Music Festivals: Not Just For Hippies

I found this week's video about coffee, and the culture that surrounds it, quite fascinating. On the surface, coffee seems so simple-- but the small variations in each person's relationship with their java (flavor, temperature, vendor, container, etc) are what fuel the nationwide obsession with the beverage. Music festivals are similar in that, to the untrained eye, they're all the same-- until you dig a little deeper.

Firefly Music Festival in Dover, DE. Photo courtesy of Firefly Music Festival

Festivals first gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, most famously with Woodstock in 1969 in upstate New York. More recently, they've experience a renaissance of sorts that began around 2010. Coachella, held annually in southern California, is the most well-known American festival, with Bonaroo (rural Tennessee), Lollapalooza (downtown Chicago), and Burning Man (desert Nevada) rounding out the Big Four. Besides these, there are hundreds of music festivals that occur throughout the country every spring and summer. Each festival provides its own unique experience, but the two most important factors are lineup and location. Different types of crowds populate different festivals based on lineups and vibes: ravers run to Electric Daisy Carnival and Camp Bisco to see Zedd and Major Lazer; hipsters head to Austin City Limits and Firefly for Tame Impala and Arctic Monkeys; pop fans party at iHeartRadio Music Festival and Made in America to Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.

Because festivals are multi-day affairs, location really matters. At a city festival, like local favorite Boston Calling, concertgoers can stay in hotels, which adds comfort and cleanliness as well as cost. More remote festivals, like Bonnaroo and Firefly, require music lovers to pitch tents and camp out, rain or shine. Camping fests have a tendency to get a little more rowdy, not to mention, well, gross.

Despite their differences, all festivals provide the unique opportunity to mingle with people who love music, but not necessarily the same music that you love. Lineups at larger festivals are often so stacked that it's easy to talk to someone who hasn't seen a single one of your favorite sets of the weekend. That's the beauty of music in general-- it brings people together. So book your hotel or pitch your tent, grab your best friend's hand (and maybe a beer), close your eyes, and feel the music.

What have you been Smoking? A Look into Stoner Culture

Unlike alcohol, a drug which has always been praised for its influence in good choices, marijuana has been demonized for its ability to cause individuals to utter stupid phrases, ransack the fridge, forget things and fall asleep.

The chaos and destruction that marijuana has inflicted upon society has flowed through all the faucets of the media, impacting both the economy and politics and leaves us all stricken with red eyes, dry mouths and a craving for nachos.

For years characters of a devious nature have been offering kids the "Good stuff" on street corners and dark alley ways, gangs and cartels have been smuggling hundreds of pounds over the border from Mexico, back forest hicks have been growing hidden fields of "The green" and countless joints have been rolled and burnt. Despite its current illegal status Mary Jane has rocked popular culture since before the sixties. It seems that no matter what the law has to say about it, people just aren't prepared to put that joint out.

Like coffee, marijuana comes from a plant, and also similar to coffee, there are many ways to ingest it. You have quite a few options when it comes to marijuana. You could go the classic route and roll a joint, or you could go the way of the rapper and roll yourself a dope blunt. You could share a bong with your buddies in a smoke circle or go solo with a long wooden pipe like Gandalf, blow some killer smoke circles and proclaim that this dank is yours and you shall not pass. You could go join the vape life, blow obnoxious clouds of smoke and lose all of your friends (either due to the density of the vapor or just because), or you could do some baking and make some brownies then get yourself hella baked. There's lip balms, all sorts of edibles, oils, hash, you name it. If someone hasn't found a way to combine it with marijuana, trust me, they are working on it.

Not only are there different methods to intake the marijuana, but also different variations of the plant. There are numerous creatively named strains of bud, ranging from blue dream to purple kush, and trainwreck to Alaskan thunder.

Federally marijuana is illegal nation wide, though legalization has gained some movement and some states have decriminalized it or have legalized it for medical or recreational use. Marijuana accounts for about fifty percent of the war on drugs and has been widely proclaimed to be a "Gateway drug". Due to the cartel and gang activity which often surrounds marijuana's sale, the plant has gotten a bad rap.  Thanks to its illegality, marijuana seems to have a darker more deviant vibe to its culture than does alcohol. Smoking a joint is seen as more counterculture than does downing a pint, and its effects leave one with less of a hangover.

Marijuana is very popular in the media, between politicians and church leaders condemning it and rappers, comedians and celebrities smoking it, marijuana gets a lot of coverage. A common theme in music, from the Beatles to Tech-Nine, Mary Jane's influence is everywhere. Stoner comedies are also a popular genre of film and television, with such movies as Half-Baked, Up in Smoke, MallRats and shows like Workaholics or Broad City. You can't walk into a Hot Topic, Spencers or a Newberry Comics without seeing the famous leaf on a shirt, hat or sticker.

Where ever it is legal dispensaries and cafes have been popping up, allowing for people to purchase and consume the plant. I have even heard of a driven tour in Colorado that visits different dispensaries to test and savor the different strains.

Marijuana culture is very alive in America.

Food & Popular culture

Food is a major theme included in Pop culture that I see daily. Whether its logging onto Instagram and seeing food posts including recipes, new ideas, food hacks, etc. on popular Instagram pages like 'Buzzfeedfood' who has over 1.5 million followers, or 'food network' who has a whopping 2.2 million followers its everywhere! I log onto Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, even Snapchat to find the best and the brightest ideas on how to cook "The best meal that was in 2015" or "Try this ooey gooey monkey bread right in your kitchen!" For me, food has always been very important to not only me, but also my loved ones. We look at food as a way to bring the whole family together as we sit around the dinner table chatting and laughing about our days over a nice meal. A huge Pop culture food theme I have been seeing lately is “Clean eating” this kind of food ideas gives people a way to eat healthier but still enjoy the taste of the food vs. foods high in saturated fats and grease. I characterize myself as what you may call a "Foodie" I genuinely enjoy going to a new restaurant every weekend to try the best meal on the menu, or biting into that piece of comfort food that melts in your mouth. As I always said, I can’t understand why I’m not on the food network yet traveling around the world being a food taster! I read an amazing article on how food has invaded pop culture that I will attach below. This article highlights the major points I made on how food took over social media.

http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/pop-culture/article/food-invaded-pop-culture

Music Tells Your Story

Music truly can speak to your soul. It allows you to relax, or gets you in the mood to dance. It can be happy or sad, upbeat or slow. No matter what type of music it is there is something for everyone. As for me, I listen to a wide variety of music to speak to whatever mood I may be in.  The great thing about music is there is always something to be able to listen to fit any need, and my IPod is a random mix of everything to do just that.

When I am "mad" my go to music is super angsty. Think Taking Back Sunday, or Four Year strong. Something about that rock, or post-hardcore music allows me to relieve my stress. I will go on drives and blare it to clear my mind, and it works! Being able to connect with the emotions of the lyrics allow me to realize how miniscule my problems are.

Then there's my sad moods. Enter Adele. Is there anything that girl can't sing? I mean really. She speaks to my soul. I'm happily married, but that girl can make you feel like you just broke up. It doesn't really make sense to be happy and listen to depressing lyrics, but again it's the connection to the lyrics that really seem to brighten my mood.

Ready to turn up? I have everything from JayZ and Rihanna, to NSync and One Direction. Judge me if you may. But honestly, this is my happy music. This is the dance along, sing along music. This is also my workout playlist. Those fast dancing songs that keep you on pace during a miserable run, and it somehow seems to make it go faster.

Lastly, and most importantly to me is country music. As a backstory, I heard country and went straight to Johnny Cash - but country has evolved so much, so PLEASE don't knock it until you try it. Country music (for me) has it all. Happy, sad, angry - and it all is so fitting to me. I never liked it until I moved to Missouri and met my husband. Now it is everything to me. The lyrics tell a story ( and no not the whole "My wife left me so I'm sitting in my truck it my dog...though those still do exist), and are extremely relatable. What I like best is that there are so many "party" anthems in country now. For example, my last year's favorite was Lee Brice's "Drinking Class" which was about the working class getting out on Friday and having a drink. I mean, it's simple music like that that is so incredibly relatable. Take a listen if you're interested - keep an open mind y'all.. you never know you just may like it.

What's so great about music is that it will continue to evolve. There will always be something for everyone. Regardless of status, color, age you will be able to connect with the lyrics in music. Happy listening everyone! :)

There's something special about DIY.

Think of when you were a little kid. You'd play with Lego's and build stuff, say a house. When you were done, what did you do? You were probably proud of yourself after all the work you put in. These are some of the first interactions people have when it comes to DIY, (or do-it-yourself), projects.

There's always been that feeling of self-satisfaction when it comes to making things with your own two hands. That's probably part of the reason IKEA is so popular. You buy the furniture there, bring it home, and assemble it yourself. There's just something about it that makes you say to yourself "I did this. I built something that I can actually use."

Sometimes though, it's not always about building. It could be crafts, or even cooking with a recipe you made yourself (or no recipe at all). The website Pinterest has become a very popular source for people finding things to make at home. People all over the world can share their recipes and craft ideas for people to try at home. It's an easy to browse site, making it very accessible to people of all ages. It makes it very easy for people to share and connect together, and the site is currently a big part of our pop culture.

My custom built PC.
CPU: Intel Core i7-4790k
GPU: NVIDIA GTX 970
RAM: 8GB

Then you have some more complicated projects, like PC building. The world of custom PC building is particularly popular in the gaming community. Parts are purchased from various retailers online, and then the consumer will take them and assemble all the parts and get them working together. I myself have built my own PC (and am currently typing this blog on it as well), and it can be a very satisfying experience. I was able to get the exact parts I wanted, so I could get the computer to perform exactly as I intended. Lately, I've been playing through Rise of the Tomb Raider and Fable: The Lost Chapters on it.
Even more involved than that, you then run into things like woodworking projects. These can be anything from shelves, to tables, cabinets, clocks, you name it. Personally, I'm always really impressed by the projects people can make out of nothing but tools, wood, and a bit of skill and imagination. I always find cool woodworking projects on /r/woodworking and /r/DIY on Reddit. 

Speaking of Reddit, say hello to Snoo and the Falcon!

Even if you've never really been into doing things yourself, do yourself the favor and try it out. You never know what you're capable of until you try something like this out, you could surprise yourself! Engage in it, and immerse yourself in this really interesting form of pop culture you may not have even known you enjoyed.

Here's a WIP model of an arcade machine I'll be building in the near future.
It's designed to be played on a coffee table or a desk, instead of a traditional
full sized cabinet.

Food and Popular Culture

I love to cook. I feel food, as a topic of popular culture, has really exploded in popularity. It’s branched into popular culture through media as a form of entertainment. It can also be political as GMO foods are hotly debated. While there have always been “foodies”, those people who love good food, the internet has really allowed people to explore and experiment with the food of different cultures or styles. There are many food blogs which not only post recipes but act as a way to learn about different cuisines. There are also Instagram accounts devoted to what is called “food porn”, that is photographs of food which are very visually appealing. It’s actually very common to see people photographing their food prior to eating it with the purpose of sharing their experience on social media.

Entire television networks are devoted to food and celebrity chefs are now household names. There are competitive cooking shows that allow contestants to show off there home cooking skills or compete to run a restaurant of a famous chef. Other shows combine food, culture and travel where the host (usually a celebrity chef) travels the world in order to experience the food of different cultures. We’ve always had access to information about food but today that amount of that information, which is easily accessible through apps and the internet, is almost endless.  

I read an article in The New Yorker recently which noted that “The loyalty inspired by certain supermarkets is downright devout” particularly the to customer of Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. (Trader Joe’s is great) Food trucks, which have moved far beyond simply hot dogs to Indian, Middle Eastern or Mexican foods, are becoming more common and when I lived in LA I noticed how they serve as a place to get late night snacks and hang out.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/01/16/a-bushel-and-a-peck

Photo: https://www.sohotaco.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/SOHO-TACO-Gourmet-Taco-Truck-Los-Angeles-Art-Walk-Taco-Catering-1024x921.jpg

Culture Everywhere

I cannot imagine a life without popular culture. From radio to television, the movie theater and the book shelf, the whole world is saturated in stories, images, characters and plot lines.Its impossible to escape it, but who would want to? It adds flavor to life and allows people to escape the world while being submersed in it.

Some of my favorite parts of popular culture in the U.S. are borrowed from other countries, such as the British with Monty Python,The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, Doctor Who, and from Japan such as anime. Though I am a fan of old TV westerns and wolverine comics. Some of the best comics I've ever read have been by Allen Moore such as The Watchmen and V for Vendetta. I used to read more when I was younger, popular books such as Harry Potter, and the Chronicles of Narnia. My favorite horror franchise is Hellraiser, though for horror trilogies it would be Gingersnaps. I'm pretty fluent in memes though I should make more of an effort to keep up on the news.

Culture means entertainment to me. Life would be plain boring without it. In some ways it unites us, especially in these more modern days with Internet and television. Our culture travels across seas while getting foreign culture in return.

I am excited to see how history has effected culture as well as investigate different cultures in America. I look forward to discovering new things to be interested in this class.

“Poor people lose. Poor people lose all the time” —Steven Avery

Popular Culture has evolved so much over the years, and as it continues to change and topics continue to generate or become "hot topics", its something that will never get boring. Because Popular Culture is directed at general masses of people, I typically do not find myself doing the research I should on the topics that interest me. There have been rare occasions in the past few months where the research, discussions and analyzing of a topic in Pop Culture have been on par, and thats probably because I find myself almost obsessive over them.

The most interesting topic (at least in my mind) that has become a topic of discussion for many people is the Netflix Docuseries, Making a Murderer. After binge watching all 10 episodes in the series, I still find myself looking for answers. . The information presented is so fascinating to me, an not only leaves room for interpretation, the series leaves you with the need to know more. From corruption in the justice system of Manitowoc County to who is responsible for the crimes committed, I have yet to find a solution that 100% fits, makes sense and could be argued.  Steven Avery has a valid point when he says, “Poor people lose. Poor people lose all the time”. He's currently sitting in jail for a crime he most likely did not commit. The worst part, this isn't the first time. Justice, right?

I digress. Its important to engage in popular culture because it provides an easy connection to other people in society. Regardless of who you are, where you are or what you're doing, topics in pop culture give you a topic of conversation to those around you. Although we're all very different and have different tastes or interests, there is more likely than not something that you can discuss with anyone based on pop culture. With the internet allowing things to go viral, its hard to miss the things that appeal to the general masses of people.

I'm anticipating to learn not only what you can get out of topics in pop culture and how they can broaden your horizons, but to start to be analytical in more aspects than excel spreadsheets. We're in the middle of a campaign for the Presidential Election.  Although much of the high level snap shot contains Trump, there is so much more to the primaries that I just haven't bothered to educate myself on. Side note - isnt it interesting that the title of my post can relate to the presidential election, too? Steven Avery spoke about poor people losing in the justice system, but if you're a poor (or not wealthy in fundraising) candidate for president, can you win?

Nothing gives you a leg up in conversation like being prepared to discuss all topics at some length. I anticipate learning to be diverse in what pop culture catches my eye. I also anticipate taking the things that catch my eye and putting some meat  behind a headline by understanding the proper search methods and grasping the important information.

The Life of a Fangirl

What popular culture are you drawn to and why?  
 
The type of pop culture that I am most drawn to is the one that I have been living for around ten years, and that is fandom life, or the life of a fangirl. When I first started reading Harry Potter I started to live life dedicated to the Harry Potter fandom without even realizing it. I would go to events, I would read books about the books, go to websites, and start reading all about different ideas and thoughts online, and it started to become an obsession of mine. Around middle school I started to realize that there are so many other people out there that also dedicate a large portion of their lives to the series, and I inadvertently became a Harry Potter fangirl. Then I learned about other fandoms. And more and more fandoms as time went on. I started a couple of blogs about my interests, and I suddenly could communicate with fans from around the world that love the shows, books, and movies just as much as I do. In my junior year of high school (2010) I traveled to London by myself to go to the World Premiere of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1", and the experience was one of the best times of my life even though I stood outside for 18 hours in the cold and rain, because the feeling of togetherness that happened between the almost 1000 people standing around was amazing. There were random bursts of sing-alongs, lots of discussing about who is going to show up and what is going to happen and all sorts of Harry Potter discussions. To be a part of a fandom is to be a part of something bigger than yourself, and the feeling of togetherness between strangers is a feeling that can't really be described. 
 Why is it important to you and what value do you get from engaging in it?  

Fandoms are important to me because as someone that has dealt with a lot of personal problems, being a fan has always been something I can rely on, and no matter how alone I felt, there are always other fans to talk to about different aspects of fandom. I use fiction as a form of escapism in order to cope, and having places to go and people to talk to so that the magic doesn't have to end when the book or episode does has been a life-saver. I actually have a few fandom tattoos!
Fangirls get such a bad reputation, and I am determined to help improve that throughout this semester, because being a fangirl and part of a fandom is not just about loving a person or piece of fiction to the point of obsession, though that does play a part, but it is so much more than that.
What do you anticipate you will learn about that particular form of popular culture in this course?

I am excited to look at Fangirls and Fandom from an outsiders perspective! I have never not been a Fangirl, and it will be interesting to try and see things from the point of view of someone that psychoanalyzes every episode of a tv show and cosplaying at conventions!

Video Games and Their Imporance to Me

Personally, I'm very interested in all sorts of pop culture. Movies, gaming, comics, you name it. If I had to pick just one, I'd say I'm the most interested in the world of video games. I've been gaming since before I can even remember, starting as early as 3 or 4 years old. Some of the first games I ever played were the old Humongous Entertainment games like Freddi Fish, Pajama Sam, Spy Fox, and Putt-Putt. Eventually I moved on to things like the original PlayStation and the GameBoy (Happy 20th anniversary, Pokemon!).

Gaming has always been an important and major part of my life, and it's an industry I find extremely fascinating. By engaging in gaming and reading or hearing about the gaming industry, I get to learn about new events going on, new games coming out, etc. I get to have new experiences and explore new worlds.
I'm hoping I can learn more about the impact gaming has had in the US as a whole, and the different cultural aspects involved with gaming as compared to other countries like Japan. In Japan, the games there tend to be more focused to the trends of that culture, with "JRPGs" being one of the dominant genres. In the US, First Person Shooters and "Western RPGs" are very dominant, and Third Person Shooters like Tomb Raider and Uncharted have been gaining a lot of ground as popular genres. I'm excited to explore this topic in greater detail during Module 10 and further discussions. While we're on the topic, my top five favorite games of all time are as follows, from last to first:

Metal Gear Solid (PS1)

Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage (PS1)

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)

The Last of Us (PS3/PS4)

Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal(PS2)

Pop Culture

Well... I have to admit. My life revolves around reality television, and celebrity drama I see on the news, Internet, magazines etc. like "divorced only after two months". On a regular basis you can find me in bed "Keeping up with the Kardashians" or watching the cat fights between the women in shows like Mob Wives, The Real Housewives of Orange County, and Teen Mom. As much as I try not to give into these shows, and have to listen to my dad all day telling me to "Watch some real television like the news" I will never stop. I'm a reality television ADDICT... So because of that the part of popular culture I am drawn too is the entertainment part of it all. I’m drawn to television, movies, and music. Ever since I was little I was always right next to my mom on the couch catching up on her shows with her. I believe television, film, and music are very important aspects of living. I can't even imagine what I would do without seeing an amazing film, or not hearing a song that makes the hairs on my arm stand up from getting a certain feeling, or not watching an educational show or documentary (not just the Kardashians) and learning more than sometimes I have learned in a class. I've been enrolled in this class for about four days and I've already gained more knowledge on popular culture then I ever have. I am anticipating learning more on popular culture entertainment and how these shows, movies, and songs influence our lives. I am very excited to dive into this course!

Module 2: An Example of Popular Culture

PROMPT

Using An Example of Popular Culture (10:36 minutes) as an approach, take a look at some form of popular culture (other than coffee or gaming) from a variety of angles to understand the ways and means people interact with it and make sense of it. 

 It should be something largely known and recognized so, therefore, you can use specifics to draw out different angles (similar to the coffee where coffee was generic but then discussed different forms of coffee to distinguish different identities).

Some other ideas or areas you might consider (but are not limited to):

• Anime
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Cars
• Comics
• Crafting
• Do-It-Yourself
• Fashion
• Food
• Football
• Hockey
• Movies
• Music
• Music festivals/concerts
• Soccer
• Television

Due Sunday by 11:59pm.

Relevant Tags: Pop culture studies, [Name of specific popular culture being explored]

Example:  Gaming 

I found this week's video on Coffee to be fascinating and got me to thinking about how I consume coffee and what it means to "get coffee" with someone.  That lead me to think about other areas of popular culture and one that I participate in quite off, which is "gaming."

Gaming is much more multi-faceted than the six-letter word lets on.  First, there is the traditional console-based gaming that occurs on Wiis, Gamecubes, Playstations, etc. While these used to be for singular or dual use, they are now open for much more interaction with players able to join entire community of gamers online through their consoles.  Or gamers can also access different and new games rather than buying them at a store.  We've moved from a 2-input console (hello Atari joystick!) to consoles that can read your motion (and therefore, change gaming from inactive to a very active past-time). 

After my recent semester finished, I played this for many hours on my Wii.

We also have mobile games and these too are curious.  Some are simply time-killers to occupy us in the in-between spaces of time when we would be twiddling our thumbs or growing impatient with waiting in line.  Others like one of my favorites, Ingress, brings us into the physical world to explore it, play with others, and learn more about the world than we knew otherwise.  Other games pit us against our friends (Words With Friends) or we look to help out our friends in the game. 

There are games with rich and complex graphics that really does make you feel you are in another world or the games wherein you put in hundreds of hours to complete--hours that can feel like "work" but are still somehow rewarding.  Such games require an amazing amount of concentration, dedication, and intellect to complete.  Other games are equally demanding but don't necessarily have a "complete" phase wherein the person feels they have "beat" the game. 

Then, of course, there are the secondary elements of gaming--the critique blogs, vlogs, and podcasts (Geek and Sundry is one of my favorites), the gaming competitions, Twitch tv, LARPing and Cosplaying around video game characters or when video games become movies. 

 We "play games" for many different reasons: to relax, to engage our brains, to be social and connect with friends, to enter the "zone", and many other reasons.  We can often see the word "game" used derisively and yet, the modern gaming world is such a rich world of interaction and exchange among people. 

It seems like games are everywhere in our culture and I know that some people see that as a sign of being somehow lesser and yet, I can't help but think about how I've seen games be a place where I make friends, learn more about the world, and even a place that brings me a lot of joy. It requires a variety of skills from hand-eye coordination to social interaction to critical and creative thinking to even physical ability. Thus, I tend to think there's a lot more going on with gaming than many people realize.  

Popular Culture & Me & Blogging

What popular culture are you drawn to and why?  

My favorite popular culture would be video games, video game consoles, video game graphics and the overall sport of gaming  because I have in depth knowledge of its history by being an active participant.  However I genuinely really didn't know all of my invested years and gained knowledge had some value of any kind.

Science Fiction is my second favorite popular culture because I enjoy its atmosphere and endless possibilities of the advancement and evolution of the human mind.

Super heroes would be my favorite third favorite popular culture.  I believe I became attracted with Wonder Woman as a little girl but mostly as an adult with X-Men.  I have a slight belief in the powers of X-Men and that humans could gain enhanced super human powers.  I look forward to Gambit's story on the big screen.

Why is it important to you and what value do you get from engaging in it? 

What has been difficult for me is maintaining my knowledge base in many of these areas as a Mom I have become a fanatic of Scooby-Doo (again) and Power Rangers; therefore it is important to me to somehow continue my interest in the areas I listed above by engaging in different platforms on Facebook, magazines and visiting local comic book stores every now and then.  The value I get from continuing my interest are primarily the ongoing developments...I think the future of anything.

What do you anticipate you will learn about that particular form of popular culture in this course?

I will learn about what other people's interpretation of popular culture and learn from various views that I may not otherwise have thought of.