Family oriented movies seem to be making a comeback over the last several years.  The trend seems to coincide with a poor economy and the need to cut back on expenses and spending more time at home.  More family time creates a need for more family style entertainment which appeals to all ages.

            Many family oriented movies contain several myths.  One of the more prevalent myths is good prevails over evil.  The character or characters in the movie are basically good and come up against evil and ultimately defeat evil through goodness. The main character may also be good at heart but give in to temptation, then come back to the side of good by the end of the movie and be projected as a “winner”.   Some movies are based in the premise of achieving a dream.  The message is clear through the plot of the movie, if you just believe and work hard enough, you will be successful.  The dreamer/worker may have to suffer ridicule or trials and tribulations, but ultimately comes out the victor.  Some characters may become icons, such as Lightning McQueen in the movie Cars.

            Icons can become a means for a message to be associated with a character in the movies.  When the icon is presented to the audience, he/she may be associated with good or evil behavior, or be a symbol of what someone may achieve if the follow the icon’s behavior.  Lightning McQueen, for instance, represents what can happen if you take the time to listen and learn.  Dreams can come true if you have patience and take the time to work for them.  Respecting those around you is important to character building and becoming successful, as is portrayed by this icon.  Lightning shows friends are what matters the most and only enhance becoming successful.

            Keys to success, achieving dreams, being respected and giving respect, having faith and working hard to achieve your dream seem to be prevailing messages in family oriented movies.  There is a definite pattern of a belief of good over evil, the importance of good morals, and the realization of dreams through faith and hard work.  The ending most generally is a “happily ever after”.

     The first icon is for the Amazon kindle, which is one of the most awesome handheld personal library/media/tiny laptops on the market, in my opinion.  This item takes up so little space in a purse or briefcase and eliminates the bulk of conventional textbooks. The second icon represents the Converse tennis shoe, which has maintained popularity in and out over a few decades(I hate to admit it but these were all the rage when I was a teenager and that has been a "few"years ago).  Different colors have been manufactured as well as different styles to appeal to both genders and different age groups. The third icon represents one of Americans' favorite candies, the M&M.  These are one of the longer lasting candies still manufactured, which have changed very little.  Different varieties have been made available and marketing has changed to appeal to the differing generations, but basically the M&M is its old familiar self to some of us later baby boomers.

     I chose the Amazon kindle icon as this has been one of my favorite products.  Before I became ill, I purchased my first basic kindle with wireless capabilities and was hooked.  I love to read and not only could I access books, but I had access to a few magazines and some newspapers as well.  During my illness, the slight weight of the kindle was easy for me to manage and came in handy for entertainment while I was incapacitated.  When the kindle fire came out, I had to have one and bought one for my youngest daughter as well.  It was awesome!  I not only had access to more books, newspapers, and magazines, but had my computer at my fingertips and access to games, movies, etc.  What a joy to be able to stay updated from the comfort of my bedroom when I had to be "resting".  It was great to be able to share the experience with my daughter and then my grandchildren.

     The Converse icon is near and dear to me from a past and present perspective.  How cool is it that a name brand has survived and thrived in the last several decades to come in and out of style like the most awesome pair of bell bottom jeans ever?!  I loved the high top sneakers as a teenager and if you had a pair of those back in the day, you were almost as cool as the popular athletes/cheerleaders, at least fashion wise.  Today, they bring back pleasant memories of bygone days.  I like the attention to the female gender with the different color and style selection.  My youngest daughter, who is my fashion "icon", has a pair of feminine high tops.  It feels good to see something I wore and admired recycled into another generation with upgraded enhancements.

     M&Ms bring back a sense of nostalgia of visits to the "General" store in our small town of New Castle, Ohio.  I can clearly associate those trips to the store with my father with a bag of my favorite plain M&Ms as  a treat.  Indeed they were very special as they lasted longer than other candies, as you could savor them one at a time as you let them "melt in your mouth and not in your hand".  Going to the store with my dad was an adventure in itself as you got to listen to the old farmers gathered around the pot bellied wood stove tell their tales.  My brother and I felt very special indeed when my dad would take us with him on these trips.  Today a bag of M&Ms brings those memories to mind and I enjoy relishing this treat from my childhood from time to time but even more so I love to share them with my grandchildren.  M&Ms are a treat for all ages!

USA Today----Newspaper of Choice

     Popular culture means what is the accepted means of communication, morals, society views and opinions which are relevant today.  These have an impact on how we react to many different situations in our business as well as in our day to day lives and relationships.

     An understanding of popular culture is very relevant in business as it is a fairly reliable tool to determine how consumers may react to marketing techniques as well as price changes and expectations of product reliability and customer service.  In my present career, we have an established set of parameters of customer expectations for their specific order.  Defects allowed and not, are clearly stated, as well as surface quality and measurement specifications for each individual order.  Not attempting to meet or exceed these quality standards will result in a loss of sales and losing in the global market competition.

     I chose the newspaper USA Today as a pop culture artifact.  Many of my co-workers, friends and family choose to read this particular paper on a regular basis.  It features the most up-to-date and reliable national news and popular public opinions on said news, as well as consumer reactions.  I enjoy the financial news and the related articles which help to explain market fluctuations and the impact the global economies and politics has on our market and economy.  It is informative and influences our opinions by presenting the opinions of powerful people and celebrities, which has a huge impact on how we perceive issues.