Metafiction In The Funny Papers: A Journal Analysis

Metafiction is a writing technique we usually see used in comic strips.  It is used to draw attention to a character’s status as an artifact.  These characters tend to have questions about their worlds versus reality.  Irony and self-reflection are most typically used.  It is used mainly in comic strips, and until reading the article I just read, I never knew about metafiction nor why some comics are written how they are.  Now that I know what it is and recognize it, it makes reading the comic strips more interesting.  The article I read was titled “Living in the Funnies: Metafiction in American Comic Strips.”.

The author of the article mentioned there are several categories of metafiction: Intertexuality, transtexuality, Metatexuality, Paratexuality, and Architextuality.  Intertexuality, transtexuality, and Metataxuality are the only categories I seem to understand.  Intertexuality is a co-presence of two texts or works, either through the form of quoting the other medium, plagiarism, or implicit allusion. 

In comic strips, all examples of these are used, according to the author of the article.  We see references to some well-known paintings used in “Calvin and Hobbes.”. We also see reference to a famous 1930s film used in the same comic strip.  We have also seen references to how soap operas are shot in several comics.  Also, on April Fools Day one year, several comic strip writers let their characters invade other comic strips.

When faced with reality, the author of the article stated several things characters would do as a pun to their reality.  Calvin’s grandpa in “Calvin and Hobbes” complains about comics in one strip.  The characters of “Calvin and Hobbes” are also always questioning their reality, much like the characters of one of my favorites, “Pearls Before Swine.”. One character erased himself, and another hit the author of the strip on the head stating, “in theory, that didn’t hurt.”

I am actually glad I read this article.  Before I read it, I wasn’t too sure what I was going to get out of it, but I found it very interesting and informative.  I think if you would read it as well, you would also have a better understanding of why we see certain techniques used in the world of comic strips.

I agree with the author’s main points on this article.  I have read the funny pages ever since I was a little kid, I even have a couple books from a couple of favorite comic strips.  I see a lot of reality questioned by these characters.  I have also seen several references to other sources used in the comics.  Seeing these techniques used in them, makes the comic strips even more funnier, I think.

Furthermore, I do think this article is extremely important.  We should have a knowledge of what certain techniques are and why they are used.  If we know why they are used, we would understand more about the things they are used in.

References

Gonzalez, J.  (2014).  “Living in the Funnies”: Metafiction in American Comic Strips.  The Journal of Popular Culture, 47(4), 838-856.  Retrieved from http://0-search.ebscohost.com.olinkserver.franklin.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&bquery=living+%26quot%3bin%26quot%3b+the+funnies&type=1&site=ehost-live

Married with Children: My Favorite Show

I know our teacher didn't ask us to post our "my favorite" paper to our blog, but I thought I'd post mine.
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Married with Children: My Favorite Show

One of my favorite shows of all time is “Married with Children.”  I love this show because of how creative the writing is for the show.  I am not too sure if anyone can really truly relate to this show in real life, but it is chock full of very funny scenarios, and obviously several stereotypes.

One stereotype featured in the show are blonde women being stupid. You see this in the character of Kelly Bundy.  According to an article found on realclearscience.com, it’s really unclear how this stereotype started.  The article went on to state that it was obviously started because of how blondes are portrayed in our popular culture.  Most movies and shows have blondes considered highly attractive however not very intelligent.  We also see dumb blonde jokes all the time, so we get this idea they are unintelligent.

Another stereotype featured in the show is that all men are pigs.  Al Bundy and his friends have this stereotype.  I couldn’t find any information about the history of this stereotype, but it seems to be a stereotype we see in a lot of shows and movies as well.  We see men portrayed in media as people who just want to go to strip clubs or bars and drink beer after work.  They are also portrayed as cheaters who want sex all the time and most of the time, not with their wives.  What exactly led to this stereotype?  I believe it has to do with our history.  Throughout history, men worked while women stayed home.  When men came home they just wanted to relax.  We also see cases in history where men would have a child with a woman and then end up leaving her, and also see cases where men grew disinterested in their women over time and left them for somebody else.  Over time, we eventually get this idea that all men are pigs.

We also see women portrayed as being nothing more but housewives who stay home and shop all the time.  Peggy Bundy resembles this stereotype.  But where did the idea come from?  According to an article I found posted on Colorado.edu, women’s roles in the 1950s were society driven.  They had to be perfect mothers, behaving wives, and smart and creative homemakers. While men were at work, women stayed home and took care of the children and cleaned house and cooked.  Even though Peggy Bundy isn’t the best example of this stereotype, perhaps that is what helps make the show so popular.  It somehow takes a typical stereotype and turned it around.  We normally seen housewives portrayed on shows as those who cooked and cleaned, instead we see Peggy as just a lazy housewife.  She would just watch Oprah, eat Bon-Bons and spend her husband’s money.

Another stereotype portrayed in “Married with Children” is feminism, which we see with the character of Marcy Darcy.  Marcy Darcy is a character who obviously can’t stand most men, especially ones who are like Al Bundy.  She is also a strong woman in the corporate world and is viewed as unattractive.  She’s also viewed as a women’s rights activist.  Many of the stereotypes about feminism are featured in an article on experienceproject.com.  All the stereotypes we see used in this show are obviously negative ones, but perhaps that’s what makes it work.

Stereotypes are used all over in the media, unfortunately.  Men are stereotyped to like muscle cars, beautiful women, and meat.  Hardees a couple years ago had commercials with an attractive woman in a bathing suit standing by a muscle car eating a Hardees thickburger.  Who were they trying to honestly sell the thickburger too?  We also see attractive women in bathing suits on covers of car magazines.  I do feel this stereotype isn’t right, though.  It just further encourages the thought that “all men are pigs.”  According to a business article on chron.com, there are many unfortunate stereotypes used in advertising, including ads making newly-wed men seem incompetent and the woman is always in control if they buy a certain product.  Some advertisements also still depict women as being domesticated who do nothing but take care of household chores, to name a few.

Unfortunately, we focus too much on stereotypes in people.  Instead of trying to judge people by the content of their character, we judge them by these stereotypes.  We see people with glasses, and we don’t want to be around them because we believe they are nerdy.  We see people dress a certain way and we think they are troublemakers when chances are they probably aren’t.  We see people act or talk a certain way, and we automatically think they are stupid or dumb.  I am not a fan of using stereotypes, but unfortunately in society we do.  We judge others when we shouldn’t.  This is why I try to tell people if you don’t want to be judged by those who don’t know you, then take a look at how you present yourself to others and change some things about it so you won’t get judged or stereotyped.

References

(n.a.).  (n.d.).  I Am Against Feminism.  Retrieved from http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-Against-Feminism/2657716

Dickinson, K. (2012, July 14). Why Are Blondes Considered Dumb?  Real Clear Science.  Retrieved from http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2012/07/why-blondes%20are%20dumb.html

Joseph, C. (n.d.). Types of Stereotyping in Advertising. Chron.com.  Retrieved from   http://smallbusiness.chron.com/types-stereotyping-advertising-11937.html

RoobixCoob (2005, November 17).  A Woman’s Role in the 1950s.  Retrieved from http://www.colorado.edu/AmStudies/lewis/1025/women1950s.pdf

Written Analysis 2

There are many rituals that we see in the “Star Wars” franchise.  If you seen any of the films, you would easily pick up on them.  One would even think the Jedi as even religious based.

One obvious ritual in “Star Wars” is the Force.  The Force is very religious based.  Some might relate the Force to “God.”  As Obi-Wan Kenobi states in Episode IV, “The Force is what gives a Jedi his power.  It’s an energy field created by all living things.  It surrounds us and penetrates us.  It binds the galaxy together.”  If you are sensitive to it, you could use it.  There is also a good side and evil side to it.  A light side and dark side.  The character of Yoda has stated several things about it.  In Episode V he says, “For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.  Life creates it, makes it grow.  Its energy surrounds us and binds us.”  In Episode I, Yoda also made a statement about what causes some Jedi to go to the dark side of the Force.  “Fear is the path to the dark side.  Fear leads to anger.  Anger leads to hate.  Hate leads to suffering.”  

Another obvious ritual is the light sabers.  To me, this is considered a ritual because a Jedi’s right to passage is his light saber.  Only the Jedi have one, and the colors of them are significant in themselves.  Only the Sith (who are the dark side of the Force). have red lightsabers which signify anger, hatred, and power.  The Jedi Knights have blue and green lightsabers.  Blue signifies justice and protection.  The ones who use these are protectors and fighters for the light side.  The green ones are used by the Jedi who would rather negotiate or meditate to fix a problem instead of fighting.

Other rituals we see are Jedi training and meditation.  Jedi training is what teaches Jedis how to use the powers of the Force.  Meditation is similar to prayer.  And Jedis seem to get answers they need when they meditate.

I have gained much insight from applying the ritual theory to “Star Wars.”  As a Christian man, I see many similarities to these rituals and Christianity.  God is my force.  God is why I am who I am today.  God is why I have done well in school the past couple years, and why I have a better outlook on life right now.  Studying the bible, and a better understanding of what Jesus did is my training.  However, I have seen people choose a darker path in life and nothing good comes from it.  They would rather spit on you instead of being kind to you. I used to follow that path as well and was in very sad shape.  I have also seen prayers answered when people pray.  Some even considered miracles!

Written Analysis 1

The film “Star Wars” has became very iconic in our culture.  It spawned seven films, and soundtracks, several video games, and several books.  It has created many iconic characters, and in doing so, has also created many iconic stars.  It has become so iconic in itself, that it is referenced and parodied in other forms of media.

One myth is that “Star Wars” is just childish, according to an article by Andrew Gordon when writing about critics opinions.  If “Star Wars” is childish then why is it so popular amongst adults?  It’s a fairy tale.  And that, in my opinion, is why it’s so popular.  Fairy tales have always been popular because of the imagination they create.  “Star Wars” is a mythological story that takes place in a galaxy far far away amongst different creatures.  To me, this is a concept of “humanity” – being able to get along with each other regardless of race, which most people want.  It also expresses battles between good and evil which we all have.  We all struggle with the dark side at some point.  We all want what’s right to be done, but at the same time some things that are wrong to do is also intrigueing to us, which leads us all down the wrong path in life. and who doesn’t want to fly an x-wing or the millennium falcon?

Men want to be Luke Skywalker or Han Solo.  Women want to be Princess Leia.  Some people even want the powers of the Jedi or even the powers of Darth Vader.  There was a point in my life where I felt a little bit like Darth Vader: confused, and angry.  What really makes these characters so iconic?  I think for some, we can relate to them.  Luke Skywalker is just a kid from Tatooine not knowing much about what his future will bring until he meets Obi-Wan.  Several of us live life day-by-day until suddenly something happens that changes that.  Darth Vader is just a confused and sad character consumed by the dark side because he didn’t want his wife to die and he wanted to be a jedi master and the council wouldn’t let him.  Several of us feel like we don’t get the chance we feel we rightfully deserve.  It then causes us to be angry and upset.  Han Solo is just a guy who is able to take care of things on his own.  He may be selfish, but who doesn’t want to take care of things on their own?  We can relate to all these characters in some way.  Perhaps that is what makes them so iconic.

References

Gordon, Andrew. (1978, Fall). Star Wars: A Myth For Our Time. Retrieved from http://users.clas.ufl.edu/agordon/starwars.htm 

Week 2: Icon Analysis

The icons I choose are The Beatles, Walt Disney, and Facebook.  The Beatles were a rock group from Liverpool, England in the 1960s; Walt Disney was a film maker and animator in the early 1900s, and Facebook is a social network service founded in the early 21^st century.

I chose The Beatles because of their impact on music.  They were very experimental in the studio in their later years, which led to a lot of recording techniques we use now.  Before they arrived on the music scene, it was also unheard of to write your own songs.

I chose Walt Disney because of his impact on the world of entertainment and pop culture.  He had a very creative imagination, and before him there were no theme parks.  He created Disney Land in the 1950s to have the theme of all the Disney films of the time and also his characters meeting visitors.  It was a total different concept since before then, you just had amusement parks with rides and food but no real themes.  Now we have parks like Universal Studios, Six Flags, and Sea World which all have certain themes.  He also had the idea of turning well known popular fairy tales into popular animated films for kids.

I chose Facebook because look at its cultural impact these days: you can post photos and status updates in realtime.  It was basically the start of what they call web 2.0 which is a very interactive web, where you are able to communicate even more with old friends and classmates, and stay updated “on the fly.”  Before, the only way to do that is through E-Mail, phone calls, or writing letters to someone.  There are pros and cons to this newfound use of technology of course.  Even though you are now updated instantly, I think people go a little overboard on their posts.  Some things should still remain private.

What Is Popular Culture?

Popular culture is really anything that is popular or shapes society in some way, despite how ridiculous some of the things might be.  Remember pet rocks?.  Whether it involves movies, TV shows, music, video games, comic books, etc. It is all a form of popular culture.  Popular culture is important because if you don’t know anything about any of it, some people will probably just frown on you, and unfortunately, some things in pop culture we don’t agree with.  There is a lot of pop culture these days I don’t agree with because of the negative impact on our society.  Miley Cyrus as an example, is a bad influence on young girls.

Popular culture is also very important because these days, it affects who we become.  It shapes our careers.  We may see a great show or movie and want to become filmmakers or actors.  We may hear great songs that influence us to become musicians.  We may even see parts in movies that influence us to become something a movie is based on.  Space movies influence people to become astronauts, racing movies influence people to want to become racers, for example.

There are several different popular culture artifacts, where should one start?  For me, on a personal level, I’ll choose the film “Back To The Future.”  I saw it for the first time in 1990 when I was 10 years old, and I was hooked.  Ever since, I wanted to become a filmmaker.  I thought it was very amazing all of the things involved, in making a story on paper become visual and realistic looking.  I have yet to become a filmmaker, but I still have dreams of making one great film.  That’s the impact the film made on me, but look at the impact it’s made on the world: even though there hasn’t been a film made for the series since 1990, it has inspired people to want to buy DeLorean cars (even though the company ultimately went under, the car became massively popular because of the franchise), there are fan based discussion groups and websites all over, back to the future events held worldwide, and sometimes at comic-con events, people will dress like their favorite “Back To The Future” character.  When I attended a “Back To The Future” showing at a local movie theater on October 21^st, 2015, there were several dressed in their favorite film character outfit, and one person even had a replica hoverboard.