“American
Icons”
This
article talks about the characters on Jersey Shore, how they are
becoming international stars, and how that represents Americans. As
the audience of Jersey Shore is becoming international and the show
is becoming more popular, international audiences are coming to view
the people on Jersey Shore as the way that all Americans live. There
has also been talk of filming Jersey Shore-type shows in other
countries, with varied feedback. One documentary filmed in Saudi
Arabia focusing on liberal young people was met with scorn in it's
home country. It seems, the article states, that the world is always
ready for American stupidity, but not willing to look at their own
country in the same way.
I think
this is a very fair assessment. I hate the fact that there are
people who think Snooki is an example of all Americans, a clearly
false idea. I can understand however, the reluctance to see your own
culture under that sort of scrutiny, just as I dislike it. I think
that as long as people can know and understand that the people on the
screen are exaggerated characters, and not necessarily representative
of the entire population, than shows like this are okay. But, a lot
of people don't see that which creates problems.
Excerpt from my Marshall Field's paper:
D. H.
Burnham was a successful architect who planned not only many of
Chicago's building, but also came up with what he called “The
Chicago Plan” of 1909, subtitled “Paris on the Prairie”. He is
most noted for designing the structures that were used for the 1893
Chicago World's Fair. The Chciago World's Fair was the largest of
it's kind and brought people from all around the world to see the
city of Chicago who in turn got to see the feat of skyscrapers and
cutting edge architecture that made Chicago different. This included
the newly completed Marshall Field's Annex as well as the finery of
Field's original store on State Street. The Annex is a mix of
Chicago Style and Early Renaissance Style Architecture, creating a
bold, angular structure save for a few entry-way arches. The
building was loved by patrons and office works who ran their business
from the top few floors, but scorned by many in the Chicago
Architecture community. Louis Sullivan in particular critisized the
building as the death of Chicago Prairie Style Architecture.
Unfortunately for Sullivan this building, paired with the World's
Fair (also called the Colombian Exposition), gave new rise to
neoclassical revival Architecture in Chicago.
So, there's some interesting stuff. Yup.
bah, i really hope they don't become the face of america!
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