Happy end

This is a very short and happy semester. I have learned a lot in pop culture class. This is a very good class, not only learn the pop culture in American, but also share the pop culture knowledge with classmates. That is really very helpful for me. Although this class is over now, I will never forget the thing I have learned here. At the last time, I just want say:' goodbye and see you."

Pop Culture in my culture-kung fu

Wu shu, the chineses
martial art form
known as kung fu in
the west, embodies
the national traditional
culture in martial art.
Chinese Kung fu
is a very important
and unique form of
Chinese culture.
Kung fu films have popularized traditional Chinese martial arts throughout the world. We have own flim like American films that can spread successfully.

Chinese pop culture websites

http://www.chinatoday.com/culture/a.htm

Globalization vs. Americanization

The author’s friend says Globalization is the same as Americanization because American culture has affected us a lot in many aspects. He says everyone will be eating at McDonald's, listening to Madonna and shopping at mega-malls. He thinks it will be absolutely awful. But the author thinks that globalization is not the same as Americanization.
The author grows up in Vietnam during the war. He believed every word that his country tells him. After the war, his family leaves Vietnam to the other country. Now he is an American journalist and writer and his family has lived in many other countries. Because technology improved a lot, the world is smaller now. No matter how long distance between us, we can talk each other easy and travel to other country easy. This is a symbol of globalization. Globalization has made a deep and strong effect for us.
After the cold-war, America has become the supreme country. It guide the global economic and technology. The American culture has influence the other culture. This is why we can see McDonald's everywhere in the world. But the American culture can’t change the other culture. Many other original cultures and languages and traditions continue to thrive. The author shows us that Globalization is stronger than Americanization.

Reflection for Music

In this unit, we are focus on music. We spend a few weeks to research what is the American music about and how to learn it. We have learned the genre of American music, some famous music and music singer, and analysis how to learn the song.
I find out learning English song is different to learn Chinese song. Because we have a total different culture, it makes it have a very big difference between them. I learned this by researching the internet information and the handout information. I learn about the song, the singer and the lyrics. Before I learned this, I don’t even know there are so many kinds of genres in songs. This is helpful for me. I learned the DJ, FUNK, BLUES, HEAVY METAL, CLAM, POP DISCO, SOUL MUSIC, PROTECT SONG, COUNTRY WESTERN, REGGAE, BLUES AND GRUNGE. Song can show the culture in an easy way. We should learn how to analysis the song, and then connect it to the culture. This can be a good way to learn pop culture.
This unit is very interesting and helpful for us. We should spend more time to research it. I like the songs, and I also like the English songs.

Punk Music

Song analysis

Airplanes
Today I will introduce and analysis the song Airplanes. The song was released to urban radio on April 27, 2010. The singer of the song is Bobby Ray Simmons. He is better known by his stage name B.o.B. He is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. The music and chorus were written by Kinetics & One Love . The song is not only singing by B.o.B himself. He sings this song in collaboration with Hayley Williams who is a famous American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist of the band Paramore. This song reached number one in the United Kingdom, and as well as the top three in the United States. This collaboration led to a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals.
The song likes a beautiful dream and wish. In the song, he dreams he could be airplanes that fly in the night sky just like the shooting star and he wants to use a wish.
This song is divided to two parts, the first part is singing by Hayley Williams. This is a short part that talks about a dream, and he dreams he could be an airplane that flies in the night sky just like the shooting star. This part is like a traditional pop music. It makes us have a quiet and dreamy feeling. Then the style suddenly changes from a pop style to a hip hop style. The singer of this part is B.O.B. This rap part makes me have an active and passion feeling. This part is talking about a small narrative about the hopeless time, but he still has a wish that everything can change.
He makes the airplane like a shooting star, because people always make a wish when they see the shooting star.
From the lyrics, I find out that he want tell us life seems so much better in the past. when things were simple (or so it seems)and when you look back, you miss it and wish you could go back because now life seems to be leaving you behind.
Airplane is about how Hip-Hop and Rap today is different from the past.