Hegemony & Sex in Popular Culture

I was reading an article in last week’s New Yorker and it reminded me of  the topic of hegemony and the back and forth negotiations between the general public and elites. The article was on the Hays Code, a guideline which dictated how much sex could be shown and discussed in movie during the 1930’s. Prior to the Hayes Rule movies were generally more open about the topic of sex and contained “sardonic bluntness” and “suggestive dialog”. Some people were concerned about this and instituted a set of rules which Hollywood followed for many years. Sex was such a taboo topic that married couple were new shown sharing a bed rather they slept in separate twin beds. Movies would replace sex with jokes and the genre of the romantic comedy.  Later, in the 1952, movies became protected by the 1^st Amendment and as the rules loosened, sex in movies became more accepted (and probably expected) by the public. Movies would again treat sex as less of a taboo topic. As time went on the depiction of sex in movies and in popular culture in general has become pretty much mainstream. There have been time, though, over the years that the self appointed moral police has tried to scale back the amount of sex allowed in certain media. In the 80s Tipper Gore pushed for and got records to place warning labels on “explicit” record and the 90s Senator Jesse Helms tried to block funding to any art which he deemed immoral. This back and forth concerning the issue of sex in popular culture has been continually progress in the direction of less censorship.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/02/what-the-hays-code-did-for-women

http://www.publiceye.org/theocrat/Mapplethorpe_Chrono.html 

Strategic Butt Coverings - Tropes vs Women in Video Games

For our last blog post, I’m going to tackle Module 6's blog prompt which was to watch a video from the Feminist Frequency YouTube channel and discuss the feminist theory involved with the video. This video tackles the ways in which designers of games often employ camera angles and clothing choices as tools to deliberately sexualize and objectify female protagonists of third-person games. The video uses the game Tomb Raider as an example of this. This game is presented from a third person perspective where the main character, Lara Crofts butt is right in the center of the screen. Her sexualized clothing and the position of the camera orientation present a tremendous amount of emphasis on that part of her body. In Tomb Raider: Underworld Lara Croft is almost in nothing but her underwear.  In Batman: Arkham city, Cat-woman wears an unbelievably tight bodysuit, and has a dramatic his swing that also emphasis her butt. On the other hand, in these video games you could spend hours trying to get a glimpse of the male characters butts. They often have long coats on, capes, and camera angles that just do not allow you to get the right angle. The way women's bodies are depicted are significantly different than how the men’s bodies are depicted in games. The emphasis on female butts communicates to players that this is what is important. That this female character is a sexual object designed for players to look at and enjoy. When I thought back to the games I have played I realized how true this is. The female characters in games are so demandingly sexualized is horrible.

Module 15 Example: Open Option

PROMPT

This week's post is open subject.  That doesn't mean you can necessarily post on anything you want, but rather you should take a look at the different posts we have had throughout this semester and determine a previous prompt that you would like to have another go at and write a second entry on that subject.  

Be sure to:

1. Identify which prompt you are tackling (e.g. "I'm going to tackle Module 3's blog prompt..."). 
2. Follow the original prompt and hit all the points it is asking of you. 
3. Try to be more critical and in-depth than you were with your first post.

Relevant Labels/Tags:  any themes, theories, or content that is contained in your post.

In case you forgot the prompts for previous weeks, here they are:

• Cowboys
• Mass Culture
• Race & Ethnicity
• Feminism
• Frankfurt School
• Semiology
• Hegemony
• Postmodernism
• Comics
• Zombies
• Fandoms
• Consumerism

EXAMPLE

Since I'm asking for you to revisit a previous prompt, there is no necessity for an example.  However, if you want to see how I break down an image/symbol for meaning, you can visit my blog and check out my deconstruction of the Playboy Bunny icon.

Packages within Packages

Oreos, one of the popular snacks in the world, now come in packages of 2 or 3 Oreos and there are even individually wrapped Oreos. Whereas a regular traditional box of Oreos contains about 30 cookies, these newer products are basically packages within packages. These “convenient” packages are incredibly wasteful as within a large box there are 12 smaller packages; this results in more unnecessary waste material. 

The company is selling these individually wrapped Oreos as a great “on the go” snack and is marketing this product towards families with kids and anyone else who don’t have the time to place 2 or 3 Oreos in a reusable container. Apparently, the appeal, as this blog post I found which was sponsored by Oreos, points out, is the ability to quickly put these individual packages in a purse or to easily tuck them into the glove compartment of a car. The two packs, according to Oreo, are “perfect for a quick treat at work, running errands, carpooling to family activities or family day trips.” 

This new “upgraded version” of this product is completely unnecessary. The actual product is exactly the same, only the packaging is different. Reusable containers are perfectly adequate. It’s really just a way to for the company to try and convince consumers that this is an easier way to provide your kids with snacks and that you’ll save time doing it.