A new vision of pop culture

After 3 months of course, here's the day of reckoning. This course has given me a lot, both on theoretical approach and on text analysis methods.

If I had to pick two things from this course, it would be the unit on narrative perspective and the unit on neo-marxist perspective.

I loved the part about the narrative perspective because it allows me to have a new vision on the elements of pop culture, especially the elements of fiction. Indeed, the fact to analyze, for example, motivations and intentions of a person based solely on these actions. Because of this course, I would never see a text in the same way! I will need to find what is the "hidden meaning" in any element of pop culture.

I also liked the section on neo-marxist perspective because it has a very interesting angle. Indeed, I found really relevant the notions of hegemony and ideology and the fact to analyze it in a text just make it more interesting.
I think the neo-marxist perspective can be considered the most "negative" because it will show things that will not please everyone, but I think it's also the truest.

Our society is primarily a society in which an ideology has taken over others. Therefore, this ideology is also transmitted in the cultural elements of this society, and even more pop. culture. So I feel that analyzing a text in terms neo-marxist, it is primarily analyze the ideological power of the society.

To conclude, I would say that this course has been very constructive on my way to see the elements of pop. Culture. Whenever I would look at a series or a movie, I could not help but think about this course and theories that we saw!

Womens in upcoming superheroes movies

In the upcoming superheroes movie, womens will play a much larger role than in the previous ones. For instance, Marvel Studios have planned to make a film about Captain Marvel, which is one of the most powerful superhero in the Marvel  universe. DC Comics has planned to release a film about Wonderwoman, a superhero who returns a strong and independent woman image.

Why these films out now and what will be the impact?

We live in an era where women emancipated more and more from its role as the "traditional" housewife.
With the evolution of morals, women have become more independent, stronger (At least in Western societies) and are totally different from the womens 40 years ago.
It is normal to see them appear more in the mainstream media and they play inspirational and motivational roles such as super heros

One can believe that the release of these films will have a positive impact on women and they will be sensitive to the values ​​of superheroes.

In a society where feminism is growing, it is also believed that the producers are looking to target new audience : The strong women who recognize themselves in the super-hero.

Let's hope that producers will not put in the foreground the sexy side of superheroes in order to attract a male audience.

ESports: ephemeral phenomenon or new mass movement?

Recently, a new phenomena has emerged in our society: Esport. This is actually the video game at a competitive level. This means that players are professionals and they are paid to play. 
The eSports has particularly developed during the last 3 years and has become a major phenomenon. Games that have contributed to the success and reputation of the League of Legends eSports are, Dota or StarCraft. 

But is eSports is a movment that will fade quickly or is it a new mass movement? I personally think the Esport will exist for a long time and will know its peak in 5 to 10 years. 
The first reason that I think is simply the number of people who follow him. For example, the World Final game League Of Legends in 2013 was attended by over 32 million viewers around the world. This year the figure increased further, the final taking place even in a stadium that was used for the World Cup Soccer! 

In a society where 50% of people are gamers, it seems doubtful to see such a phenomenon fade. 
The Esport is also a very professional environment. More and more major brands like Samsung or Pringles have realized the potential of this discipline and began to sponsor teams, tournaments for sums amounting to several million dollars. The Esport has become a new grail for investors, finding in this trend, profitability ensured for the number of people affected by these video games. 

Finally, critics argue that this is not a virtual world and have nothing to do with reality and "real" life. Yet outside of the game, the Esport is unifying allowing millions of people to meet, united by a common passion. In the countries of Europe and North America, more and more events are created, attracting an average of several thousand spectators and themed video games at a competitive level. 

So I think esport a very bright future, and for now it is only the foundation of a movement that will become more and more elaborate over time and the development of new technologies.

Memes : Self Portrait of the Internet Culture

The memes are phenomena that are repeated and declined massively on the Internet. It can be a sentence, a picture, a word or an idea whose destiny is to spread to blogs, social networking or community sites (ex : 9gag)

They are interesting to analyze because they are artifacts for the entire Internet community. Used at the base to make people laugh, it is possible that the meme is a self-portrait of those who create them.
The humor is based on the same understanding of the image or phrase from other members of the community who share the same language or the same lifestyle. For example, the language used most often in the memes, is unique to the community language. Indeed, the basic language is English, but the grammar and syntax approximate. Thus, instead of saying "Why you no", we'll say " y u no ". As the traditional "What the fuck" was replaced by "dafuq."

 Topics covered by the memes often refer to pop culture (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, video games ..) because it is shared by all members of the community. Without knowing the reference hidden behind the meme, it is difficult for the average person to understand humor.

The meme is the representation of a geek community humor that does not hesitate to make fun of those who are not insiders: The Nerd Girl, Grandma on the Internet etc. ..

But the meme can also be interpreted as a self-portrait of the person who is the author. Many memes purpose humorous depict people who stay in front of their computers all day without going to the toilet or letting himself starve. Although it is ironic self-regard, it is also accompanied by a need for recognition from those who like and broadcast these posts. Through these actions, the author of the meme will be able to reassure his behavior, saying he is not alone in this and that it can continue to live his life as he sees fit.

The most concrete example is the famous meme "Forever Alone". If these representations it is intended to make people laugh, it also demonstrates a form of loneliness on the part of the author. By publishing his story, he will then hope to find a form of support from other Internet users who are distributed and likes his job.

In conclusion, if Internet memes are primarily a form of humorous expression, they can also be a form of anxiety or fears.

The Superheroes : Vectors of a modern ideology

Since they exist, superheroes are a reflection of the society and its ideologies. They embody the values ​​of a community and provide a model of education for all people who learn about their adventures. 

For example, Captain America, which was created in 1940, is a great soldier but emerges above all the image of American power during World War II and show how the United States are the "liberator from oppression." 

Similarly, the arrival of Iron Man in the 90s coincided with the beginning of the digital era and new technology. The highly advanced equipment of Iron Man again seeks to strengthen American power, showing that USA is ahead of the world in technology. 

But over time, the society and its values ​​are likely to evolve, mainly for political, economic, demographic, and historical reasons. Thus, the values defended by superheroes can appear as obsolete or outdated. This is why they are also evolving, to correspond more to the realities of society. 

It is in this context that Thor, god of thunder and male hero par excellence, will become a woman. Indeed, in a society where equality Man-Woman is no longer a myth, it was time for women to have a greater role in comic books. But transform Thor into a woman rather than creating a new female superhero also show that the authors of comics are keen to prove that society is changing. 

It's the same for Captain America, which will now be a black superhero. A hero as patriotic needs to reflect the realities of a country. In view of the demographic and ethnic changes in the USA in recent years, it seems consistent that Captain America become a black superhero. 

Although these projects have many critics, it seems logical to evolve superheroes to match them to the reality of today.