Supplemental Post #5 - Michael Luisi

For my final post I wanted to talk about the NFL draft, for many this is the moment these players have waited for their entire life. Its the essentially their dream coming true and you get to see when a star is born. However for some draft day can be a living nightmare of your past being exposed to try and lower your draft stuck. A recent example was Laremy Tunsil who was victim of a extortion from his own extended family member. When he didn't pay, he ended up paying in the draft as he was widely considered the #1 pick and fell all the way to 12 when there was a video of him hitting a gas mask bong.

This draft something similar happened with another high profile player, the newly drafted Bills quarterback Josh Allen has old tweets exposed from high-school that contained crude and racist language. This was reportedly leaked by a general manager looking to lower his stock so he could draft him, as teams knew about these tweets for awhile. Allen defends himself by stating many of these tweets were taken out of context as they were quoting famous songs. However it doesn't stop the fact that the language is racist and offensive and the league is primarily black. It will be interesting to see how teammates react to him, as he already is under a microscope with his new team. Its also alarming how the NFL is okay with his behavior, but still blackballs Colin Kaepernick

Core Post #4 - Michael Luisi

The Study of Aubrey Hepburn is an interesting one from my perspective as a guy growing up in the new millennium I had no real understanding of her significance. Sure I understood she was an attractive movie star who was famous for her beauty, talent and of course elongated cigarette holder. However I had no idea her influence was so great that it helped steal the spotlight from other actresses in Hollywood in the 1950's and that she would help mold film in Europe as well.

For a starting point I had no idea that she wasn't from America, upon reading this article is when I discovered that she is born in the Netherlands when its was controlled by Hitlers regime. The fact that she helped the Netherland's rebellion and witnessed a battle first hand as only a child is crazy. It was also a pleasant surprise for me when I discovered from the article that she was also a failed ballerina before she eventually made the transition to becoming an actress.

Going back to my first realization, its reassuring that Brown states that Hepburn's identity in her early movies is notoriously ambiguous saying that many audiences upon seeing her movies would label her as one of their own. This makes sense as she fits many different ethnic molds as she isn't distinctly American or European. However what confuses me is the way that people reacted her as being described as "boyish or a tom boy". I'd never once thought of her in that aspect, in-fact quite the opposite. To me she has always struck me as a symbol of femininity and sexuality, maybe that before this my usual reference point is her in the iconic black dress she wore.

This black dress and her other iconic styles would end up being one her most significant contributions during her time period. Her style would end up attracting many different followers that would try and replicate her style. Brown reinforces this idea stating that "Hepburns persona brought high fashion down to earth and made it accessible for the middle class women."

Supplemental Post #7 Cailin O'Brien

I am sad to be writing my last post for this class, as it has been one of the most enjoyable and most comfortable classroom I have had the pleasure of being a part of during my time at USC. I am happy to be writing about Janelle Monae however as my last commentary. I had heard a couple of her songs played around by friends and while out at bars but was not truly introduced to her jaw dropping artistry until class this past week. Since that class I have spent (maybe a few too many) hours listening to her new album and watching her videos over and over again. I don’t get attached to stars, but she is an absolute queen in my books. There are so many things I could say at this point, from her “Pynk” video of flourishing female self-empowerment to her video for “Q.U.E.E.N” with Badulla Oblongata (Erkyah Badu) where she declares no need to take backlash from any outsider on who she is and how she chooses to be. The main connection I want to talk about is the ambiguity of her sexuality. I have scrolled through countless articles online with titles not only questioning Monae’s sexuality, but seemingly criticizing her for not being straightforward and “honest with herself” about whatever sexuality she is. Many of her songs and videos point towards the tension between being attracted to members of both sexes. These videos seem to produce imagery of a natural flow of movements between her and both men and women. So if it is obvious to us all that she is interested in both why does it matter what label she proclaims? Does it really matter whether we know Monae is pansexual or bisexual? And if anyone has actually been listening to her music and picked up on her message, these labels are what need to be gone. She is about owning who you are regardless of label. I personally have struggled with my sexuality in the sense that I like both men and women but it’s not split down the middle. I may like women more one day and the next year be more attracted to men, while at the same time probably being attracted to both simultaneously to different significant or unnoticeable degrees. She lets us know it is okay to like a man at one moment and want to be with a woman across the room the next. Sexuality is fluid and there doesn’t need to be rules to define it. Many people seem to portray a clear-cut answer. They’re either “gay gay gay” or they may be just pretending for the fame. Janelle Monae has given rise to an “in-between” more gray area of sexuality that myself, and I’m sure many other “bisexual” individuals, have been waiting to see represented and stood up for in the mainstream.

Core Post 5 - Tucker Rayl

After our discussion on Wednesday about embodiment and the trendiness of the big booty, I researched a bit about the procedures that some people undergo to fit the mould of what is an attractive figure. In terms of butt procedures, I found that the most common procedure as of now is fat injections. Doctors take fat from a patients body and inject it into their butt. Less common nowadays are silicone implants.

One thing I also found was a story of a woman who pretended to be a doctor in order to give injections to other women. This fake doctor made mixtures of cement, silicone, oils, and other chemicals and injected it into women's butts, faces, and breasts. She was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison because everyone she worked on was harmed by the chemicals, and one woman died because of it. Below is a picture of one of her victims.

I think this fake doctor story points to the power that images of celebrity bodies have over beauty ideals. Big butts and butt enhancing procedures have become so popular because of J. Lo, the Kardashians, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B, that everyone seems to want a big butt. I don't think it's wrong to undergo procedures to change one's body. It can be dangerous, certainly. But I think it's important to know where those impulses to get an operation come from.

Body diversity is a good thing. All sorts of butts and bodies should be seen and represented. I think it gets really tricky when certain looks come to be seen as more attractive than others. That's where shame and dysmorphia come in to play.

Supplement Post #7- Madeline Virga

Last Friday, Ariana Grande released her new single "No Tears Left to Cry." Leading up to the release I began to see half images, and a countdown clock captioned with the title of the song upside-down on Instagram.

 In one of her post, she talked about how it was hard for her to take a break from social media and the public eye. This was shocking to me as I didn't even notice that she was gone from all social media platforms. One friend even pointed that she began to delete pictures from her Instagram anticipating that something was coming. I believe this speaks to the level of recognition and fame that nobody knew that she had disappeared and still paid close attention to her social media platforms even though she wasn't present on them. What I have been pondering since this realization is, what makes Ariana the celebrity that is ever present in people mind? Is it the fact that she constantly interacts with her fans? But then wouldn't someone notice her absence? Or did we not notice because the horrific attacks that took place at her concert had yet to leave our minds? 

What I do know is that her new song is a hit, and I will be listening to it on repeat all summer. 

Core Post #5 - Giuliana Petrocelli

Just tonight, I saw Avengers: Infinity War. This was for class, in Film Symposium, so it was not a film I chose to watch myself. Therefore, I found myself critiquing it and thought of several tie-ins to what we have studied so far in Stars and Celebrity. As my final core post, I wanted to weave together some themes and ideas from multiple weeks and readings to describe what was happening in the movie, and therefore our own society.

One of the main things that I noticed about the movie was that the female characters struck me as particularly weak and tied to male characters. We have studied female stars that struggle to manage their image in relation to sexuality and categorization. Monroe was an example of a female star that both was defined by her sexuality but also put into a box because of her persona. At the time, she combined her sexuality with innocence to create a persona that she was unable to break. In the interview we watched with her in class, she reclined on a sofa and told the viewers that she wished she could do more serious roles. But as we know, Monroe was never able to find that for herself and felt enormous pressure and entrapment which may have lead to her early death. Carmen Miranda, that we read about in the Roberts piece for the lecture of this week, had created an image for herself that was unique and not extremely sexualized. But in becoming "The Lady in the Tutti Fruity Hat," she limited herself and the roles she could be assigned in Hollywood. Recently, stars like Lopez and even Amy Schumer (as I wrote about regarding I Feel Pretty) have stared to be allowed the freedom to be accepted as who they are in Hollywood. Lopez's unconventional body type (unconventional for Hollywood when she began) has become popular, and Schumer is respected for her comedic talent regardless of looks. However, when I saw the female characters in Avengers: Infinity War, I was disappointed that they were so limited. Women, including the superheroes in the film, were first introduced as "the girlfriend" character. They represented an emotional connection that the men often had to struggle with. Gamora was Thanos's daughter and Star-Lord's girlfriend and Scarlet Witch, although apparently one of the strongest superheroes in the movie, struggled with the emotional decision to kill her boyfriend to save the planet for the entire film (although two male characters quickly decided to kill those they loved). Even characters that had been strongly represented in other films, like the women in Wakanda, were barely given any screen time or story arcs. Rather, they all dressed similarly and had similar roles in relation to the male characters, from what I saw. I was not inspired by them and found them unrelatable. To me, it seemed like they were getting stuck back in a box of femininity and sexuality.

However, I challenged myself to think about how the male characters were being portrayed as well. Perhaps both genders were simplified and generalized in the film. And truly, I feel that is the case. Each of the male super heroes are just that, super-human and strong. After reviewing our readings from the week on masculinity, I thought about the quote from Springer that "cyborg figures 'perpetuate, and even exaggerate, the anachronistic industrial-age metaphor of externally forceful masculine machinery, expressing a nostalgia for a time of masculine superiority'" (Bukatman). Almost all the male characters (and interestingly, none of the female characters) had technological additions to their bodies. Just like the traditions that started in films like Aliens and the Terminator movies, Iron Man, Thanos, Star-Lord, Vision, Bucky Barnes, Black Panther, and even The Hulk used technological and robotic additions to their bodies or body suits. These enhanced their strength, although it didn't mean they would particularly win their battles. The elements of machinery in the movie definitely create a masculine association, and reinforces the idea that the ultimate male is a strong figure who can save the world. I would be interested in seeing a male superhero who is not such a "regular guy," so that we can expand our definitions of manhood.

Action films are made to be fun and enjoyable, and sewn into the genre are ideas about masculinity, femininity, and strength. In today's day and age, I would challenge filmmakers to create less conventional characters and storylines in order to move it to a more interesting and inclusive place for both men and women.

Supplemental Post 7

So we're gonna verge a little too far on the personal edge for this post, but it's a blog and I'm actually geeking out on this. Skins UK raised me growing up. Like that was my show. I've watched it all the way through probably 5 times. And of Skins UK, my favorite character has always been and will be Cook. James fucking Cook. (Sorry for the cursing but if you watch the show you'll get the reference). Cook was my childhood crush, he was my everything. There are so many things I watch now just because the actor, Jack O'Connell, is in them. Anyway, so I met Jack O'Connell about a week ago and we've been texting. I saw him at the Standard as I was walking out and after recognizing him I completely fangirled like I would do for no other celebrity and ran up telling him all about how in love I was with his work. Then awkwardly left because I felt weird for professing my love to a stranger. As we continued to walk out I just realized I had to go full force so I turned back around and asked for his number. Since then we've been texting a good amount yet I've unfortunately had to decline all plans to get drinks, go surfing, etc. I know, a bummer. But now I'm realizing I will literally be so disappointed once we do hang out because the thing is, he is not James fucking Cook... he's Jack O'Connell. What made Cook wasn't his looks, which really aren't that present, it was his personality. And his personality was all pretend. It's so hard not to blur the line between star and character, which I'm feeling way too hard this week.

Supplemental Post #7 - Erin Cooney

Since we chatted about Janelle Monáe in class yesterday, she came out! https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/cover-story-janelle-monae-prince-new-lp-her-sexuality-w519523 The whole interview is great and she talks about being queer and identifying with bisexuality and then pansexuality (it does also mean that I will have to go lie down on the ground for like 4 months while a bunch of media outlets attempt to define bisexuality vs. pansexuality to VASTLY VARIABLE RESULTS, but that's fine (for one example: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2018/04/26/janelle-monae-comes-out-as-pansexual-what-does-that-mean/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.74640aeb3812)). In the interview, she goes on to chat about how her queerness was already visible in her previous work and also speaks a little about how her new album will engage with sexuality and queerness. I think it's really rad to hear her open up about her sexuality and make explicit a lot of the themes and conversations she's been having about this in her music for a long time, so I would definitely recommend reading the interview! She's great and I'm super excited to hear the rest of her new album (it comes out tomorrow?? is that true???), I hope she continues to thrive forever. And we'll see what this does for her image and how people interact with that/respond to her; queer folks in the public eye get a lot of particular pressure on them to be out (and to be out in particular terms, really), but when they are able and willing to take on that pressure and that openness, there's no doubt that there are a lot of positives that can come from that, which also seems to be part of what Janelle Monáe's reflecting on in the interview. It's probably a weird position to be in, but I think it's rad she came out and I hope it helps her to be and do well as she goes forward!

Supplemental Post #7 - Giuliana Petrocelli

I thought that some interesting points were touched upon in class today about the female body and sexuality. When a woman sexualizes herself, is it an expression of power or is she participating in the objectification of herself? By no means should women avoid wanting to look good (whatever that means to them), if they want to, but on the other hand, how much of that is dictated by men? In the end does it matter? Perhaps what matters is simple respect for other people and how they want to present themselves. Then, maybe, we could have a society where people aren't attacked and harassed for however they display themselves.

I though that Kim's perfume bottle post was an interesting one to include with this post.

With her caption about taking a mold of her body for her latest perfume, it seems as if she's taking an opportunity to post another nude, but also using it as a great marketing strategy. She is definitely using sex and our current beauty standard for her own monetary gains.

What's interesting about Kim's image is that she is a savvy businesswoman (based on her successes), but that this is not the image that she projects. Is that a conscious choice? Is this because she knows that sex sells? Or is it because our culture cannot accept that a businesswoman would post nude photos, therefore largely forgetting how smart Kim and all the Kardashians are in building their empire?

Supplemental Post 7 - Lauren Sullivan

I've been thinking a lot about the strange and unique way that podcasts construct stardom. My friends and I all love My Favorite Murder, a casual true crime podcast hosted by Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff. The podcast started in 2016 and for my first months of listening I had no idea what Georgia and Karen looked like. I created some sort of vague physical appearances for them in my head based on their voices but never felt all that compelled to look up pictures of them. Despite this, as is the nature with many podcasts, I felt closely connected to them. The casual conversational nature of many podcasts makes listening feel like you're hanging out with friends. You become a part of inside jokes and laugh and react along with them. Eventually, I joined the online community they'd constructed by following the podcast's Instagram account. Now I know objectively what Karen and Georgia's faces look like, but if they post a video talking it feels like they've been dubbed with those familiar voices and my brain struggles to connect the voices to the people.

Podcast stardom is so interesting because fans experience a far more personal connection to the star than with acting or music, for example, which keep the audience at a distance through controlled images and constructed personas. This isn't to say that podcasts have no element of personas or are complete and accurate representations of the podcasters, but the experience is structured around casual conversation and is entirely detached from appearances. The nature of podcasts seems to distance the listener (by limiting the senses to only audio) but also brings the listener much closer to the individuals they listen to; it's a sometimes confusing relationship for me to wrap my head around. As I was talking to my friend about seeing celebrities in LA, we both agreed we usually feel too  intimidated to approach the star, but she added that if she ever saw Karen or Georgia somewhere (both LA natives), she wouldn't hesitate to approach them and start a conversation. She says it's because she already feels like she knows them so well. That being said, they still occupy a definite star status among their listeners; the friend I previously mentioned has paid A LOT of money to secure a ticket to one of their live shows. Getting tickets to these quickly sold-out shows is difficult and not cheap and reflects the instense star status of more traditional kinds of celebrities.

Supplement Post #6- Madeline Virga

I don't know about any of you, but love watching the Food Network or any food TV show for that matter. I love these shows so much that I want to be a producer for food content. Something that I have noticed recently is how many women chefs are presented on TV, and not just in America.

Ina Garten or more affectionally known as Barefoot Contessa is an image of "bougie" cooking that is made simple.

In the UK, they have the figures like Mary Berry.

The image of the women cooking and teaching people how to cook has been present since in media since the 50s. But for some reason kitchens around the world there is a lack of women. 

The highest honor in the restaurant world is a Michelin star, but female chef's make up only one percent of Michelin starred chefs. For me, I grew up around women who cooked and knew many that spent the whole day cooking for their family. For years and even today, albeit less, the image of the woman who spends all day cooking and taking care of the family is still present in cultures and parts of the US. People still joke that a women place is in the kitchen or make comments like "make me a sandwich." So why is it that we have this strong connotation and image of women in the kitchen, as well as recognize them as inspiring many well know chefs, Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali, but we can't give them room in an actual Kitchen?

Supplemental Post 7 - Hana Lee

As we've learned about celebrities over the course of this semester, I believe one of the best mediums by which we can interact with and create original content is through Twitter. This week, as Kanye West parted ways with manager Scooter Braun and took to blasting off a number of tweets, seeing the interactions between celebrities is interesting.

As we see the humor play out first with Kim and later Chrissy, Twitter has become a platform where these two celebrities have created a platform of authentic expression.

Through the platform, we have also seen Chrissy gain popularity because of her humorous candor. With her ability to express her opinions, namely her clapback, Chrissy remains vocal and strong in her opinions.

Further, as Meek Mill has been released (#FreeMeek to #MeekFree), the rapper realsed a statement via Twitter thanking God and his supporters for their encouragement. 

Supplemental Post #7 - Josh Nallathambi

It would be just plain disingenuous of me if I didn’t spend at least one of these blog posts without analyzing the walking meme that is Jake Paul. Known for being an insanely popular yet problematic Youtube star, the younger Paul represents the next generation of stars coming up through Youtube.

Here’s a link to the iconic “It’s Everyday Bro” in case you’ve avoided youtube the last year. The song was met with widespread disapproval from the outside community, instantly becoming one the most disliked videos on the streaming site. People noted its “lackluster” lyrics and rap delivery, not going for such gems as “England is my city”. Everyone just concluded that it was a clear sign of his immaturity and spoiled entitlement. And while I’m not debating that Jake Paul or his content is Pulitzer prize worthy, I do think that the guy doesn’t get enough credit for his self-awareness and parodic sense. It’s very clear to me that Paul is not trying to become a serious rapper, but realizes that these videos are the easiest way for him to spread his brand. But because it’s not upfront parody or satire like The Lonely Island or even Lil Dicky to a lesser extent, he gets crucified for his behavior. I don’t think the reason Jake did a remix of the song with the newly freed Gucci Mane or a Christmas version because he thinks it’s a work of art. I think he understands the attention. It’s Everyday Bro generates and knows that he can build his brand by expanding on that content.

Youtube is dominated by the 8^th grade viewer who’s looking for edgy comedy while also trying to look cool like a rap star. That whole persona is basically Jake Paul. I don’t think Jake Paul really cares what adults think. He gets criticized for acting like a hyper-masculinized 12 year old but in essence he has to act like that because his target market is that age. Middle school is all about trying to look cool, and Jake Paul acts like every cool kid from middle school ever. Obviously he’s not about being a role model, but he’s very clearly about trying to become the biggest star he can be. Whether he’s just a douche in real life or just a “kid from Ohio with a dream”, who knows?

Supplemental Post 6 - Hana Lee

The world is over as we know it 🙃In the spirit of AI, machine learning, and boom of the tech industry, I wanted to dedicate this post to the creepiest thing I've seen in a long time: @lilmiquela, the first digital influencer. I was passively scrolling through my Instagram passing through my feed and (sadly) did not notice this post:

It wasn't until one of my friends direct messaged me essentially freaking out at the very fact that digital influencers now exist. With 1m followers and $6M of funding from Silicon Valley and VC firms, is Miquela coming for your favorite influencers? For me, she's trying to befriend a couple influencers I personally follow - 

GOODBYE TO HUMANKIND AS WE KNOW IT THE ROBOTS ARE COMING FOR US.

Core Post 5 - JLO - Hana Lee

In our readings centered around Jennifer Lopez and her famous booty 🍑the discussion launches into JLo's embrace of her ethnically-given curves.

With JLo claiming the original booty, pre Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea, and Kim Kardashian, it is interesting to see her influence on the perception of butts in Hollywood. Back in 2014, in an interview with Power 106, Jennifer spoke to how "in Hollywood, it’s a little bit of a novelty" (Us Magazine). She further goes on to explain that "for [them], who grew up where [they] grew up, it wasn’t that big of a deal!" In the fashion of becoming a more progressive society and the changing trends in body types, we see how JLo catalyzed the acceptance of curves. Jennifer was the exception to the rule, as Beltrans declares her embrace empowering, for she did not succumb to society's Eurocentric body standards.

With the increasing popularity of the butt, the thicc body type, and an overall growing appreciation for bodies beyond the skinny, model-like bodies we have seen in years past, I wanted to analyze the proportion of plastic surgeries over the last couple years. In a study by the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, from 2015 to 2016, there was a global increase of fat transfers for buttock augmentation and butt lifts by 10% and 14% respectively. I also found it interesting that the percentage of transplants for buttock augmentation decreased by 4%.

As other studies have shown the negative side effects and possible dangers of injections and implants, one star came to mind for me: Kimberly Michelle Pate, formerly known at K.Michelle who you may recognize as an R&B singer and a cast member of Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta. At the end of 2017, going into 2018, Kimberly announced in an Instagram post that she would be party ways with Betsy, her beloved booty due to health reasons. In the post she details the inflammation her implants would cause, just one potential side effect of buttock augmentation. 

It is interesting to see this shift from the butt being a "novelty" to being trendy and this newfound perception of the body illustrates how JLo and the stars known for their behinds have reclaimed the body part and pushed the standards of beauty to where they are today.

Supplemental Post #7 - Joyce Chun

Lilly Singh, or better known as Superwoman on Youtube, recently announced that she is on the cast of HBO's upcoming movie, Fahrenheit 451. When I first heart this news I was ecstatic because Fahrenheit 451 was a childhood favorite, but even more ecstatic because one of my favorite Youtuber was casted on a national, feature film. I know in the beginning of the semester we said we would discuss this topic later on, but because we never got to, I thought I'd just write about it in my supplemental post. 

Youtube has been a major social medial platform for over a decade now, allowing anyone, celebrity or not, to post videos of themselves doing god knows what. This freedom allowed people to experiment with the platform, expanding the creative world. Youtubers arose as Youtube gained popularity, making these creators Youtube "Stars". There has always been a debate about this platform because it never receives much credit in the entertainment entertainment, but I think otherwise. While initially Youtube was seen separate from the film world, we now see the merge of the two. Hollywood stars work with these online influencers to promote their film because they understand the amount of audience and views the Influencers bring in. Dwayne Johnson, for example, started his own Youtube channel and he has videos with Lilly Singh where she teaches him how to "youtube" properly. Even Justin Bieber was discovered on Youtube by Usher because he was uploading videos of him singing covers. This website has become a gateway for a diverse group of people to express themselves freely and make a name for themselves out of it. Seeing online presence and Hollywood collaborate recently has been such an encouraging sight to see, to see that this new platform has made its way to this level.

Supplemental Post #7 - KC Chow

Watching Nanette Burstein’s The Creators, I was very surprised with the transparency Zoella and Niki ‘n’ Sammy had on the way they were depicted; they acknowledged that the representation they put out in their videos is them but only the fun, edited parts.

It was also interesting to hear how “normal” all of them were when they started Youtube and how the platform helped launch them into stardom. For example, Tomska didn’t have a job and didn’t know what to do with his life, and Zoella had worked odd interior designer jobs.

With this, I wanted to state how much Youtube has played a part in not only catapulting regular people to stardom but also putting normalcy on the map. Last semester, I took a 191 Television & Video course here, and I remember that our guest speaker said that Youtube was an integral platform for gay representation with popular personalities such as Joey Graceffa and Connor Franta owning their sexuality and uploading “Coming Out” videos to their millions of subscribers. With creators doing such, they helped normalize “coming out” in society.

In addition, Youtube has been a platform for showing “normal” representation, particularly Asian citizens. In opposition to Hollywood films that omit the population, YT has helped Asian “stars” and representation seem normal, bringing them to the laptop screens of many. Think Michelle Phan, Nigahiga, and Wong Fu Productions.