As we begin our discussion of "What is Culture?" this week, I thought I'd submit in evidence this remarkable little creation. It's over a year old, so many of you may already be familiar with it. I discovered it only a few weeks ago. How might it help us understand what we mean by "culture"? How does it use culture? Is it, in itself, an instance of culture? If so, why and how? If not, why not?
3 Comments
Unknown User (lmg19)
Wow, I have never seen that video before, but it was so interesting! This video is definitely perfect when it comes to discussing "What is Culture?". The difference between the barbie dolls and the (let's say) baby doll are prime examples of how culture evolves over time. Dolls represent what the acceptable or ideal girl is in society. The baby doll is rounder with brown hair and porcelain skin which reflects the generations prior to around 1980s. The barbie doll is model thin, had long blonde hair, and of course fashions tan skin (probably goes to the tanning beds). It puts pressures on the young girls who play with them and brainwashes them to believe they must look and act a certain way to fit in society. Culture has evolved, and in today's generation it is all about image. The storyline itself portrays how cruel our society can be toward outsiders, as well. It seems that today's culture feels if you don't fit in the societal norms right from the beginning, you never will.
Unknown User (msa11)
Ahhhhh!!!! That was a really creepy video. I definitely agree with Leandra's assertion that culture evolves over time and that the difference in the barbie dolls and the vintage 1980's doll highlights the changing social ideals in society. However, I think that the video "Culture Creep" is a very broad and generalized look at today's culture and deals with only the pop culture aspect of it. Popular culture undoubtedly has an effect on young girls and pressures them to dress and act a certain way to conform to superficial standards. However, I believe that pop culture presents an hyperbolized view of societal standards and norms. It would seem by studying patterns in popular culture that woman have regressed socially through the degrading standards imposed by pop culture, but women have made great strides in improving their educational and occupational opportunities and are living in the most progressive era in regards to social equality in history. I do think it's interesting to see how gender roles drastically effect culture. A great example are the toys that are considered acceptable for boys and girls. Girls at a young age play with toy ovens and dolls, while boys are given toy construction vehicles and cap guns, inadvertently fostering certain cultural ideals that are ingrained in our psyches at a young age.
Unknown User (lmg19)
Yes, that video was definitely creepy! So the title "Culture Creep", as vague as it is, sums up the feeling we have when we are done watching it. You made a really good point about how societal norms are actually regressing. I completely agree and want to add that your point makes this video even more essential to our discussion about culture because it demonstrates that culture can both evolve forward (progressively) or backward (digressively). The video seems to depict how our culture is changing for the worse.