Popular Culture and Print Media

Running head: POPULAR CULTURE AND PRINT MEDIA

Popular Culture and Print Media

Nancy Young

University of Phoenix

SOC / 105

March 14, 2008

Two of the oldest forms of advertising, would be print media, and word of mouth. There are several forms of print media advertising, such as newspaper and magazines. But these are not the only way advertizing is put into the public, there are many other successful ways ads can be thrown into the public eye, such as billboard adds, brochures put under an idivduals windsheild wipers, bus stop benches, and even ads on the buses. Everywhere a person may look, he or she will find some kind of media placement strategically placed to catch the attention of the spacific onlookers. The print media has been keeping the public informed of information consisting of the lives of human beings, mother nature, products and services, by extending the knowledge of a story or report across the nation. Some of the popular trends that have been propagated by the print media, which has grabed my attention, are food, health clubs and fashions. First let my start by examining the popular food trend.

More americans are staying at home instead of dinning out. They prefer foods that are quick and easy and attempt to keep them healthy. Because indivduals are dinning grocery stores are seeing their sales escalate. The top 10 trends consist of: no-prep, meat and potoatoes, new-age dairy, culinary melting pot (ethinc foods), one-dish meals, suppers at home, bottled water, snack attacks, fruits and veggies, cooking oils and condiments. “When it comes to fats, Americans are choosing healthier options -- with nearly one-quarter using olive oil and canola oil.” (WebMD, 2003) Food is an important artifact of the popular American culture. The actions and attitudes of Americans effect the popular culture. “There has been an increasing trend in the United States toward consumerism, a trend that is reflected in more people eating away from home; the use of dietary and herbal supplements; foods for specific groups (e.g., dieters, women, athletes, older adults); the use of convenience and functional foods and ethnic diversity in diets.” (National, 2008) Eating away from, such as fast food restaurants has cause obesity in some Americans, which has caused an increase in weight loss programs and health clubs.

“Health and fitness awareness is at an all-time high. There are segments on the news and in newspapers dedicated specifically to the topic and hundreds of magazines to feed consumer information about wellness.”(Wachkolder, 2000) Getting fit is all about being healthy in today’s culture. Being cultural standards everyone wants to look his or her best, no matter what the cost. Looking good in a thong leotard over hot pink tights is no longer the fitness paradigm. “Fitness today is more about wellness. Certainly no one has lost the desire to look good — that's a cultural standard — but what is waning is the need to look good at all costs.”(Wacholder, 2000) The challenger of the “looking good” standard has become Americans wanting to become fit and healthy. Becoming fit causes the purchasing of clothing to rise. Most Americans today want to look good body wise and in clothing, but most important be healthy.

The past year in fashion has been best described as an extravaganza. “Designers celebrated anniversaries with blow-out bashes and spectacular shows staged in exotic locales.” (Fashion, 2007) This extreme atmosphere was caused by high dollar companies,