America and Hollywood - Positive and Negative

Positive

America is renowned for it's film industry and of course, Hollywood plays a large role in that. But this isn't just about Hollywood as it doesn't just represent film but glamour and making dreams come true, along with other things. A century ago, it was rare to have a brand new, feature length, ground breaking movie with special effects in every scene to be released on a near weekly basis in our cinemas. However, America (Hollywood) was the country that made film the way it is today. The image above of the Warner Brothers Pictures film company I feel has a positive reflection of America, as it is just one of many widely recognised symbol of what joys and entertainment Hollywood has brought to our screens for the past century.

Negative

Behind the Scenes...
In relation to Hollywood and it's movie successes, there is still the shadow that lurks behind every stage door that many of it's actors and actresses get absorbed into. The 'Celebrity' can have both good and bad connotations, to me it is generally bad. Take the image above for example, the actress, Miley Cyrus, has become a household name, though many knew what lay ahead for her. The actress made her debut appearance as the leading role in Disney Channel's 'Hannah Montana' - (The story of a girl who was a superstar by night and normal Nashville girl 'Miley Stuart' by day). The image on the left is Cyrus at the young age of 14, in the image across is her today (19). She has clearly left her Disney past behind and taken on a more explicit and adulterated appearance. Miley Cyrus isn't the only household name to have plummeted from fame to shame - Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan are just a couple more. I feel this image has a negative reflection on America as it shows, although many aspects of Hollywood are brilliant, it can also twist and ruin the lives of some who let the fame get to their heads and let the money slip out of their hands.

positive and negative images of america

Negative

When the railroad pushed westward through the plains, buffalo were often shot for sport as the trains passed by, the carcasses left to rot upon the prairie .Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, June, 1871.

 I feel this is a negative image of America as the killing of the buffalo played a big part in what could be described as the genocide of the Native Americans. I feel this image shows how many felt America was theirs for the taking despite it already being inhabited. I think it shows a brutal side to America and its inability to co-exist with Native Americans because their values and beliefs were different and therefore unacceptable to them.

Positive  

Hollywood is a very famous place and the sign is instantly recognisable to most people. I feel this image is positive as it makes you think of America’s achievements in the movie industry as well as iconic names such as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. Overall I think this image makes America appear exiting place to be.

Negative- History of Racism, Positive- Sporting Traditon

Negative: History of Racism: Just by looking at this photo, the automatic response is "Ku Klux Klan (or KKK)", the Ku Klux Klan are the figure heads of America's deep and bloody history of Racism that stretches from the "Slave Trade" of the 19th Century through to the "Lynch Mobs" of the 20th century in which the Ku Klux Klan were heavily involved. Even now, racism is still evident towards the African-American community, whether from perceived police discrimination (as evidenced by the statistic that in 2008, 846,000 African-Americans were incarcerated, and 40.2% of the prison population were African American males. (taken  from article by the Huffington Post, statistic taken from US Bureau of Justice estimates)). However, America is moving further towards equality for all races, with the vitally important work of Dr Martin Luther King Jr during the equality movement of the mid-19th century, culminating in the appointing of the first African-American President Barrack Obama in 2008.

Positive- Sporting Tradition: Sport and America go hand in hand, even though America has the highest levels of obesity in the world, sport is at the heart of American culture, and American tradition. From the almost religious following of American Professional sporting teams (http://brent911.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/doodlebop1.jpg), to the integration of "Football" into the tradition of Thanksgiving, where in 2011, the average number of viewers topped out at around 30 million (around 10% of the population) and the following of sport continues past Thanksgiving and other Holiday events. The fascination with sport does not end on the professional stage, it is deeply ingrained in both the College (University) and High School Level. The sporting traditions that America holds is positive towards the nation because it has cultivated the highly competitive nature of America and this competitive nature has helped America strive and thrive to be the "Best", politically, economically and especially in the World of Sports (i.e. Ryder Cup and the Olympics). 

Negative, Gun Laws - On July 20th 2012 James Holmes shot and killed 12 people. He was able to commit this act due to the guns laws in America that gives citizens the right to purchase deadly weapons over the counter. After the Aurora shooting the outrage and shock over Holmes actions created a surge in gun sales in the US; there was a 48% increase in Colorado. A survey taken on the 30th of July, ten days after the shooting showed the tragic event had no impact on the American citizens view on gun laws.

Positive - At the 2010 Oscars Kathryn Bigelow received the Best Director award. This was the first time in Oscar history for a woman to win the award. Bigelow's triumph marked a refreshing change in the male dominant environment of Hollywood and showed the progression of the female role in the film industry. In winning the award Bigelow followed a tradition offered by the American dream of defeating the obstacles imposed by society to achieve her goal.

Week 2: Imagining America...... which are 'good' and which are 'bad'?

What 'information' do the pictures provide?

What do they say about America?

See you Monday, John.

Welcome to AM1111 and the blog for John Bentley.

My group meets at 10.00 on Monday in TAB 215 (Carol Smith's office).

Please make sure you do the first blog task in time. You can find it in the handbook on the LN, but here it is:

Post any TWO images which instantly mean “America” to you. Choose one positive, the other negative and explain your choice.

To post images, select the icon of the little picture that shows above when you select "new post" and follow the instructions. Any problems, get in touch.

See you Monday.