Bopping is More than a Dance

By Ant Lewis & OJ Purnell

The largest stereotype going around about young black boys is that they will end up either dead or in prison. Unfortunately in current events, this stereotype is very true. However, in American pop culture, bopping, a new dance has decreased the black male incarceration rate and death rate in Chicago last year. Bopping can come from all ages, sizes, and genders. Bopping was really first called ditty bopping by a gang called gangster disciples. Then two kids who goes by the name of lil kemo and dlow started doing backyard, street, and basement videos and people really paid attention to the moves. We chose bopping because it keeps people occupied, and it brings people together. It also keeps young people, especially young black men, off of the streets. The better your moves the bigger your crowd. Parents started booking the bopkingz to come to birthday parties and schools called to book for events, and all the kids looked up to them and wanted to be like them. So if you cannot beat em join em. As time progressed lots of others joined the bopping movement and started uploading videos, and the bopping epidemic just blew out of proportion. Then last year dlow made a bop shuffle called the dlow shuffle which blew up overnight all over the world. Everyone love it and it got him instant fame and recognition. That caused more people to try and invent new shuffles and that got more and more black boys off the streets, and out the ground. Bopping has shaped the black American culture in the toughest neighborhoods, and it is just a matter of time before the death rates, and the amounts of black men locked up decrease. People say bopping is a way to express emotion or even to get a little exercise in, so choose how you want to bop.

Bopping is not just one dance. It is a type of dance. This means there is one basic style but not just one move. You can bop to almost any song, even if it looks funny. Bopping can be incorporated with a lot of other dances, new or old. Bopping makes you think fast and move fast. You are exercising your mind and body. Bopping gives you the opportunity to be creative. It gives you the opportunity to create your own moves or a combination of your own moves. Showing off your nice dance skills and your creativity is not the only opportunity you are opening up for yourself. You are opening up the opportunity to do something positive and get fame and fortune from it. You are creating opportunities for others, believe it or not. You are making a dance popular in your area or continuing the popularity. Someone may like what you are doing and end up joining you and making more opportunities as well. So they are practicing this dance instead of being buried or locked up.  This dance started as just a dance but turned into something more. It is a way to keep kids and young adults, especially young black males, off of the streets. Bopping adds to our course conversations and our understanding of America’s popular pop culture in a few ways. It makes us understand that popular culture is such a broad thing, and it can affect us positively or negatively. Bopping is just a piece of our popular culture that positively affects a large portion of us. This also lets us know that we follow popular culture. This dance is a movement. A positive movement. A stop the violence movement. It can also be a bringing us together movement. It started as a simple dance and pop culture and it’s followers made it more.

Homosexual Marriage

By Kyle Kite & Kate Sawyer

On the topic of homosexual marriage, there are many factors that lean towards the idea of it being legalized somewhere in the near future. A very important concept in this approach is the nature versus nurture conflict. Many people, as seen in this video, argue that being a homosexual is an idea or a thought that can be changed or “fixed”. But these same people, who are mostly religious, fail to realize that their views on homosexuals are the ideas that are being taught. They are also failing to realize the psychological evidence that has recently been discovered about homosexuality being linked to genetics. There was a study done on a pair of siblings, one homosexual and one heterosexual. The study revealed links between the father’s family having homosexuals in their family tree and the mother’s family not having homosexuals in their family. As we all know, genetics can be dominated by one of the parent’s genetics making it more possible for one kid to be a homosexual.

One thing that this video includes is the concept of popular culture taking on and accepting the struggle for homosexual marriage/rights. In the video Macklemore’s One Love is discussed where he openly states that people cannot change who they are. References and songs like this one are very important because of the influence that popular culture has on society. If millions of people listen to the same songs and are influenced by the same kinds of social media, then if more social media revolved around tackling the obstacles of homosexual marriage then more people would be influenced to stand up and fight for it. Popular culture can even encourage people to stand up for themselves, not influence others to stand up for them. The video talks about people who are too scared to openly admit that they are a homosexual. But if pop icons such as Macklemore or anyone else let them know that they support them, it’s possible that they will be encouraged to not accept who they are, but to know that other’s will accept them.

There is one kid in the video who is clearly against homosexual marriage and homosexuality completely. However, when this kid was asked why his views were the way they were, he said that he didn’t know. Now it’s not completely clear but if we were to assume why these kids’ views are what they are, it’s probably because his parents put those ideas in his head. I think what people don’t realize is that we are a new generation who has different ideals, just as our parents were a different generation to their parents. Parents should be letting kids decide what their social ideals are instead of impinging their own on their children. Not only does this promote autonomy but it also allows a gateway for homosexuals to be surrounded by a supportive community rather than a community that tries to tell them that their way of life is false.

All of these factors fight towards one goal and that’s the support of people being supported with who they are. Not what somebody else wants them to be or what they believe they ought to be. The main point being that nobody chooses who they are, who they have feelings for or who they fall in love with. Even people who don’t believe in or support homosexuality can agree with that. So for the future, allow your kids to make their own moral decisions, support your surrounding human beings in what they are and be open minded to things that may seem new because it can save people’s lives and make way for a brighter future.

Why Aren’t We Paid?

By Jovon Morris

My cultural artifact was about how college athletes deserve to be paid. The reason why I picked this topic is because it is a major concern to anyone that is a parent of a student athlete or someone who is a student athlete.  I really feel strongly that student athletes deserve to be paid because of the fact that they put in so much of their time and hard work into their schools and they’re not even getting paid for it. An average athlete puts in more work than an average working American, so that’s about 43 hours plus. Then on top of that they also have to be a full time student as well. Student athletes go through a lot of stuff throughout their time in school. They have the pressure of doing well inside of their classes and also outside on their sports as well. And when the student doesn’t perform well most of the time their scholarship or/and their grades go down as well. The have been many stories saying that most student athletes go to bed hungry because of the fact that they missed their meals because of practice and schoolwork and all these other things as well.  But I think the biggest reason why athletes should be paid in college is because of the fact that all of the money that the colleges make off them is ridiculously high. Div. 1 colleges make millions off of their players and the students don’t see a dime of that in their pockets. But they do see the big pay that the college that they play for is going inside of their coaches’ pockets. The highest paid college coach is the football coach at Alabama University. He makes about seven million dollars a year just by being their coach and his players don’t see no payment being brought to them by the university. I know that the big counter part to this whole argument is that the student athletes shouldn’t expect to receive any payment because the reason that they go to college isn’t for money; it is for an education. But my thing for those who make this statement is that if you were a football player at your school and you were the talk of the town because of the way you play and everyone wanted to be you and wear your jersey to the games and watch you play on the screen every time you come on TV and you’re so famous you’re on a video game that has your name, face, and talents on it. And plus on top of that you’re on commercials and things as well, but because of the rules you can’t be paid for none of it. But you’re the guy that coach is making millions off of and your teammates, would you want to get paid to do what you do as well? This is pop culture American topic because college football is a major thing and is always on TV, but not even that sport — all college sports are famous and watched by millions of fans all over the nation.

Youtube: An Overview

By Emily Sheffer & Scott Mitchell

The news has always been the place to go to be able to know about what is current.  These, that is not the case.  Youtube has taken over the world of the internet.  This invention was brought to us from California and reaches all over the world.  Any little crevice with wifi can access youtube.  This internet site that will bring to a person a video of their choice.  Pop culture underestimates how much youtube has a role in society.   Youtube has a unique way of defining ways in which people live their lives.

Youtube was invented by Chad Hurley of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  These three creators designed their headquarters above a pizzeria and Japanese restaurant in California.  Many investments were made from organizations such as Sequoia Capital and Roelof Botha.  With money being put into this website, it finally got going on February 14, 2005.  The first video posted in April 23, 2005 called Me at the zoo, which can still be viewed.

This site grew extremely fast.  Isn't it obvious?  With easy accessibility and virtually no limitations, people were attracted to Youtube.  At first, it was meant to post videos of funny things, family to see that don’t live near you, lessons given over video, and just for pure entertainment.  That has become the foundation of what Youtube is to people now.  What Youtube is to people now is a way to look at the newest music video, have a good laugh, learn tutorials, get taught homework, and to perform.  A majority of users admit to using Youtube as a way to watch their favorite music video and listening to different types of music.  It brings great ease to consumers.  People return to use Youtube because of the easy accessibility.

Not only do people go to Youtube to listen to music, it is way for young musicians to get recognized for their talents.  A prime example of this happening would be Justin Bieber.  He at first was posting videos to show his family.  Somewhere along the lines, a already famous singer found one of his videos and showed it to his record label.  Not too long afterwards, Justin Bieber was given a record deal and was a instant hit.  Youtube helps changes the lives of many in various different ways.

What is also great about Youtube is it not biased towards anyone.  Any single person can get an account on Youtube and post videos.  The videos can be anywhere from them picking in ingrown hair, to jumping on a trampoline off a roof, to teaching a lesson on quantitive physics.  Millions of people are on at one time.  Not one person is the same.  Every person is unique and Youtube adapts to that with they suggestions and a way for you to bookmark your favorite videos.  Youtube is truly for anyone to know anything.

Three college students had an idea and brought it to life in California with the help of some investors.  They didn’t know that they were going to open up the internet for something the world did not see coming.  Youtube is not just a site for fun and entertainment, it is a place to be found.  You never know who is watching the videos posted on Youtube, and it could just be someone’s lucky day.  Life is now just a little more easy and enjoyable when you have time to relax, have a laugh for a couple minutes while enjoying videos on Youtube.

Snuggie: A Parody

By Alec Landgrebe

Blankets have been around for a very long time.  They have been the go-to item people with a desire for warmth and comfort.  This has all changed as of recently.  Since the invention of the Snuggie, many things in our culture has changed because of it.  It is not just a blanket with sleeves that fits perfectly over your body and caresses you ever so gently.  It is an item that has redefined warmth/coziness and heating bills, and it has granted people total freedom of their hands while also providing warmth.  It has helped improve relationships with significant others, babies, and pets.

The invention of the Snuggie is supposed to help you save money on your heating bill.  This shows us that society is concerned with their spending.  People are willing to save every cent possible wherever they can.  This may mean there has been an increase in stinginess throughout the years.  It may also mean that people are smarter about how they spend money and are more aware of ways to lower their bills.

Snuggies have changed the meaning of warmth and comfort.  Blankets offer warmth to people who plan on staying mostly stationary for a good amount of time.  Snuggies allow you to prance about, free as can be, and stay very comfortable and warm.  This reveals to us the value society puts on convenience.  Blankets do a very satisfactory job of keeping people warm, but society felt there was still something missing, convenience.  This not only shows us societies thirst for convenience, but also its strive to make good things better and never stop improving.

While snuggling with a significant other under a blanket is nice, snuggling with Snuggies on is better.  What if the blanket is too small, or one of you is a blanket thief?  That leaves one person without the pleasures of proper warmth.  This may also lead to an argument, because of the frustrations of being inadequately warmed and/or being screwed by the other people.  Arguments like these are never good for relationships.  They leave both parties feeling down in the dumps.  Luckily, society decided that they value healthy relationships and will do anything possible to make sure couples are happy.

Snuggies may seem like no big deal, and may seem just like any other blanket.  This just simply is not true.  Snuggies have had an effect on our culture and the way in which we think about comfort and heat.  It has benefited relationships across the world by allowing them supreme comfort while snuggling and reducing the amount of arguments between partners over silly, solvable issues.  It has also helped decrease heating bills in every household that has invested in the technology of the snuggie.  All of these benefits provided by the Snuggie show us the values of society.  It tells us what the people in this particular period in time feel the standards of comfort in blankets should be.

Dark-Skinned vs. Light-Skinned

By Stephanie Yancey & Brittney Freeman

African American children and women struggle day to day with what is perceived as beautiful when it comes to skin tone. Imagine being 5 years old and already feeling inferior to those around you. The reason being is because your skin is a little darker than your peers. People try to convince you that you’re ugly or that you are unintelligent. You would think that at 5 years old you wouldn’t have to face that type of prejudice, especially among your own people.

Colorism is a big part of today’s society. Colorism is a practice of discrimination by which those with lighter skin are treated more favorably than those with darker skin. It happens a lot today within the African American community. There’s a debate within the African American community about what’s considered beautiful skin. It’s creating a huge divide. All you see on Facebook now is Team light skinned or Team dark skinned. There should be no “teams” because all skin is beautiful. People shouldn’t be judged based on their skin tone but on their character. Some of us were taught this growing up but it’s not seeming to register with the ones who are promoting teams or whatever. No one is standing up to point out that it is wrong.

Our African American men are saying what they prefer in a woman, which is a woman of lighter skin. Women of darker skin are sometimes looked at as if they are less desirable by people of their own community. They are called names like "monkey" and "coon" and it makes them feel less than a person. The ones who think they are less than beautiful go to the extremes to try to make their skin lighter. They will do anything to feel better about their skin tone, to feel a part of the world. Skin bleaching is a big concept today. Some women will bleach their skin for all their life, not knowing that it’s only possible to lighten the skin one or two tones and that’s not doing much. They use chemical peels, bleaching creams, mercury injections, or even bathing in bleach. They are harming their skin and possibly even giving themselves skin cancer. They are so low in their self-esteem that they are willing to give their life to be what is perceived as beautiful.

It’s not only dark skinned women that struggle with colorism; it's light skinned women too. They get called "light bright," "high yellow," and all sorts of names. Lighter women face so many stereotypes. Some people think that light skinned women think they're above everyone else and they get alienated from their own community because of it. The skin tone that everyone is anxious to be aren’t even happy being lighter. So why is everyone trying to be that when in reality they would be sad and ostracized too? Why does skin tone even matter when in reality no one is happy?

All skin is beautiful and everyone needs to realize that. No skin tone is above anyone else’s. People should be defined by their character as a person and not by what they look like on the outside. Some of us are taught that in school and growing up but as we get older we seem to forget that. Some of us just want to be liked and loved so we go with the flow of colorism. We all need to be our own person and shut down those team light skinned or dark skinned notions. Once we do that it will eventually fade and people within the community will learn to love and respect each other based on character.

Music Today

By Santana Silcott & Elizabeth Pillow

Since the creation of mp3 files and digital music, the music industry and even how we personally approach listening to music has drastically changed. It’s affected not only what we listen to, but how we listen to it, who we share it with, and how we share it. In the past, people would share cassette tapes or vinyl records with friends, typically listening to it together in the same room to share the experience. Now almost everyone gets their music from CD’s or, even more commonly, from an online store. Whether it’s from iTunes or from an illegal, file sharing website, music has gone digital.

It used to be that if you wanted to share your music with friends you’d have to either let them borrow your copy, make them a whole new copy, or the most common way of sharing music, listening with them. These days, not only do you not have to go to someone that you know or to a record shop, you wouldn’t even have to go anywhere. A whole new copy can be instantaneously produced in our, now standard, digital format. Any time, anywhere, for only a dollar, you can get that song that’s been stuck in your head and it’ll only take a click of a button. Another popular way of getting music digitally, especially amongst teens, is pirating. You can also go to file sharing websites and illegally pirate just about any artist you can imagine; one click, two seconds, zero dollars.

Because music is so readily available to anyone and everyone, peoples’ musical horizons have greatly widened. Typically speaking, because you couldn’t sample music and record shops were limited in what they could hold and offer, most people could only choose between a handful of artists they new, liked, and were used to. Now, people are more inclined to try listening to new music from all around the world. It’s free, there’s no hassle, and exploring new music in general can be a lot of fun.

However, there is a consequence to this accessibility and personal exploration that no one quite expected. Due to the fact that our music is so easily accessible that the old- school methods have become nearly archaic, the social element of recorded music has turned into a much more personal experience. This has become especially true with the invention of high-end headphones and small portable music players, such as iPods. It used to be that, if you wanted to listen to your music, you’d have to play it loud and proud for all to hear. Of course headphones have existed for quite some time, even in many of our parents’ or grandparents’ days, but not only would you have to sacrifice sound quality, you’d also have to be anchored to a big clunky machine the whole time. Without a doubt, the days of walking down the street with a ghetto blaster are now long gone.

MP3 files have not only changed the music industry, but also the social aspect of recorded music itself. People listen to so many different types of music in so many different ways. They spend a lot of time being very introverted with music, whereas in the past music was very social pastime. Every song you could ever want is readily available to you with just the click of a button, this simple fact makes people more inclined to listen to all types of music.