Assignment 1-3 -Pop Culture - Journal Article Analysis

Ghost stories that young people in America tell each other are told to scare one another for the night. Most Americans do not believe in ghosts and if they do, they believe that they are simply misplaced spirits, but in Hong Kong, China it’s another story. There are many stories that revolve around ghosts of the primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China. These stories are portrayed here by Joseph Bosco who is “an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on the political economy of development, economic culture, and popular religion.” (Bosco, 2007) The five most popular ghost stories are Single Braid, Oxtail Soup, The Lotus Pond, The Little Finger and Room 111.

Single Braid is located on single braid road behind a Chinese bar. The story says that some boy students have claimed to have seen a girl in the alley behind the bar. When they walk towards her and get close enough to see her she has no face or has a braid covering her face so you can’t see it. The story says that she was an illegal immigrant from mainland china who came with her boyfriend Lau on the train to Kowloon. Before reaching Kowloon, she feared she would get caught without an ID in the city so she jumped from the train near where the university is today. When she jumped her hair got caught in the train and ripped her hair and face off causing her death. Lau saw this and after reaching the city and finding work, he returned to find her but couldn’t. Since then people have often seen her wandering the university at night searching for him.

Oxtail Soup is about a boy and a girl student living in Bethlehem Hall in United College. The girl lives in the room directly above the boys’ room. The girl would cook soup for the boy and after an understanding that they would not see each other until exams were over, the soup continued to come. The girl unexpectedly dies but the soup continues to come even after her death. The boy doesn’t know the girl is dead until after exams are over.

The Lotus Pond is about a girl who had planned a meeting by the lotus pond with her boyfriend. After waiting a long time and he does not show, she jumps into the pond and drowns herself out of anger. The story is that if a boy walks by the pond and sees a girl he does not know and she asks him for the time, if he answers 10:00 she will pull him into the pond and drown him.

The Little Finger is about boy student who sees a girl on a swing every day after class. He finally walks up to her and starts talking to her. From that day on he would stop and talk to her before returning to his dorm. After some time, he confided in his friends about the girl. They told him that she sounded like a teacher’s daughter who was killed in a traffic accident. In the accident the girl had lost her finger. The student went the next day to see if she was missing a finger, when he realized she was he was very frightened. From then on after class, as he walked by the swings, he would look for her but he never saw her again.

Room 111 is about a boy who wanted to go to another dimension of space so he wrapped a wire around his body and attached the end to an alarm clock. When the alarm clock rang, it electrocuted him and he died instantly. His roommate saw his note that read “I will come back soon” and did not realize he was dead.

There are many customs in China that one must understand before you can understand these stories. In China, young women and men are referred to as girls and boys. The word “woman” is reserved for a married woman. So in these stories the girls and boys are actually college aged men and women. In the seventh lunar month, according to Chinese popular religion, ghosts are let out of hell to roam the world for a month. This and the fact that they are told at night in unfamiliar places makes these stories even spookier. In Single Braid, the girl is pictured without a face. This is not scary to westerners. But the Chinese have created these stories to warn young men and women about the dangers of romance until after college. These stories are created and passed through the generations as a caution sign for those who dare tempt fate and have a relationship with someone before society thinks they are ready. In China, dating is something that is done only when one is ready for marriage. Society deems you ready for marriage when you can support yourself and your mate financially. While you are in university, you are there for the education and dating is frowned upon by parents and faculty because it is a distraction that can ruin your chances of graduating and having a career.

These stories all have a love theme to them. The stories of The Little Finger and Single Braid both have young men in love with beautiful women who turn out to be ghosts. This is a typical theme in Chinese horror movies. The Little Finger legend has a picture accompanied by it that portrays a young female holding her finger bleeding with the blood dripping directly on the crotch of her skirt. A Chinese funeral requires that the full body of a person has to be recovered or their spirit cannot rest. This may be a sign that she had not waited like her parents had taught. The girl in Single Braid was running away to be with her boyfriend which also goes against Chinese thinking. These girls were doing things that they needed punished for. This is why these horrible things happened to them.

Oxtail Soup, The Lotus Pond and Room 111 also have a love theme to them. In the Lotus Pond, the girl drowns herself when her boyfriend does not show up. This does not make any sense to Westerners why this would be a scary ghost story but in Chinese culture women who die before they are married can become ghosts if they are not properly prayed for. Their souls cannot rest so their families arrange spirit marriages where the ghost is married to a living man so that the dead woman will be cared for in the afterlife. These stories are there as a warning for young women who might be thinking of letting a boy deflower them. Another example is Room 111 that is based on a boy who committed suicide because a girl started dating someone else. His note was left for the girl. Oxtail soup is another warning put out there but for the guys this time. “The expression yam tàuh daahm tōng in Cantonese means to sip the first soup.” (Bosco, 2007) This is an expression used when one is to have sexual relations with a virgin. The girl lowering soup to the boy represents that their relationship has reached this level of intimacy. The soup beans also happen to be red and shaped like a heart. The girl dies because of her indiscretions and is taken from the boy for his.

These stories are like our Urban Legends which we know aren’t true but tend to believe them when we are near the spots they were supposed to have happened in. This is the reason for these stories. They are to deter you from making a decision based on feelings. The messages that these stories are trying to convey is that sex is bad and wait until you are married.

References:
Bosco J. (2007). Young people’s ghost stories in Hong Kong. The Journal of Popular Culture, 4(5)785-80. Retrieved from Academic Research Library Database.

Assignment 5-1 - Pop Culture - Weekly Written Analysis

Ebay has become today’s biggest yard sale. Anyone can list any item they want to sell with the touch of a button. Ebay has become one of the fastest growing trends on the internet. If you can think of it, most likely you can locate it on Ebay. For example, my Mom was looking for a pair of snow boots for my daughter the other day. She went to town and couldn’t find a thing at the three stores we have here in town. The three stores are Wal-Mart, Goodys and Elder-Beerman. She even went to Big Lots on the slim chance that they might have something for a size 4 girl. As usual they only had sizes for small infant children. The other three stores had nothing at all. Since there were no size 4 girls boots in town, she logged onto Ebay where she found 3 pairs she liked. One pair was new and had a Buy-It-Now option which is just what it says. You click the button to purchase your item now without having to wait for an auction to end. The price for these NEW boots was $19.99 with free shipping. They were made by Lands End and I really thought that they were pretty and actually thought they were the best option. My mom decided she wanted to wait for an auction that would end in 2 days 4 hours. After this time had almost passed she logged on to bid on these used boots. My mom is one of those people who bid on the item at the last minute taking the chance that the computer will mess up and cause her to lose the item she is trying to win. The boots were $7.95 with 4 people bidding on them. She placed a bid for $27.99 for a pair of used boots with one minute left in the auction. As the auction time was running out 2 other people placed a bid raising the items price to $25.67. My mom, in the end, ended up winning this pair of used boots for $25.67. This is a pair of boots that at a yard sale she would have laughed at if the price had been $25.67. She probably would have laughed at a price higher than $3.00. She was so happy that she had won the auction and beat someone out of the sale that she happily pushed the Pay Now button and continued to pay for her item, that I should mention also had a $7.95 shipping fee that needed added to the total. These boots ended up costing her $33.62. I know my Mom and she would have never paid $33.62 for a pair of shoes for my kids because they grow out of them/wear them out so fast. She has a hard time paying $19.99 for a NEW pair of shoes at the beginning of the school year. (This is her contribution to the high costs of school clothes and supplies which I am so grateful for.) After she finished paying for the boots I pointed out to her the total cost of these boots and the fact that she would have never paid that price for them at a yard sale or even a store for that matter and she replied: “But I won & Tori has a pair of boots now.” This mentality when browsing the millions of items on Ebay is what makes this site addictive. People have a competitive side even when they are competing with an anonymous person only identified by a user name. I only wish I would have thought of it first.

Assignment 4-1 - Pop Culture - Weekly Written Analysis

The popularity of Facebook and MySpace is a growing cult that more and more young people are joining in today’s society. These young people are interested in staying in touch with their friends and meeting new people. The potential people that your child could be meeting could be a pervert or sexual predator. They have no background on these people and are willing to go and meet new people in public places that could leave them vulnerable to attack. I have watched many Forensic Files show where the perpetrator looks like a normal, good guy. Sometimes, I think that the guy is kind of cute. Then I think it could have been me. With the information that we as a society post about ourselves on these types of sites anyone could get enough information to figure out our daily schedules. Do you post the TV shows you watch? This gives the person the times you are at home watching TV. Do you post your hobbies? This gives the person the types of places you might hang out. Do you post your favorite eateries? This gives the person the most likely place they might run into you. In a small town like mine, there are only a few places you can buy books. All the person has to do to find me in Athens, Ohio (because this is where my location states that I live) is hang out by the Wal-Mart and look for me in the book department (since I did post my picture online). Wal-mart is the only department store in my town. If you want groceries, you can go to Wal-Mart, Aldi’s, Kroger’s, or the little mom and pop stores located throughout the town. If you want anything else, you have to go to Wal-mart or travel out of town. This leaves the possibility of finding you at a very high percentage. So before you go posting vey personal information on a website that has no real useful purpose, think of how these actions might affect you in the future. All of your friends already know that you like CSI and drive a red convertible. Why post it for the next predator, it just makes it easier for him or her to target you.

Assignment 3-1 Pop Culture - Weekly Written Analysis

I turned on my computer this afternoon and a headline caught my eye. “Guantanamo Closure Called Obama Priority” in big, bold, black letters. My heart sank as I realized my worst fears just might be coming true. Guantanamo Bay has a prison that houses the war criminals that I feel deserve no US freedoms. It has many terrorists that were caught trying to carry out unspeakable acts and there are people who want to release them because they were tortured during war time to get information? Where were you people when the Twin Towers were falling? Do you remember all the people that died just because terrorists didn’t like the fact that America exists and that most believe in another religion? There is nothing I can do about it, I was born here and I’m an American and proud of it. Just as they were born in Afghanistan or Syria. You can’t change these facts. I cannot fathom why anyone would want to close down a prison only to set people free, who as you will see in a few years, are going to go out and think up another way to kill as many Americans as possible? I read the article and do agree with some of the Obama plan. I do agree that the prison needs to be closed, but not closed all together, just closed to new admittance. These people were caught during war time. There are laws that are to be followed in war but even I know that if I’m caught in a foreign country or doing something wrong or in a questionable place there is the possibility of many, many years of torture ahead. As far as I’m concerned they have no rights, we don’t have American rights when convicted in a foreign country, why should they? What about Jessica Lynch, where were her rights when she was captured and raped repeatedly while being held captive? What makes these prisoners so special that the president feels he needs to step in and release some of the most dangerous men and women of our time? Obama has overcome a huge obstacle by being elected the first black president. This feat, that I’m proud to say, is our country’s biggest step to equality since the days of Martin Luther King Jr. I am very glad that a black man was elected president, I’m just not so sure about this black man. His religion is still an issue with me because if I went to a church where the preacher called America “the US of KKK-a,” no matter who the preacher was or church he preached to, I would never return. (Addison, 2008). It is against my beliefs. Church is a place to learn about God and how he wants us to live. There is nothing in the Bible that even mentions racism. Why would it even come up in a sermon other than to speak ill of it. How can we as people expect future generations to change if we ourselves aren’t willing to do the same. As I read through many different comments, I found this one that sums up what I want to say. It is posted by a person named Adam, and he states “Justifying racism due to others being racist is total hypocrisy. Reverend Wright calls America "White America", and accuses America of racism. What of all of the white men who fought and died to free the blacks from slavery. How unselfish these men and their families were. They paid the ultimate price to help someone other than themselves. The blacks in this country weren't freed by their own might. They were freed by the blood of God fearing whites, who were practicing the most unselfish act of all. It isn't politically correct to make this statement. It is however historically correct. If Mr. Obama identifies this man as his spiritual advisor and mentor, he is no better than a white man who uses the grand wizard of the KKK as his. I can only pray for people who are so full of hate.” (Trackback, 2008). Sleeper cells exist throughout the US and we don’t even know they exist. They are made up of people who eat, sleep and play right along beside you and your kids will play with their kids and so on. One day when called upon, they have no problem blowing up their family, your family, you, them self and as many other people as they can take with them. This is a scary thought when we as Americans value life as the most valuable thing one could possibly posses. These people have no regard for it. How can we deliberately release these prisoners knowing what they are capable of doing and plan on trying again? Mr. President, I feel that there are more pressing issues on your agenda that need addressing not the closing of a prison that houses dangerous people. Try fixing the economy, mending the relationships with parties here at home, or feeding and housing the homeless that live on our own city streets in the greatest country in the world, unless you’re not really one of us?

Addison, Jim. (2008). Obama’s preacher – in his own words Retrieved January 22, 2009, from http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/03/13/obamas-preacher-in-his-own-words.php

Finn, Peter. (2008). Guantanamo closure called Obama priority. Retrieved January 22, 2009, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/11/AR2008111102865.html?sid=ST2008111200035&s_pos=

Trackback. (2008). Posting by: Adam. March 15, 2008. Retrieved January 22, 2009, from http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/03/13/obamas-preacher-in-his-own-words.php

Assignment 2-2 Pop Culture - Icon Analysis

Three contemporary icons are the Chevrolet Silverado, Apple Pie and the American Flag. All of these items represent what America really means, freedom.
The Silverado has a reputation of being a durable long lasting truck. It is built to outlast the other vehicles on the market. The Silverado has been on the market since I can remember. In my lifetime, every vehicle has gone through major changes for example; the S-10 was revamped into the Colorado. The Silverado, however, has remained pretty much the same except for a few tweaks here and there, mostly on the interior of the truck like more passenger room. This truck is a great example of an American icon which can outlast many changes and can be passed on throughout the generations. My father has a Silverado, I have a Silverado and my children will most likely be the proud owner of one also.
The apple pie is another icon rich with American pride. Everyone wants to make shortcuts and have the same outcome when it comes to different products. When it comes to the apple pie though, it is always marketed as “Mama’s or Grandma’s Apple Pie”. This is the image that people want when the purchase a store bought pie. Most American’s don’t have the time nowadays to prepare this dessert like Mom or Grandma should be so they opt for the next best thing. The apple pie represents the feeling of family. What family gathering would be complete without a pie from Grandma? I know that ours wouldn’t. My Grandma makes the most delicious pie and everyone gathers after every Thanksgiving just to get a piece of her pie.
The last icon I have chosen just happens to be the symbol of our nation, the American flag. The flag stands for freedom. Many people have died for their country and for its flag. When you see a television program on the news where people from another nation or country are holding a burning American flag, what feelings do you feel? I feel angry. It’s my flag they are burning. Another example of this is that I can make fun of my brother and tease him all I want, but if someone outside the family says the same thing, look out. This is the same concept. When I see the flag, I feel a sense of pride that I can express myself anyway I choose because of the many men and women who have sacrificed so much so that I can live anyway I choose. When someone from another country, who in all honesty is just jealous that I can live this way, burns my flag in some stupid protest to the president of the United States, I think they need a genuine American Butt Kickin’ to straighten them out. You don’t see me running around waving a burning French Flag just because I don’t like them do you?

Silverado Picture: http://www.automedia.com/NewCarBuyersGuide2007/car/Chevrolet///35-40
Apple Pie Picture: http://thegazz.com/gblogs/bloginmysoup/2008/01/23/happy-national-pie-day/
Flag Picture: http://blog.mpl.org/nowatmpl/2008/07/

Assignment 2-1 Pop Culture - Weekly Written Analysis

While it is true that computers have come a long way since their invention but so has the technology of stealing or dismantling the encryption used for our protection. This is something that people don't think about until it is too late. For example, with the Iphone, you can connect to any Wi-Fi connection but unless you know whose connection you're using and know that they're not out to seal your info, don't connect. An Iphone is marketed as a tool that can do all. From entertainment to those 3-way meetings that you can do on the go, it can do it all. But what they don't market is that it is one of the easiest devices to hack into. People store everything from info about family, friends & acquaintances to personal things. Would you want someone to be able to go through your personal planner whenever they like? Personal information is very sensitive and I don't think that people pay enough attention to it. Information is a very lucrative business. Most people say that their credit is bad or what will they get with my info and so on. But with the right information and the wrong person, it can be very dangerous. For example, let’s say that I find your name, address and social security number online or from some paper lying in the doctor’s office. I can then do a search and find the name of your kids, relatives and their personal info and so on just from a couple of simple items that I happened to oversee. I then sell your information along with the information of your family and children’s information in a large file of other names to a company overseas. They then have different laws regarding personal information. Some have no laws on this subject. They then get hacked and all the info that they had has been compromised. Your child’s information has just fell into the hands of a career criminal whose sole duty is to find vulnerable people and take advantage of them. They then open many accounts in your child’s name and it will most likely not be discovered until your child who is now 1 or 2 reaches the age when they want to buy a car. By then, this criminal is long gone and has been for years.
Yes, I realize that in this scenario there isn’t much you can do about the info at the doctor’s office, but how many times have you received a letter or a bill with your social security number on it and just tossed it in the trash. Once your trash leaves your house it could end up anywhere, maybe it’s blown from the trash truck or ends up in someone’s trash sculpture, who knows. The lesson in this story is to be more aware of whom and what kind of information you release and what you do with the information you discard because someday it could be your information that ends up in that criminal’s hands.

Assignment 1-4 Pop Culture - Weekly Written Analysis

In light of the tragedy that the Travolta family has recently suffered with the death of their son Jett, I have read dozens upon dozens of blogs from people who have posted their condolences on many sites on the internet. But along with these condolences have come thousands of criticisms about their religion. I am a Christian who goes to church every Sunday and believes that God loves us all. No matter what your race, religion, or nationality may be. The Bible teaches us to love your neighbor and to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. If my son has just died, I know that I would not want to hear that I am going to Hell for practicing something that I believe in. This also means that my son, who had just passed away, is burning in hell for something that I instilled in him. My parents took me and my brothers to Sunday school every week and I now take my kids. I was not given the choice to choose my religion it was just something that was. I’m not saying that I don’t believe in God or that the teachings that I’ve learned are wrong in any way, but ask yourself, were you given the choice to pick your religion when you were young or were you just taken to church and that’s what you know? I don’t know if the bond that I have with God would be as strong if it weren’t instilled in me early on as a child.

The Travolta family should be given the same respect as you or one of your loved ones who has lost someone close to them. They should not have to be afraid to pick up a paper, read their email or watch TV during their time of need. This in itself would disparage anyone from becoming a member of the Christian faith. Look at how Christians treat outsiders. Why would they want to visit a church who believes that they are the devil incarnate? This would make God so ashamed of anyone that didn’t reach out their hand and give this poor family a piece of real Christian values, not the values of those who are just pretending for show.

I just want to send my condolences to the Travolta’s and everyone who knew Jett that is in pain. I believe that not just one religion will be rewarded for their service to God. God loves us all no matter our strengths and weaknesses. Jett is a person who will be greatly missed, that is evident but his memory will live on through the ones who loved him most, his parents and family.

Assignment 1-2 Pop Culture

Popular Culture is what happens to be popular with the majority at any given time in on any topic in any culture. Popular Culture has many subclasses, such as upper-class and lower-class but there will always be a majority within the classes.

Popular Culture is important to understand in a business environment because you need to know who your audience is and what the “popular norm” is in that subculture. For example, if you go to a town that is made up of mostly Mexican-Americans, you don’t want to be walking around pushing to pass the Bill that prohibits Illegal aliens from getting a green-card. You need to know what is needed within these sub cultures. You don’t want to go peddling Iphones for $500 each in a poor town like Carbondale, Ohio. You would have a larger customer market if you sold a similar phone for $100 and make more money.

There are many things throughout my childhood that I would consider to be pop culture icons. One that sticks out the most is the Dukes of Hazzard and Daisy Duke. Daisy is the first woman on television who in her time was a “knockout” but still had the brains to outwit the Sheriff and his deputy whenever needed. Daisy is known for her short shorts but to me and many other young girls who had brothers she was a role model. My brothers and I would pretend we were the dukes and the neighbors (who also just happened to be boys), were Roscoe and Cledus. Since I was the only girl I received the part of playing Daisy. We used our bikes for our vehicles and had certain places in the yard for the Duke Farm, The Boar’s Nest, Cooter’s Garage, and so on. I always wanted to drive the General Lee (even though it was a bike) but was always stuck driving “Dixie”, Daisy’s white Jeep. People today don’t realize that TV has a HUGE impact on the kids that watch it. Along with the Dukes, I remember imitating with my brothers, other shows such as The Incredible Hulk, MacGyver, and Knight Rider. To me these things are what make up a pop culture artifact, when you can attach personal feelings or a childhood memory to it.

Picture: http://arebelflag.net/images/dukes_of_hazzard_800x600.jpg