Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Goldfinger (1964) Exposing a Cultural Experience


  Motion picture Goldfinger was released in 1964, during the ongoing political turbulence of the Cold War between superpowers U.S. and Russia, and two years short of the war's Cuban Missile Crisis. The nation had experience an explosion of technological advancements during the early era of the Cold War, especially in the course of the Space Race with the launch of Russia's Sputnik, and during the Nuclear Arm Race  as both superpowers dispatch production of nuclear weapons amid a heightening global anxiety. This global anxiety   intensified during The Cuban Missile Crisis and is considered the world's nearest occurrence to nuclear war. Essentially these events imposed a lasting impression on the American psyche, eventually manifesting into cultural expressions. 
These technological developments forge a widespread anxiety coupled with enthusiasm. This cultural feeling is described as modernism as a cultural experience, "Cultural modernism is an experience in which 'all that is solid melts into air'. This phrase, coined my Marx, suggests change, uncertainty and risk. Thus industry, technology and communications systems transformed the human world and continue to do so at a breathless pace. Such transformations hold out the promise of an end of material scarcity. However, they also carry a 'darker side'". (Barker, 181). Goldfinger  is a cultural expression of this underlying fear and enthusiasm. James Bond (Sean Connery) represents the exciting and alluring aspect of modern culture. He is handsome, young, intelligent and almost super-human by the very human advancements that is technology.  It's an opportunity to appalled human progression and bluster the possibilities of an advance technological society, such as the scene when Bond is introduced to the Aston Martin DB5 that is packed with high-tech knickknacks, and with the potential to make any 1960's audience fascinated, "to be modern is to find ourselves in an environment that promises us adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves and our world..." (Barker, 182).


Goldfinger (Gret Forbe) however is the antithesis of James Bond. His mirky and unattractive presence stirs an eerie sensation throughout the film. Although powerful himself, as well as technologically prepared, his motives are no longer to provoke excitement like Bond, instead his motive is fear. His power becomes dangerous  with the scheme to set-off a nuclear reaction on Fort Knox and to increase the value of his gold. Goldfinger represents the dangerous aspect of a high-tech advanced society, such as the scene of Goldfinger introducing his menacing proposal to his investors. This scene delivers a disturbing view of Goldfinger's room suddenly turning dark and threatening, as he masterminds his money-make plan at the cost of anything in his way; as the scene of James Bond tied to a table with a laser beam leading into his crotch and at the mercy of Goldfinger, as both good and bad finally meet , "...(modernism) and at the same time, that threatens to destroy everything we have, everything we are." (Barker, 182). 


Goldfinger is the cultural expression of what possibly a 1960's audience was feeling during the course of the cold war, and  turned into an acceptable approach for entertainment value; escapism. It is very common to find many motion pictures and television shows that become outward expressions of the times, as a method to cope with the uncertainty. In this case, Goldfinger is the expression of a cultural experience from a society promptly advancing in technology and way of life, and consequently advancing in more dangerous methods of destruction and uncertainty. Like Goldfinger, what other films and television shows express enthusiasm and an underlying fear of a rapid technological society? Does this fear and enthusiasm remain true today, and what are some the cultural expressions portrayed today? 


Cited Works

Barker, Chris, and Paul Willis. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles [u.a.: SAGE, 2008. Print. 

Goldfinger. Dir, Guy Hamilton. 1964.





Ethnography - Hand Car Wash

  It’s 12:00 p.m. and I’m sitting outside at a local HAND CAR WASH in North Hollywood, California. It’s a hot summer day and I have a bottle of water, a laptop open in front of me and a purse beside me. The lot is full. I visit this place often and have met many people, including the owner. He’s a tall, middle-age man, of Armenian decent with a taste for comfort and luxury, making this car wash one of the most comfortable and inviting facilities in North Hollywood. His efforts have turned the waiting area into a relaxing division, together with delightful tabletops, comfortable wood seating, (decorative, unusual for a car wash), bench, a huge flat screen TV displaying some unknown reality show, a built-in fountain (with no running water), and green plants situated in every corner. He also has a waiting room inside the facility, with more inviting amenities such as air conditioning, a little cafĂ© shot with baked goods and Armenian coffee, flat screen TVs, snacks, car supplies, perfume, dazzling jewelry for women, and a surveillance room packed with the latest high-tech cameras. However, his customers and I prefer to sit outside despite these additional indoor luxuries. 
With exception of a few Latino employees, the majority of customers, employees and including the owner are of Armenian decent. It’s a nice place however, the people are friendly and they always provide good service, and prices are reasonable. Usually I’m greeted nicely and approached with a kind “how are you?” leading to small and quick conversation, and today is no exception, despite the busy string of cars pulling, customer service is important to this business. 
Rows and rows of cars fill the lot. In fact, this car wash looks more like a “luxury car show”. The lot is packed with expensive brands like BMWs, Mercedes, Lexus, and a Bentley. Cars arrive through the back. Customers step out of the vehicle greeted by the manager with a yellow receipt, which the customer pays inside the facility. Two men wait intently with vacuums at hand for the customer and manager to step away from the vehicle. Once the vehicle has been successfully cleaned, the vehicle is driven into the back for a machine soap and wash. There after the vehicle is taken into the front lot for hand drying. The men look tired but enthusiastic as always. 
White is a popular color in the rows of vehicles today, and so are the men; I'm the only female. The men have gather around the tables, with their top-notch cell phones, their thick gold watches and chains, their leather dress shoes, their collar tight t-shirts, and their short glossy hair, while they fill-up the ash trays  and sip Armenian coffee from these small tea-cups, despite the hot weather, and speak blatantly in their native tongue. One man joins the group, they rise to greet him with a hand shake, a hug and a kiss on the cheek. The waitress steps with another set of tea-cups wearing a very tight and yet casual blouse and black slacks, heavy makeup and flip-flops. She serves the two groups of men sitting opposite of each other, and one single man on the bench with his leg crossed, engaged on his cell phone. She ignores me. 
The employees are working diligently drying each vehicle, a fuse between Armenians and Latinos. The Latinos keep to themselves, hardly uttering a word, working exclusively in their space, while the Armenian workers interact with each other, usually with whistles and shouts. The string of luxury cars is on the rise as the hour moves further, with a head-count of fifteen male workers approximately, of all ages including a few senior citizens who perform light work. No one works directly in the sun, as the owner provides shade and room to work on each vehicle (not common for most car wash facilities). 
A white mercedes pulls in and into the back. A woman wearing brown over-sized glasses, opulent jewelry, a tight blouse with the word GUESS, pumps and white jeans steps comes out of the vehicle, receives her yellow slip, and makes her way  to the indoor waiting waiting room. A few men at the tables and on the take a glance as she moves in closer. She is greeted by the cashier and takes a chair, and immediately pulls out her cell. This environment is beneath her so it seems. 
The man on the bench has left the waiting area, still on his cell phone, walks to his lexus, gives the worker a bill, a small glance, and drives off. The men in groups continue to talk and drink coffee, with an exception of two who have stepped inside the waiting area to converse with the cashier and waitress. It seems they know each other, with one entering the surveillance room. Many of these people are relatives and friends, with very few strangers.  
 The analysis withdrawn from this observance is from a Marxist point of view " A mode of production is constituted by the organization of the means of production )(factories, machinery, etc.) together with the specific social relations of reproduction (e.g class) which arise from the organization of those productive forces." (Barker, 56).  There is an apparent separation of class and the system of capitalism, to which class is determined by material articles and profit-motive. This car wash is flooded with articles that imply class division such as luxury vehicles, gold chains, technological devices, name brand items, and the facility overall which is centered around a structure for profit. The system of capitalism and the hierarchy within this system is an important aspect in this culture and exhibited. 
Patterns of consumption is widely practiced in this culture "..It is argued, workers' identifications and identities shift from location in the sphere of production to that of consumption. While the service class continues to enjoy more consumer items and services that the working class, their experiences are that of shared qualitative character...the become detached, through their incomes and consumption, form the underclass." (Barker, 152). This pattern is evident within the customers' appearance and the presentation of the facility, suggesting that consumption is a necessary principle in determining one's value and separation of class. 
This car wash has adopted a capitalist system in a classic Fordism breakdown " Efficiency was sought through the techniques of 'scientific management' which stressed the organization of the division of labour to allow the separation of tasks; and the use of time and motion studies to measure and describes work task." (Barker, 142). In order for an efficient practice of service, are separated within four divisions starting with the two men who vacuum the vehicle, the machine washing at the back end of the facility, the hand drying in the front area of the facility and the cashier inside the facility where the customer pays for  the service. With this division of labor,  the owner is able to provide his service in the most efficient way possible to the maximum amount of cars possible, thus increasing his profit and provide work for his employees. However, this division of labor extended throughout the facility requires the practice of surveillance to ensure order and safety, " The emergence of an industrial labour process included an increase in the size and division of labour, mechanization and the intensification of work. The workshop and factory were utilized as a means of exerting discipline and the creation of new work habits. That is, they marked new forms of surveillance." (Barker, 179). This car wash has an entire room devoted to surveillance, equipped with the latest cameras and viewing systems that monitor every aspect of the facility. As a customer and perhaps as a worker, every move is being watched to ensure that the customer, as much as the worker, follows an orderly conduct. 
Hand Car Wash has strong ties to Armenian traditions and relations derived from a culture of below. Marx's social class system and capitalism is practiced and valued, which may lead to a pattern of consumption. The structure imposed by Fordism is apparent and effective, while Surveillance is used to promote order. Overall this facility is not different then many business practiced throughout the U.S. 

Cited Works 

Barker, Chris, and Paul Willis. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles [u.a.: SAGE, 2008. Print. 


Love for Jerry McGuire (1996)



Love is commonly demonstrated in motion pictures as pertaining to two persons, and in most cases between  man and woman, in which gender roles govern the romantic structure of the plot. In the case of Jerry McGuire (1996), for Jerry (Tom Cruise), apart from his career, love is also considered a key facet that must be secured before claiming genuine happiness, concluding that even if with a successful career, a man is incomplete without a love and partner at hand. In this picture, it seems, a romantic union can not be fulfilled if Jerry should be coupled with a wrong stereotype: Avery Bishop (Kelly Preston). While a union is fulfilled when Jerry is paired with right stereotype: Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger). As analyzed by Diana Meehan, who identifies a list of common stereotypes categorizing women in U.S. television, Jerry is unable to achieve true companionship with Avery, who effortlessly fits in one of Meehan's identified stereotypes, The Bitch or The Harpy. Consequently, Jerry eventually is able to establish a successful relationship with Dorothy Boyd, who surrenders to Meehan's The good wife stereotype (Barker, 307). 
Avery Bishop is considered The Bitch  as she delivers an aggressive, single, sexually-driven, career-oriented role who might be perceived as an equal to Jerry. It seems a woman who is strong, independent, and sexually liberating and an equal to her male counterpart, will fail to establish a successful relationship with him. Dorothy Boyd, however, stands opposite  to all things that Avery Bishop encompasses; she is a single young mother with a modest and compliant personality, who isn't career driven, and presented as the passive supportive wife to Jerry and all his career oriented needs. Although Jerry's story eventually leads to a flourishing career, he admits that he is unable to celebrate his achievement without Dorothy, and she is unable to be happy without him; he needs a career and a supportive  woman, while Dorothy needs Jerry to fulfill her life. As such Jerry and Dorothy have achieved their objectives and have established roles needed for an everlasting relationship. Typical of many romantic relationships in pictures, the woman usually assumes the modest and supportive role to her strong, career-ambitious male counterpart. As endearing the love between Jerry and Dorothy is, and delivers heart-felt entertainment value, it sadly encourages stereotypical roles for women as the cooperative opposite to the aspiring male character. 

Cited Works

Barker, Chris, and Paul Willis. Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles [u.a.: SAGE, 2008. Print. 

Jerry Maguire. Dir. Cameron Crowe. 1996.




A Member of American Pop Culture

       I am an active member in American Pop Culture. I watch his motion pictures and television programs. I buy his products advertised on countless ads on commercials and billboards. I  am a frequent guest in many of his restaurants. l eat his food which is neatly presented in attractive packages stacked along aisles  in large supermarkets . I listen, buy and dance to his music and attend his shows.  I use his alluring and convenient technology, and like many in my culture, I too have become absurdly attach to its intensity. I attend his schools, work in his facilities, and I follow his rules, and I'm in love with his cities. I've adopted and accepted a gender identity ruled by my sex, that is coupled with preconceived social structures I've followed since birth.  Consequently, with this identity and lifestyle, I romance in and out of his domain meeting people everyday, some are friends, relatives and lovers, and some are not; and although these members encompass a collective variation of personal experiences and backgrounds, I am confident we have common impressions that  bombard this daily episodic path we call life. Yet  in spite of this blunt  confession of involuntary love and association for this culture, I can not deny that this adoration stands parallel against a fear and uncertainty; a growing anxiety at the very things I have fallen victim and in love, which is increasingly  becoming overwhelmingly ambivalent. What does it all mean? Where is this all leading to? Will there be a time in which I cease the role of consumer and surrender this packaged product I've been condition to be? 
Sadly, I believe all members of this culture have become aware that we've been conditioned to love and hate these conducive shackles of American Culture, with the difference that some choose to ignore and embrace it, others retrieve as far possible, while others not quite ready to submit entirely to either. I've initiated by stating my involvement, and at times adoration, and will devote this page to the intriguing analysis of what American Pop Culture means to me, and how cultural studies is defined and concluded by the affiliates  of the intelligentsia.  
I've included a video by, ironically, no other than the queen of pop culture herself, Madonna, as her presentation of what it means to live in and live by an American Pop Culture or in American Life, and in my opinion holds unnerving truth, suggesting that American Life has become a global ideology and commodity, with seducing promises rendering untrue.  The song as usual remains loyal to the pop catchy tune, only this time the message and the video pose against the conventions exploited in the day-to-day life, of what I know consider an American roller coaster.