Pop Culture

"Hunger Games" Worth a Class Discussion

by Donna Alvermann

An op-ed piece published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 19, 2012

Figuration Punk

by Bodo Mrozek

published in: Netzwerk Körper (Hg.): What Can a Body Do? Figuratuionen des Körpers in den Kulturwissenschaften. Frankfurt a.M. / New York: Campus 2012, S. 191-196.

"Punk ereignete sich auf verschiedenen Ebenen: innerhalb der kapitalistischen Produktionslogiken der Musik- und... more "Punk ereignete sich auf verschiedenen Ebenen: innerhalb der kapitalistischen Produktionslogiken der Musik- und Modeindustrie ebenso wie als subkulturelles Zeichensystem, als Bewegung von Kulturamateur_innen und als künstlerische Avantgarde, die zunehmend in etablierte Kulturräume drängte. Ziel dieses Essays ist es, quer durch die unterschiedlichen Erscheinungsformen von Punk übergreifende körpergeschichtliche Aspekte herauszuarbeiten und historisch zu kontextualisieren: [...] die mit den Stilmitteln der Sexualisierung und Fetischisierung konstituierten normverletzenden Körperkonzepte des Punk [sind] als plakative Manifestationen einer neuen Ästhetik zu lesen, die in bis dato ungekannter Drastik mit sozial affirmativen und zukunftsbejahenden Lebensentwürfen brach. Nach dieser Lesart war Punk im wörtlichen Sinne die Verkörperung einer zeitgeschichtlichen Zäsur: des Strukturbruchs der 70er Jahre."

Popular culture as carnaval

by Stephen Linstead

S. Linstead (2010) “Popular Culture as Carnaval: The Clash, Play and Transgression in the Aesthetic Economy 1976-85” in Townley, B. and Beech, N. eds. Organizing Creativity Cambridge: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 9781107403734 pp 60-80.

In this chapter I explore the question of the appropriateness of the metaphor of carnival when applied to rock music... more In this chapter I explore the question of the appropriateness of the metaphor of carnival when applied to rock music generally, but in particular to the world of The Clash, with its strong visual identity and cartoonish sensibilities displaying eccentricity, mésalliances, ambiguity, profanation, transgression, ambivalent laughter and creative degradation – all classic features of carnival, identifi ed by Mikhail Bahktin . I highlight some of the post-Bakhtinian problems of dealing with a literary representation (carnival) of a lived social relation (which I term carnaval ), and using that representation as a metaphor for a different lived social relation, without direct close engagement with the relevant (transgressive) features of that social relation itself. Whilst the work of The Clash provides useful material for the former analysis, an examination of their social milieu and interpersonal relations provides insight into processes of transgression and what Peter Stallybrass and Allon White (1986 ) call ‘the dialectics of social classifi cation’ . That these social relations have a dark side that is not resisted without cost – a point that is often lost in the application of the carnival metaphor – is underscored by the
conflictual and ultimately destructive dynamics of the band, their
management and organization, despite producing perhaps the most musically complex, professionally influential, politically energized, commercially successful and artistically enduring body of work by any of the punk bands.

Branding and You: The Building of Ideal Personal Brands

by Phil McCollam

It is difficult to argue that branding and consumer goods have not increased their control over individuals and... more It is difficult to argue that branding and consumer goods have not increased their control over individuals and society as a whole. Authors, environmentalists, sociologists and even professionals within marketing and branding institutions have expanded the public’s awareness of the costs incurred by living within a ‘branded’ society. Recently, there has even been a shift towards branding people beyond the typical brand associations attached to celebrities. Roland Barthes seemingly foreshadowed this shift from the generalized celebrity to more individualistic and personalized icons within Mythologies, comparing the visage of Gretta Garbo to the ‘new’ face of Audrey Hepburn. Barthes described Garbo’s mask-like, ephemeral qualities as a “Platonic Idea of the human creature,” while Hepburn represented individualism and personality. A potential—albeit somewhat frivolous and shameful—modern extension of Barthes’s ideology could be Paris Hilton, who became an iconic individual for no apparent reason. In that case, the shift would appear to be from general ethereality to individualized humanism to personal iconoblast.

However, this cultural change was not entirely to blame for an influx of personal branding in the late 1900s and early 2000s. As I will explore, the concept of personal branding is rooted firmly within modern marketing, psychology and the American dynamic of being a producer of images and ideas rather than goods. I believe that personal branding is an important—yet often misunderstood—aspect of human interaction, but that it is also an aspect that can be improved upon through a better understanding of branding theories and the inherent differences between branding a product and branding an individual. As such I too have begun exploring my own personal brand through my visual history and the study of personal/brand identity.

Are the Kids United? The Communist Party of Great Britain, Rock Against Racism and the Politics of Youth Culture

by Evan Smith

Journal for the Study of Radicalism, 5/2, Fall 2010,  pp. 85-117

Film/Print: Novelizations and 'Capricorn One'

by Deborah Allison

Published in M/C – A Journal of Media and Culture, vol. 10, no. 2 (2007).

Governing Citizens through Self-Help Literature

by Heidi Rimke

in Cultural Studies, 14:1, 61-78, 2000.

Un rendez-vous parmi d’autres. Ce que le jeu sur internet nous apprend du travail contemporain

by Manuel Boutet

Manuel Boutet, 2011. « Un rendez-vous parmi d’autres. Ce que le jeu sur internet nous apprend du travail contemporain ». ethnographiques.org, Numéro 23 - décembre 2011 "Analyser les présences au travail : visibilités et invisibilités" [en ligne].
(http://www.ethnographiques.org/2011/ Boutet - consulté le 27.12.2011)

Abstract

What can we learn about contemporary work and its collective forms of sociability from the rise of... more Abstract

What can we learn about contemporary work and its collective forms of sociability from the rise of ‘rendez-vous' games on Internet ? Games can be useful tools for analyzing work on the condition that our understanding of the encounters between of these two types of activity is not limited to a common-sense interpretation in which games represent at worst a simple form of entertainment, at best, training for something more serious. On the basis of interviews with players of an online game, we show that forms of play vary with the work activity with which they are associated, and especially, on the presence or absencce of multi-activity, where interactions at a distance and heterogeneous solicitations occupy an important place. Examing gaming pratice during breaks enables us to see how employees manage to maintain the consistency of their activities in such professional contexts, and to understand the developing of new forms of sociability based mainly on shared life/work rhythms.

Résumé

Que peut nous apprendre l'essor des « jeux de rendez-vous » sur le travail contemporain et les collectifs qui s'y inventent ? Si le jeu peut constituer un bon analyseur du travail, c'est que l'intrication de ces deux activités ne se résume pas aux deux interprétations courantes, qui voient dans le jeu un divertissement ou un entraînement. En partant d'entretiens menés avec des joueurs d'un jeu en ligne sur internet, on montre que la forme prise par la pratique de jeu varie selon l'activité de travail où elle s'insère, en particulier selon la présence ou non d'une situation de multi-activité, où se multiplient les communications à distance et les sollicitations hétérogènes dans le cours de l'activité. Le jeu donne ainsi à voir le travail déployé pour maintenir une cohérence de l'activité dans les contextes professionnels, plus nombreux aujourd'hui, où les temps sont individualisés, les arrangements techniques, laissés à la responsabilité du travailleur, et les sollicitations hétérogènes. On comprend aussi que s'y développent des nouvelles formes de sociabilités essentiellement basées sur le partage de rythmes.

Men Under Pressure: Representations of The 'salaryman' and his Organization In Japanese Manga

by Peter Matanle

Co-authored peer reviewed journal article.

Matanle, P., McCann, L. and Ashmore, D.J. (2008) . Men under pressure: Representations of the 'salaryman' and his organization In Japanese manga, Organization, 15 (5): 639-664.

In this article we analyse representations of the Japanese salaryman and Japanese organization in Japanese manga, or... more In this article we analyse representations of the Japanese salaryman and Japanese organization in Japanese manga, or graphic novels, during the turbulent decades from the mid-1980s to the present day. We argue that manga presents salarymen protagonists in a sympathetic yet not uncritical light, and that it displays support for and criticism of both the Japanese and American organizational models. We describe how these manga offer important critical challenges from the world of popular culture to the direction of change in Japanese business organizations since the 1980s. In addition, we suggest that the manga may also provide salarymen with opportunities for critically re-evaluating their own working situations and for developing methods for surviving and thriving under the pressures of working within contemporary Japanese business organizations.

Pop Culture, Politics, and America’s Favorite Animated Family: The Partisanship of The Simpsons

by Mirya Holman

The Simpsons is the longest running prime-time entertainment show on television with 22 seasons produced so far. It... more The Simpsons is the longest running prime-time entertainment show on television with 22 seasons produced so far. It remains a very popular television program today, despite accounts that the show’s so-called “golden age” passed long ago. Despite the critics, The Simpsons is regularly listed as one of the most popular shows on the Internet television and movie website, Hulu.com. The show is wildly popular internationally. Fans, politicians, journalists, and scholars have all commented on the significance of The Simpsons. In the early years of the show, conservative Republicans attacked the content as irreverent and inappropriate. As a consequence, many observers have assumed that the show is liberal in its content. Despite all of the attention on The Simpsons over the years, there has never been a systematic analysis of the political content of the show. The liberal assumption of the show’s humor has never been tested. This article presents an empirical content analysis of the partisan political content of The Simpsons looking to see whether this immensely popular show has an overtly partisan bent to it or not. A study of 103 episodes from the first five seasons of the show reveals that The Simpsons make fun of both political parties rarely and equally. When the rare partisan political joke is presented on an episode of The Simpsons, both political parties are ridiculed on the show evenhandedly.

FINAL CFP: EUPOP2012 - The Inaugural Conference of the European Popular Culture Association

by Sarah Gilligan

11-13 July 2012
London College of Fashion
University of the Arts
London

FINAL CALL FOR... more 11-13 July 2012
London College of Fashion
University of the Arts
London

FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS: EUPOP2012 CONFERENCE

Extended deadline for abstracts: 3rd March 2012.

For this final call for papers, the conference organisers would particularly welcome individual papers and panel contributions in the following areas:

- Music
- Sport
- The body and its representation
- Comics and graphic novels
- Heritage / curation
- Subcultures

This conference will launch the European Popular Culture Association (EPCA) and will explore European popular culture in all its different forms. This might include European Film (past and present), Television, Music, Celebrity, The Body, Fashion, New Media, Comics, Popular Literature, Sport, Heritage and Curation.

There will be opportunities for networking and for developing caucus groups within the EPCA. Presenters at EUPOP2012 will be encouraged to develop their papers for publication in a number of Intellect journals, including the new Journal of European Popular Culture, the journal of the EPCA, other film journals including Film, Fashion and Consumption, and various music journals.

JOURNAL EDITORS WILL BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH STRAND CONVENORS - a full list of Intellect journals is available at: http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals/index/

Papers and Complete Panels for all strands should be submitted to the email contact below. Paper/panel submissions will be as always subject to peer review:

Submit paper or panel proposals* to: europop@arts.ac.uk

• The same address should be used for general administrative queries


For further details and updates - visit the conference website at: http://eupop2012.tumblr.com

You can follow the EUPOP2012 conference on Twitter @EUPOP2012

Please spread the word and use the hashtag #EUPOP2012 when retweeting and / or contributing to the conference back channel.


- The European Popular Culture Association –

The European Popular Culture Association (EPCA) promotes the study of popular culture from, in, and about Europe. Popular culture involves a wide range of activities, outcomes and audiences; EPCA aims to examine and discuss these different activities as they relate both to Europe, and to Europeans across the globe, whether contemporary or historical.


CLOSING DATE FOR THIS FINAL CALL FOR PAPERS: 3rd MARCH 2012.


- EPCA and 2012 EPCA Conference Directors -

EPCA President: Pamela Church Gibson p.church-gibson@fashion.arts.ac.uk (or at the generic conference address given here)

Director of Research & Exchange: Graeme Harper graeme@eupop.org

CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATOR: SARAH-JANE SIMPSON
Sarah can be reached at europop@arts.ac.uk.

We would suggest that you contact her speedily if you are coming from abroad and are wanting to discuss the availability of accommodation. Although the conference is well in advance of the Olympics, we have placed a notional hold on inexpensive hotel rooms and need confirmation ASAP.



ming from abroad and are wanting to discuss the availability of accommodation. Although the conference is well in advance of the Olympics, we have placed a notional hold on inexpensive hotel rooms and need confirmation asap.

EUPOP2012: Inaugural Conference of the European Popular Culture Association website now at:
http://eupop2012.tumblr.com/ Inc' pdf of the CFP. Follow @eupop2012 on Twitter. Use the #EUPOP2012 hashtag to follow & contribute to the Twitter back channel.

Sympathy for the Devil? Reconsidering the Legend of Raoul Duke on the 40th Anniversary of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

by Rory Feehan

published in Beatdom #9 - available to purchase on Amazon

Book Review: 'Bring on the books for everybody': How literary culture became popular culture

by David Wright

"The Bald and the Beautiful"

by William Bradley

Originally published in THE BELLEVUE LITERARY REVIEW.

Boyz to Menz (Own): Irish Boys Bands and the Alternative Nation

by Moynagh Sullivan

What Could Professional Wrestling and School Literacy Practices Possibly Have in Common?

by margaret hagood

Media Literacies: Varied but Distinguishable

by margaret hagood

What Do THEY Have to Teach US? Talkin' 'cross Generations!

by margaret hagood

Literacies and identities for all

by margaret hagood

Developing literate identities with English language learners through digital storytelling

by margaret hagood

Digital storytelling provides an opportunity for children and adolescents to design multimodal narratives that... more Digital storytelling provides an opportunity for children and adolescents to design multimodal narratives that represent and reflect upon their lives and interests. In the article we
look at how two English language learners, Diego, a male Mexican-American kindergartener, and Allie Feng, a female Chinese-American junior in high school, drew upon their sociocultural identities, foundational literacies practices, and new literacies competencies to design and present digital stories.