourages us to explore items like these and other items that drive people in our society to make the choices we make.
In a business environment it’s important to have an understanding of popular culture for many reasons. Work environments can be made up of persons from all ages, races, cultural and educational backgrounds. Many companies pride themselves on being culturally diverse and with that diversity come understanding. To understand popular culture puts me at an advantage in business. Because my degree will be in organizational leadership, understanding the trends that are popular to the employees of my company will help me to motivate my workforce and take my company to the next level. As my artifact I chose is the Blackberry telephone. I chose it because most people, myself included, feel like they must be connected to the world at all times. The blackberry provides access to the outside world at all times. It provides almost instant access to email, facebook, MySpace among other applications. Purchased because I was looking to replace my phone & mp3 player, once I was told I could link my email accounts I was sold. Referred to by many as a crackberry, I believe the blackberry epitomizes the need of popular culture to be connected.