HBO to Netflix The speculation around Viacom's disconcerting performance detailed in "Viacom is Having a Midlife Crisis" by Felix Gillette was especially eye-opening in relation to mass media and how I think about TV/entertainment today. I don't really watch TV or any of the "popular" networks under Viacom's umbrella. However, I do occasionally watch Friday Night Lights and … [Read more...]
Industrial Production of Culture: MTV VMAs
Clayton Rosati's article, MTV: 360° of the Industrial Production of Culture, is largely about the conditions under which culture is produced by media corporations for the purpose of accumulating global capital. The four most crucial aspects of the industrial production of culture are the "competitive consolidation of advertising platforms,... precise modes of data collection, … [Read more...]
Kaepernick’s return
As a large part of my paper in theory deals with America's reaction to athletes speaking out on social injustices, the case study referring to the sports-industrial complex tied in very neatly to the frame of mind I am in right now. It also seems very timely, as Colin Kaepernick made his return as a starter in the NFL yesterday. Like most spectators, I was much more interested … [Read more...]
Sports as a Rite of Passage
In their article, Besnier and Brownell discuss the concept of liminality and the differentiation of game from ritual. They reference at least one scholar who warns against the overuse of the word ritual, likely believing that if the term is applied too indiscriminately, the social power and influence of “true” rituals might be considered less valuable. However, it seems to me … [Read more...]
National Identity and Globalization: “Orange Nation”
Lechner's article, "Orange Nation: Soccer and National Identity in the Netherlands," was particularly interesting as I hadn't really thought much before about the relationship between sports and national identity. Lechner argues that globalization creates a national identity in the Netherlands through the medium of Dutch soccer and the world cup. He goes on to assert that … [Read more...]
