Jon and Kate, Plus Millions of Female Tabloid Readers

"Jon and Kate, Plus Millions of Female Tabloid Readers"

Even if you don't watch reality television, or television at all for that matter, you'd be hard-pressed to avoid the recent controversy over Kate and Jon Gosselin, and their eight children. The stars of the beloved reality spectacle, Jon and Kate, Plus Eight, are divorcing. Despite salacious rumors about infidelity, they claim that it is just a gradual growing apart and, they add, the media spotlight certainly did help matters. It's hard to feel much empathy for a couple complaining of overexposure when they signed the contract that would expose their entire family, eight little children included, to 24 hour cameras....

Click this post's title to read the entire piece on Feministing.com
Posted by Courtney - June 29, 2009, at 03:22PM | in Media , Motherhood , Popular Culture , Relationships

(Especially if you're in my Gender & Pop Culture Course and SOCS brought you here!)

Gender Ads.Com: An incredibly thorough examination of gender issues in advertising/marketing

I frequently use this blog for acumulating info for current and future sections of Gender and Pop Culture (sort of like my own social bookmarking service).

Because my "real" social bookmark accounts (i.e. clipmarks.com and stumbleupon.com) resemble my blog, Defying Gravitas far more than the Women's & Gender Studies/Feminist content of the course for which I am trying to 'not forget' information I've found :o)...

Back to my original reason for posting...

I found GenderAds.com through XY.com (a site devoted to the study of men, masculinities, and gender from a feminist perspective) and because the paragraph that precedes the quoted material (see below, under link to GenderAds.com), specifically references the National Women's Studies Association (NWSA), I read through the site author's work and it's relevant to my course, quite comprehensive and well done (though hasn't been updated for over a year).

Gender Ads.Com:
"Why This Project addresses the reasons behind the formation of the site. How to Read Ads is an overview of some of the major approaches to the analysis of advertising, including semiotic analyses. Constructions of Gender is a representation of some of the major associations of gender and advertising, and is a good place to begin your study of the topics. Side by Side also offers an introductory approach to the subject, and I have collected side by side comparisons of men and women from major spreads in magazines. Controversy features some of the criticisms of the project that have been provided by viewers and students. Ambiguity addresses the idea that advertising, because of its ambiguous visual and literary messages, is difficult to interpret. Gender Landscape is a study that involves the public displays of billboard advertising, and it makes the point that gender ads are not limited to the “private” screens of print media. The Hall of Shame feature presents some of the most troubling images from the archive, but, in reality, any number of images could be placed on that page. How to Reference is a brief description of how you can reference or link to this site for research purposes."


1. BACKGROUND
What's New?
Why This Project?
How To Read Ads
Constructions
Side By Side
Controversy
Ambiguity
Gender Landscape
Hall of Shame
How to Reference
Comments
Links to This Site

2. FEMALES IN ADS
Roles
Strippers
Normalized Women
Exotics, General
Exotics, WOC
Exotics, Surreal
Feminine As Difficult
As Dolls
As Naggers
Body As Tool
Nymphomania
As Stupid
Consumers
As Nature
Bodies Only
Politics
As Violent
Faux Power
Female Masculinity

3. MALES IN ADS
Males, General
Male Sex
Violence Ag. Males
Males As Culture
Phallic
Male Fantasies
Normalized Males
As Stupid
Male Heroes
Men, In Control
Male Objects

4. TOGETHER IN ADS
Competition
Marriage
Violence
Death
Lesbians
Gay Men
Dual Objectified
Hetero Relations
Sex and Ads
Sexual Violence

5. OBJECTIFICATION
Body Parts I
Body Parts II
No Subject
Sex Object
Dehumanized
As Literal Object
No Product Connection

6. VISUAL MEANS
The Gaze
Wetness
Reductionism
Landscapes
Captured/Controlled
Linguistic Violence
Fear
Legs as Framing
Written On
Contorted

7. SPECIAL FEATURES
Billboards
A&F
Rejected Ads
Video Games
Men's Magazines
Man Show
TV Commercials
Progressive Ads
Mock Ads
UK Gender

8. OTHER TROPES
Kids and Ads
Ageism
Racism
Military Ads
Global Ads
Values Ads
Social Class Ads
Miscellaneous Ads

9. RESOURCES
Bibliography
Links
Taking Action
Educator Resources

Inserted from <http://www.genderads.com/>

Disney's Prepackaged Weddings from: The Fix | Salon Arts & Entertainment

The Fix | Salon Arts & Entertainment:
Disney weddingsFairy-tale weddings for all:
Gay marriage is OK in the Magic Kingdom -- gay couples can now participate in Disney's popular Fairy Tale Weddings program. Disney Parks and Resorts spokesman Donn Walker says the move to include gay couples 'is consistent with our policy of creating a welcoming, respectful and inclusive environment for all of our guests.' Until recently, Disney allowed gay couples to organize their own ceremonies at its resorts, but didn't allow them to buy the Fairy Tale Wedding packages, which start at $8,000 and include a wedding planner, the ceremony, food and beverages, flowers and table decorations. The 'Lavish Wedding' option includes a ride to the ceremony in a Cinderella coach, costumed trumpeters heralding the couple's arrival, and attendance by Mickey and Minnie Mouse characters dressed in formal attire. But Disney has predictably incurred the wrath of religious conservatives, including the Southern Baptist Convention, which lifted an eight-year boycott of Disney -- for things like giving health benefits to same-sex partners of employees -- in 2005. (Fox News)"

Carol Burnett Sues Cartoon/Animated TV Show - Family Guy

I found this on Clipmarks this morning - it was clipped by Eric W - a few students are blogging on Family Guy; therefore, a little litigation-related news is an interesting addition to the discourse on pop culture :o)

clipped from today.reuters.com LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian Carol Burnett has filed a copyright infringement suit against the makers of Fox TV's cartoon sitcom "Family Guy" over an episode poking fun at the performer and her variety show from the 1960s and '70s. The suit, which seeks at least $2 million in damages, also says the cartoon episode used a "slightly altered version" of the copyrighted musical theme to "The Carol Burnett Show" without permission from the 73-year-old entertainer. A spokesman for 20th Century Fox Television, which produces "Family Guy," said on Friday the suit was without merit and that references to Burnett and her show in an 18-second sequence of the cartoon amounted to parody.

StumbleUpon | IndependentMind's web site reviews and blog

StumbleUpon | IndependentMind's web site reviews and blogStumbleUpon | IndependentMind's web site reviews and blog

Corporate Internet Branding History Identity & Logo Design

This site is amazing to see--especially when you give any of the logos some thought -- just look at one-- do you have a particular emotion? non-happy ones count too! Do you have a personal memory or connection that you thought of when you saw one of the logos?

Corporate Internet Branding History Identity & Logo Design

clipped from http://www.historyofbranding.com/