2 Menber responses for reading blog #8

I responded on Andrew Poland and Eric's blog

Research Blog Part 12

After carefully reading about subcultures I have come to the conclusion that my choice for the final project, webkinz is not a subculture. Subcultures are groups of people who have something in common. Webkinz on line is a group of children who all enjoy playing with there webkinz and talking to others who feel the same way as they do. So the people who use the webkinz site have something in common, but they don't deviate social norms. These children on this website are not participating in anything that society as a whole would reject or treat them suspiciously for. The thing is that most commonly subcultures are groups or communities that deviate or differ from exsisting social norms. Most subcultures exsist "underground", outside of the mainstream of society, or in out of the way places they can call their own. Subcultures also need space and believe it's an essential component, they need space to meet, to act, to form a community and to forge common bonds. The webkinz site isn't tring to be underground, if anything there trying to get more people to become part of the site. There site is made for anybody, not just for people who have the same or similar beliefs. Webkinz are made for anyone who will purchase them, not just people who have certain opinions or views. I feel that webkinz is just a product bieng sold to as many consumers as possible. Webkinz are just a manufacturer trying to make money off children and thier parents. Ganz the company who manufactures webkinz is simply trying to sell thier product. By having this website it just makes it more accessible for consumers to purchase products and it's just another way to suck children in to make them feel that they belong there.

Reading Blog #8

This is my example of counterculture. Counterculture are groups that express antagonism toward the exsisting social and political order, and propose alternative ways of organizing society. This term is most commonly used to refer to the alternative politics expressed by a variety of groups in the 1960's. Counterculture describes groups that challenge and contradict the "common sense" of everyday life with the aim of creating a better society. Countercultures are a type of subculture that deliberately opposes certain aspects of larger society (this is argueable). Hippies from the 60's are a kind of counterculture, they were groups of young people that adopt an unconventional lifestyle as an alternative to the perceived hypocrisy and inequity of the dominant cultural norm. In the 1960s the counter-culture was characterized by casual clothing and hair styles, rock and roll music, sexual freedom, experimentation with drugs, and opposition to the Vietnam War. Some hippies formed communes to live as far outside of the established system as possible.

A subculture describes a group or communities that deviate or differ from exsisting social norms. Typically subcultures are conceived as groups of individuals who come together around shared practices and ideas that are rejected or treated with suspicion by official, mainstream culture. Subcultures creatively express there dissatisfaction with social norms and practices, they challenge and modify what counts as normal, everyday life. I chose the gay pride rainbow as my example of a subculture. Gays/bisexuals are people who differ from what society considers normal. The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) subculture are people who come together and share similar ideas that society rejects. These people challenge mainstream societys "norms".
A subculture is a set of people with distinct sets of behavior and beliefs that differentiate them from a larger culture of which they are a part. Where as countercultures are a type of subculture that deliberately opposes certain aspects of a larger society.

Research Blog 11

I have not yet chatted on the webkinz chat. I am planning on it tomorrow. By the time I got home from school today it was to late. But the chat on webkinz is called Kinzchat or Kinzchat Plus. They have a preconstructed chatting system they call Kinzchat.While using this the children can only use phrases that the Ganz site has registered in there for them to pick from. There is no actual typing allowed from the computer.

In Kinzchat plus it allows children to type there own phrases but it monitors what information is bieng typed. If the words the child is typing turn colors the website will automatically stop the message from bieng sent. Kinzchat Plus uses word and phrase filtering to make sure there is no innapropriate messages or information given out while on line.

Depending on your childs age you may or may not allow this on there site while bieng online. It's a choice the parent gets to set and make for the child. This is a good system to monitor what is bieng sent while your child is playing on webkinz world.

Reading Blog 7 ~ Member Response~

I posted on Dustin and Andrew Polands blogs.

Reading Blog #7

The movie Bamboozled has orientalism in it. Pierre viewed African Americans in a different view then the CEO of CNS. This movie stereotypes African Americans as bieng unworthy. Bamboozled's show portrays the African American culture and people as only bieng able to be be slaves and dance and sing. The entertainment industry takes people in and spit them out. The entertainment industry doesn't care how people feel, or how they represent people. It's entertainment, it's supposed to be entertaining. Pierre never thought that his idea for Mantan and Sleep and Eat would be accepted because it was so stereotypical. Mantan and Sleep and Eat were viewed by others as sick and terrible when the show first came out. Then followers of the show began to enjoy it and viewed the show as good.

Representation was used in Bamboozled. Bamboozled represented the African American race as stupid. Even though Mantan and Sleep and Eat was a show and made up, it still makes this race look bad. Mantan and Sleep and Eat made the race look bad because even after realizing what the show was they continued to do the show anyway. But after a while they both realized they were being used and embarrassed by the show. They were tired of bieng represented unfairly.

Research Blog Part 10

My research site, webkinz.com is all aout identity. Children all over know what the "W" on the foot of an animal means that it's a webkinz. As soon as my daughter sees that "W" she knows that the person who has that stuffed animal share a similar identity. They both are interested in webkinz. Webkinz also want you to know all you have to do is register with their website and every animal you buy, which in my daughters mind she is the animal while online, they have a home and belong with the other furry friends. Every webkinz is special there. Every webkinz recieves a name chosen by you and a birth certificate.

You form different relationships with each animal. The animals have to be cared for and loved, even taken to the vet. As my daughter dresses and accessorieses with her animal she feels that each one likes different things and enjoys different games. I understand that children have a vivid imaggination but thats who webkinz are geares for. It indentifies with what the children want and gives parental controls and things parents want for safety on the website. Every webkinz online has there on role in the family/game. They each have there own belonging and expectations that children make for them and the website allows them to fantasize a little more.

Webkinz are a good form of interpellation. Interpellaton is when "individuals are compelled, through a mix of individual psychological and social imperatives, to identify with social roles offered them", accoring to Althusser. Children playing with webkinz is a social role that is offered to them when they get the webkinz. The children get to play on line and can play with thier friends or by themselves with these animals. My daughter loves every webkinz she has, her friends all love webkinz also, it's like a competition of who has more and which was you have.