Neo Soul Hero and Heroine

Neo Soul music has only been around for a few decades, but has been the star to the

modern music style that has blossomed in the hip hop culture. This type of music style

has provided music listeners the ability to hear another form of enlightening music. It has

particular artist that have put Neo Soul at the top of its game and has provided a more

positive awareness to the community. These artists can be recognized as the hero and

heroines of Neo Soul and conscious music everywhere.

Eryka Badu, a successful female Neo Soul artist, is recognized as being the goddess

of the culture. She is the epitome of a heroine because of her knowledge and wisdom of

the music industry and the dedication she has shown towards it. She has touched the heart

and souls of many listeners and understands the most effective way of translating her

music to others. The impact she has in the black community shows her passion and love

for her people. She breaks the stereotypical aspect of black women by carrying herself

with natural pride and beauty. Other black women can look and listen to her and

understand what she stands for. She inspires us to love ourselves and to never give up on

your dream. 

On the other hand, as for a hero in the Neo Soul industry, Maxwell, who was

the 2010 Grammy award winner for Best Male R&B album, is one of the most influential

singers in the music industry.  He puts a lot of effort into his music and can make any

women come to tears when he sings. Just listening to the words in his songs can make a

person think about a lot of things. For example, some of his songs can help you realize

you have a good partner and want to make things work. This to me shows the leadership

and dedication to be able to help others and not always focus on you. 

That is what being a hero or heroine is about. It’s about having the confidence and drive to be a role model 

for others to look up to and take strides to make a difference. Even after their time in the spot

light has ceased, the remembrance of them will always be around.

            

!Pod, Viagra and the Praiseworthy Life: Epideictic Rhetoric in Technology and Medical Print Advertising.

My article discussed the epidemic rhetoric in technology and advertising. It

provided information about how technology is being used as a visual advertising

mechanism to advertise and market certain products ranging from pharmaceutical drugs

to electronic devices. It focuses on how Americans use visual tactics for personal gain

and what reactions come from it. It makes the point of how these new products are shown

to us and how we always gravitate toward the coolest new technology or product that

becomes available. It also describes how Americans consume more magazines than

anything else to support the need of the utilization of advertising and marketing, so we

can see and read what has been newly produced. Magazine companies have a large target

market for the younger generation. What they have found is that young adults/students

are more likely to react to seeing the latest fashion accessory like the ipod in a magazine

rather then to actually read about it. Most of what is seen from young consumers is

looked at as being truthful and persuasive. Advertisers want to take advantage of

magazine buyers because of the high volume in magazine sales due to what young

consumers can see. They purposefully target younger buyers this way because of the

visual strategy they have. Therefore, their decision to study how aggressively student

magazine customers buy will benefit the process of how appealing technology and even

health advertising is. By conducting a study, students examined prints for pharmaceutical

and technological products in two popular magazines to discover how the visual and

verbal techniques are used as epidermic rhetoric. The outcome of these studies was shown

to be of high demand for young students to want to engage in purchasing products that

are advertised with an appealing visual concept.  

As I read the article the authors’ point was to show how modern technology uses

advertising of pharmaceutical and other technology for the benefit of the company and

not the benefit of the consumer. He showed the result of young readers is more prone to

purchase products based on the visual aspect and not so much the full understanding of it.

I completely agree with the author because of the rate technology is being advanced. I

feel as though it is all for the benefit of advertising and marketing and getting the

consumer to spend more money. They use tricky words and images to attract people and

get them to focus on getting the latest and greatest product whether for electronic use or

personal health usage. I think this article is important because it bring awareness to the

consumer and can maybe be looked at as being helpful. I hope it will show people how

materialistic Americans are and how we can sometimes be tricked into buying something

even though we may not need or can afford to purchase it. 

Reference:

Blakely, B, (August 2011). !Pod, Viagra and the Praiseworthy Life: Epideictic Rhetoric in Technology and Medical Print Advertising. The Journal of Popular Culture, Volume 44, issue 4 p. 684-703 ISSN: 0022-3840, DOI: 10.1111/j1540-5931.2011.00857.x. Blackwell Publishing Inc.

Historical events in the U.S from 1945 – 1960

The United States has gone through a numerous amount of historical changes. Some events that will be forever remembered and some forever forgotten, but the most important is that these events are what has made the United States what it is today.

August 6, 1945—U.S. drops atomic bomb on Japan; World War II ends 8 days later

     

Surely the most famous image of the war, reproduced in many forms - a victory stamp and the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, to name two. In one of the bloodiest campaigns of the American drive through the Central Pacific, the Marinese captured Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945. When they raised the flag on Mount Suribachi, 

1946-63—Baby Boom—record amount of births in a period of economic growth and increased consumerism leads to the most dominant and self-conscious generation in American history.

1946- The Supreme Court declared segregation on buses that crossed state borders was illegal. President Truman established a Committee on Civil Rights.

1948- Discrimination in the armed forces was banned.

1949—Creation of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

1950-53—Korean War

                                     

Throughout the summer of 1950, the U.S. and the other involved United Nations' states scrambled to contain North Korea's fast-moving army.

1951—U.S. tests hydrogen bomb

1952- This was the first year since 1881 without a lynching of black Americans

1953—Hugh Hefner launches Playboy magazine

                

In December 1953, 27-year-old Hugh Hefner published the very first Playboy magazine. This first edition of Playboy was 44-pages long and had no date on its cover because Hefner wasn't sure there would be a second edition. In that first run, Hefner sold 54,175 copies of Playboy magazine at 50 cents each. The first edition sold so well because Marilyn Monroe was the "Sweetheart of the Month" 

1954—Television becomes increasingly common

1954- The Supreme Court declared segregation in schools to be unconstitutional.

The last all-black units in the armed forces were disbanded.

1955- Montgomery Bus Boycott began after the arrest of Rosa Parks

                     

The Montgomery Bus Boycott officially started on December 1, 1955. That was the day when the blacks of Montgomery, Alabama, decided that they would boycott the city buses until they could sit anywhere they wanted, instead of being relegated to the back when a white boarded.

1956—Elvis Presley becomes international star, rock and roll becomes music of America’s youth

1957—Federal court orders Little Rock to desegregate schools, violence results and forces federal government to intervene.

1957- Dr Martin Luther King became President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The Little Rock High School clash occurs and Eisenhower had to use 1958 Federal troops to enforce the law. Civil Rights Act passed.

1960—Food and Drug Administration approves birth control pill for general use

1960- First student sit-ins against segregation at lunch counters occur.

SNCC formed - Student Nonviolent Co-Ordinating Committee.

Elijah Muhammad called for the creation of a separate state for blacks

References:

Cozzens, L. (1997). The Montgomery Bus Boycott. http://www.watson.org/~lisa/blackhistory/civilrights-55-65/montbus.html

Rosenberg, J. The First Playboy Magazine: The First Edition of Playboy Featured Marilyn Monroe. Retrieved by website: http://history1900s.about.com/od/1950s/qt/Playboy.htm

Sherman, S. (2011). World War Two. Retrieved by website: http://acepilots.com/ww2/pictures.html

The Korean War, June 1950 - July 1953: Introductory Overview and Special Image Selection. Retrieved from website: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/kowar/kowar.htm

Icon Analysis

Today, we can recognize a lot of different icons that impact our lives. However, these icons can have a   negative or positive affect on us which can determine how we conduct our own lives. My 3 icons I have chosen have all been a part of my life in one way or another. The 3 icons I chose were: Micheal Jackson, Allen Iverson and the Rolex wristwatch. 

Micheal Jackson, R & B music artist, was labeled as the "King of    Pop", I love Micheal Jackson's music and what he stood for. His music told a story and touched the lives of many people all across the world. Eventhough he is no longer physically in the world, he will always be a part of black music.  Allen Iverson, a former NBA player, was labeled one of the youngest NBA players to reach 50 points in a single game. His skills were phenomenal and he made a great name for himself by his smooth crossover and his designer corn rolled hair style. I loved the game, but loved it even more because of him. Finally, the Rolex wristwatch, imported to England in the early 1900's. This almost 100 old designer wristwatch is one of the most luxurious wristwatches ever designed. Known for the rich and famous type watch, unfortunately was not a positive experience for me due to the expensive nature it has and the popularity it has. It was stolen from my possession and caused a broken heartache for me. However, I learned from the experience and still say it was a beautiful and worthy watch.

I choose these three icons, because of the impact each one has had on my life. MJ was my musical inspiration while Allen Iverson is very attractive to me by his skill of the game and his physical appearance. The Rolex wristwatch was a proud possession I owned and unfortunately got stolen, but learned that I need to make sure that when something that precious is in my possession, I need to make sure I keep a close eye on it.

Popular Culture

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

Popular Culture can be defined in a variety of ways. The people around us all have a part in what we can define it to mean. The culture in which we involve ourselves and how it may impact an individual. All around us we see popular artifacts that may have meaning and influence on our lives. What we can hold close to us and use to describe who we are can also be considered to be popular culture. To me, popular culture means all those important images that represent the power and strength of being a black women. From the music I listen to, to the books I read. In my culture, music is powerful and has a voice for itself. This is important to me, because it provides a foundation for the growth of my children. I never want them to forget where they come from and where they are going.

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

The understanding of popular culture is relevant to my present and future career in the healthcare industry, because it will set the pace of the current information that is used in the system today. My passion in healthcare revolves around holistic health, so by being able to understand the popular culture today and seeing all the amazing new herbs and therapies, that can improve the health of someone, it will build the confidence in others to want to become more knowledgeable on natural health and wellness.

What would you consider to be an example of a popular culture artifact? And why would you choose it?

I would consider NeoSoul music to be an example of popular culture. NeoSoul music is a cross between jazz and hip hop. It speaking of conscious living and positive thinking. It is very mellow and smooth.  I would choose it, because of the impact is has on my life and how it makes me feel when I listen to it. Music is the food for my soul and just by hearing the love and passion of words in the songs, brings a smile on my face and a sense of joy in my heart.