...Introduction to American Studies Fall 2013 -- 100-01 -- 9:00 – 9:50 a.m. MWF – Information Technology 229 100-05 -- 10:00 – 10:50 a.m. MWF – Sondheim 409 Instructor: Ellen Gorman Office: Fine Arts 424 Office Hours: By appointment E-mail: elg@umbc.edu; elgorman@msn.com Required Texts Celebrity Culture and the American Dream, Karen Sternheimer The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz Shoplifting from American Apparel, Tao Lin It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop: The Rise of the Post-Hip-Hop Generation, M.K. Asante Films: The Social Network (Fincher 2010); Mean Girls (Waters 2004); Bomb It (Reiss 2007); Objectified (Hustwit 2009), The Bling Ring (Coppola 2013) Course Description: In this course we will engage in an interdisciplinary analysis of oral, written, visual, and material representations of American life and culture and the historical and social contexts in which they are produced and consumed. Our analyses will necessitate a survey the interplay of the popular arts and American society, using American studies interdisciplinary methodologies. The framework of the course is the development of critical thinking and writing skills. All students are encouraged to avail themselves of the free services at the University’s Writing Center, http://www.umbc.edu/lrc/writing_center.htm List of assignments and percentage of grade Formal Assignment #1/Critical Analysis 20% Formal Assignment #2/Creative Production 30% Response Papers (4) 20% ...
Words: 1197 - Pages: 5
...Popular Culture Becomes Global Popular culture didn't require satellite television and the Internet to become global. When the first explorers took to the seas or traveled overland routes to distant places, they were influenced by, and returned with, examples of other cultures' popular art, artifacts and customs, such as drinking coffee. If that hadn't caught on, Starbucks would be stuck trying to sell cups of hot, frothy milk for three bucks a pop. The masses were usually not the first to experience exotic forms of popular culture, but they were exposed to them over time. The mixture of popular elements of different cultures was also one of the factors that began to blur the lines between popular and fine arts. While Kabuki Theater was accessible to all classes of Japanese people, Europe's aristocrats initially regarded it as high art. The Age of Industrialization: Relax, Enjoy In the case of popular arts especially (theater, dance, music and more recently movies and television), the masses must have sufficient time and resources to enjoy these arts. Technology is the catalyst that made this possible. Even though many 19th-century industrial laborers worked long hours, they did not generally work the dawn-to-dusk, seven-day-a-week schedules of agrarian toilers—cows need milking even on the Sabbath—and industrial laborers had more money in their pockets. This enabled them to enjoy entertainment venues and engage in hobbies, crafts and recreation outside their work lives....
Words: 917 - Pages: 4
...Popular American Culture Paper By. Jackie Thompson Soc. 105 June 7, 2012 Professor Susan Kessler American Pop Culture Culture is something that is learned from birth, it affects the way a person looks at themselves, and their surroundings. Someone’s culture influences their preference in music, food, clothing, hair styles, parenting skills, social skills, and the way someone reacts to their environment. Pop culture is everywhere we look from television, radio, magazines, billboards, newspapers, family, friends, co-workers, professors, and classmates all of these things influences our lives in one way or another. It influences the way we behave in public, what we say, and the way we react to our giving surroundings in a specific time period, which is forever changing depending on what society finds acceptable at that point in time. Three trends in today’s American culture, starting with the biggest is reality TV, such as “Keeping up with the Kardashians”, “Jersey Shore”, “The Bachelor”, and “Teen Mom”. These reality shows have became a huge hit here in America, being able to watch these peoples personal issues play out right before your eyes is fascinating to some and boring to other. The second major trend would be the body modification, such as tattoos and or piercings. I believe that people are enjoying decorating their bodies not only to make themselves even more unique, but to express their own personality. Thirdly there is the large variety of music in today’s...
Words: 784 - Pages: 4
... |Course Syllabus | | |College of Humanities | | |ARTS/125 Version 2 | | |Pop Culture and the Arts | Copyright © 2010, 2007 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course explores the interactions between the arts, advertising, media, and lifestyle and cultural trends in contemporary American society. Familiarity will be gained with the various art forms and their relationship to mass media, personal and professional life, and in particular to how they contribute to the current conception of fine art and popular culture. Students are asked to examine current trends and cultural changes, assessing both the role the arts have played in creating them and the influence these cultural trends have on art itself. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document...
Words: 2077 - Pages: 9
...IWT Task 1 (0813) This paper will analyze, critique, and help us to understand the music of the Harlem Renaissance and the Pop Art periods. The social conditions that influenced the art and the characteristics of the artists’ style were in many ways similar; however, with advancing technology, they had differing struggles to overcome. The Harlem Renaissance was sparked by the Great Migration from 1919 – 1926 in which African Americans began moving to northern cities to find employment and a better way of life. The musicians of this era were very influential in renewing the culture and history of the United States. Jazz, race, and class divided Harlem and New York cities. Some historians have said the best way to understand the Harlem Renaissance is by understanding the music (http://historyoftheharlemrenaissance.weebly.com/index.html; www.1920s-fashion-and-music.com/Harlem-Renaissance-1920s.html). With the roots of jazz coming from slave songs, it is truly an African-American invention. This newly formed music utilized the dissonant “blue” note. This modification to the to the standard major scale allowed the musician to play the note flat; usually the third, fifth, or seventh note of the scale. Music critic Sidney Finkelstein stated, “It expresses the hope and struggle for freedom, the vitality which enables a people to wrest joy out of misery and to assert the triumph of human beings over the obstacles that would grind them down.” ("MindEdge," 2014) Jazz was the sound...
Words: 2036 - Pages: 9
... |SYLLABUS | | |College of Humanities | | |ARTS/125 Version 2 | | |Pop Culture and the Arts | Copyright © 2010, 2007 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course explores the interactions between the arts, advertising, media, and lifestyle and cultural trends in contemporary American society. Familiarity will be gained with the various art forms and their relationship to mass media, personal and professional life, and in particular to how they contribute to the current conception of fine art and popular culture. Students are asked to examine current trends and cultural changes, assessing both the role the arts have played in creating them and the influence these cultural trends have on art itself. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document...
Words: 2236 - Pages: 9
...Project #3 – Modern Art Periods Pop Art Introduction to Art 05/05/2010 Pop art is a visual art movement that began in the mid-fifties in Britain and the late fifites in the U.S. Pop art challenged tradition by saying that an artist's use of the mass-produced objects of popular culture is compatible with the perspective of fine art. Pop Art removes the material from its context and isolates the object, or combines it with other objects, for contemplation. The concept of pop art refers not as much to the art itself as to the attitudes that led to it. Many of the themes and techniques of this movement come from popular mass culture, such as adverstising, comic books, and other cultural items (Pop Art, in Wikipedia). A few of the important painters of this movement are Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol. In the sixties, a group of artists, led by Andy Warhol invented a “new American realism” called Pop Art. Pop represented American life at that time, with ubiquitous Campbell’s soup cans, Coca-Cola bottles, and comic strips. One of the chief tactics of the Pop artists was to “transform the everyday into the monumental”. According to Sayre, Pop Art left behind traditional artistic media like painting, and turned instead to pieces made with mechanical reproduction techniques, such as photolithography. These methods evoked commercial illustration more than fine art (Sayre, 512-13). Andy Warhol was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who became...
Words: 761 - Pages: 4
...YouTube. This makes it the most viewed song in the history of k-pop. Since the release of his single on 15 July this year the song has become a global success. With Psy reaching the number 2 spot on the American Billboard charts and number 1 on the Chinese music charts. This success did not go unnoticed in America and Psy has signed a record deal with Universal Republic Records for the release of his album in America. For some this success looks like it came out of nowhere, but those who have been following the k-pop scene know that this is something that would have happened sooner or later. K-pop has been on the rise for many years. Not only in South Korea or in Asia, but in parts of South America, Africa, the Middle East, the United States and Europe. When zooming in on this international success of k-pop, we can see that there is a Korean wave (or hallyu in Korean language) going on. This Korean wave does not only include music, but also movies and TV dramas. Especially in Asia the demand for Korean cultural products has grown so big that it can rival with Japanese and Western culture. Those had been the main source for music, movies and television in Asia until hallyu. The success of Psy in America shows that the Korean wave is still expanding and getting more recognition worldwide. This paper will look into the Korean wave. What is the Korean wave? And how do policymakers, the media and the culture industry think about hallyu? What are the differences in how they...
Words: 527 - Pages: 3
...“Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious” is an article that is very relevant on the topic of pop culture intertwining with television shows. The article was written by Antonia Peacocke, a current college student. Peacocke starts off by introducing how she has felt about the show Family Guy over the years. Then moves onto how the show has been lashed out at and actually cancelled, but still managed to get put back on the air. When looked at closely the show satirizes American Culture but taken at face value Peacocke could see the harm in Family Guy’s comedy. Then Family Guy is compared to The Simpsons by how they both have similar comedy and both have faced heavy criticism. Peacocke explains that Seth McFarlane, the creator of Family Guy, then explains his reasoning for all of the criticism received toward his show. Lastly, Peacocke explains that it’s important to remember what is actually unfunny in life even while we can appreciate in fake comedy. After summarizing the article it is clear that Peacocke demonstrates Clarity, Relevance, and is a reliable source on the issue of pop...
Words: 696 - Pages: 3
...Humanities 332: American Humanities Fall 2015 Professor Kim Codella PhD. Office Phone 916-691-7633 Office SOC #128 Office Hours MW 4:30PM-5:30PM TTH 4-5:30PM, online 11-12 pm Friday. codellk@crc.losrios.edu Required Text. The House made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday. This book is available in the bookstore for you and there is also a copy in the library for your use. In addition there will be weekly online readings in D2L. You must do the required reading to pass the class. Students must attend lectures and take notes. Participation, i.e., your attention is required. Course description: This course examines the arts and ideas taken from the American experience in the 20th century and today. Material covered includes literature, art, music, philosophy and history of the twentieth century. The course draws upon the arts of African American, Native American, Asian American, Anglo and Latino cultures as avenues for understanding issues of ethnicity, class and gender as they intersect with mainstream American values. Course presentation: Lecture, discussion, audio-visual materials and readings from the text, online, and material to be supplied by the instructor. In addition an extra-credit will be offered. Attendance: Required, a student missing more than 5.4 class hours may be dropped from the course (this is four class sessions). Because of the recent budget situation instructors are encouraged to drop students who are not attending class. Basic Rules: ...
Words: 2440 - Pages: 10
...Art Reflection Paper Pop Culture and the Arts October 10, 2011 Art Reflection paper Art can be expressed in many ways. Art is seen in every aspect of our lives. The way people dress, wear their hair, makeup, and even the type of car they drive is a form of art. Artist use various ways to express art by the way they dray, the colors they use, creativity , and the style that they use to create fullness or dullness in the pictures. In this paper, I will discuss what art means to me. Next, I will elaborate on how art and culture relate. Finally, I will give two examples that illustrate how art and American culture relate. What Art Means to Me I think that art is a representation of a person’s inner feelings at that particular time. Art is more than just a painting on a canvass, it can be the lyrics of a song, the clothes that a person wears, a play, a poem, and even a hairstyle can be a form of art. Art is not something that can be duplicated or copied in its entirety. For example s writer can write a book and then a producer make a movie out of the book but the two will not be the same. How Does Art and Culture Relate Culture and art relate because art is formed and developed based on a person’s culture. Each culture has a certain style, certain foods that they eat, and a certain way they behave. Art is influenced by cultures. Different cultures have different views and often see the world differently from others. The quote “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”...
Words: 425 - Pages: 2
...INC. KOREAN CULTURE INVASION POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE INFLUENCES ON FILIPINOS A Research Paper Presented to Mrs. Rhea Jane Serrano-Manalo In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement in English IV Presented by: Angelica C. Perlas March 2013 ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to give the positive and negative effects of Hallyu or Korean Wave to the Filipino lifestyle. The researcher aimed to analyze the gathered information from articles, theses and other published work. The method used in this study is the descriptive method of research. The researcher gathered information from published articles like K-pop Domination: Good or Bad Influence?, Filipinos Get Hooked on K-Pop Craze, Korean Dramas, Kpop Helped Reshape Philippine TV, Music, Korean Culture in the Philippines, Korean Lifestyle, Korean Wave Hits the Shore of the Philippines, Koreanovela and its Reception among Filipino Audience, Korean ‘Hallyu’ and the Pinoy Invasion, and By Design: A Look at Korea’s Fashion Industry. The researcher concluded that although some benefits of Hallyu contribute to Filipinos eagerness of developing their own culture, there is still a need for Filipinos to control themselves from patronizing the foreign world. 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENT This term paper entitled KOREAN CULTURE INVASION: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE INFLUENCES ON FILIPINOS was done properly, not only through the efforts of the researcher but also through the efforts of other people who helped her. This term paper was the result...
Words: 3078 - Pages: 13
...Abstract In this paper I will explore the music of singer Christina Aguliera and why I enjoy her music. This paper will all so reflect about her life to give you some background about the motivation and struggles Christina went through to become what she is now. By explaining her life I will be able to show the reason she is so appealing and what pop music as a whole says about American Society. What is music? Defining music is a daunting task that many different people attempted to understand. Music is often viewed differently and with each person presented with the same question, it will always provide a different answer. Music is such a driving force in the world that we, as human beings have grown accustomed to its sounds. With music comes the singers’ and song writers that bring the notes, and sounds of music to life. The one artist I enjoy most is Christina Aquilera. Her music is women empowering and is all so motivating to listen to. Christina Aguilera’s music brings jazz and swing into her songs to keep generations of today’s society informed with music’s past. Reflection about Christina’s life, and some background about the motivation, and struggles Christina went through to become what she is now, will help better understand the reason I enjoy her so much as an singer . By explaining her life I will be able to show the reasons she is so appealing and what pop music as a whole says about American Society. Singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera, was born on December...
Words: 910 - Pages: 4
...chose him because he is an Iconic figure in the Pop Art world. I feel he did things his own and was a very creative artist of his time. Here is a little background information on him. Andy was born on August 6, 1928, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was a successful magazine and ad illustrator. He became a leading artist of the 1960s Pop art movement. He ventured into a wide variety of art forms that included, performance art, filmmaking, video installations and writing, and controversially blurred the lines between fine art and mainstream aesthetics. Warhol died on February 22, 1987. Andy Warhol graduated from college with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1949. He moved to New York City to pursue a career in commercial art. His first stuff was published in Glamour Magazine. He went on to become one of the most successful commercial artists of the 1950s. He won frequent awards for his uniquely whimsical style, using his own blotted line technique and rubber stamps to create his drawings. He debut the concept of "Pop Art" the paintings focused on mass-produced commercial goods. He exhibited the now-iconic paintings of Campbell's soup cans in 1962. These small canvas works of everyday consumer products created a major buzz in the art world. This brought both Andy Warhol and Pop Art into the national spotlight for the first time. Warhol quoted, "Once you 'got' pop, you could never see a sign the same way again. And once you thought pop, you could never see America the same way again...
Words: 817 - Pages: 4
...Western Culture III 0126 22 December 2014 Country music and American culture When you walk along the street, you may hear Taylor Swift’s new album kept playing again and again; When you pass by a truck, you may be attracted by the euphonious ‘country road’ by Johnny Denver; When you step into a bar, country music will frequently appear among many energetic Rock songs. Undeniably, country music has been everywhere and even gained worldwide popularity in recent years. Caught by the beautiful sound and moving melodies of the American country music, I decided to lift the veil of American country music to people who have a passion for it. Besides the superficial acoustic enjoyment, the American country music is a perfect embodiment of American history, culture and customs. Once you could profoundly understand and sincerely appreciate the American country music, you are offered a golden opportunity to comprehend what the American truly value. In this paper, I will discuss how country music reflects the American culture in three dimensions, including American rustic culture, American family culture and view of marriage, and American urbanization and contemporary value. From where I stand, country music is more than a kind of popular music, but also the epitome of American culture. To achieve this goal, I have organized my paper into five main sections. Firstly, the background knowledge of country music will be provided. Secondly, I will focus on the American rustic culture which...
Words: 2044 - Pages: 9
