Americans are becoming more accustomed to marijuana usage due to the increasing frequency of displays in pop culture, a growing availability, and it being a serious political issue. The film and TV industry have played a vital role in how marijuana is seen by America. The first instance of the drug use in pop culture is the 1936 film Reefer Madness by Arthur Hoerl. The film takes two ordinary teenagers, who are pressured into using marijuana, through an over-the-top journey that includes a hit-and-run accident, suicide, manslaughter, and even an attempted rape. However, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), which was established in 1970, used the movie satirically to aid in the reform of marijuana policy.
Popular American Culture Yuliana Diaz SOC/105 Dr. Cheryl Y. Avant Popular American Culture Currently, people cannot turn to the right without being influenced by technology, it can be said that the popular American culture in 2011 is mainly leaded by technological devices and their products. Oxford University Press defines culture as “the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group” (“culture,” 2011) there are many factors that affect the different cultures around the world such as trends, which are elements of popular culture. Popular Culture and Trends “Popular culture encompasses the most immediate and contemporary elements in our lives.” (Petracca & Sorapure, 2007, para 8) although it does not give a specific definition, it states that popular culture is contained by the everyday elements people use, for example the Internet, which has become a powerful tool for anything thinkable in peoples’ lives. Another powerful “element” is the telephone, it became more than a useful communication tool, (the main reason it was invented for), it is used as a productivity, organizational, and recreational tool in the American popular culture. Popular culture also can be a term that refers to what other cultures look up to, from a personal experience, people who grew up in another country always say how the American culture has the most influential trends around the world.
When Calvin does get locked up, Ace ends up taking his position on the streets after a chance encounter with Lulu, a Dominican drug dealer. With the help of his friend, Mitch and their partner and enforcer, Rico, he creates a huge drug empire in Harlem. In this matter most people would refer that as to being peer pressured which cause them to do things their uncomfortable with doing by interacting with the wrong crowd. Mitch, Ace's best friend, is very popular and an extremely flashy drug dealer. Mitch does not pressure Ace to become a dealer because he thinks that his friend is not the
With all the profits he made dealing and selling cocaine in south central L.A., His operation was hardly done with out help. His Nicaraguan associates Normin Meneses and Oscar Blandon were right there along side Ricky unleashing a crack wave, which urban America still hasn’t recovered from. Known simply as “Freeway” Rick, he started as a poor illiterate high school dropout from south central Los Angeles. Ricky was a talented tennis player and had hopes of one day playing on the college level. When Ricky’s coach realized he couldn’t read or write his college scholarships went out the window.
The popularity of television shows like American Idol, X Factor, and America Got talent revealed that Americans are infatuated with music icons. For example America is obsessed with Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, Michael Jackson, The Beatles and Britney Spears. What these artists have in common is that they are wealthy, famous, and have amazing talent. This is what it takes for American’s to become interested in music icons. If you ask a young child who they want to be when they grow up they will say these following names; Beyoncé, Lil Wayne, Michael Jackson, the Beatles and Britney Spears and not both senators Bachman and Obama.
In his first essay “Reefer Madness”, Schlosser looks at the marijuana industry in the United States. Marijuana is very popular in American society, yet it is something that the government punishes harshly. In “Strawberry Fields”, Schlosser writes about migrant workers in California, who are mostly illegal immigrants from Mexico. In “Empire of Obscene”, Schlosser writes of the rise of the pornographic industry. Pornography, once a taboo market in the United States, now a popular form of
The media likes to capture rock musicians using drugs at wild parties and acting irresponsible to get attention from people and increase magazine sales and ratings. I consider musicians to be artists who use music as a form of expression. The majority of their actions are to uphold certain image expectations from their fan base. Rock stars are expected to act wild and crazy always engaging in scandals to keep their fans wanting more. While a majority of these people are addicts with psychological issues who usually die from overdoses of illicit drugs many actually have families and are regular normal people when they are not in the spotlight.
Drug trafficking, heroin in particular, was the choice drug of law enforcement, people and gangsters alike. Heroin trafficking in the 1960s and 70s had great effects on pop culture, American culture and gang culture. Many things in pop culture have their roots in this time period. Most people, when listening to music, rap music especially, hear words and phrases that they do not understand. These words and phrases were commonly used during the 60s and 70s to describe certain aspects of the heroin trade.
Customs officers are expected to do their job and put a stop to the drug trafficking but the temptation of making some extra money may be extremely strong. Money is the root of all evil and a lot of people are very selfish. For an example, they know the effects drugs have on a society as a whole but if the price is high enough, they may turn their head and allow the drugs to be brought in. Not only is this wrong, it is damaging to everyone. “It is believed that the loss of the drug trafficking industry in Mexico would cause that country’s economy to shrink by over 63 percent” (DrugAbuse.net, (2012), para.
With the constant change in culture because of what society finds acceptable at that time react from our given surrounds in a specific time period. In this current time period there are three major trends in American culture. Starting off with the biggest is reality television, shows such as “Jersey Shore,” “Teen Mom,” and “Keeping up with the Kardashians.” All these reality shows are a huge hit in America, by being able to watch these people’s personal issues play out is fascinating to some people and boring to others. The second major trend but one of the oldest trends sticking out through many of years would be body modification. Getting things such as tattoos, body piercings, and now things like plastic surgery, such as breast implants are all new ways of people to find joy in enjoying their bodies.