The Baby Threw the Cracker

     Well my project is now over for school, and my teachers promptly swamped me with work, so I haven't posted in a while... but that's ok! I don't have serious followers, so no harm done.
     As of today, I have little inspiration to write. Nothing to exciting has happened, nor do I have something i wish to rant about, so I am going to leave you with a song to listen to, and many wishes for a good weekend! Happy tunage!

Don' Watch TV, It'll Rot Your Brain...

      I believe the time is finally here; an opportunity to rag on the American entertainment industry. Yes, there are some perks, but the majority of television shows today center themselves around unimaginative plots, profane and vulgar language, and documentary style filming. Some of the most popular television shows today, such as Jersey Shore, are displays of people performing half scripted, high drama situations that really and truly are just sad. What has it come to when America gets the most entertainment value out of watching other people's messed up lives? Before I get to critical, I think I should go back a few steps. Shows like Jersey Shore are not the only ones on the air. There are still hundreds of soap operas, family entertainment, and medical dramas airing everyday. Life will always be good as long as McDreamy is still playing the ever alluring role of a doctor. Even still, with all levels of television, is America becoming too obsessed? Of course we are! We are high powered, driven consumers whose world revolves around the television for not only entertainment, but shopping via commercials, weather updates, newscasts, and even music. The TV has transformed from showing small shows to practically everything imaginable. I implore you to find something that you could not find somewhere sometime on a television.
      The more I consider America's television addiction, the more I look at myself and my actions regarding entertainment. The older I get and the higher in school I get (now a junior in high school) I find myself watching less and less television a week. This partly because I honestly do not have the time, but also, after I come home from a long day at school and soccer practice, I do not want to involve myself with any more drama, even if it is fictional and on a screen. Do you ever feel like that? Like if you watch one more thing that has high drama levels you may implode from all the stressful drama in your life? For me, this is a problem I have come to realize, and it makes me wonder, does television cause higher levels of angst among young people, or even adults? Could the TV and its programs be affecting our daily behaviors by setting guidelines for how we should conduct our selves socially and what is and is not normal? Perhaps I am looking too deep into this matter, but it makes you wonder, what would the world be like without the television?

The Sound of Music

    Ah, music. There is nothing better than putting in your headphones and listening to your favorite jam. With a wide variety of songs, artists, albums, and genres to choose from, music may just be one the hardest thing to discuss. Not only does everyone have their own opinion on music, but there are so many choices, that it's almost impossible to find someone with the exact same musical interest as you. For example, you may be like me and enjoy the melodious lyrics and catchy tunes of alternative, indie rock, and electro-pop with some European inspired instrumentals thrown in. Or perhaps you're an advocate of rap, R&B, and some bluesy jazz. Whatever your favorite genre, music is one of America's best cultural aspects in my opinion. It allows for self expression, entertainment, and a great way to socialize with others. Who could hate any of that? Besides, if we didn't have music we wouldn't have dances, or rhythm, and a lot less art (music is a huge influence on artwork). A world without music would just be plain sad. Actually, a world wihtout music wouldn't really be a world at all. 
   Since this blog was designed to talk about pop culture, I figure I best describe the "pop" music first. Typically the most popular music is a combination or rap, electronic, and R&B all mixed together. For example, as of right now the top ten songs on the radio are:
1. Born This Way: Lady Gaga
2. Forget You: Cee Lo Green
3. Grenade: Bruno Mars
4. I Need a Doctor: Dr. Dre
5. F'ing Perfect: Pink
If you haven't noticed, or are just unfamiliar with pop music, the majority of this music has a large dose of profanity, predictable themes, and glorify behaviors such as alcoholism and drug usage. I am not saying that all pop music is like that, but a large percentage it. My favorite example of this contrasting pop music pickle is the artist Ke$ha. Her most popular songs have been Blah, Blah, Blah, Tik Tok, Take it Off, and Your Love is My Drug. With the exception of Your Love is My Drug, these songs idolize drinking, clubbing, and promiscuous behavior. However, if you find yourself  looking at some of her other music, you'll discover she typical lyrics about love and heart break, such as her song Stephen. So, in conclusion; pop music can be pretty edgy in terms of material, but if you take a closer look you may find that underneath it all there is some good music there.
   
To wrap this up, I would like to leave you with a list of music that I personally enjoy. It is different, but I think it's pretty awesome. So If you haven't heard of these bands or songs, take a minute and do some musical education. You may find you like some it!

Artist- Title
Beirut- Postcards from Italy
The Black Keys- Tighten Up, Howlin' For You
The Broken Bells- The High Road
the Dear Hunter- Smiling Swine (to be honest I haven't heard a song of theirs I disliked)
JET- Lazy Gun
Electric Light Orchestra: Turn to Stone, Sweet Talkin' Woman (old band, but still good )
If you find yourself liking any of this and wanting more please ask and I will give you as much info and suggestions as possible. Happy Listening!
This is a video, so you can listen NOW! (Good Gone Girl- Mika)
top charing music list found at: http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100#/charts/hot-100

Rah Rah Ree, Kick em' in The Knee!

      Baseball; America's favorite pass time. Football; the sport that brings us all closer. Basketball;  we have a whole month of madness dedicated to it.  Sports surround us, and they are a vital aspect of American culture. Could you imagine our country without the Super Bowl, or the World Series? While these three sports are the more popular, America plays hosts to a plethora of other athletic competition such as soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, track and field, golf, hockey, swimming, gymnastics, wresting. boxing, water polo, polo, ping pong,  and many many others. If I were to keep naming sports this entry would go know where, so I will now digress and hope that you have picked up on common sports are in our country. We are a nation driven on strength and the need to compete. In almost everything we do, we treat it like a competition. In high school you compete to be the best scholar or Valedictorian; in college you compete to find a job, and in life you compete for promotions. However, out of all this competing, American's still find a need to have college and professional sports leagues that add to the angst of competition. We just can't seem to help ourselves. It is just so much fun to watch men and women scramble and fight to be the best, to win the ball, or to push another person to the ground. Sports are filled with gritty violence and the push to succeed. It's no coincidence that America won 110 total medals in the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, China. It's practically in our blood to crush our opponent, and we make a point to deliver this persona every opportunity we get.
        I myself being soccer player, understand the rush you receive from playing sports. There is nothing like blocking a break away, or watching a last minute goal be scored. I can fully understand how people that have never played a sport enjoy watching athletics. Especially college sports. Some of the most rabid fans haven't even attended the college they cheer for, and why is this?... because sports or a vernacular tradition. If you're from Texas then it's almost a guarantee that you will cheer for the Longhorns. People have a strong tie to their home towns and with home towns comes sports teams. You love your home, therefore you will love your home team. In the iconic tribute to baseball "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", a lyric says "root root, root for the home team". So go on, root for your home team , you honestly just can't help your self!
     

Olympic Information found at:
http://en.beijing2008.cn/

I have attached a video or a soccer bicycle kick. A) it's related to my topic B) It was performed by Ronaldo (wink wink) C)  it's just plain boss, don't deny it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcA-LUw_0kE

I Don't Need my Food Fast

      Let me make this clear right now, I love food. When I say this I mean I love every aspect of food. I love cooking it, sharing it, talking about it, reading about it, and above all I love eating it. Food brings people closer; families, neighbors, strangers, it doesn't matter. The majority of my fondest memories contain some sort of breaking of bread with others, and it's no coincidence. Food speaks to our souls, and warms us from head to toe. This being said, it appalls me how many American's do not enjoy the simple pleasures of a good meal, but rather eat practically every meal at their local McDonald's, Taco Bell, or Chick-fil-a. Don't get me wrong, fast food tastes good. Its' greasy, filled with plastic cheese and salt, and low grade meat; who doesn't love that? The more I think about it though, the more I don't understand why people don't take an hour of their day and cook and eat a good meal with their families and loved ones. Yes, I understand that we American's are busy, that teenagers have school work to do, and then sports practice, and hours of homework, and that parents have to work, run children to extracurricular activities, pay their bills, and then somehow provide food. Fast food and frozen foods are the easy way, they provide enough to get us through the day and we don't have to slow down too much. That's what our country is all about. How can I do something in the fastest time possible, so that I can move onto the next thing, which I will also do as fast as I can?
     Imagine the possibilities that could be on your plate if you just took some time, opened a cook book or two, and made a meal that didn't come from a freezer, heated in some grease, and put into a paper bag that was then pushed through a drive through window. Not only are these meals healthier, but they taste better, I promise! Fresh ingredients make all the difference, and once you go fresh you'll never go back. Honestly, who wouldn't enjoy a warm stew or pan seared fish with a well seasoned sauce reduction made in their own kitchen? Now, I understand that money is tight and it is hard to buy lovely fresh ingredients all the time, and that not everyone is available to state of the art cooking equipment, but even if all you have is a pot, an oven, and some cheap stew meat, you can make a beef bourguignon. People are often shocked to find that food make from the cheapest ingredients are the best. These recipes are often traditional, and traditional recipes were created out a necessity for nutritious meals that still tasted good. Want a great home cooked meal? Look up an traditional Italian dish (you may also be surprised to find that the best Italian food is not made with tomato sauce). Traditional Italian foods are the staples of cheap delicious food. Not really in to Italian food? Try French! It applies the same principle but uses different main ingredients.
      With all of this being I said, I am sure some people are going to say "But I can't cook". Cooking is not all that difficult, it just requires some practice and getting used too. Below I have included a very step- by- step video of how to make a grilled cheese to start off the new foodies who would liek to start cooking, but just don't knwo how. Nothing wrong with starting the a great sandwich and working your way up to the big stuff like osso bucco with saffron rissotto! So go and channel your inner Julia Child or Jaques Pepin and watch the food fly. Bon appetit mes amis!

Grilled Cheese Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaxyzK2mHqw

So Vogue?

       'This... stuff'? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back...However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff." For me, this quote spoken by Meryl Streep (aka Miranda Priestly) in the iconic movie The Devil Wears Prada, speaks volumes about the American fashion industry. For those who do not care about fashion, wearing an unfashionable item means you're an individual. However, for those who revel in being "in Vogue" wearing the wrong thing can make you or break you. In the previously mentioned movie, the fiery editor of Runway magazine often educated her new assistant's assistant on the do's and dont's of the fashion world. The whole movie examines in the inner workings of fashion, and how even if you do not care, once fashion grabs you, it can be difficult to let go. This theme is all but to true for thousands, if not millions of Americans. I can freely admit that I have been consumed by fashion. I pour over magazines, I think through everything I wear and purchase. It costs time, money, and energy to be fashionable, and for what? So that maybe someone will say "hey, that's cute,"? The fashion world is so consumer driven, it is practically like an epidemic; spreading from person to person until almost every American is drenched with the knowledge of what's "in" and what's "out". Fashion affects so many different parts of our lives; our body image, our monetary worth, our personal worth, our sense of personal style, and so many more. Possibly the most harmful of these effects is body image. Countless girls, and even some boys, starve themselves in attempts to fit into the latest Marc Jacobs pant or Versace dress, and this is not limited to the general public. Models, the salesmen of the fashion industry are practically poster children for eating disorders and poor body image  Thin is in, and it is sad. In the past few years, the fashion gurus at be, have been pointing out horrors of poor body image through articles in their magazines and online blogs. Is it just me, or is it ironic that the fashion industry sparked a great deal of the problem, idolized it in their models, and now are the advocates for "love your own body and individuality"?
               Before I continue, let me say that not all parts of the American fashion world are awful. When it isn't breaking our banks with its sky high prices (they sadly do sell Hermes Birkin bags for $280,000), slimming our bodies to skeletons, and making us just feel plan bad for not looking a certain way, fashion can be fun. Who can admit that it isn't fun to go shopping here and there? Or flip through the idolized pages of Vogue? Or show off their latest Dior coat? The colors, the print, the blur of fashion is a blast. American fashion is constantly evolving, much like its population, and we as consumers love it. While there are fewer American based fashion houses than the European empires, the country across the pond makes their voice heard all over the world through their clothing. From east coast posh, to west coast bohemian, the styles of America are now worldwide, and whose to blame for that I wonder?
            So fashion; is it good or bad? Like so many things in our lives, it is a necessity that has been blown into extravagance. There is an up side and a down side to everything, but it's up to us to decide which side we let affect our lives.

this is a link to another blog I find interesting. It is a written by a 13/14 year old girl is who now a fashion blogging icon. She is invited to a variety of fashion weeks and has had articles published by her and about her in teen vogue:

http://www.thestylerookie.com/

some information found at:

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/275043_the-most-expensive-fashion-designers-of-all-time-a-list
http://www.imdb.com/ 

Before I begin let me say...

 For anyone who is or will be reading this blog:
     Let me begin by saying, the creation of a blog was a long time coming. While ,yes, the initial motivation to create said blog comes from my need to complete a project laid down by my lovely AP language teacher, the over all goal is the same as the day blogging popped into my mind; to create a place to examine American pop cultural aspects, and discuss how this effects our daily lives. This blog is going to be everything I ever wanted it to be. Bold, shockingly obvious, and perhaps even a tad sarcastic, this school project will hopefully not only get the grade, but also brighten your day or fulfill my need to have a place to rant, rave, and read. I love to write, and love to argue, and above all I like to think. So let's get to it people!

If at anytime you have a comment or suggestion, please feel free to post.