Blog #2

As I was reading Culture Jam I went through an array of emotions and thoughts at what Lasn had written. When I read the section about the Manchurian Consumer ( aka product placement advertising, pages 37-41) I was shocked when I realized how accurate some of the portrayals were. We are so accustomed to seeing product placements in our everyday lives that we have become numb, almost immune to them. I took a moment to look around my room at all the items I had, a min-fridge, TV, protein mix, shoes, etc... and tried to take in all the product logos. I was overwhelmed, almost every piece of clothing or electronics had a brand mark or logo prominently displayed on it. And without realizing it, everyday when I wear my Adidas backpack or my North Face jacket I am actually marketing those products for those companies without receiving any type of reimbursement. When I watch TV or walk around campus I see all these indirect advertisements and while I don't consciously respond to them, I'm sure that somehow subconsciously they affect my purchasing decisions. Shippensburg University has a partnership with Pepsi products, and because of that partnership I am only subjected to Pepsi products. Now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time I bought a non-Pepsi product at Wal-Mart or anywhere else the last time I bought soda.

While I progressed farther into Culture Jam, the next section that grabbed my attention was The Cult You're In (pages 52-57). In this section Lasn discusses how everyone in America has joined a cult at some point in their life, usually without even realizing it. He tries to tell us that although we don't wear robes or perform ceremonies, we are nonetheless a "cult". Our society judges us by the things we wear and who we associate with. I thought about how when I was in high school I would buy Under Armour to work out in because that was what you were suppose to wear if you played football. I realized that since I came to college I did less of what I would consider to be "buying acceptance" but I still did to a point. At my summer internship I wanted to be considered competent, but I was an intern with a three year old phone working at an IT consulting firm; how could I be taken seriously? So the first thing I purchased with my paycheck was a new, state of the art smart phone; now I would be taken seriously. But looking back on that decision I feel foolish. Why did I think that just because I had  a phone like all the consultants I would be taken more seriously?

The last section in the Culture Jam I will write about was the part about the Unofficial History of America (pages 65-71). It was during this section that I noticed I became angry at what Lasn had written. How could he allege that America had allowed itself to be taken over by corporations. But as I read more and more I found out that I was no longer angry at Lasn, but instead at America for letting corporations do that. While I had heard about the 1886 U.S. Supreme Court case, Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad, from my US Government and Politics class, I had never understood what the ruling what actually meant until today. Quoting what Lasn had said, "They could defend and exploit their rights and freedoms more vigorously than any individual and therefore were more free". This quote really disturbed me because I realized it was completely true. After the ruling, corporations could basically do whatever they pleased because they were protected by the Bill of Rights and could do or say whatever they chose to do.

I regarded the video clips from Second Skin as amusing but for some reason I felt empathy for the people. I could relate somewhat with the gamers, as I have played World of Warcraft and other MMORPGs before. However, the part that I can't relate with is when they become so caught up in the virtual world that they lose sight of the real world. While I used to play games up to ten hours a day before, I could never imagine doing that again. But even when I was at my worst I would still perform my other responsibilities such as going to work or class. I can't see how people can get so caught up in the game that they can't even tear themselves away to eat, sleep or even use the bathroom.

It occurred to me that the connection between the two topics was clearer than I thought. Both discuss the reasons people make the purchases they do or submerse themselves in a virtual realm over a real one; for acceptance. On one hand people may think that by having the right car or the best brand of shoes they'll be accepted. And on another hand people that aren't accepted in the "real" society look to their virtual world where they can be anyone they want to be.

Introduction

Hey all,
This is Rich Sopko, I'm 22 years old and I’m a senior Management Information Systems (MIS) major here at SU. I’m involved with the co-ed professional business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi (rush starts Monday the 24th), and I’m president of the MIS organization. I like to play pickup games of basketball, volleyball, racquetball, soccer, etc… I also like to play Xbox 360, mainly Halo Reach and CoD: BO. I’m interning at Capital Blue Cross in Harrisburg as a software engineer, but I have a job set up for after graducation with Deloitte Consulting. I’m in this class because I needed to finish off my category B general education requirements. I decided on this class when I heard about not having to write book reports and just blogging responses. I recently renewed my interest in reading a few weeks before the semester started, and the first book I read was “The Girl With the Dragoon Tattoo” by Stieg Larsson and it was excellent. I’m currently reading “The Girl Who Played With Fire” and can’t put it down. I listen to any type of music, and I mean any from oldies to country to rap. I don’t watch a lot of TV since I’m always busy with classes, clubs or work; but I do watch a lot of movies through Netflix or stream TV shows on my computer. I have to admit to watching Jersey Shore and I also watch Spartacus and Law and Order: SVU. My past experiences with literature include personal readings and assigned readings from classes. In my opinion literature can be anything that tells a story or provokes the brain into thinking about a subject.