Today I had to choose which news worthy current event to write about, OJ Simpson found guilty of armed robbery and may serve life in prison, or the death of beloved Paul Newman. Since you can only die once and as a tribute to one of my favorite people, I chose to write about Paul Newman.
The last time I choked-up hearing the death of an American icon was when Marvin Gaye died in 1984. Is it just my imagination or have there been more recent unexpected deaths of famous American figures. Or perhaps I am just getting old, but here to name a few: Bernie Mac, Heath Ledger, Walter Matthau, Bo Diddley, Yves Saint-Laurent, Harvey Korman, Sydney Pollack and lets not forget Mr. Clean (House Peters, Jr.).
Not only was Paul Newman an amazing human being who devoted his efforts in many charitable causes, he also has a string of movies to his credit dating from 1954 to 2007. When I first heard of his death immediately, my mind recalled the movie "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" where he played Brick the impotent, ex-football player while Elizabeth Taylor played Maggie his sexually frustrated wife. They both were extraordinarily beatiful and gave a superb performance. Including the movie "Cool Hand Luke" were he played the gritty, rugged Luke who just refuse to conform to hostile prison life.
I wonder what will happen to his line of food products and the charities they support, and would his death provoke more people to buy or try his products. Today my heart goes out to his wife of 50-years, Joanne Woodward who also has a string of movies to her credit and the five daughters Paul leaves behind. No doubt Paul Newman will be missed----RIP.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Assignment 2-2
For my 3 contemporary icons I chose, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Lady Justice, and the Statue of Liberty. Mona Lisa is a 16th Century portrait painted by Leonardo da Vinci during the Italian renaissance period, and is possibly the world's most famous painting. The Lady of Justice is a representation of Themis, a Greek mythological goddess, and the Statue of Liberty is a massive 151 foot statue standing on Liberty Island in New York harbor. She was presented as a gift from the people of France to the United States in 1886.
When I think of myth and artifacts immediately my mind race to the myth of what society deems beautiful. For centuries the portrait of Mona Lisa has been romanticized and satirized as a thing of great beauty through out the world. As a fine work of art Mona Lisa is exquisite, but aesthetically it is debatable whether she is a beautiful looking woman. Yet somehow her beauty was placed on society as the single embodiment of all that is beautiful. I think that beauty cannot be attached, or imposed onto anyone or anything; I truly think "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
Justice and liberty are possibly the most over used words in the English language, skewed by our legal system. I suppose after reading this week that OJ Simpson has been found guilty of arm robbery, and will possibly serve life in prison brought the word justice into my mind. Lady Justice in her depictions is blind folded, carries the scales of justice in one hand and a sword in the other. She is symbolic of what the American judicial system should be. In my opinion what justice could be in our society would require a complete overhaul of the legal system. If OJ Simpson receives life in prison, justice prevailed not by our courts, but by OJ's endless stupidity.
Everything about the Statue of Liberty embodies myth from the torch she holds, to the crown she wears to the strategic placement of her granite base. At the time she was gifted to us, it commemorated the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. Out of the 3 contemporary myth aritifacts I have chosen, the Statue of Liberty is one I believe in.
When I think of myth and artifacts immediately my mind race to the myth of what society deems beautiful. For centuries the portrait of Mona Lisa has been romanticized and satirized as a thing of great beauty through out the world. As a fine work of art Mona Lisa is exquisite, but aesthetically it is debatable whether she is a beautiful looking woman. Yet somehow her beauty was placed on society as the single embodiment of all that is beautiful. I think that beauty cannot be attached, or imposed onto anyone or anything; I truly think "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
Justice and liberty are possibly the most over used words in the English language, skewed by our legal system. I suppose after reading this week that OJ Simpson has been found guilty of arm robbery, and will possibly serve life in prison brought the word justice into my mind. Lady Justice in her depictions is blind folded, carries the scales of justice in one hand and a sword in the other. She is symbolic of what the American judicial system should be. In my opinion what justice could be in our society would require a complete overhaul of the legal system. If OJ Simpson receives life in prison, justice prevailed not by our courts, but by OJ's endless stupidity.
Everything about the Statue of Liberty embodies myth from the torch she holds, to the crown she wears to the strategic placement of her granite base. At the time she was gifted to us, it commemorated the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence. Out of the 3 contemporary myth aritifacts I have chosen, the Statue of Liberty is one I believe in.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Popular Culture and Cartoon Satire
Popular culture is mainstream culture or widely accepted culture that is determined by mass media. What popular culture means to me is when I see or hear something in the media that resonates with my beliefs or ideas; I receive a feeling of validation and belonging. Sometimes by surprise, I see or hear something that relates to me, other times I have to go searching for it by surfing the internet, reading the news or watching television.
Currently I work for an ink manufacturing company that develops ink for distributors and end-users printing needs. Several of our customers print election flyers and junk mail for their city; therefore, we have noticed an increase in our orders. Generally, during the spring and summer we notice spikes in our sales from companies that provide printed material for the real estate market.
As a pastime favorite, I enjoy reading and watching political cartoons for their satire, especially now while we are in this election season. It can certainly lighten the moment and pinpoint key elements within the race with great humor. The artistry of the drawings can also be captivating. One of my television favorites is FAMILY GUY. Though the writer Seth Macfarland is random in his humor, he generally touches on many different aspects within our American culture. Sometimes his humor is "in your face" but other times it is the subtleties that I enjoy the most.
Currently I work for an ink manufacturing company that develops ink for distributors and end-users printing needs. Several of our customers print election flyers and junk mail for their city; therefore, we have noticed an increase in our orders. Generally, during the spring and summer we notice spikes in our sales from companies that provide printed material for the real estate market.
As a pastime favorite, I enjoy reading and watching political cartoons for their satire, especially now while we are in this election season. It can certainly lighten the moment and pinpoint key elements within the race with great humor. The artistry of the drawings can also be captivating. One of my television favorites is FAMILY GUY. Though the writer Seth Macfarland is random in his humor, he generally touches on many different aspects within our American culture. Sometimes his humor is "in your face" but other times it is the subtleties that I enjoy the most.
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