humanities 006: popular culture

W K 6 , H R 2

HUMANITIES 006:

POPULAR CULTURE

BACK TO OUR FUTURE

Author argues that the 1980s explain our current culture, politics and everything.

Claims that in a way, we are still living in the 80s.

SOCIAL READING OF

SIXTEEN CANDLES

• What’s the goal?• To be in a special, intimate relationship.• To be noticed.• To move up (upward mobility)

• What behaviors and artifacts are glamorized?

• Upper class communities. Under-aged drinking is glamorized. Photographing drunk women.

• Cars are glamorized. Under-aged driving is glamorized.

• Individuality, Pursuit of Personal Desires, Self-Awareness of Needs

• Or is it Self-Centeredness?

• Samantha?

• Jake?

• Being a Geek

• the only ‘non-normal’ class to end up well.

TODAY’S AGENDA

Myths of ‘80s Culture

1. Social Mobility:

• The pursuit of class improvement.

2. Extravagant “Me” Culture:

• The need to be noticed.

3. Rise of the Geek Culture:

• High-tech is cool. Geeks shall inherit the earth.

1. CLASS & SOCIAL MOBILITY

How would the following elements of ‘80s teen films have influenced the culture at the time?

• Teen films of the early-mid 80s often revolved around middle to upper middle class teenagers.

• The issues or conflicts they faced were often about self-discovery or personal achievement.

• The personal achievement often had to do with getting boy or girl they had dreamed of.

• When class was involved, it was often the lower class teen having to earn (or being rewarded) with getting the upper class person of their dreams.

SOCIAL MOBILITY IN

80S TEEN RITE OF PASSAGE FILMS

• Sixteen Candles (1984)• Lower classmen gets upper classman

• Karate Kid (1984) • Poor boy gets rich girl

• Breakfast Club (1985) • Poor guy gets rich girl

• Pretty in Pink (1986) –• Poor girl gets rich guy • (original ending was changed because people didn’t like it that the

poor girl had to “settle” for her friend and not the rich guy.)

• Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) –• Ah…poor guy gets poor girl!

1. CLASSES & SOCIAL MOBILITY

Beyond Teen Films

What are these films about?

What does this say about the culture?

How might these films have influenced culture?Do you feel any of these pressures?

• Wall Street (1987)

• Quick Silver (1986)

• The Secret of My Success (1987)

• Brewster’s Millions (1985)

• Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)

• Trading Places (1983)

• Risky Business (1983)

2. EXTRAVAGANT “ME” CULTURE:

THE NEED TO BE NOTICED

• Seen in film.

• Seen in TV.

• Seen in fashion.

• May also have been perpetuated by…

READING “BIRD & MAGIC”

Basketball Before Larry Bird & Magic Johnson:

• Basketball was a secondary sport.

• Difficult to get favorable television deals.

READING “BIRD & MAGIC”

Basketball After Bird & Magic:

• Basketball popularity skyrocketed.

• NBA landed lucrative TV deals.

• Why? What happened?

READING “BIRD & MAGIC”

They were both very popular individually.• Both came from working

class backgrounds.• Both highly skilled and

successful.• Magic was very charismatic.• Bird was ultra-fierce.

Rivalry was very popular.• Began in college.• Continued through their

careers.• Played for popular rival

teams.• Very divisive along racial

lines.

Descriptions of the TimeLarry Bird:• Slow, succeeded through hard work

and innate Bball intelligence.

Magic Johnson:• Flashy, succeeded through natural

gifts, athleticism.

2. EXTRAVAGANT “ME” CULTURE:

THE NEED TO BE NOTICED

Basketball After Bird & Magic:

• Basketball popularity skyrocketed.

• NBA landed lucrative TV deals.

• Why? What happened?

Sirota: NBA Began to Promote

STARSinstead of TEAMS

2. EXTRAVAGANT “ME” CULTURE:

THE NEED TO BE NOTICED

• Seen in film.

• Seen in TV.

• Seen in fashion.

• And in marketing of movies and sports.

What does this say about the culture?How might this myth have influenced the culture?

Do you see this myth in our culture today?Do you feel any of these pressures?

3. THE RISE OF THE GEEK:

NERDY TECH BECOMES COOL

How might you read the popularity and quantity of these types of films?

What (now common) technology started to gain popularity in the late 70s into the 80s?

• Affordability of The Personal Computer = increase in popularity.

• Also video game consoles.

• Tron (1982)• War Games (1983)• Revenge of the Nerds (1984)• Real Genius (1985)• Weird Science (1985)

• Short Circuit (1986)• Space Camp (1986)• The Wizard (1989)• In addition to many teen rite

of passage films with nerds & geeks.

3. THE RISE OF THE GEEK:

NERDY TECH BECOMES COOL

How might you read the popularity and quantity of these types of films?

What (now common) technology started to gain popularity in the late 70s into the 80s?

• Affordability of The Personal Computer = increase in popularity.

• Also video game consoles.

• Something “special” about this type of technology…

• Tron (1982)• War Games (1983)• Revenge of the Nerds (1984)• Real Genius (1985)• Weird Science (1985)

• Short Circuit (1986)• Space Camp (1986)• The Wizard (1989)• In addition to many teen rite

of passage films with nerds & geeks.

What myth is beginning to form around nerds?How might this myth have influenced the culture?

Do you see this myth in our culture today?

3. THE RISE OF THE GEEK:

NERDY TECH BECOMES COOL

Reading TechnologyWhat do the following artifacts say about the culture?

How have these influenced culture?What myths do they perpetuate?

3. THE RISE OF THE GEEK:

NERDY TECH BECOMES COOL

Reading TechnologyWhat do the following artifacts say about the culture?

How have these influenced culture?What myths do they perpetuate?

3. THE RISE OF THE GEEK:

NERDY TECH BECOMES COOL

Reading TechnologyWhat do the following artifacts say about the culture?

How have these influenced culture?What myths do they perpetuate?

3. THE RISE OF THE GEEK:

NERDY TECH BECOMES COOL

What’s “special” about this ‘80s technology?

3. THE RISE OF THE GEEK:

NERDY TECH BECOMES COOL

What’s “special” about this ‘80s technology?

3. THE RISE OF THE GEEK:

NERDY TECH BECOMES COOL

What’s “special” about this ‘80s technology?

What happens to a culture with this type of technology?

W K 6 , H R 2

HUMANITIES 006:

POPULAR CULTURE

MYTHS OF ’80S CULTURE

What Evidence Supported Our Claim?

1. Social Mobility:

• The pursuit of class improvement.

2. Extravagant “Me” Culture:

• The need to be noticed.

3. Rise of the Geek Culture:

• High-tech is cool. Geeks shall inherit the earth.

3. THE RISE OF THE GEEK:

NERDY TECH BECOMES COOL

American Fascination with Technology Not New

3. THE RISE OF THE GEEK:

NERDY TECH BECOMES COOL

What’s “special” about this ‘80s technology?

What happens to a culture with this type of technology?

3. THE RISE OF THE GEEK:

NERDY TECH BECOMES COOL

Evidence of the perpetuation of the geek myth?

In Groups Discuss the Following:

How has technology shaped how we live, our expectations about life, and what we value?

THE BIG PICTURE

1. Social Mobility: • The pursuit of class improvement.

2. Extravagant “Me” Culture: • The need to be noticed.

3. Rise of the Geek Culture: • Geeks shall inherit the earth.

• What kind of culture would exist as a result?• Culture where “nerds” have power.• Culture where technology is used to help people standout.• Culture where technology is used for social mobility.

• Do you see this now?

• Is this positive or a problem?

CREATIVE EXPRESSION

VS. NARCISSISM

How many of you have a video on YouTube?

CREATIVE EXPRESSION

VS. NARCISSISM

How many of you have a webpage or have shared pictures on Facebook?

CREATIVE EXPRESSION

VS. NARCISSISM

How many of you have produced a podcast, shared a song online, posted a blog, or published an article or book.

TECH ADDICTION?

Have you ever experienced “tech-withdrawal” while camping or visiting a low-tech country?

CREATIVE EXPRESSION

VS. NARCISSISM

Group Discussion

• What does the popularity of these technologies say about our culture?

• What does our culture’s type of use of this technology say about our culture? (think about how your friends use them)

• In what ways is this technology having a positive impact on our culture?

• In what ways is this technology having a negative impact on our culture?

TECHNOLOGY IN AMERICA

BY MICHAEL SACASAS

Writes about Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859)French Historian & Political Thinker

What is meant by the following?

We could summarize Tocqueville’s observations by saying that American society was more likely to produce and admire a Thomas Edison than an Albert Einstein.

How does this affect the culture?

More people interested in producing fancy gadgets for convenience, rather than working on science for the pursuit of truth or to help others (unless it pays well).

TECHNOLOGY IN AMERICA

BY MICHAEL SACASAS

What is meant by the following?

“We don’t ask what sort of citizen will the use of this technology make of me?”

What is technology?

Things that collapse the distance between desire and fulfillment.

So how does technology affect us?What does it make of me?

POSSIBLE NEGATIVE IMPACTS

OF “CONVENIENT” TECHNOLOGIES

Convenient Technology

• Less joy from overcoming difficulties & delayed gratification.

• Impatience, intolerance for inconvenience.

• Increased expectations = more things to be frustrated about.

• More tools = Increased complexity in our lives = More things that can go wrong = More things to stress about.

• Too dependent on tools = Less resourceful. Less capable.

POSSIBLE NEGATIVE IMPACTS

OF “CONVENIENT” TECHNOLOGIES

What myth about life do “convenient” technologies perpetuate?

Life is supposed to be easy.

EVERYTHING BAD IS GOOD FOR YOU

-BY STEVE JOHNSON

The Sleeper Curve

Refers to the thesis that popular culture, (specifically video games, television, and internet), is making people smarter.

1. Video games are complex and require higher order thinking.

2. Television programs have grown to have complex narratives and complex human relationships that stimulate the brain.

3. The internet…

W K 6 , H R 2

HUMANITIES 006:

POPULAR CULTURE

TECHNOLOGY & AMERICAN CULTURE

Perpetuation of ‘80s Myths?(Discussed various benefits and negatives for each.)

• The hi-tech/geek myth has led to…• a culture were geeks are in places of power • a culture that values on personal, convenience technologies.

• The hi-tech/geek myth + extravagant “me” myth has led to… • a culture with lots of technology for expressing oneself.• a culture w/ people who use the technology solely to be noticed.

• The hi-tech/geek myth + social mobility myth has led to• a culture that uses technology for social advancement (even if it’s

virtual)• a culture that uses technology as a symbol for social status.

POSSIBLE NEGATIVE IMPACTS

OF “CONVENIENT” TECHNOLOGIES

Convenient Technology

• Less joy from overcoming difficulties & delayed gratification.

• Impatience, intolerance for inconvenience.

• Increased expectations = more things to be frustrated about.

• More tools = Increased complexity in our lives = More things that can go wrong = More things to stress about.

• Too dependent on tools = Less resourceful. Less capable.

EVERYTHING BAD IS GOOD FOR YOU

-BY STEVE JOHNSON

The Sleeper Curve

Refers to the thesis that popular culture, (specifically video games, television, and internet), is making people smarter.

1. Video games are complex and require higher order thinking.

2. Television programs have grown to have complex narratives and complex human relationships that stimulate the brain.

3. The internet…

EVERYTHING BAD IS GOOD FOR YOU

-BY STEVE JOHNSON

3 Reasons for Cognitive Development

1. Participatory

• Unlike TV, we are actively engaged (writing, posting, navigating)

2. Forced to learn new interfaces:

• Early 1990s “hypertext documents” was exotic idea.

• Exercise problem solving skills when using new software, when website changes, when things don’t work.

3. Creates new channels for social interactions

• Facebook, Meetup.com, dating sites, message boards

TECHNOLOGY RELIANT CULTURE

But are we becoming less human as a result?

“ALWAYS-ON/ALWAYS-ON-US”

- PSYCHOLOGIST SHERRY TURKLE

A New State of the Self:

• Do not just exist in a physical space, but in a virtual space accessible by almost everyone.

• In what ways is this positive and in what ways is this a burden?

ALWAYS-ON/ALWAYS-ON-US

- PSYCHOLOGIST SHERRY TURKLE

When we are physically at some location, we can in fact be completely elsewhere ignoring all others

• …and they understand!!

• Even an indicator of one’s self-importance.

ALWAYS-ON/ALWAYS-ON-US

- PSYCHOLOGIST SHERRY TURKLE

People not just tethered to their devices, but to the gratifications offered by their online selves.

• What “high” are you looking for when you go online or check your device?

ALWAYS-ON/ALWAYS-ON-US

- PSYCHOLOGIST SHERRY TURKLE

• Rites of Passage: Less Teenagers Have Experiences of True Independence• Never really alone. Continuously connected to parents and

friends.

• Lessens the amount of time for personal self-reflection,non-activity, rest.

• Blurring the boundaries: work, home life, relaxation time.

• One with our machines. Have become parts of who we are.

ALWAYS-ON/ALWAYS-ON-US

- PSYCHOLOGIST SHERRY TURKLE

Artificial Relationships:

Therapeutic Robots & Computer Psychotherapists

FROM VIRTUAL SEX TO NO SEX

- BY J. HUGHES

Sex & Technology

1. Promotes separating sex from physical contact.• Access to pornography

• Phone sex

• Video-interactive sex

• Sex in Virtual Worlds

• Eventually Teledildonics

2. Helps establish our control over sexual feelings altogether.• Viagra

• Anti-Viagra

• Partner specific programming.

• Emotion controlling neurotechnology: orgasm, no orgasm, love, control of intensities.

1. How might this be positive and how might these technologies cause issues?

2. How might these affect culture? What kind of society might we become?

ALWAYS-ON/ALWAYS-ON-US

- PSYCHOLOGIST SHERRY TURKLE

One with our Machines

Have become parts of who we are.

BECOMING LESS HUMAN?

Q: What’s Your Understanding of Cyborgs?

An entity that is both organic and cybernetic; enhanced by technology.

• In what ways are our organic selves enhanced by technology?

• Are you okay with this trend into becoming more of a cyborg?

THE CASE FOR CYBORGS

Amber Case

Cyborg Anthropologist

INTERNET & CONNECTIVITY

• Leads to cultural diffusion: • movement of customs and ideas.

• Leads to acculturation: • the process of accepting new ideas and fitting them into

culture.

• Do you see evidence of acculturation in our own culture?

• More prevalent is the cultural diffusion of our ideas and customs to other cultures.

INTERNET & CONNECTIVITY

So what myths are we spreading to others?

How are we being unconsciously programmed by myths perpetuated by our very own artifacts?