A Brief History of the Ipod

Charles Darwin claimed that music originated “…in the sounds made by the half-human progenitors of man during the season of courtship” (Darwin, 1912).

Today, the iPod allows us to have over a 1000 songs in our pockets, at anytime, which has made music easily accessible.  Ultimately, the iPod is a symbol of the US consumer culture marked with a need for convenience, style and quality. The iPod has a significant history of its own, unlike any other invention of its size and scope, which depicts how technology and development are different today than yesterday.

 The iPod was launched in October 2001, by Apple. Unlike most traditional inventions, conceived from scratch by the effort of a single genius, the iPod was developed by a team that merged existing and new technologies.

In 2000, there was a large demand to convert music into digital forms.  In order to cater to the increasing demand for digital music, Apple bought SoundJam MP Music Player and simplified SoundJam into “iTunes.”   At this time, Tony Fidell approached many companies before knocking on Apple’s door with his idea to create a small MP3 player. Consequently, Tony Fiddell was hired by Apple in 2001. He was assigned a team, with thirty engineers.

At  the time, the closest device to the iPod was the Nomad Jukebox which FIdell’s team was determined to upgrade. In February of 2001, Apple acquired a small Toshiba hard drive which was incorporated into the iPod for its size and storage capacity.

 Apple bought its basic hardware for the from PortalPalyer  and improved its capabilities. Within three months, Apple’s team had designed the most distinctive iPod feature, “the scroll wheel.”  A similar scroll wheel had been used by HP in 1983, in a keyboard to scroll text. Apple advanced this concept into the small, touch- sensitive, scrolls used in iPods today.

The first iPod prototype used lithium polymer batteries from Sony, display screens derived from mobile phones, and the Toshiba hard drive. All the components had to coordinate, or interface.  The interface, and design concept, was developed by Apple’s design team headed by Jonathan Ive.

Apple’s CEO, Steve Jobs, supervised Fidell’s team and revised each prototype. Jobs insisted, to ensure that the iPod’s design remained undisclosed to competitors, that prototypes of the iPod should be concealed in shoe boxes for transportation. As the iPod reached completion, Jobs decided that iPod and iTunes should work in sync.

The first iPod, costing $399, was introduced to the nation five weeks after 9/11. The first iPods were only compatible with Apple’s MAC computers, and used iTunes to organize and download music. By the end of 2001 Apple had sold 125,000 iPods.

Apple’s team, continue to develop the iPod with each revision, enhancing its features with each new model.

The iPod’s astounding success and importance make it one of the most important inventions of our time. However, unlike traditional inventions that were stumbled upon by the effort of a genius in a laboratory; the iPod was planned and developed by a team. The difference in the modern version of an “invention” from the historic version, depicts how technology and science have changed. The history of the iPod denotes the advancement of technology, the importance of “catering to the consumer,” the importance of always improving for a better product. Finally the success of the iPod portrays our need for convenience and quality.

(for further information, citation and the principal article please visit: http://mason.gmu.edu/~ybhavnan/finalnarration.htm)

Digital TV

February 17, 2009 marks the coming of a revolution. On this date all full power TV stations in the United States will switch to digital broadcasting.  This will change the daily lives of millions of people and will also influence the US culture. The importance of TV in contemporary US will mark this simple “switch into digital broadcasting” as a revolution.

The transition into DTV (Digital TV) will enhance the picture quality, the sound quality and most importantly it will make TV interactive. Analog signal (similar to radio waves) will be substituted by digital signals (similar to binary computer language 0’s and 1’s). Digital signals take up less space on the broadcast spectrum, which allows broadcasters to transmit more data. The result will be HDTV imaging and 5.1 channel surround sound. More significantly, DTV will make TV more informative and interactive. Multicasting will allow one channel to be split into 5 section. (Children’s channel 5 will have extensions 5.1, 5.2, 5.3 and so forth) These extensions may be multiple viewing of different children reciting poetry, and one may even be interactive sing a long karaoke songs for children.

Finally, interactive TV will feature multimedia games and enable viewers to customize their TV experience. The morning news could be customized to check for relevant weather conditions, to follow the sports and the teams of a viewer’s interests, and to attain information on specific news stories. A viewer could locate a program, or related programs, by performing a key word search similar to those on ‘Google.’ For example, inputting ‘cardiology’ into an interactive EPG search would list multiple medical science programs.

The face of TV will change. In the 1950’s the introduction of TV helped shaped American Culture, with the introduction of TV dinners. Since then, TV has influenced our daily lives and is a key tool to the enormous consumer based “advertising industry.” The introduction of interactive TV, will definitely shape the future generations and their cultures. The revolution, that is a few months away, will change “the American culture.”

(For further information, and the principal article please visit: http://mason.gmu.edu/~ybhavnan/examplefinal.htm)

US influence

                                                              

3 am in the morning and groups of people are heavily bundled up sleeping on the sidewalks. Are they the common beggars, typical of third world countries? In fact, these are people who have travelled from rural areas and are waiting outside the US Embassy for their VISA interviews! (This was the case many years ago in Nepal, today, with a more structured interview process only mile long lines are seen.) Although the statistic is hard to attain, thousands of people everyday lineup in front of the US embassy everyday to attain a “visa,” any visa to the US. In fact, people come out of the interview crying or smiling gleefully at their interview “results.”  Many believe their lives are made if they get the Visa.

A band of security vehicles, flashing sirens and police motorcars sound, could that be the royal family on an official visit? In fact, this is the US Ambassador making his trip to a government office.

The King coups the country, and the most significant reaction is, “the temporary shutdown of the US embassy.” The rebels issue a statement, and all the headlines read news stories on the “US point of view.”

In countries, struck by fear, politics, uncertainty and poverty, the US is seen as a savior and the US opinion is revered. In most of these third world countries, the US Ambassador is treated with ultimate respect, and his word is final. No other country, despite their long heritage with Nepal, have the same capacity or influence in these nations. Many believe this influence is due to the “aid” packages that countries receive from the US; however, many other countries provide aid packages of almost the same magnitude. The US yields the influence it does, not because of the “help” it provides but because the US is seen as prominent country who leads others. The US opinion will usually be adopted by other countries. Furthermore, the US is seen as an ‘ideal” in terms of its enormous wealth, potential and military power. This small example clearly signifies the achievement of US dominance worldwide. US imperialism led by the need for masculinity, has led the US to become involved in many countries and the US has become important and symbolic in these places. This small, yet powerful setting depicts that the US, over centuries, has become successful in spreading is dominance and becoming the most dominant country.

Immigration in USA

The definition of who is an immigrant, or a foreigner, has changed in the US over time; however, the fear of “foreigners” has remained unchanged.

The “American dream,” “democracy,” a capitalistic society and the ability to pursue happiness, and wealth, has appealed to many. The US has always been seen as a land of abundance, and great opportunity, and this has driven millions of people to leave their motherlands and arrive at the US ports with nothing but hope. In fact, the US has been founded by immigrants over centuries, and in New York, according to a local tour guide, “one out of every six individuals in The Big Apple are first or second generation immigrants.”  The validity of this statistic is still in doubt because beside all the native Americans, “aren’t we all immigrants?”

In the 18^th century the Irish and Chinese were seen as the largest groups of immigrants. They were discriminated at the time and were seen to be “sub human.” Today, they are integral parts of the US society and they would proudly consider themselves Americans.

The term immigrant refers to a different group of individuals today. The US need to document everything, has made anyone without “citizenship or permanent residency” an immigrant.  In general, an immigrant today would be anyone in the US without a “green card or a US citizenship.” In comparison to the previous perception of immigrants, the matter of nationality or origin has no role in today’s definition of an immigrant.  A Chinese may be an immigrant, as much as a British or an Indian.

However, the connotation of “immigrant” has taken on a negative meaning. Today, many feel immigration implies “illegal immigration.” The picture of Mexicans running across the border, immediately strike us when we think of immigration. This negative connotation towards immigration doesn’t find its roots only in the influx of Mexicans rushing across the border. Rather the roots to this skepticism are derived from centuries of apprehension and fear of immigrants. In the 18^th century immigrants were discriminated due to their lack of assimilation; however, in general people were apprehensive and weary of the “new” strange race. This fear has passed on over centuries. The Chinese were treated the same way. Today the Indians are also disliked by many. The “Hispanic” population is discriminated. Although, many people with “Hispanic” heritages have been successful, specially in the entertainment industry, the typical “Hispanic” is looked down upon. In fact, society in general is fearful of them today. The media depicting Mexicans running across the border to steal jobs and ruin the economy has only fueled this insecurity of immigrants. This depicts that the apprehensive nature towards immigrants in America has presided over centuries.

The definition of an immigrant has changed, but the attitudes towards them haven’t. It is ironic to see that most of the US is marked by the cultural heritage of immigrants and not all immigrants are illegal immigrants.

Wiki Reflection

At first, when the Wikipedia article was assigned, I felt nervous and slightly overwhelmed. I decided to write an article on the US Patent Law as it is a field I am interested in. I believed it would be easier to research on something that was of personal interest to me. After a vast amount of research, I sat in front of the Wiki page puzzled by the “formatting.” However, it was fairly simple and easy to use after the first 10 or 15 minutes. I did struggle to upload a photo on to Wiki, and still haven’t been successful. I was proud to be able to contribute to Wiki and it gave me a good sense of accomplishment.  Most class assignments end with a satisfaction of a letter grade and comment from the professor, this particular one was more meaningful. I felt I had contributed knowledge, and in the process learned a lot myself.

My wiki article didn’t undergo much change in its content. I don’t know how many people actually saw it, this would be nice to know. Viewing the history, I see my article has been added to various categories. Furthermore, “US” has been changed to “United States,” and edits have been done on capitalization, spacing and italics. From the history I can determine that 8 people have made some changes and edited it. It was nice that someone made the effort to upload a picture of the first US Patent, it was something I had wanted to do initially.  The history page also denotes that the same people have revisited and made changes.  Perhaps, this is due to the topic, which is not very entertaining or catchy.

The discussion page states that the article is within the scope of wiki Biography, and that a fact from my article appeared on the “did you know section” of wiki’s main page on April 25^th. I tried to find it, but wasn’t able too.

Although the class is over, and we have received our grades for this assignment, I will continue to monitor my article. I am glad I was able to contribute in some way to Wikipedia and I hope my article will be able to help someone who does wants facts on the United States Patent Law. This was definitely an important and meaningful assignment. It’s nice to know, that your efforts in class, have given you more than just a grade! Thank you professor Boggs!

Post 4: Understanding Advertising

Beauty advertisements from the 20’s are similar to today’s advertisements in their use of beauty and techniques to promote their products; however, the “image of an ideal, beautiful, women” are different in these advertisements, which allows us to discern the perspectives, attitudes and ideas of the time period. The use of words also furthers our interpretation of the society and the time period.

Advertisements from the roaring 20’s are similar to modern day beauty product advertisements. Both genres of advertisements use images of “beautiful women.” In both era’s a beautiful women is illustrated, which creates a visual image of beauty and also a desire to “be like the model.” The desire created in the advertisement is sculpted to imply that, “by using the advertised product you can look or be like the model.” This technique to depict beauty, which then creates desire and then imply that the use of the product will enhance someone to become more like the portrayed image is used in both eras.   Although this technique seen in both eras, the difference in the actual model or the “beautiful, ideal, women,” is different. This shows how perspectives of beauty have changed overtime and this also casts an insight into the beliefs and attitudes of the society, at the time. Furthermore, the use or disuse of “words” in an advertisement provides insight into the people and the time period.

The similarities and differences in the use of beauty ,to promote a product, reflecting the perspective, the ideal beautiful women, and the attitudes and context of society can be seen by comparing Elizabeth Arden’s advertisement from the 1920’s to Arden’s modern day advertisements for similar products.

1924 Advertisement of Elizabeth Arden: Exercise and Skin Treatment

The general purpose of this advertisement is to promote Elizabeth Arden’s new exercise routine. The image of a woman dressed in a short, revealing, dress shows the model’s fit body. This imagery extends beyond showing a beautiful woman in good health. The model in the picture is beautiful, she looks relaxed, and she is smiling at the audience. In the 1920’s, I assume, the model in this picture would be also be considered seductive.

The photograph of the woman is centered on her, with a plain background. This focuses the attention on the model; which depicts the specific purpose of the advertisement –  by “daily exercise according to Elizabeth Arden’s method…” a lady can look as beautiful and seductive like the model in the photo.

The image plays on a technique used in advertisements today: it portrays a beautiful women and creates desire for women to look like the model. This theme is furthered by associating the use of the advertised product to help achieve this look or ideal. However, the ideal or beautiful woman portrayed in this advertisement is different from woman in today’s advertisements. This explicitly depicts what was considered beautiful at the time, or the “ideal look” of the time, which gives us an insight to the society’s perspectives, thoughts, and its values.

The audience for this advertisement is all women who want to have “good skin,” which would be almost all women in all ages. Most beauty advertisements today cater to the same audience.

The advertisement is half image and half words. The use of so many words to explain the product, explains it is “new.” The expressions explain the benefits of exercise to enhance a women’s skin. The diction also reveals much about the 1920’s. From the writing we gather that “slim boyish lines” were sought in women, and “swift circulation, clean blood, complete digestion…” were considered important at the time. Furthermore, the wording equates exercise with skin care, which marks that skin care was a larger concern in the day than exercise. It states that the result of exercise is good skin, today the effects of exercise are well known, and such a fact would be obvious.

Advertisements today are not as wordy. This depicts that most products are not entirely “new” and the public is aware of them. Furthermore, it depicts that our modern society aims to save time; very few people today would sit and read such a lengthy advertisement. Many women today have careers, and advertisements today try to portray catchy images that say it without words.

Modern Elizabeth Arden Salon Advertisement:

The same company produced this advertisement for a similar product after 8 decades. The two advertisements are similar as they promote a salon or location to enhance health, and they both reach out to the same audience. The specific purpose of this modern advertisement is similar to the that of the older advertisement, the new advertisement seeks to promote a salon.

The image of a well known model in a beautiful dress, looking relaxed, and smiling is almost identical to the old advertisement. The model in the advertisement is also the focus of the picture, and the background is not important. However, the background does show “a salon.” The advertisement’s specific purpose implies that by using the Elizabeth Arden Saloon you can become as radiant and beautiful as this woman. The depiction of a “beautiful” woman, is meant to create a desire to become like her which is similar to the older advertisement.

However, the woman in the advertisement is different from the women in the older advertisement. The differences in the models, depicts a difference in what society considers beautiful today as opposed to the 1920’s. The modern model is slimmer than that of the older advertisement. Furthermore, her attire and appeal are more classy and sophisticated than that of the older advertisement. This shows that we value slimness and sophistication today. Furthermore, the model is smiling warmly and looking straight at the audience denoting confidence. In the earlier advertisement the model is not looking as directly at the audience, and it portrays a seductive appeal rather than a confident one. This depicts the difference in the two eras in their ideal for beauty. The older advertisement portrays the ideal women as seductive, curvy, and unnatural in her pose. The newer advertisement portrays the ideal woman as confident, classy, slim and natural in her pose.

The modern day advertisement is not as wordy as the old advertisement. This depicts that “salons” are common in today’s world and they don’t need to be explained. Furthermore, this also depicts that advertising is more popular today, as a strong image is used to capture attention. This finally portrays that women have less time and more choices today. The disuse of an explanation of the salon’s services, hopes to keep the advertisement simple and catchy to cater to the busy modern women. The establishment of what a saloon is, without a definition in the advertisement, portrays that women today know what a saloon is and there are many around – illustrating choice. Finally, the logo and “signature” of Elizabeth Arden depicts branding and shows that the company needs no introduction. In the 1920’s Elizabeth Arden was still fairly new and required some introduction, it didn’t have an established logo or “brand image.”

The similarities in the appeal to create a desire to be like the ideal women, is marked by clear differences in what is considered ideal and beautiful; this depicts the difference in perspective and values of both time periods.

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Old Elizabeth Arden Perfume Advertisement

The old perfume advertisement portrays a sophisticated women sitting in front of many bottles of perfume. The general purpose of this advertisement is to promote Elizabeth Arden’s Venetian Toilet Preparations and Babani Perfumes. The advertisement’s specific purpose is to tell the audience that using Babani Perfumes will make them exotic. The advertisement tells its audience that Babani perfumes are used by “smart” women in Paris, which is the center of fashion.

The image of the model, her countenance, and the small fan in her hand almost make the women seem French, portraying an exotic French women. This advertisement also uses an appeal to create desire to become like the model. This creates a desire for women to be like her, therefore, use the perfumes. This furthers how the ideal of beauty and women was seen. A women sitting, with a fan, surrounded by bottles shows that women at the time were seen as objects of beauty. They were expected to have dressing tables, with bottles to take care of themselves.

The main marketing skill here is the explanation. The advertisement clearly states that Babani perfumes are used by “smart” French women, who change their Babani perfumes with their “frocks” and even “blend” fragrances. This depicts that America, at the time, considered itself behind the “continental” or the French in Fashion. It clearly shows that women in France were ideals for Americans, and they were considered as smart. The advertisement implies that American women should copy the French women, by using Babani perfumes, in order to be “smart.’ This gives us a clear account of the perspective of the society at the time and its values.

Such an advertisement, or even such an implication, would be considered insulting today.

Today’s Elizabeth Arden Perfume Advertisement

The modern version of Elizabeth Arden’s perfume advertisement also seeks to sell its perfumes in America. The advertisement also uses “exotic foreign” themes to appeal to the crowd. Similar to older advertisement this advertisement illustrates a beautiful woman with a fan in her hand. However, the appeals come across differently and the two women, their position and pose are entirely different. The differences in the women, their positions, and backgrounds, depict our attitude towards beauty. This also shows that different “ideal woman” are sought today as opposed to the 1920s.

Similar to the old advertisement, Catherine Zeta Jones is holding a fan; however, she does it without obviously posing. Jones is natural, smiling, appearing happy and confident. She is seen to be standing on water, which is very different from the older ad’s realistic dressing table approach. This shows that women want to be happy, carefree, and uplifted today.  The depiction of the “bottle of perfume” as opposed to various bottles, portrays that advertising is well in place today. The visual image of a perfume bottle helps to sell the product today, as there are so many choices. Finally, the entire advertisement gives you a sense of how the perfume may smell. It can be depicted from the umbrella, Jones’ smile, the imagery of water and Jones’ dress that the perfume would be light, summery and fresh. The older advertisement gives you no sense of how Babani would smell. This depicts the consumer culture of today’s society, where the first portrayal of a product needs to tell us about the product to spark our interest.

Both advertisement address exotic foreign appeals. The new perfume advertisement has writing in a foreign language, however, this doesn’t imply dominance of another culture’s taste or fashion over ours. This shows how times have changed. Although being exotic is considered nice, today it is to attain a different “appeal;” whereas in the past it was to copy what was considered better.

Finally, Catherine Zeta Jones in the advertisement represents branding in today’s society. This depicts how the consumer culture and advertising are larger in America today than they were in the 1920’s. The older advertisement pictures a model; whereas, the new perfume ad. shows Catherine Zeta Jones establishing a brand image.

Furthermore, similar to the salon advertisements the older ad uses more words than the newer ones which implies the differences in today’s women consumer over the older one.

Please view images at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23261616@N07/

Sources:

 http://www.bwgreyscale.com/ads/elizabeth_arden.html (Elizabeth Arden’s website)

 Ad*Access On-Line Project – Ad #R0108
John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History
Duke University Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library
http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/adaccess/

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Fog of War: Class Reflection 9

The movie The Fog of War was powerful and informative. I think some of Errol Morris’ conclusions were interesting and gave a different perspective on “the facts.” He starts by saying that “there is no learning with a nuclear war.” I believe history is taught so that we can see the mistakes that were made and ultimately, as rational people, learn from them. His concept about empathizing with the enemy is probably better seen as “understanding” or “predicting” the enemy’s next move. I believe empathy and war are complete opposites, there is no empathy in war or else there would be no war. No one ever wins in a war, victory is a term used to declare or justify some sort of notion of achievement. I think Morris’s “empathy” can be reflected as trying to interpret the “perspective” of the opponent. His example of Thompson using empathy to predict Krushov’s move would be a correct interpretation of perspective rather than “empathy.” This depicts that perspective is different between cultures, situations, and most importantly “individuals.” Every person has their own ‘perspective’ which determines how they interpret situations and act upon them.  How we see things ultimately affects what we do about them. History and life are examples of this.

“Luck prevented nuclear war,” is a very irresponsible statement. Was it lucky that so many innocent Japanese civilians died? Would they consider themselves lucky? I believe the situation, and the various perspectives, and their resulting actions prevented nuclear war.

The portrayal of Japanese cities being destroyed, in comparison to US cities, was a great example of proportionality.  Morris’ definition of proportionality would differ from this visual example. He believes that war should be proportional, however, isn’t war about ego and a sense of power over an opponent? Isn’t the theme of war, in some way, to inflict pain to the enemy so they surrender completely?  In this case, how can we integrate proportionality into war?

One of the most striking thoughts that Morris revealed was, “we would be war criminals had we lost.” In this statement, I feel, he is accepting his mistakes. However, just because we were “lucky” to emerge victorious does that mean that our “moral” responsibilities are forgone?

Finally, “history will vindicate them” would be a statement suggested by the weak. I feel, this equivalent to passing the buck. It explicitly seems that, since we don’t have reasons for our action we hope history or the future generations will find some.

I thought Morris’ movie was a reflection of his thoughts and important facts of the cold war. It gave a deep and interesting insight into the politics and people involved. Furthermore, it portrayed Morris’ perspectives on a personal level. I don’t think Morris feels guilty, nor is this a study of events, it’s  a personal narration of aspects that were important to Morris.

A similar ‘cold war’ was also in place a few years ago. India and Pakistan have been enemies since the partition of Pakistan from India; and the differences between the two countries are marked by religious beliefs and both their claims to Kashmir. A few years ago India “showed off” their nuclear capacity. Pakistan retaliated a year later “showing off” that they had nuclear weapons as well. There was an increasing strain in the region call Kashmir, and people and the media were speaking of “nuclear war and destruction.” Many speculated who would launch the first “nuke,” and who would be destroyed, and to what extent. It is interesting to see how in small ways, history continuously repeats itself. Have we learned from our mistakes is the larger question.

Reflection 8: The Second World War (4/14/08)

The old advertisements were thought provoking. It was interesting to learn the “themes,” or the larger ideas, that an advertisement for socks was actually appealing too.  In the Paris Gaters advertisement, it was revealing to note the generalization: from socks to social acceptance. In fact, generalizations relating commercial products to larger themes are extremely important today. This trend obviously has persisted overtime. I liked the difference in portrayal between the successful man and women. It was good to note that “women” were also seen as successful (although not “as successful” as a man). The illustration of the man seemed “larger” than that of the women which explicitly represents the perspective of the time.

I hadn’t realized how important the US victory in World War II had been for the American ego. I remember visiting the WWII memorial and the first two words that I would use to describe the memorial would be:  magnificent and glorious.  Perhaps, this is a true representation of the US perspective of WWII, this is as aspect of history that the US is proud off.  It was surprising to find out that marriages were being held in the memorial. I found this to be a little strange, considering that the magnificent structure was still a memorial. Perhaps, this was for the actual visual scenery rather than in relation to the WWII memorial. Finally, it was important to notice how architecture represented perspective. The alarming disparity between the WWII memorial and the Batann Death March memorial spoke volumes.

I believe learning the origin of the “lend lease” of weapons in support of wars/ politics was important. This is an important part of international relations today. The fact that USA was the first nation to ever use nuclear weapons was revealing. It is ironic how they advocate so strongly against nuclear weapons today while holding the largest stock of such. Is this a result of learning from history, or another means of extending US domination?

I believe that WWII, served to “emphasize” women as second class citizens to men. Women truly were a convenient substitute for men; however, this also gave women a chance to prove their capabilities which is important.

Finally, the horrible nature with how the Japanese were treated in the US was alarming.  It was interesting to note that such an effort was made to distinguish Chinese from the Japanese. I left the class wondering:  the Japanese, Irish and the African Americans faced great racial discrimination by Americans, how do American citizens with these racial descendents feel about this? Is this a part of the past that they don’t care about, or is could there possibly be a sense of resentment?

Class Reflection #7 Comsumer Identity ( 4/7)

Although being a consumer important part of our daily lives, most people never acknowledge that they have an ‘identity as a consumer.’  I perceive that consumption is a form of expression in America today. What you buy and how you live identifies you as an individual.  The choices you make as a consumer today reflects your personality, your beliefs, and helps you express yourself. The entire marketing and advertising industry help define our self expression as consumers. Choosing to buy Abercrombie jeans depicts our expression as ‘cool yet stylish;’ whereas, buying Versace slacks would emit our expression as ‘elite and fashion conscious.’ The advertising industry gives identity to the products, and when we buy a product – we buy the identity that comes with the product; in this way, as a consumer we express ourselves.

The roots of consumer identity may have started with the Boston Tea party. Rejecting British Tea was an expression: it was expressing the rejection of British culture and fortifying an identity of being “Americans.”

The concept of consumer identification is marked by the cultural change for “convenience” rather than “reuse.” Reuse is still a cultural norm in most third world countries such as Nepal and India. In these countries it is common to see shops that “mend clothes,” peddlers that come to your house to buy scrap and specially ‘empty bottles,’ shops that repair everything from furniture to electronics for a small price, and clothes  that are still handed down. In fact, people in Nepal store empty bottles and wait for the “scrap buyer.” Personally, my parents still take my old clothes and give them to their friends’ children! I believe that this continues in countries because, unlike America, these countries are not as economically strong and don’t have such a developed ‘consumer identity’ practice. Consumer identity was formed by ‘abundance,’ whereas, in most third world countries scarcity still prevails which leaves little choice to support such a culture. In America, abundance is a way of life and choice is integral to people’s lives. I believe it is economic progress that has led to the culture of ‘convenience.’ And this in turn has helped people save time, and made them more productive resulting in further progress. The need for progress influenced products like “Kotex” and many more, which have enabled people to do more with their time. Perhaps Kleenex, instead of handkerchiefs, was an item of convenience due to the time it saved on washing! In America, time has great value and this is seen with the system of “hourly pay.” Most developing nations don’t have such a system.

The most interesting concept that was discussed in class was “living wage.” I conceive that it is hard to precisely determine living wage. I believe every person has their own standard as to what they believe is “necessary to live,” and there is a vast difference in people’s definitions as to what is “living.” What is a necessity for one maybe a luxury for another person.  A villager in Nepal would define living wage as the ability to have two meals, have 2-3 pairs of clothes and have enough wood for winter.  But this is an example of poverty. The American definition of living wage is vastly different, and I would assume what may have been “living wage” in the 1800’s could not be considered living wage today. The increase in living wage reflects on the expected quality of life; which breeds progress and thereby the need for convenience.

The most significant idea in consumer identity is “consumer rights”.  The right to consume what you want is paralleled by the right to work and live. This sounds synonymous to the ‘right for pursuit of happiness.”  A consumer’s rights, enabling expression and inspiring them to work and live better – goes hand in hand with the American dream to “express freely and live well.”

Post #3: Irish Stereotypes Yesterday and Today.

 

“He who controls the past commands the future. He who commands the future conquers the past.”

“History is written by the winners.” –George Orwell (S.Barnes)

In 1840, the Great Famine in Ireland, prompted thousands of deprived Irish to immigrate to the US. In fact, “In one year, Boston’s Irish population jumped from 30,000-100,000”(alwala). The Irish came to America in search of a better life and opportunity; however, their struggle extended beyond survival – the Irish were discriminated against and ousted by American society. The ‘elite Bostonian Brahmins’ perceived the Irish as an uncivilized “servant race.” “The Irish were ostracized from American society for many things besides just being newcomers ” (alwala).  This intense discrimination resulted in the development of stereotypes that were misleading generalizations associated with the Irish race. Stereotypes are simplified characteristics associated to a group of people resulting from prejudices; stereotypes are a  form of ‘racial discrimination (alwala).’

Irish stereotypes consisted of: alcoholic and drunken Irishmen, uncivilized and even racially primitive impressions of Irish, violent and abusive Irish, and many others. These stereotypes have been inherited into the modern world, and similar stereotypes of drunk and violent Irish persist. Although stereotypes of drunk and violent Irish have persisted overtime, the reasons for these stereotypes have changed; in the 19^th century theses stereotypes were fueled by nativism, fear of foreign culture and Darwin’s theory. Today, these same stereotypes are sources of entertainment.

Stereotypes of the Irish in the 19^th century were a form of racial discrimination. This discrimination, and the resulting stereotypes, had its roots in American nativism and fear of different cultures.  Americans at the time were faced with a large number of immigrants. The US wanted to assimilate these immigrants to have American ideals and values. The Irish, in particular, was perceived as a race that could never be ‘assimilated.’ Irish were seen as violent and drunk, and they could never hold American values.  This belief led to the common stereotype of the Irish as a violent and drunk race which is illustrated in caricatures of Irish. The “Know Nothing Movement” (Exist) furthered prejudices and resulted in stereotyping. The Know Nothing Movement fought to oust Catholics from public offices. The Irish Catholics were feared, as American’s viewed the Catholic religion as being against the American value of individualism. Movements, like this one, furthered the belief that Irish could never hold American values, and resulted in further discrimination and strengthened stereotyping (Exist).  

The image of violent and drunk Irish was also fueled by a labor struggle that was prevalent in the 19^th century US. Irish immigrants, in a struggle to survive, were willing to take any job to make their livelihood. This resulted in a labor struggle between the Irish and other immigrants including freed slaves. The labor struggle caused many acts of violence between races. This labor struggle furthered the perception of the Irish as a violent race. The labor struggle is indicated by job signs that read “NINA, No Irish Need Apply” (Exist). Signs reading NINA were believed to have been posted in job advertisements to dissuade Irish labor. 

The Irish were also considered uncivilized by the ‘elite.’ This thought was fueled by a prevalent theory at the time, Darwin’s “Theory of Evolution.” In light of this theory, many perceived the Irish to be “… a lower life form, not up to par with the more intellectual white Americans.”(associated) This prejudice is easily recognized in images and cartoons from the time period.

Darwin’s theory, nativism, and fear of foreign cultures resulted in a century of discrimination for the Irish. The Irish were viewed as a ‘menace’ to American society and were similar to the African American slaves.  Americans believed that The Irish could never be assimilated to learn American values. The Irish were perceived as a threat.

This perception of the Irish led to prejudices, which can be seen in the cartoons and caricatures of Irish in the time. Many cartoons from the 19^th century portray the drunken, violent, apelike Irish. [Please refer to Picture 1] In this particular picture, an Irishman is seen brandishing a gun and a bottle. This portrays the typical “drunken and violent” stereotype, a result of American nativism and fear of different cultures. The picture illustrates pronounced, apelike features; furthering the prejudice that Irish were uncivilized. This was derived from Darwin’s “Theory of evolution.” Finally, the portrayal of a drunk, violent, ape-like Irishman sitting on gun powder, that threatens the US, depicts the larger concern of the time – the inability to assimilate Irish. This cartoon portrays stereotypes of the Irish during the time

Two of these stereotypes have persisted over time into modern day American. Today many still picture the Irish to be drunk and violent. “Irish cops on TV, Notre dame; the Fighting Irish, pubs advertising “green beer”…”(Exist), are all examples of stereotypes. The drunk and violent Irish stereotype remains unchanged over time, and is still prevalent in modern day America. Although, some of the stereotypes of the Irish remain the same, the reasons and the roots for these stereotypes have changed. Today Irish Stereotypes are not fueled by fear of immigration, American nativism or a labor struggle; today’s stereotypes are predominantly a result of the entertainment industry. Today, racial discrimination is seen as a source of humor. The use of stereotypes to entertain can be seen in the depiction of WWF wrestler FInlay. [Please see picture 2] In this picture Finlay is seen in ‘green’ violently fighting his opponent. He seems savage and wild. This impression is very similar to many caricatures of the Irish from the 19^th century. This stereotype is furthered by playing Irish music when Finlay enters the wrestling ring. Finlay also has an assistant who is a ‘leprechaun.’ All these factors add to the typical violent and fighting Irish stereotype. Today, this stereotype is being used to entertain fans for commercial reasons. The same stereotype in the 19^th century was an extension of American nativism and fear of foreign cultures (Exist).

[Please see picture 3] A second picture taken of a drunken, silly looking, Irishman prior to the Saint Patrick’s day festival; is similar to many cartoons of drunk Irish in the 19^th century. In fact, the person seems somewhat ‘uncivilized.’ This is a modern portrayal of the drunken, uncivilized Irishman. The purpose of this picture is to entertain the viewer; unlike similar cartoons from the 19^th century, this stereotypical image is not a result of Darwin’s theory of evolution or other such factors. Although, the reasons and causes for this image are extremely different from that of the 19^th century, the image is very similar.

In all these cartoons and images, stereotypes have been used for various reasons. However, stereotypes still mark prejudices and racial discrimination. Today’s images of Irish stereotypes may not reflect deep beliefs of Americans and are chiefly for entertainment. However, despite the seemingly innocuous implications of modern stereotypes, alike the 19^th century stereotypes, they are still symbols of racial discrimination. I believe that although the reasons for these images have changed, the use of stereotypes in modern day America to entertain people is representative of racial discrimination. This discrimination of the Irish has persisted ever since the Irish set foot in America, and since “history is written by winners,” it is important to understand the plight of a race that constitutes a large part of America today.

PICTURES: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23261616@N07/?saved=1

 

 

Works Cited

 

alwala, omara. “The Irish in America: 1840’s-1930’s”. website. University of Virginia. <http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug03/omara-alwala/IrishKennedys.html>.

Exist, DoesNot. “Irish Stereotypes: Where Did They Start?”  Ventura, CA, 2007.  (2007): web page. Associated Content. <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/173444/irish_stereotypes_where_did_they_start.html>.

S.Barnes, Michael. “Imagery and Stereotyping: An Explanation”.  2007. Teaching Diversity With Multimedia.  (November 21, 2007): website. The Authentic History Center. <http://www.authentichistory.com/diversity/index.html>.