Blogs Posts on "Popular Culture"
Younger Women Step to Social Beat by Social Media College on Nov 19, 2009Social influence on Gen Y trendsetters Generation Y females have redefined the idea of “peer group” to encompass online friends, bloggers and anonymous reviewers, according to the “Why Y... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my...
The Politics of Rumour: Mobilizing An Urban Legend To Spread Fear and Xenophobia in the UK by Chasing Dragons on Nov 18, 2009Rumors and urban legends are powerful social phenomena. In part, this is because once rumors are unleashed, their circulation brings about new believers even as old ones become aware of their lack of veracity. Similarly, for anyone negatively represe...
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel “meh.” by Scholars & Rogues on Nov 17, 2009Roland Emmerich has destroyed the world so many times by now that it’s become blasé. In Independence Day (1996), the writer/director had aliens raze the world’s major cities. In The Day After Tomorrow (2004), he flooded then froze the northern h...
Pacquiao vs. Cotto, It's Not Just About Boxing by The Grumpy Sociologist on Nov 15, 2009Back in 1898, the United States declared war on Spain. In defeating the Spaniards, America expanded its empire by acquiring Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines -- one of many examples in the global battle between western powers who used smaller, l...
Lou Dobbs’ next horizon: A Rush to radio? by Scholars & Rogues on Nov 13, 2009I have three stuffed animals at home that I hide when I expect visitors. (Guys don’t do stuffed animals.) But my fuzzy critters serve a purpose. Four years ago, I destroyed my living room TV set by throwing a beer bottle at it in anger and frus...
The paranormal in movies by The Occult View on Nov 10, 2009The supernatural has long been a staple of movies. Yet movies that treat the paranormal as reality are not common. There is a distinction between using the magical as grist for special effects and considering them thing as real. As an example,...
Weekend Reading Roundup v. 26 by Chasing Dragons on Nov 8, 2009This weekend in the reading roundup: 'Rap Sheet: Why is American History So Murderous?' by Jill Lepore at The New Yorker 'US Needs Hit Squads, "Manhunting Agency": Special Ops Report' by Noah Shactman at Wired's Danger Room 'Redacting Viole...
Gay marriage loses in Maine: the campaign finance scorecard by Scholars & Rogues on Nov 6, 2009On Nov. 3, 299,483 citizens of the state of Maine were persuaded to tell women who love women and men who love men that they cannot marry. Those Downeasters who voted “Yes” on Question 1 — to repeal a same-sex marriage law — bashed ga...
Newspaper circulation falls again: Expect more cuts by Scholars & Rogues on Nov 2, 2009If you were a newspaper subscriber last year, there’s a 10 percent chance you aren’t this year. That’s because paid circulation of daily newspapers nationally fell more than 10 percent from a year ago. Some papers suffered truly hor...
Contrasting Cases in the Globalization of Baseball: India and Cambodia by The Grumpy Sociologist on Nov 2, 2009Sports have been used as a tool of assimilation by western powers for centuries. The following stories show vastly differnt approaches to the way that baseball is being diffused across the global landscape.India Reality TV Show Searches For Next U.S.
