Blinded by Headlines: What Lays Underneath by Blair

As a typical 21^st century teenager, I rely on the Internet as a primary source for information on news regarding the outside world. Not only are we dependent on technology, but we also rely on celebrity magazines in order to stay current on all the hot celebrity gossip and national news. According to many, they rely on these magazines in order to stay “in the know.” Can these magazines be considered a staple of American culture? I may not an expert on all these magazines, but I consider People Magazine to be by far the most popular. As a subscriber to this magazine, I have learned how to read and examine its data and in my personal opinion, I believe it is the most reliable.

While investigating this topic, the constant thought that ran through my mind was “how exactly IS a news source deemed reliable?” Although I could not find an answer to that question, I decided to try and figure out the answer on my own. Many times when I peruse the magazine shelves at the grocery store, my attention is immediately caught by the numerous headlines such as “Angelina Can’t Take Brad Anymore,” “Obama Reaches a Breaking Point,” and, “He Cheated on Me.” In fact, it is hard for me to trust these magazines simply because the headlines are so extreme. This makes me wonder where exactly do magazines get their data. I know the majority of People’s data is from interviews, but what about other magazines such as Star and OK?

I chose to examine other teenager’s perspectives on celebrity magazines by creating a survey. Out of 100 responses from high school girls from my school, 52% said they most enjoyed reading People, 10% preferred US Weekly, and 1% favored either Star, InTouch, or OK! Then there were 35% of girls who did not read any of these magazines. Then, when asked which magazine was the most reliable, 54% said People, 4% said US Weekly, 2% said InTouch, none said Star or OK!, and 40% did not know. Like me, most students preferred reading People Magazine and believed that it was the most reliable. Why is this? My theory is that it is because People’s headlines are not overly dramatic. They do not merely focus on celebrity gossip but instead choose to provide information on current events as well as celebrity’s personal lives consisting of more than just who their next lover is. While it may feel as if reading a magazine is like taking a birds eye view into a reality TV show, it is important to watch what you read. Do you really want to spend your $4.99 on magazine that has the most extravagant headline or the one with the most reliable information? Think about that.

"I like girls who wear Abercrombie and fitch..." or do I?

I see those girls walking around the mall carrying their latest buy from Abercrombie and I wonder how they can let the store take control of them, and why would they all want to wear the same thing? I find myself judging them thinking who would want to look like those smutty girls on the walls of Abercrombie. But the truth is I was the exact same way at their age. When I was in 5th and 6th grade I was one of the many girls who thought you were only cool if you had the word Abercrombie or a moose somewhere on your clothing. I would beg my mom to take me shopping there, spend endless time on the website and even Abercrombie hand-me-downs from my sister were a treat. I am now one of those girls that wouldn’t be caught dead wearing Abercrombie because I think the morals of the store and the way they present their styles are appalling. Looking back on my Abercrombie days I remember thinking how good I looked with the word Abercrombie plastered across my chest with a little tank top and tight flare jeans. Clearly my idea of Abercrombie has changed drastically

Abercrombie is a company in our society that is greatly debated. For girls and boys ages 10-14 this is an attraction. The idea of looking older then you actually are is something that kids strive to do. The clothing at Abercrombie was originally targeted to teenagers 18-22 years old. The models in the store are around that age as well. But it ended up making younger kids think that if they buy these clothes not matter the cost they will look older then they are. Abercrombie is an extremely well known company the clothes are seen in tv shows and referenced in songs. Reading blogs from other people they say that they love walking into an Abercrombie, they love the loud music and the perfume that is always in the air. They love all the cute stylish clothes and the model picture on the walls. The parents that are paying for this expensive style look at it and a different way. What my parents always thought was the clothes are cheaply made and the kids will grow out of their new 50-dollar sweatshirt with in a matter of months.

The advertisement is one of the things that make Abercrombie so unappealing to parents and to me and a lot of my friends. The way Abercrombie is portrayed is all about sex appeal. They put their models in as little clothes as possible and post it all over their website and in their stores. The models don’t only make kids want to look older but the way the girls and guys are shown together makes people kids think that if they wear these clothes they too will get a “hot” girlfriend or boyfriend. This gives false assumptions about what these clothes will do for a person. The way girls are targeted is especially inappropriate. The fact that the clothes that are produced are so reveling and tight is another way that Abercrombie is trying to make girls think they should look a certain way. They want skinny girls to be able to fit and to a triple zero and anyone else to think they should. The sense of what girls should look like is so skewed. Shouldn’t girls be able to look they way they do naturally? To me Abercrombie is a horrible company but to other kids its all the rage.

Lucy

XOXO

From the minute I started watching Gossip Girl, I was hooked. I loved pretty much everything about it. The plot, the setting, the characters etc…I loved how I could talk about it with my friends right after an episode premiered. I loved how easily I could look into a city I’d never been to through the eyes of the rich and glamorous. One of the most captivating aspects of the show, which made it stand out more than any other program I watched, was fashion. Not every teen gets to parade around in the season’s hottest trends and do it in New York, no less. I couldn’t believe, and I still can’t believe, how gorgeous and fashion-forward Blair, Serena, Vanessa, Jenny and all the other characters manage to be at every moment. In 8th grade, I remember it was my goal to buy a plaid trench coat because I was so enamored with the ones they wore on the show. Sadly, I never did buy one and now I don’t think I would, but it was definitely Gossip Girl that influenced me to love and becomes obsessed with fashion. On the premier episode of each season, it’s always a thrill to see what the characters are wearing and they never fail to impress. During the first episode of Season 4, I couldn’t get over Serena’s dress and found myself doodling models in class wearing something a lot similar to it.
On the more negative side of things, Gossip Girl caused me to develop a view of New York City that isn’t entirely true to what it is. In Gossip Girl, you see the glamorous Upper East Side…and that’s pretty much it. Whenever the show travels to Brooklyn, it’s portrayed in a much more negative light and the characters view it that way too. So it’s not hard to assume that I developed that same view. I thought that when I traveled to NYC, it would all be similar to the Upper East Side. It wasn’t until I finally came to the city that I realized it’s so much more diverse and interesting that what you see on Gossip Girl. There’s so much more to see and so many things that are more captivating than fashion, fancy penthouses (even though I wouldn’t mind living in one of those), and the Upper East Side. And Brooklyn is much cooler than I imagined it to be. Gossip Girl shows you, through a very tiny lense, a certain part of New York City, not the whole of it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still in love with the show. But now my relationship with it has changed. Instead of letting the show control my view of New York City and everything about it, I just enjoy it for what it is and I let it take me to a different world every week. And that’s exactly what I think Gossip Girl should be to each person. But if it inspires you in some interesting way, let it! I’m not afraid to admit that Gossip Girl was one of the main factors for why I love fashion. Just don’t let it be the only source you use to analyze and get information on New York City.
This makes me wonder how others view the show. I think the people in my parent’s generation see it as a glimpse into how technology is such a huge part of pop culture for my generation. But Gossip Girl is a lot different for me. I don’t focus on the technology aspect of it because using my phone and my computer is so normal for me. And why would our parents watch it when it doesn’t really affect them? It delves into a lot of the issues that teens face. High school drama, college admissions, cliques, dysfunctional families etc...from more of a teen point of view. And though Gossip Girl puts those issues into a different setting and makes them much more dramatic, there’s something in the show that’s still relatable to me; and when you really get down to it, it’s just fun to watch.

Sophia N.

High School Musical - Lara

Record breaking. A smash hit. A phenomenon. High School Musical was expected to be like any other Disney Channel movie; a pinch of romance, a parent’s disapproval, and resolved happily. Instead, it changed the world’s view of tween movies forever. The movie’s soundtrack reached the top of the Billboard charts in early March, a little more than a month after it premiered. This was unusual because CDs tend to reach their peak of popularity when they first come out and then go down from there. The movie’s premier in the U.S. attracted 7.7 million viewers and has been seen by over 225 million viewers globally. The movie was remade in three other countries and translated in many other languages.
I remember the tortuous anticipation of waiting 20 days for the first High School Musical to air on television. My friends were planning parties, I knew all of the songs by heart, and of course there was Zac Efron. As a newly-official-teenager, High School Musical gave me exactly what I was looking for in a movie. It was a corny, Romeo and Juliette type story about a boy and a girl trying to break away from their opposing high school cliques (jocks and geeks) by trying out for a musical. It fueled a fantasy about how a geeky new girl could get the hot athletic “big man on campus.” It only helped that the “big man on campus” was Zac Efron, the new teenage heartthrob. He had the full package: the looks, the voice, and the charm.
The premier of the first movie in 2006 was just the beginning; it was a puff of smoke in comparison to the mushroom cloud of its far-reaching implications. The first movie was so popular that there are rumors now of a possible fourth movie being made. Stemming from the movie are also concert tours, “on ice” performances, video games, clothing lines, action figures, accessories, a book series, karaoke sing alongs, an adapted auditorium version, a reality competition, and the soundtracks. If High School Musical was like so many others, why did it take off like a rocket while others were left in the dust? The screenwriter of the movie, Peter Barsocchini , said “What’s most people’s fantasy? To be a rock star, to get on stage…there’s a little of that aspirational magic in High School Musical.” The best example of this is towards the end of the movie when Troy and Gabriella show the whole school their talents by singing “Breaking Free.” I believe that Peter Barsocchini was on to something. I know, personally, that sometimes I wish I could get up in front of people and impress them with some hidden talent. I think that this hidden desire appeals to a lot of people because they like to see what “coulda-shoulda-woulda” been, if only they had the balls. Others believe that HSM was so successful because it was the musical movie of our generation. For the past few generations, the movie was Grease and before that, it was West Side Story. These movies all have teenage love mixed with sudden outbursts of song. I personally believe that the movie’s success was a combination of Barsocchini’s belief, the musical movie theory as well as the addition of technology into the mix because the “word of mouth” form of publicity was far more affective when tweens had access to cell phones.
Now that I am past the tween stage and therefore, the High School Musical phase, I don’t watch the movies or listen to the music any more but the lyrics and the dance to “We’re All in This Together” will forever by engraved in my memory.

Roger Federer vs. Rafa Nadal By Jonathan

Yankee’s vs. Red Sox, Dodgers vs. Giants, Patriots vs. Colts; Roger vs. Rafa; these two men have single handedly transformed the tennis world, taken a world by storm with their amazing level of play. Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal are the two best tennis players in the world today; both respectively holding the #1 ranked position at different times throughout the 2000’s. Rafa Nadal who at the time was ranked #5 in the world shocked the tennis world by beating Roger Federer on route to his first ever major title Defeating Mariano Puertat in the French Open in 2005.

This rivalry is a huge aspect of both men’s careers. Roger Federer had the most dominate run of any men’s tennis player of all time from 2004-2007, with an overall match record of 315-24. Rafa Nadal is the only active tennis player today who has a winning record against the 16-time world champion. In Roger’s quest to attain a Career Grand Slam, Rafa has been there to deny him of that privilege on two different occasions. All the while Rafa had started winning major titles himself. First capturing a French Open title in 2005 and then followed that up with another victory over Roger Federer at the French Open in 2006.
The rivalry has captured people from all over the world and when these two men step on the court against one another, people watch. When shots are hit people hold their breath and when titles are won people cry. Roger and Rafa, bitter rivals on the court but display the upmost respect towards each other.

Tennis is a gentleman’s game, and both of these men display a good-natured and gracious attitude towards each other on and off the court, showing no animosity towards each other only a high level of respect. Their rivalry is based on respect towards each other and what each other has accomplished throughout their respective careers. Federer is the winnings champion of all time, with 16 major titles. Rafa Nadal has 9 titles under his belt, along with an Olympic Gold Medal.

Their impact on today’s society can been seen not only through television ratings but the coverage of the sport as well. This rivalry between two tennis greats has generated more interest in the sport than any tennis rivalry in previous years. In 2008 their highly anticipated match up at Wimbledon drew record-breaking ratings for a tennis play across the continental United States and domestically in Europe. The match in 2008 was the moment when the world took notice of how great this rivalry really is. Rafa knocked off 6-time champion Roger Federer in dramatic fashion, in a five set tiebreaker, to capture his first ever Wimbledon Title.

Why is this rivalry so great? Every time these men step on the court against each other, you never know who is going to win, suspense is in the air, people hang off of each shot that is hit. People live and die by the points that are played, there is no rest for the weary when you watch these two tennis greats play. Why are we so intrigued by them? We as people always feel the need to separate ourselves from reality, we get draw in by these two players, putting ourselves in their shoes. It helps us break away from reality.

This rivalry has elevated the level of play in the tennis world to another level; it has created new stars and an excitement that has not been felt in a long time. If you look back at the all-time greats, no one has come close to the level of play that Roger and Rafa have displayed over the past couple of years. They have set the standard for excellence in tennis, winning major titles after major titles. They have changed the landscape of tennis, and they have brought the game to a whole new level, clothing lines, mass media commercials, they are not just stars in their respective countries but they have become international and global stars. Both Roger and Rafa respectively have gone past the persona of just being tennis players but they have become international celebrities.

I can guarantee you that not only we will never see a higher level of play amongst two outstanding athletes but we will never see such a profound cross-over into popular culture by two tennis players again. What we are experiencing now in the tennis world is something special, we are getting the best of both worlds, amazing level of play, exciting matches and the ability to follow our heroes off the court as well.
With all of this being said, too put it bluntly, Roger Federer is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be, there is no debate about that.

Our Fascination with Celebrity Couples: Heidi & Spencer vs. Beyoncé & Jay-Z

Our Fascination with Celebrity Couples:

Heidi & Spencer vs. Beyoncé & Jay-Z

We are creatures of curiosity, it is undeniable. Us humans like to know everything, and it is for that reason we pursue (for the most part) all the knowledge that pertains to our curiosity, whether it be about specific scientific studies, the newest Marc Jacobs line, or our favorite band’s tour schedule. What I am curious about, is why so many Americans, and non-Americans alike are so intrigued with celebrity couples? Where does our stem for inquiry about celebrity couples come from? Why are we more attracted to some couples more than others? What meaning do these couples retain for us?

To begin to try and understand this fascination and curiosity, I would like to start by addressing and if possible summarizing the controversial celebrity couple: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt. Both Heidi and Spencer were reality stars of the MTV show, the Hills. They were co-stars for years, and had a fairly off and on relationship that was filled with desire, drama, and disappointment. Heidi and Spencers relationship was documented fairly intensely while the show was being filmed, and since then, they have stayed in the public’s eye. However, I would go as far as to say that the reason for their fame, is shy of talent, and revolves around constant drama. Although both Heidi and Spencer have tried to branch off from the title of reality star and make a name for themselves in other fields, these attempts have never proved very successful. Heidi tried in 2007 to make a name for herself in the music field, with help of hubby Spencer. Reactions to her music were varied, however most agreed with the youtube user below,

“What is this?!.. She has got to be kidding me if she thinks she is going to be a singer now. She isn't even an actor!! She is on some stupid "reality" show and she assumes she can take on the world now. Practically everyone and their grandmother these days have been on MTV”
-Jacquelinexrae

Heidi and Spencer’s drama doesn’t stop here. The copious headlines that include them mentions their on-again-off-again relationship (“fake” fillings for divorce?) mentions of them in relation to other co-stars (both from the Hills, and I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!) and mentions of Heidi’s (addiction?) to plastic surgery. It was in-fact this obsession with plastic surgery that got the couple the headlines they were hoping for, it gave them multiple magazine stories, television interviews, and even other kinds of exposure like a skit on www.funnyordie.com. However, no matter what they do, this couple always seems to fall off the grid, sure, the public loves to hear about the wild, and dramatic things they are doing this week, but does the public actually love them? I don't think so.

Now, I am going to warn everyone that this is about to get very opinionated, and personal. In addition to looking at Heidi and Spencer, I want to try and figure out the public’s fascination by discussing another one of Hollywoods most talked about couples, Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Jay-Z also known as Shawn Corey Carter, is a Brooklyn native and one of America’s most influential rappers of his time. In addition to his music career, Jay-Z has also established himself as an entrepreneur and has business holdings such as record companies, clothing lines, and co-ownership in sport bars and teams. His wife Beyoncé has just as much going for her. Beyoncé Knowles, (my personal idol) is a world recognized, Houston born Pop/R&B singer, songwriter, actress, fashion designer, and the definition of the word diva. Her career has taken her from Destiny’s Child, to single albums (Dangerously in Love, B’Day, I am... Sasha Fierce), to Grammy awards, to fashion lines, to numerous acting opportunities and to incredible opportunities like singing for the Obamas.

By now, you have probably realized that I am biased, but there is a reason behind my own personal fascination. Not only are they both incredibly talented, but they seem relatable, and endearing. Some find connection in Jay-Z’s lyrics, his persona, and never dying spirit. Some find connection in Beyoncé’s commitment to religion, her previous need for her alter-ego Sasha fierce (her sensual, aggressive alternate persona) and her new found comfort, "I don't need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I've grown and now I'm able to merge the two." For some, it is the everlasting humbleness and their contradictory privacy that draws the public to the couple, but for most it is the honest love story of the two, that attracts the publics attention, like children to ice-cream.

The two of them met in 2002 while working on an album together, and rumors started to circulate after she was featured on “ ’03 Bonnie and Clyde”. However, the couple were always discreet, and private, dismissing questions of one another in interviews, and keeping their relationship simply for themselves. After their marriage, they have become more open about their relationship (ex. Jay-Z on BBC) however, they have never been disrespectful and often refer to each other as “my husband” and “my wife”. They have collaborated multiple times, (Crazy in Love, How I Like It, Hollywood, ‘03 Bonnie and Clyde, Deja Vu, and Upgrade U) and Jay-Z often references Beyoncé in his songs (ex. “but... BK is from Texas.) With a couple this cute, how could the public NOT fall in love with them?

Now, if I were to try and figure out the public’s fascination with celebrity couples myself, I would start with the obvious hypotheses, we love the rich and beautiful, and having two of them makes it all the more fascinating. We want to be removed from our own lives, and find fulfillment in the modern love stories of famous stars. We are bored with our repetitive months of monotony, and find excitement in the never ending circles of drama that our celebrities present to us. Sure, these things seem pretty cookie cutter, pretty reasonable, and for the most part pretty true. It seems as if we, (the public) LOVE the drama, but we also LOVE the success, the honesty, the privacy, and the love.

Is this, what fascinates us with celebrities?

-Gracie

Silly Bandz - Abby

In eighth grade, I asked a girl in my English class for a hairtie. She handed me a blue, elephant shaped rubber band. Two things wrong with this picture—1) my hair is curly and rubber bands are hell to remove from tangles and 2) she had a rubber band shaped like an elephant. What the hell? I said no thanks I would ask someone else. The next day she came in wearing about 10 in all different animal shapes and colors. Everyone thought they were dumb, because when you were wearing them they didn’t even look like normal rubber bands, they just kind of looked warped and twisted. Plus the girl was kind of weird. After that I didn’t see them again for about a year and a half. I didn’t even know what they were called.

In the beginning of 10th grade, my eight-year-old sister came home wearing a jillion of them on her wrists, and proceeded to tell me all about how her friend had given them to her and they were called Silly Bandz and did I want the kangaroo or the monkey? The next day she had 3 more and a few had changed because she had traded them with a boy in her class for some rock and roll ones. Apparently animals were not enough. Soon enough—Silly Bandz were EVERYWHERE. Little kids had them, teenagers had them, and one article even proposed that Silly Bandz were being used by college-aged kids to pick up dates at bars. People wrote funny raps about them; google turned up over 1,430,000 hits when “silly bandz” was searched; schools banned them and kids in school traded them anyways.

Even I thought they were pretty cool. I had changed my mind from thinking they were ugly and useless to thinking they were cute and funny. Was I really that shallow? To change my whole opinion on a thing just because everyone else did? What is it about everyone else having something that makes you want it so badly? Do you think it stems all the way from human survival? Maybe if you saw everyone running the other way from a wild beast you would think it was cool to do it too, so you would survive. Think on it.

This phenomenon of Silly Bandz did not end quickly. People still sport these funny rubber bands; in fact I got a couple from CITYtermers just recently (a duck and some Toy Story 3 characters). What is it about these bands that make them so intriguing? Is it their low cost? The maker certainly was conscious of the economy’s status when pricing Silly Bandz. Each packet only costs about $5.00 for 24 Bandz. Is it the fact that you can get them in any shape and color? This certainly would make it appeal to a larger audience. College kids would probably think it was funny to have beer bottle Silly Bandz, and little girls would more likely want a puppy or a princess crown over Spiderman or a racecar.

This trend had definitely had a lot of publicity. It has swept up young and old alike, and been picked up by even high-end newspapers such as the New York Times and Washington Post (which suggests that there may even be health risks associated with the little bands). But then again—remember the beanie baby explosion in 2001? And the neopets fad in 2004 and webkinz in around 2007? History definitely repeats itself when it comes to trends in pop-culture.