American Dream The American Dream was once known to immigrants as their reasoning for coming to America. Since the great wave of immigration there has been much change in this concept. The American Dream is no longer associated with words such as the “Melting Pot”, “Roads paved with gold”, etc. The visual of the American Dream now involves money, status, power, celebrity. Little boys want to grow up to be powerful, successful, and rich. Little girls want to grow up to be famous, captivating, and rich. What was once a term that meant working hard for a new chance in life is now meant to be rich enough where you can have everything you could ever want and more.
The Modern American Dream is now one that involves power more than anything else. The goal is to grow up and have large success. In the old American Dream it would be to come to America and become a citizen, and find a way to bring your family over to the New World. This has somewhat stayed the same in the essence that a realistic dream is to grow up and land a steady job that you can support a family with- “The industrialization of the 19th and 20th centuries began to erode the dream, replacing it with a philosophy of "get rich quick".”
Many people have changed their beliefs on the American Dream due to our current economic downturn. The think that a fulfilled American Dream isn’t possible because of the current economy. A survey in 2008 showed that eight in ten Americans said that the current economy was a major stressor in their lives- and that was two years ago! The economy has only steadily decreased since then.
Personally, I think the American Dream is something that will always roll with the changes. What people are striving for is going to change given what’s happening in society. The American Dream has changed numerous times before and it will continue to do so. Think about all the different eras in recent history: The 20’s was a Women’s movement time with the progressive and prohibition eras. The 50’s was a time for the “All American Image” and was very centered on family ideals, etc etc. So even using those few examples, it shows that just as with everything else in our history, ideals will change. The things we want most in life won’t be the same in 10 years, let alone 100. A changing American Dream is the norm.
------------------------------> The TV show American Dreams showcased a life set in the 50's following a family surrounded by war, the economy, and the changing times faced in the time period of the 50's. The ideals and the way that people acted during that time are an example of our changing American Dream. For many people, the 50's are viewed as the best time in American History, when images such as the one shown in the American Dreams picture, or a scene out of Grease show up. It was a time where everything was at ease- the depression was over, and prosperity was beginning to happen for many. Jobs at the time were mainly agricultural and industrial, rock and roll music was starting to emerge and this new idea called the TV was starting to become a part of regular life.
Now, it's families like John and Kate plus 8, and the TV is what started them in the first place. In the 50's a conservative image is how I would describe a family , but now that is anything but the norm. There are more and more families making reality shows and broadcasting their lives on TV (Keeping up with the Kardashians, Pretty Wild, The Osbourne's, Tori & Dean, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, 19 Kids and Counting, and more)
The American Dream will be different for every different American because we all want different things for ourselves. The American Dream started off as one collective idea and has broadened to one different idea for everyone. The dream of someone who has one big family will change to someone that is unmarried etc etc. But what has stayed the same is that America is where people expect for these dreams to come true.
Representation of Difference
Through the introduction of "Reality TV" into Pop Culture, our society is portrayed many different ways.
Through the Bravo TV show series Real Housewives of Orange County, we have a taste of what living a privileged life is like. Bravoalso is the host to other housewives in - Real Housewives of New Jersey, New York, and Atlanta. Specifically in the Orange County season, we follow the lives of Tamra, Vicki, Gretchen, Lynn, Gina and newcomer Alexis. In the Real Housewives of New York City you meet Bethany, Jill, Luann, Romona, and Alex and newcomer Sonja.
Each live fabulous, upper class lives and have generally no cares bigger than when they will fit in their
mani/pedis and shopping excursions with their friends. In the opening credits of their season they all are quoted with saying one specific line that sums up who they are. In the newest season of Real Housewives of NYC, Sonja's line is "I have a taste for luxury and luxury has a taste for me." The lives they lead seem like pure fiction to anyone who doesn't live the same type of lifestyle. It's not until the most recent season of the R.H. of Orange County that you being to see the difference of their society and the societies of the less privileged merge. This happens through the bitter struggle between Tamra and her husband Simon through their marriage and the foreclosure of Lynne's house due to the fact they her husband hid costs of their new home. For the first time, you begin to see the Housewives actually have a struggle in their lives. Tamra's life becomes more "normal" given the need to search for a job and then ultimately downsize and sell her house. Lynn is also involved in what may or may not become a divorce when her husband, Frank, experience huge financial problems over their house. Her husband "neglected" to tell her about a down payment on a house they had bought and ultimately got evicted. This theme of living beyond your means has become a reoccurring theme is other works of TV too. Finally the theme of living in excess money enough where you could roll around in money is finally coming around to reality. Janae Hatcher wrote an article titled "Reality shows present fake reality" and explains that TV shows are edited and people act a certain way in front of a camera.
The messages that TV shows are sending about reality are non inconclusive. They show a lifestyle that everyone would certainly like to have but not many can achieve. The themes that are believed to be in the series are as follows: Theme 1: Extreme materialism is normal.
Theme 2: Wanting something for nothing.
Theme 3: Wanting something in exchange for something other than hard work.
Theme 4: "We have morals."
Theme 5: "I behave like X, but tell my children not to behave like X."
Theme 6: I work hard, so I deserve to play hard.
Theme 7: Knowledge is valuable if it helps you make money.
Theme 8: Wealth = achievement.
Theme 9: My family means everything to me--10 minutes a week.
Theme 10: Responsibility is cultivated through having something, not through doing something.
Going from a television series such as The Real Housewives and others where wealth is shown in excess to a real reality show such a American Idol or other shows where people aren't having their lives completely taped and shows who people really are.The changes that happen in people shows the contrast between the two different types of "Reality". The theme of showing who someone really is and the background story that comes along with it showcases a more believable human. More people are able to relate to a "Susan Boyle" or even a "Snookie" than they can to a Real Housewife. This is why 50% of all those watching television are watching American Idol if it's on, because it's easier to relate to the person trying to get somewhere than the woman on TV showcasing her lavish lifestyle. For girls in the age range of 12-17, 3 out of 4 of their favorite TV shows are reality TV.
In the newest issue of People magazine, Sarah Silverman has an interview in which she is quoted as saying "Shows like The Real Housewives and the Bachelor [are her guilty pleasure]. I'm terrified this is what [young] people are going to think adults are supposed to be like. It makes me feel like I am actually a good influence on kids."
I agree with this statement, even just from my own ideas surrounding the shows. It's almost impossible for a teenager to not see that show and want their life to turn out that way, at least that's my reaction. To use a specific vain example, every time i watch the Real Housewives Orange County, I want to be tanner, have fake nails, and get extensions in my hair. It is normal for teenagers to lust after unrealistic things, and watching people have achieved these things only makes the want greater. Although it's the few people that do actually achieve it makes no difference.
Growing Up Female in America
Sexualization of children is becoming an increasing and strange trend. A very famous ad that illustrates a very early example of this is the famous 1980 Brooke Shields Calvin Klein jeans ad with the logo “nothing comes between my Calvin’s and I” The ad was shot when she was 15 and instantly became controversial. The ongoing trend has and still does continue after Brooke Shield's ad. Britney Spears at the height of her popularity had many little controversies such as her "Baby One more Time" music video, and a Rolling Stones cover of her. Most recently, Miley Cyrus continues to be a topic of debate for overexposure from pictures she has taken of herself to the pictures that were shot of her for her Vanity Fair article. Girls often look up to celebrities for guidance and as role models of who they want to be when they grow up. With stories and people like these making the main news waves, it sheds light on a negative image of the way girls should behave and what they should be like.
It is no surprise that while watching TV we are bombarded by millions of ads trying to get us to buy this product, wear this outfit, look this way, but children too are susceptible to the marketing industry. Psychologist Allen D. Kanner, graduate of Berkley, says that due to ads children experience “narcissistic wounding” from ads and that they “feel inferior if they don’t have an endless array of new products.” Parents are starting to see an effect of this on their children as well even with something like food- 69.5% of parents say that their child has asked for food that was advertised on TV. 87.2% say that their kids have asked to buy food containing TV or movie character on the package. Finally, 80.0% of parents agree fully or to some extent that the government should put more controls on TV that advertise to children. If a child watches the average of two and a half hours per day, (mainly commercial TV) he or she will see around 75 advertisements in a day, or around 22,000 per year. This can lead to a feeling of vulnerability or sensitivity of body image during the teen adolescence years for girls.
Seeing the types of images on TV, in magazines, in billboards and etc. on what we are supposed to look like as females is horrifying. The standards that models are held to is already near impossible but with the addition and ability of Photoshop and other picture altering programs, the image that is being set for females is anything but “normal”. And of course, what young girl is going to look at a size 00 model that is beyond gorgeous and think to themselves “I don’t need to look like that, it’s photo shopped.”? No one! It’s no wonder that between 5%-10% of females suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.
Changes and pressures generally seem to appear most frequently in transition phases, most commonly from middle school to high school but also from elementary school to middle school as well. Many problems are sparked by puberty changes such as growth spurts, weight fluxuations. Body image problems have been calculated to occur most commonly in white upper and middle class communities. Depression is also an alarming problem that is steadily increasing among teenage girls. Statistics for depression among adolescent girl include rates for having a major depressive episode anywhere from 7% to 10% of all adolescents. For girls, this problem is twice as likely to happen than it is to a boy. Less severe depression problems occur with 35% of all teenagers in which they experience a time frame of having a seriously depressed mood and increased depression symptoms. One study shows that these symptoms usually start to occur at age 14 for girls and that sometimes younger teenagers have tougher life changes than teenagers that are older than them.
The pressures that are put on teenagers make these statistics become even more common. Every time a girl sees a beautiful model on her favorite magazine, she will compare herself to her. Every time she gets a bad grade, she will put herself down and compare herself to someone that did better than her. Every time she likes a boy that doesn’t like her back, she will instantly assume that something is wrong with her. The pressures and standards that girls growing up today make them susceptible to more problems growing up in the future.
The Political Landscape
I chose this cartoon for my political landscape portion because it seems to be a problem that doesn’t go away. When Theodore Roosevelt was president, there is a quote of his saying “We have one language here, and that is the English language, and we intend to see that the [assimilation] crucible turns our people out as Americans.” But, it is more complex than that, there are many pros and cons to the matter and each side has reasonable explanations for whether or not they believe the United States should have an official language.
For many people, making English the official language of the United States is really the only option. Many people argue that even though English would be “official” that doesn’t mean the only language. 30 states in America have already set English as their official language and say that this doesn’t prevent their government agencies from using other languages. They say that using English as the official language would mean that it’s easier for the government to act officially when it has English as the official language. The main argument for the officiating of our language is that it would “reinforce America's historic message to new immigrants - that we expect them to learn English as the first step in their assimilation”. About 87% of Americans support making English the official language. The most common reason cited for this support is for the unification they believe it would bring to our country. In the election of Arizona in 2006, a campaign for making English the official language is that it would save money by preventing the need to translate state/government documents into different languages. Arguments against making an official language are just as strong. Many people believe that we have gone so long without one that why bother now? Many people believe it will hinder both immigration and the success of immigrants already here who haven’t been forced to make English their first language. It is often argued that English is believed to be one of the hardest languages to use because of the contractions and rules that follow along with it, so making someone be forced to learn it is too demanding.
This text uses the image of a group session to get its point across. This political cartoon, I believe, is in favor of making English the official language because it would make political processes easier, most especially decision making so that everyone could clearly follow along. It singles out those that don’t speak English as their official language and a somewhat point out that it’s possible that this might be happening.
My opinion on the matter of English being an official language is very torn. I can see both sides of the story but I believe if I was an immigrant I would be very hesitant about the pressure to have to learn this new, complex language when I had already grown so accustomed to mine. Yet, at the same time it's what should be expected upon emigrating to a new home. I wouldn't expect to be able to move to a new, foreign country and be able to live off of just speaking English.
American Dream
The American Dream was once known to immigrants as their reasoning for coming to America. Since the great wave of immigration there has been much change in this concept. The American Dream is no longer associated with words such as the “Melting Pot”, “Roads paved with gold”, etc. The visual of the American Dream now involves money, status, power, celebrity. Little boys want to grow up to be powerful, successful, and rich. Little girls want to grow up to be famous, captivating, and rich. What was once a term that meant working hard for a new chance in life is now meant to be rich enough where you can have everything you could ever want and more.
The Modern American Dream is now one that involves power more than anything else. The goal is to grow up and have large success. In the old American Dream it would be to come to America and become a citizen, and find a way to bring your family over to the New World. This has somewhat stayed the same in the essence that a realistic dream is to grow up and land a steady job that you can support a family with- “The industrialization of the 19th and 20th centuries began to erode the dream, replacing it with a philosophy of "get rich quick".”
Many people have changed their beliefs on the American Dream due to our current economic downturn. The think that a fulfilled American Dream isn’t possible because of the current economy. A survey in 2008 showed that eight in ten Americans said that the current economy was a major stressor in their lives- and that was two years ago! The economy has only steadily decreased since then.
Personally, I think the American Dream is something that will always roll with the changes. What people are striving for is going to change given what’s happening in society. The American Dream has changed numerous times before and it will continue to do so. Think about all the different eras in recent history: The 20’s was a Women’s movement time with the progressive and prohibition eras. The 50’s was a time for the “All American Image” and was very centered on family ideals, etc etc. So even using those few examples, it shows that just as with everything else in our history, ideals will change. The things we want most in life won’t be the same in 10 years, let alone 100. A changing American Dream is the norm.
The TV show American Dreams showcased a life set in the 50's following a family surrounded by war, the economy, and the changing times faced in the time period of the 50's. The ideals and the way that people acted during that time are an example of our changing American Dream. For many people, the 50's are viewed as the best time in American History, when images such as the one shown in the American Dreams picture, or a scene out of Grease show up. It was a time where everything was at ease- the depression was over, and prosperity was beginning to happen for many. Jobs at the time were mainly agricultural and industrial, rock and roll music was starting to emerge and this new idea called the TV was starting to become a part of regular life.
Now, it's families like John and Kate plus 8, and the TV is what started them in the first place. In the 50's a conservative image is how I would describe a family , but now that is anything but the norm. There are more and more families making reality shows and broadcasting their lives on TV (Keeping up with the Kardashians, Pretty Wild, The Osbourne's, Tori & Dean, Gene Simmons Family Jewels, 19 Kids and Counting, and more)
The American Dream will be different for every different American because we all want different things for ourselves. The American Dream started off as one collective idea and has broadened to one different idea for everyone. The dream of someone who has one big family will change to someone that is unmarried etc etc. But what has stayed the same is that America is where people expect for these dreams to come true.
Representation of Difference
Through the introduction of "Reality TV" into Pop Culture, our society is portrayed many different ways.
Through the Bravo TV show series Real Housewives of Orange County, we have a taste of what living a privileged life is like.
Bravo also is the host to other housewives in - Real Housewives of New Jersey, New York, and Atlanta.
Specifically in the Orange County season, we follow the lives of Tamra, Vicki, Gretchen, Lynn, Gina and newcomer Alexis. In the Real Housewives of New York City you meet Bethany, Jill, Luann, Romona, and Alex and newcomer Sonja.
Each live fabulous, upper class lives and have generally no cares bigger than when they will fit in their
mani/pedis and shopping excursions with their friends. In the opening credits of their season they all are quoted with saying one specific line that sums up who they are. In the newest season of Real Housewives of NYC, Sonja's line is "I have a taste for luxury and luxury has a taste for me." The lives they lead seem like pure fiction to anyone who doesn't live the same type of lifestyle. It's not until the most recent season of the R.H. of Orange County that you being to see the difference of their society and the societies of the less privileged merge. This happens through the bitter struggle between Tamra and her husband Simon through their marriage and the foreclosure of Lynne's house due to the fact they her husband hid costs of their new home. For the first time, you begin to see the Housewives actually have a struggle in their lives. Tamra's life becomes more "normal" given the need to search for a job and then ultimately downsize and sell her house. Lynn is also involved in what may or may not become a divorce when her husband, Frank, experience huge financial problems over their house. Her husband "neglected" to tell her about a down payment on a house they had bought and ultimately got evicted.
This theme of living beyond your means has become a reoccurring theme is other works of TV too. Finally the theme of living in excess money enough where you could roll around in money is finally coming around to reality. Janae Hatcher wrote an article titled "Reality shows present fake reality" and explains that TV shows are edited and people act a certain way in front of a camera.
The messages that TV shows are sending about reality are non inconclusive. They show a lifestyle that everyone would certainly like to have but not many can achieve. The themes that are believed to be in the series are as follows:
Theme 1: Extreme materialism is normal.
Theme 2: Wanting something for nothing.
Theme 3: Wanting something in exchange for something other than hard work.
Theme 4: "We have morals."
Theme 5: "I behave like X, but tell my children not to behave like X."
Theme 6: I work hard, so I deserve to play hard.
Theme 7: Knowledge is valuable if it helps you make money.
Theme 8: Wealth = achievement.
Theme 9: My family means everything to me--10 minutes a week.
Theme 10: Responsibility is cultivated through having something, not through doing something.
Going from a television series such as The Real Housewives and others where wealth is shown in excess to a real reality show such a American Idol or other shows where people aren't having their lives completely taped and shows who people really are.The changes that happen in people shows the contrast between the two different types of "Reality". The theme of showing who someone really is and the background story that comes along with it showcases a more believable human. More people are able to relate to a "Susan Boyle" or even a "Snookie" than they can to a Real Housewife. This is why 50% of all those watching television are watching American Idol if it's on, because it's easier to relate to the person trying to get somewhere than the woman on TV showcasing her lavish lifestyle. For girls in the age range of 12-17, 3 out of 4 of their favorite TV shows are reality TV.
In the newest issue of People magazine, Sarah Silverman has an interview in which she is quoted as saying "Shows like The Real Housewives and the Bachelor [are her guilty pleasure]. I'm terrified this is what [young] people are going to think adults are supposed to be like. It makes me feel like I am actually a good influence on kids."
I agree with this statement, even just from my own ideas surrounding the shows. It's almost impossible for a teenager to not see that show and want their life to turn out that way, at least that's my reaction. To use a specific vain example, every time i watch the Real Housewives Orange County, I want to be tanner, have fake nails, and get extensions in my hair. It is normal for teenagers to lust after unrealistic things, and watching people have achieved these things only makes the want greater. Although it's the few people that do actually achieve it makes no difference.
Growing Up Female in America
Sexualization of children is becoming an increasing and strange trend. A very famous ad that illustrates a very early example of this is the famous 1980 Brooke Shields Calvin Klein jeans ad with the logo “nothing comes between my Calvin’s and I” The ad was shot when she was 15 and instantly became controversial. The ongoing trend has and still does continue after Brooke Shield's ad. Britney Spears at the height of her popularity had many little controversies such as her "Baby One more Time" music video, and a Rolling Stones cover of her. Most recently, Miley Cyrus continues to be a topic of debate for overexposure from pictures she has taken of herself to the pictures that were shot of her for her Vanity Fair article. Girls often look up to celebrities for guidance and as role models of who they want to be when they grow up. With stories and people like these making the main news waves, it sheds light on a negative image of the way girls should behave and what they should be like.
It is no surprise that while watching TV we are bombarded by millions of ads trying to get us to buy this product, wear this outfit, look this way, but children too are susceptible to the marketing industry. Psychologist Allen D. Kanner, graduate of Berkley, says that due to ads children experience “narcissistic wounding” from ads and that they “feel inferior if they don’t have an endless array of new products.” Parents are starting to see an effect of this on their children as well even with something like food- 69.5% of parents say that their child has asked for food that was advertised on TV. 87.2% say that their kids have asked to buy food containing TV or movie character on the package. Finally, 80.0% of parents agree fully or to some extent that the government should put more controls on TV that advertise to children. If a child watches the average of two and a half hours per day, (mainly commercial TV) he or she will see around 75 advertisements in a day, or around 22,000 per year. This can lead to a feeling of vulnerability or sensitivity of body image during the teen adolescence years for girls.
Seeing the types of images on TV, in magazines, in billboards and etc. on what we are supposed to look like as females is horrifying. The standards that models are held to is already near impossible but with the addition and ability of Photoshop and other picture altering programs, the image that is being set for females is anything but “normal”. And of course, what young girl is going to look at a size 00 model that is beyond gorgeous and think to themselves “I don’t need to look like that, it’s photo shopped.”? No one! It’s no wonder that between 5%-10% of females suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.
Changes and pressures generally seem to appear most frequently in transition phases, most commonly from middle school to high school but also from elementary school to middle school as well. Many problems are sparked by puberty changes such as growth spurts, weight fluxuations. Body image problems have been calculated to occur most commonly in white upper and middle class communities. Depression is also an alarming problem that is steadily increasing among teenage girls. Statistics for depression among adolescent girl include rates for having a major depressive episode anywhere from 7% to 10% of all adolescents. For girls, this problem is twice as likely to happen than it is to a boy. Less severe depression problems occur with 35% of all teenagers in which they experience a time frame of having a seriously depressed mood and increased depression symptoms. One study shows that these symptoms usually start to occur at age 14 for girls and that sometimes younger teenagers have tougher life changes than teenagers that are older than them.
The pressures that are put on teenagers make these statistics become even more common. Every time a girl sees a beautiful model on her favorite magazine, she will compare herself to her. Every time she gets a bad grade, she will put herself down and compare herself to someone that did better than her. Every time she likes a boy that doesn’t like her back, she will instantly assume that something is wrong with her. The pressures and standards that girls growing up today make them susceptible to more problems growing up in the future.
The Political Landscape
I chose this cartoon for my political landscape portion because it seems to be a problem that doesn’t go away. When Theodore Roosevelt was president, there is a quote of his saying “We have one language here, and that is the English language, and we intend to see that the [assimilation] crucible turns our people out as Americans.” But, it is more complex than that, there are many pros and cons to the matter and each side has reasonable explanations for whether or not they believe the United States should have an official language.
For many people, making English the official language of the United States is really the only option. Many people argue that even though English would be “official” that doesn’t mean the only language. 30 states in America have already set English as their official language and say that this doesn’t prevent their government agencies from using other languages. They say that using English as the official language would mean that it’s easier for the government to act officially when it has English as the official language. The main argument for the officiating of our language is that it would “reinforce America's historic message to new immigrants - that we expect them to learn English as the first step in their assimilation”. About 87% of Americans support making English the official language. The most common reason cited for this support is for the unification they believe it would bring to our country. In the election of Arizona in 2006, a campaign for making English the official language is that it would save money by preventing the need to translate state/government documents into different languages. Arguments against making an official language are just as strong. Many people believe that we have gone so long without one that why bother now? Many people believe it will hinder both immigration and the success of immigrants already here who haven’t been forced to make English their first language. It is often argued that English is believed to be one of the hardest languages to use because of the contractions and rules that follow along with it, so making someone be forced to learn it is too demanding.
This text uses the image of a group session to get its point across. This political cartoon, I believe, is in favor of making English the official language because it would make political processes easier, most especially decision making so that everyone could clearly follow along. It singles out those that don’t speak English as their official language and a somewhat point out that it’s possible that this might be happening.
My opinion on the matter of English being an official language is very torn. I can see both sides of the story but I believe if I was an immigrant I would be very hesitant about the pressure to have to learn this new, complex language when I had already grown so accustomed to mine. Yet, at the same time it's what should be expected upon emigrating to a new home. I wouldn't expect to be able to move to a new, foreign country and be able to live off of just speaking English.