Living an entire life pursuing the meaning of life, then we die.Pursuing happiness, pleasure, love, with the purpose of discovering the meaning of life will leads a person to be satisfied in his life once he has identified it, or so it is communicated by popular culture. It is
believed that living a life meaningfully is one of the toughest tasks to accomplish. It is not complicated to add meaning into something. However, it is when we want that meaning we gave to makes us happy. Even though most of the people live their lives with many meaningful aspects around them, they continue on searching for the meaning of life. People believe that they do not know complete happiness due to all the negative aspects in their families, their neighborhood, their world. Not taking responsibility of how our lives turned out, diminishes our power to make a difference. By feeling limited, it becomes difficult to find "something" that would make a person happy for being alive everyday.
Popular culture gives an interpretation on how a person should be living his life. People interpret these messages as a "goal" that must be accomplished in order to live their lives meaningfully. We are being
shaped in a certain way by culture as we "live" our lives. It is inevitable to live under culture, but people believe in freedom, but it is only longed for. Therefore, a person lives his entire life along with others searching for the meaning of life. A great amount of time is invested into finding the answer, but in reality, there is no meaning that should be pursued.
My own perspective on having a good life is by being present and unreasonable while living as possibility. I believe that we, people are perfect just the way we are, so there is nothing to improve. Taking responsibility for everything that happens in my life allows me to change it anytime. My perspective on how to have a good life was shared to me through an education that does not associate with media. Therefore in my opinion, popular culture is the opposite of how to be in order to live happily. My interpretation of life allows me to life happily, in other words there is no suffering in my life, from my past or my current life situation. There is no meaning in my life. If something "positive" happens, like my brother agreeing on sending time with me, or something "negative", like my boyfriend going away to Germany for three months, it has no negative impact on me. In other words, I choose to only have positive feeling about anything that happens. I became to accept my life and who I am. I have no problem accepting others and accepting circumstances. I am simply not interested into being miserable nor fighting popular culture. It was asked to me, what was my reason to live? My reason to live is to live. I am catholic, and I have huge respect to my church. I believe in God and Jesus Christ. I never depend on God to make my life happier with miracles. I create my own miracles everyday. I just thank God for allowing me to live my grandiose life.Those around me are powerful people that live as an inspiration and do not live their lives according to popular culture. It all begins on taking responsibility. Then you honor your word to keep integrity.
"In reality, responsibility does not exist. Therefore neither does right or wrong. Things are what they are. Responsibility is a linguistic phenomenon and it is also a choice. Sometimes people choose it automatically, others decide taking it based on a situation, while others never choose it. Responsibility does exist in a linguistic domain and people are identified as responsible or not based on the definition of being responsible. Right and wrong are also determined by language, and there are consequences as an outcome in either of these cases, making these WORDS reality for many people. Until people understand that being 100% responsible for everything that happens in their lives, are they empowered to change the course of their lives. How effective is it to blame others for the things that happen in our lives? How effective is it to do nothing when others are responsible for the misery in our lives?" "being responsible starts with the willingness to deal with a situation from the view of life that you are the generator of what you do, what you have and what you are". That is not the truth. It is simply a place to stand. No one can make anyone responsible, nor can anyone impose responsibility on another. It is a grace to give yourself- an empowering context that leaves you with a say in the matter of life.
There are approximately 6.8 billion people in the world with 6.8 billion different opinions and perspectives. There is no right or wrong answer to the question of how to live a good and meaningful life. It is very subjective matter and if anything does work for someone to be complete in life then so be it. I personally found a way of living powerfully in this world, but I do not intend to enforce it into anyone. However,I intend to share some of what those around me, that share a similar point of view, have to say about how to have a good life to compare it to what popular culture says on the same matter."I
dont't let anything stop me, I do everything I say I would, and If I don't I ll come back to it to restore my integrity in the world" -Kitty
McMillen"Have great relationships, specially with family and speak your mind which is a great relief"-
Rula Aslanis"Honesty with themselves, be present to in
authenticity, share with those around them, go beyond any place they've gone before that brings fear and discomfort, take risks!"-Olivia
Ascencio
People feel also limited because of the problems in their lives. The cannot achieve happiness with so many negative aspects. People think that having problems is wrong, therefore they have the need to solve them. Problems are part of our lives. They have been, are and will be always present. Problems will be over until the day you die. Having problems is not wrong nor right, it is just what is happening. When we experience a situation that does not go according to plan, then it is a problem. It could be from: my father used to beat me to what should I order? Why is it that people do not get why they want? They want a better house, a better body, more money! It is not happening because they do not want it to happen. To want is something that can change overnight. To be committed is different than to want. If somebody is committed into achieving something, such as gaining more money, then he would earn it. Being committed also brings problems, but they are problems that are worth your life. For example, president Obama took on a problem that is worth his life when he became president. He did not want to become president, he was committed to become president. Popular culture is committed for us not to know about this. We are not supposed to know that we have absolute control of our lives. We are not supposed to know that our suffering is our own cause, but someone else's since we turned 5 years old! We are not supposed to know that we can actually make a difference in the world that would benefit others than ourselves. Media ensures this by being careful with the messages that are sent.
Popular culture sends dominant, marginal and prohibited messages that impact society in how to be. Corporate media indeed contributes greatly into whats we believe or think is right or wrong. We are taught that we need to improve so that we get accepted into society. We have representations on how a beautiful woman is supposed to look or how happy and complete we can be with money. People live their lives "trying" to become better, wealthier or skinner so that one day in the future they can achieve happiness, and if they don't they keep on "trying" until they die. What is the meaning of this?
In japan, festivals that celebrate certain holidays or people are well known by everyone in Japan. In these festivals there is something called Mikoshi. Mikoshi is when a group of men carry one chosen person and that person becomes the "human model" that everyone should follow. As the popular culture television show, Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, communicates: "Before you dance, verify the truth with your own eyes". Once Mikoshi is carried on everyone gets excited, but they do not decide to do so, it happens naturally. We eventually get brainwashed by our own culture, and without knowing we are already following others. People having no freedom is not popular culture's fault. That is a mere excuse that happens to explain our lack of self expression better than anything else. However, many people do not know under what they are living. Humans are easily drawn away from the main point. For example, when watching a football soccer match, we focus more on what the player's t-shirt says than him playing. We focus on the weird position of the character in a movie rather than the conversation he is having. It comes naturally to us, but as a consequence we have no idea of the main point. That is why we seem not to have "the answer". Also people learn not to acknowledge anyone for what they are doing due to the fact that they are more focused on something else. Such as, their own world filled with problems and expectations. People complain about the effect of media, but not realize that they are actually supporting it day by day. We are the ones that keep media alive, and we do not even think about it because taking responsibility is not normal according to popular culture. "One day I woke up and opened my eyes, I was carrying a Mikoshi
In most magazines, articles' only purpose is to sell. So, they would invent many ideas that would bring a person to identify himself with the article and purchase the item. For example, -House keeping magazine- How to make delicious meals with Circulon Elite!- The ultimate problem solver. This magazine article was determined to make the pan look good and efficient, so that people purchase it. However, throughout the entire magazine there were constant advertisements on underwear or beauty products presented by skinny and beautiful women. It is commonly known as a fact that eating excessively is a method of gaining weight, depending on metabolism and exercise done. Corporate media is communicating that looking good is the ultimate problem solver, but also a pan used to cook, specially cake, is also the ultimate problem solver where food cooks evenly!
An example of a marginal message is the way women are supposed to look according to media. I have analyzed the song "Lip Gloss" by Lil mama to represent this idea.
"This song is an example of what Popular Culture tells us what is to "look good" and be part of "the popular group" I found this message directly to young women who, in my opinion, struggle the most to stand out or be noticeable. "my lip gloss is poppin, my lip gloss is cool" is a constant message in the song that could be interpreted as a method of being the center of attention. This could be a commercial or advertisement of beauty products, so that women feel motivated into purchasing cosmetics. The message given by pop culture is that if a person does not look good (looking good as the girl in the video, that is the definition of looking good in pop culture) he/she will not fit in society. In the video the girl appears as the center of attention as the other students follow her for looking so attractive. The lip gloss was a way of her having a "break-through" in her school, because before having it she did not have what it takes to be part of the popular group, as she described. The song says "what you know bout me, what cha, what cha know bout me" and what we know about her is that her lip gloss is popping and that she is cool. The lyrics do not mention anything about personality or any feelings relating to what she is experiencing. In other words we know nothing about how a person that looks good is supposed to "be or feel" rather that being the center of attention. The lyrics contradict itself with the video. In the video the girl is portrayed as an inspiration and has many followers that support her change. However, the lyrics describe her as an individual that is outstanding and the "followers" in the song are those who are attracted to her with sexual purpose. In conclusion the specific message of this song is "I can upgrade you show you how to use nice things with nice flavors" People need "upgrade" to be somebody in this world, according to popular culture"
Another example would be the movies shown in Life doesn't have to be Meaningless class. The movie "She's all that" is another representation of how women are supposed to look in order to be accepted. The story line of this movie is based on High school life, and the typical well known social groups are shown. Among the popular group (the cheerleaders and the football players) there is a guy that began a relationship with a girl from the outcast group. This girl was consider a loser and it was until she went to the salon and wore make up that she was first recognized by those around her. The guy eventually fell in love with her after she "exposed herself". This distinctions make society follow specific examples of how to look and be in order to be accepted.
According to the movie Pump up the Volume, to live a good and meaningful life you need to "Get happy, get a girlfriend, sell a bestseller". In other words in order to be happy you need to get married to an attractive man/woman and become rich and famous. This movie talks about popular culture from a teenager's perspective who is about to step into the world and begin an independent life. The main character is supposed to have great analysis skills and he shares them with other fellows through the radio. He does not dare to speak up in real life and he is "sick of being ashamed" He does not mind "being rejected and rejected" he wont be ashamed. If everyone had the same ideal as this character then they would not be following the corporate messages given. The black Friday would be just another holiday on which people will not take on account because they do not need to improve anything.
This is however a prohibited message. In my point of view popular culture has no interest in allowing us to reach our full potential. We are raised to de-tune ourselves in order to fit in, believing that it is necessary to improve everything about us.
Popular culture communicates how to live a good life, but no one is having a good life while living according to what was communicated. It is never enough. For example, The unreachable Hollywood stars, such as Angelina Jolie, Oprah, Tom Cruise, etc. The struggles or tough situations famous people go through are always exclusively communicated by popular culture. Magazines such as Life&Style, provides articles of how miserable the Hollywood lives are living. So then, according to who, who is having a good life?
Our role models are struggling on being complete. They had everything media was communicating to have in order to have a good life. Because of the fact that their interpretation was not working they added more. For example, "Have a great body to be happy!", "Be rich, there is nothing like it!", "Have children, family comes first!", "Get divorce and marry your true love to be happy!" In conclusion media communicates how to live a good life according to how the example lives (famous people) are living.
There is nothing that can be done about the impact we have received from the culture we live under. We learn whats right and wrong and act according to it. We do what we need to do to survive our lives from imaginary threats. Then we wonder why are we living the way we are living? why did my life turn out this way? why am i here?We are living machines that automatically want to improve among society or complain about society. We live under the strong influence of our culture and we are expected to be in a certain way.We involve our senses, logic, feelings, thoughts, etc. into life situations.
These contradictory messages demonstrate the media is not focused on one single perspective on how to live a good and meaningful life. Popular culture is presented by many people, with different opinions and different products to SELL. Therefore, of course there will be contradictory messages given that become to a point confusing by everyone. How am I suppose to look?, what am I supposed to eat? what am I supposed to wear? This is where dominant messages come in. People will be attracted and influenced by majority and adopt it as reality. It is up to society to decide to how to live a good and meaningful life under their culture and it's beliefs.
It is human nature to feel unsatisfied. For most people there will be always something that is missing in their lives, which keeps them from being complete. Corporate media happens to communicate what is missing in our lives. Media is the best way of communicating an idea according to some one's perspective. We feel powerless against this strong worldwide influence that runs most of people's lives. As previously mentioned there is no way of chaining what media has inflicted in us. There is nothing that can be done about it, so what can we do, esle than accept what is so, in order to have a good life.
We ask philosophical questions, such as why am i here? or why is does the human mind react this way? in order to find the meaning in life. We are here because we are here. The world turned out to be this way because it turned out to be this way, there is NO answer but that in reality.In reality there is no meaning in life, and that is a fact. So then, what is right or wrong is nothing but a invention of some one's interpretation on life and we happen to follow it. We believe what we believe, but that does not mean that what we believe is reality.
I have only one thing to say to corporate media. Thank you for your opinion.
"Life is a tale told by an idiot -- full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"-William Shakespeare
My paper contains...
-Introduction to meaning of life, popular culture and the relationship between these.
-My own perspective on how to live a good life.
-Good and Meaningful life discussion (right/wrong/reality)
-How my perspective and other's prespective relates to pursuing a meaningful life. (Taking responsibility/blaming others/Problems)
-Popular culture and it's effect on us. (messages-dominant, marginal, prohibited-/interpretation/opinion)
-Represention of messages' main idea using examples(lyrics/movies/festivals/magazines/T.V shows)
-Analisys on living a good and meanigful life, corporate messages' outcome,and interpretations and opinions.
This event is taken on after the celebration of Thanksgiving. The communicated purpose of this event is for the sake of the world. As stated in the advertistment shown in Life does'nt have to be meaningless class,Americans consume way too much and they are taking the world into death itself. In order to have a meaningful life a true American who is concerned with the environment and the negative impact he is causing by disposing too much solid waste, that person will not buy anything during this event. But, what will happen with all those sales!? 
Both presidents had something to offer and bother were seen differently by America. Even one of them was elected and the other one was not, both of them were candidates on taking on a very conflicted country for whatever reason they might have. Both of them got so far because of their achievements on communicating. People will always vote for whoever sounds the best to them.
