Written Analysis Week 6 Values and Business

The Voice coach and lead singer of Maroon 5, Adam Levine sued Activision for the video game Band Hero for exploiting his name and likeliness.  In the world of Popular Culture, there are laws protecting artists from being exploited and copyrights to eliminate their work from being copied or illegally distributed. The business side of fame can get messy if the values of these laws are not upheld by fans and businesses.

Adam Levine along with all famous celebrities worked to produce their image the way it is and will sue anyone that tries to reap benefits of their success for free. This game included an avatar of Adam Levine that allowed players the option to choose him and make him dance sing and play music. Adam Levine claims he did not get paid for this use of his image and music. After closer analysis for this lawsuit, it appears that Adam Levine did sign a contract giving permission for this company to use his likeness for his song She will be Loved. Activision has taken this further then agreed by creating the avatar of Adam Levine and making it so players could sing any song using his likeliness. Adam Levine is not okay with his image being used to sing girly songs.

Adam Levine is a person and a celebrity he is intertwined with both business and popular culture the two interlinked. Adam Levine has found a healthy level of common values between the business environment and the pop culture environment. He knows how far to let things go but will protect his empire if they impede his rights. 

http://gamerant.com/maroon-5-adam-levine-suing-activision-band-hero-johnj-99047/

Written Analysis Week 5 Formula

In popular culture, formula; is defined as is literature in which the storylines and plots have been reused to the extent that the narratives are predictable. It is similar to genre fiction, which identifies a number of specific settings that are frequently reused.If you are looking for a new dimension to a song Maroon 5 is not your band. They are known for their repetitive pop lyrics. Most of Maroon 5 songs are standard conventions. Their song "Animal" is a good example of how the chorus is repeated over and over throughout the song. It also is a good display of Adam Levine's unique sound that this band is known for. Maroon 5 can also be identified with their formula of song subject. Most songs are about love and romance. 

On Adam Levine's hit show The Voice, the formula to that show can become very predictable also with the theme of the show being a reality music competition it is similar to American Idol because the contestants all start out with a sad sobbing story. The more sad the story is the more likely that are going to get to stay on the show for rating. 

As you can see formula can be found on a television show and also music. Formula's don't make them good or bad just predictable. 

Written Analysis 3 Adam Levine Hero

Adam Levine Celebrity Hero

Adam Levine, as a hero, is our own creation. Fans give him the power to be. Once the people decide they are bored with him and his work, they can take it away and name someone new their hero. Adam Levine is currently a hero because on The Voice he gives ordinary people the chance at a life in the music world, a dream come true for these contestants. The Voice is set up so that appearance doesn’t matter it is focused on the talent, the coach’s chairs are turned around so they can’t see the performer. Adam Levine also supports eleven charities, among these charities, are Shriners Children's hospital, Elton John’s Aids Foundation, National Kidney Foundation, and Los Angeles youth Network. He is in the band Maroon 5 which also gives him the spotlight of becoming a celebrity hero to many fans. 

People like Adam Levine and have put him up on a pedestal making him a hero in their minds because of his media exposure and likable personality. Adam Levine will eventually dull down and become one of the heroes from the past that allows us to take a stroll back in time when we hear his songs and try to remember the name of that show he was on where the chairs turned and contestants sang. Popular culture is changing all the time and celebrity heroes and heroines come and go with the times. 

So as can you can see, anyone in this day and age can be a hero or heroine. You just have to have the fan base to support what you are doing. The definition of a hero today is much different than is was three decades or more ago. A hero no longer is recognized just for doing good deeds. A hero is someone that gives you hope. Adam Levine has the ability to give that hope to people and by this definition he is indeed a hero.  

Written Analysis 2 Adam Levine Ritual and Stereotype

Written Analysis 2 Adam Levine Ritual and Stereotype

As a musician and performer, Adam Levine is surrounded by rituals and stereotypes. Adam Levine fits the stereotype that successful musicians have to be attractive when he was voted sexiest man by People Magazine. A ritual People Magazine has to have fans vote on who the most handsome man is.  He also faced the stereotype from many men that because his voice was so high and he wore tight jeans, he must be gay.

    A ritual is a set of actions carrying certain symbolic values defined by religion, community, or individuals. It may regularly be performed on particular occasions, by individual or groups, in public or private (Browne, 2005). Adam Levine and his band Maroon 5 must have rituals to practice and plan performances.

    A stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing (Webster).  Adam Levine’s hit show The Voice shows the positive stereotypes of American’s when a preform goes on stage to audition. American’s will decide whether they are going to be good singers or not by the way they look. The judges have their backs to the performer and can only hear their voice sing. The Voice gives more people the unexpected hope of being able to be successful no matter what they look like. The judges on The Voice stereotype after the singer completes the song and they turn around to find that the high pitch beautiful voice they just heard came out of a 6-foot-tall 300 plus man is not what they had pictured. That voice did not sound like it could come from this body.

                Rituals and Stereotypes stem from the beliefs of individuals or groups. When watching the voice next time notice all the rituals of the musicians and stereotypes of the judges. 

My Three Icons.

The icons I have chosen for this week are Cedar Point, The Walking Dead, and Netflix. All of these icons have been around a while and will continue to be around for a long while more. People love to be entertained and have the thrilling adrenaline rush of being scared. CedarPoint, The Walking Dead, and Netflix all have this capability. I chose these three icons because they are something that my family and I enjoy. Family time is an important value to me and when there are popular icons that will allow everyone to participate and enjoy themselves I am all for it. 

Cedar Point is located in Sandusky, Ohio and this icon is home to some of the fastest roller coasters in the world. My family travels to this amusement park every summer it has become a tradition. I know this is a popular icon by the long lines and wait times it takes to get on each ride. Snoopy is a popular icon used by cedar point to attract little kids. On the way into the park, you can see bushes trimmed to look like characters from the peanuts gang. Last summer the baby of our family was big enough to ride her first big roller coaster. This summer we will get to experience the newest coaster Valravn. The history of Cedar Point began in 1892 with the introduction of the peninsula’s first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway. The 25-foot-tall, 10-mph scream machine is what started Cedar Point into the popular park they are now. The ultimate amusement park that more than 3 million guests trek to each and every summer.

                                                                                                       

The Walking Dead is one of the biggest television series hits of this decade. With the horror of zombies, the heroic acts of Rick, Darrel, and the crew, and the drama of who will hook up with who this is entertainment for the whole family. This television series is on AMC and first premiered in 2010 and is based on the comic books. This storyline tells what it would be like in the world after a zombie apocalypse. Rick Grims is one of the main characters. After the first season, Rick has a group he travels around with trying to find a safe place to live where zombies can't eat you. Viewers fall in love with the characters like they are family and vow to boycott the show if their favorite character gets eaten by a zombie. This show is a favorite in my home and brings everyone together one day a week to share and enjoy something together. 

Netflix is a company that started out in 1998 as a DVD by mail rental company. In 2007, Netflix upgraded to streaming TV series and movies directly to your television. Netflix has grown to have such a variety of options that they now have over 33 million customers worldwide. Netflix has a very low price and allows anyone in your household to have their own profile and watch a different show on Netflix from different rooms. This service is something we really enjoy in my home. We sit a binge watch television series to get caught up so we can watch the new episodes as they are played on television. I also like that if I miss out on a season because of my busy schedule, and extra studying I can catch up when it is released on Netflix. 

Written Analysis 1 Adam Levine

Adam Levine is the known of the face of Maroon five, a popular icon worldwide. He is a true pop star with fans watching his changing looks, new tattoos, and loving his new music. Maroon five has sold over 18 million records. Adam has always wrote his owns songs but decided to buy a song from a young writer in 2011. Adam changed some of the words and the band debuted their biggest hit Moves like Jagger.

Maroon Five’s popularity continues to grow with Adam Levine’s success as a judge on the hit show The Voice. On The Voice Adam Levine is joined by Black Shelton and two other musical star coaches, each coach builds a team of auditioned artists they want to work with in hopes to find Americas next big hit musician. Adam has captivated America with his appearance on The Voice with the fun competitive monolog with Blake Sheldon (Stein, 2014). American’s love all different genres of music which is what has drawn such a big audience to tune in and watch The Voice for the last eight seasons. Not only are fans getting to hear great music, they also get the competitive entertainment of watching their favorite coaches fighting it out.

According to People magazine, Adam Levine beat out 3.5 billion men when he won the award for sexiest man alive (Kedmey, 2013). Not only does Adam Levine have the look fans love, but Adam Levine has a background in the fashion industry, his father owns M. Fredric where Adam held his first job. This has helped Adam with his own clothing line that is out in Kmart stores nationwide. Adam also has the support of his wife, fashion Victoria Secret model Behati Prinsloo, to assist in his women’s appeal line (Adam Levine Touts Expanded Kmart Line, 2014).

Adam Levine gives hope to people that their dreams of being a star could come true. He lives a lifestyle that is the fantasy that American’s turn the TV on to experience. Adam Levine is an American pop icon. 

Popular Culture

What is popular culture, and what does it mean to you?

Popular culture is the way people act or react to everyday life on a daily basis. It's beliefs; political, religious or inherited morals, and our customs that define the people of any society.
Popular culture has influenced who I am as an individual, it helped formed my personality when I was young. It's what my ancestors have passed down from generation to generation. Popular culture is also much larger than me as an individual. It is family, community, state, and nation. It's the music we listen to the political party we believe in and the politically correct or incorrect way we view the world.  For me, it was watching the Cosby Show and Brady Bunch relating the dynamics of their family life to mine. I grew up in a house with 5 siblings and two parents. The Beatles and Beach Boys music made my parents very happy so we listened to them often. I grew up in Coshocton, Ohio which is only an hour from Cleveland so I was raised a believer of the Cleveland Browns. We would watch them lose most Sundays and know there is always next year to get to the super bowl.Going to church every Sunday morning and being raised Catholic was important for my mother. The invention of the internet and updated versions of cell phones are artifacts that have great popularity and influence with people. I use to live in a world that never had these things, but now I would be lost without them.

                                                       

Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant to you in a business environment and in your present and future career?
Popular culture is all around us. It is a big part of the medical field with constant new studies and medications hitting the market. Staying on top of advertisements for prescription allows me to be prepared for questions and concerns of patients as commercials come and go. It is also important to stay aware of cultural beliefs and practices of patients. The internet has made it easy for businesses to advertise. The office I work for has its own facebook page that brings in a lot of business as people like and share our page with all their friends.

What would you consider to be an example of a pop culture artifact? And why would you choose it?
The Internet came to be in 1990 which is a popular culture artifact used today.The development of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter are all social media sites used by a big majority of people. These sites were all invented by people that wanted to allow everyone to stay connected always. Social media offers a new age way to communicate. The internet is also used for informational purposes. Seach engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo are a convenient solution to any question you would like an answer to. Just type it in the search box and you are on your way to an infinite amount wisdom.