Friday, April 16, 2010
Social Media Project
Just wrapping up my social media project now. I hope updating twitter feeds and facebook pages doesn't become my job after college. I don't need to spend $32,000 a year in order to learn the functions of these sites...
Monday, November 2, 2009
Trends For Halloween 2009
Waldo
You would thi
nk that a character made famous for blending into a sea of other people wouldn't stand out so much on a night like Halloween. Quite the contrary, in fact. I saw too many Waldo costumes for my liking this Halloween, thus deeming the costume unoriginal for this year's holiday. I don't know what the undercurrent was behind the craze of the costume this year, but it certainly stood out in a lot of peoples' outfit choices for the night.
"Current Movie" Characters
I noticed
a lot of characters from recent, current movies walking around on Halloween night. Costumes from the movies Where The Wild Things Are and Alice In Wonderland were particularly popular. Other costumes such as The Joker from the Batman movies were still out and about this year, even though the costume was spent last Halloween. The undercurrent pushing this costume trend along is certainly the movies where the costumes derive from. People wanting to be more like their favorite character have the opportunity to dress like them in public and not be ridiculed, so many take up society of their offer to do so.
Recently Deceased Celebrities
Many celebriti
es passed on into another place this year, and people jumped on the idea to dress up like their favorite TV friends. Popular costumes included Michael Jackson and Billy Mays. Although some may say dressing up like these people is disrespectful, it could also be seen as a way of honoring those who have helped us in our lifetime with their entertainment, talent or ingenuity. The undercurrent for this trend is obviously the fact that these famous people recently died. The media went into an uproar about them so the public followed suit, going as far as dressing like them on Halloween.
Cannabis Costumes
As marijuana is b
ecoming a much more talked about issue, many people are fighting for its long overdue prohibition to come to an end. This Halloween, many people could be spotted dressed up as a cannabis related good. Whether it be a typical marijuana leaf or a giant, human sized bong, people went all out this year to show their appreciation of the herb and to support its legalization. As I already stated, the undercurrent that gave way to this risque trend this Halloween is simply the fact that people are trying to make marijuana not such a big deal anymore so it can be legalized. By making it publicly known that so many people are users, the "drug" can hopefully be reexamined and reclassified to a legal substance regulated much like alcohol is in society today.
You would thi
nk that a character made famous for blending into a sea of other people wouldn't stand out so much on a night like Halloween. Quite the contrary, in fact. I saw too many Waldo costumes for my liking this Halloween, thus deeming the costume unoriginal for this year's holiday. I don't know what the undercurrent was behind the craze of the costume this year, but it certainly stood out in a lot of peoples' outfit choices for the night."Current Movie" Characters
I noticed
a lot of characters from recent, current movies walking around on Halloween night. Costumes from the movies Where The Wild Things Are and Alice In Wonderland were particularly popular. Other costumes such as The Joker from the Batman movies were still out and about this year, even though the costume was spent last Halloween. The undercurrent pushing this costume trend along is certainly the movies where the costumes derive from. People wanting to be more like their favorite character have the opportunity to dress like them in public and not be ridiculed, so many take up society of their offer to do so.Recently Deceased Celebrities
Many celebriti
es passed on into another place this year, and people jumped on the idea to dress up like their favorite TV friends. Popular costumes included Michael Jackson and Billy Mays. Although some may say dressing up like these people is disrespectful, it could also be seen as a way of honoring those who have helped us in our lifetime with their entertainment, talent or ingenuity. The undercurrent for this trend is obviously the fact that these famous people recently died. The media went into an uproar about them so the public followed suit, going as far as dressing like them on Halloween.Cannabis Costumes
As marijuana is b
ecoming a much more talked about issue, many people are fighting for its long overdue prohibition to come to an end. This Halloween, many people could be spotted dressed up as a cannabis related good. Whether it be a typical marijuana leaf or a giant, human sized bong, people went all out this year to show their appreciation of the herb and to support its legalization. As I already stated, the undercurrent that gave way to this risque trend this Halloween is simply the fact that people are trying to make marijuana not such a big deal anymore so it can be legalized. By making it publicly known that so many people are users, the "drug" can hopefully be reexamined and reclassified to a legal substance regulated much like alcohol is in society today.Thursday, October 22, 2009
Trends For The Week Of October 23, 2009
Body Piercings
This body
modification trend was inspired by a student in another one of my classes. One day I noticed that he had a metal spike sticking out of the back of his neck. I was surpsried to see that only one side of the piercing was visible, meaning the stud holding the exposed part was tucked underneath the skin. This piercing is actually called a micro-dermal implant. The undercurrent pushing this trend along is likely the entire micro-trend of people going to farther and farther extremes dealing with piercings on their bodies. The stud can be placed virtually anywhere on the human body. Many different studs ranging from a spike to a leash/collar hook can be implanted on the body. This trend will likely keep on keepin' on into the future; and I'm sure people will find ways to take this trend to even further extremes.
Tongue Bifurcation
Otherwise known
as tongue splitting, tongue bifurcation is the act of splitting ones tongue into two halves. The process is long and painful, but after one slices their tongue down the vertical half section each part can move individually, much like a lizard's tongue. The undercurrent pushing this trend is, again, people taking body modification to new levels. Finding out more ways one can alter their body is encouraging others to do the same. The trend is likely to only be pursued by those very serious with body modification since the "lizard tongue"procedure is irreversible.
Vampire Teeth Implants
This trend is likely due to the recent release of the Twilight movies and books. "Vampire Kids" or spiritual beings per say, have been popping up more sporadically, mostly with a younger group of people. Often seen wearing black and on a rarer, more extreme occasion, vampire teeth. People who have the vampire teeth are certainly not limited to the "vampire kids," however. Rather, others get real vampire teeth implants put in their mouths by dentists or surgeons. As stated earlier, the undercurrent pushing this trend is likely the Twilight movies and books. However, people have been getting vampire teeth implants for years, so it is obvious people were interested in getting the vampire teeth prior to Twilight. The implants were installed by those who either thought the teeth were a neat addition to their body, or if they simply wanted to be more like Dracula.
Flesh Branding
More and more people and starting to go to further extremes to design works of art using their bodies. Unlike tattoos, when one brands themselves they are scarred for life. No surgery or cream can take away this wound. The branding process is a long and painful road in which the participant must press a red hot iron on their skin until it melts away and leaves a permanent scar. The brand marks can be customized to the person's liking by simply bending the iron into the desired shape. Most often with homemade projects one uses a regular coat hanger heated up on a grill to create the burn. The undercurrent pushing this trend is unbeknownst to me, but if I had to guess it is again people wanting to take their physical appearances to a new level of extreme. I will assume that the art of branding the human body will continue as long as humans exist to be dumb enough to do so.
This body
modification trend was inspired by a student in another one of my classes. One day I noticed that he had a metal spike sticking out of the back of his neck. I was surpsried to see that only one side of the piercing was visible, meaning the stud holding the exposed part was tucked underneath the skin. This piercing is actually called a micro-dermal implant. The undercurrent pushing this trend along is likely the entire micro-trend of people going to farther and farther extremes dealing with piercings on their bodies. The stud can be placed virtually anywhere on the human body. Many different studs ranging from a spike to a leash/collar hook can be implanted on the body. This trend will likely keep on keepin' on into the future; and I'm sure people will find ways to take this trend to even further extremes. Tongue Bifurcation
Otherwise known
as tongue splitting, tongue bifurcation is the act of splitting ones tongue into two halves. The process is long and painful, but after one slices their tongue down the vertical half section each part can move individually, much like a lizard's tongue. The undercurrent pushing this trend is, again, people taking body modification to new levels. Finding out more ways one can alter their body is encouraging others to do the same. The trend is likely to only be pursued by those very serious with body modification since the "lizard tongue"procedure is irreversible.Vampire Teeth Implants
This trend is likely due to the recent release of the Twilight movies and books. "Vampire Kids" or spiritual beings per say, have been popping up more sporadically, mostly with a younger group of people. Often seen wearing black and on a rarer, more extreme occasion, vampire teeth. People who have the vampire teeth are certainly not limited to the "vampire kids," however. Rather, others get real vampire teeth implants put in their mouths by dentists or surgeons. As stated earlier, the undercurrent pushing this trend is likely the Twilight movies and books. However, people have been getting vampire teeth implants for years, so it is obvious people were interested in getting the vampire teeth prior to Twilight. The implants were installed by those who either thought the teeth were a neat addition to their body, or if they simply wanted to be more like Dracula.Flesh Branding
More and more people and starting to go to further extremes to design works of art using their bodies. Unlike tattoos, when one brands themselves they are scarred for life. No surgery or cream can take away this wound. The branding process is a long and painful road in which the participant must press a red hot iron on their skin until it melts away and leaves a permanent scar. The brand marks can be customized to the person's liking by simply bending the iron into the desired shape. Most often with homemade projects one uses a regular coat hanger heated up on a grill to create the burn. The undercurrent pushing this trend is unbeknownst to me, but if I had to guess it is again people wanting to take their physical appearances to a new level of extreme. I will assume that the art of branding the human body will continue as long as humans exist to be dumb enough to do so.Thursday, October 15, 2009
Trends For The Week Of October 16, 2009
Bouldering
How ironic of Boulder residents to be into an activity called Bouldering. Bouldering is a free-climbing sport in which participants cling to rock faces in attempts of scaling their bodies to the pinnacle of the rock. People who boulder often wear large, foam, protective backpacks in case they fall off the rock while they are climbing. The backpacks are called "crash pads" or "crash packs." The
undercurrent pushing this trend along is the rock climbing community. Bouldering allows people to rock climb solo without the use of ropes or someone else belaying the climber, which also makes the sport much cheaper to participate in. Also, "The Spot's" growing popularity is spreading the word about bouldering rapidly. "The Spot" is an indoor facility in which people can practice and bring new comers along to help them train and get used to bouldering before attacking the real thing. For $5 one gets unlimited use of the gym for the day (another $5 to rent climbing shoes). Once they get past "The Spot," Chatauqua Park seems to be the popular place to experience real, natural bouldering. This trend seems to be catching on with CU students and Boulderites alike.Frisbee Golf
Throwing around a frisbee disc is an activitiy most people participate in in order to be outside while relaxing and jogging around at the same time. If one wants to make the activitiy a little more competitive they can play a game of ultimate frisbee. However, if someone wants to participate in an activity between relaxing and competitive they can engage in a round of frisbee golf. Players use differnetly weighted discs in attempts to "tee-off" and sink their disc in a target basket, aka the hole. The frisbee scoring rules are the same as regular golf in that players add up however many strokes (throws) it takes for them to reach the hole. The person with the lowest score at the end of the round in the winner. The undercurrent pushing this trend is probably the rapidly growing number of holes popping up around Boulder. I'm from Massachusetts and had never even heard of the sport until I came to Boulder. Now I'm seeing personalized holes in people's yards and around apartment complexes. People are even playing through campus and using landmarks as hole markers to score on. Numerous courses are present in Boulder that people can use free of charge, just bring your own disc and some friends to play with.Parkour
Parkour, commonly referred to as "free running" or "urban running" is an activity that has been catching on in recent years and especially around CU's campus. Participants use the natural environment and other man made structures as obstacles to overcome. Parkours runners jump off of ledges and heights the average person would normally never even dream of, and with style, too. Also, they scale buildings and landscape stuctures with ease without the use of ropes or guides. As you could assume, these runners are incredibly fit and lack the emotion of fear, since they are flipping their bodies all over the place when they are free-running. The undercurrent pushing this trend may be CU's parkour club spreading the word, or people seeing others practicing parkour and getting turned onto the sport. Viral YouTube videos depicting some of the world's greatest parkour runners have also been sweeping the web with incredible footable for people to see. I'm sure these must play a part in promoting the activity. Wherever it came from it looks like its here to stay since the activity is entertaining to participate in and also to watch, and its also a great form of exercise.Jam Circles
In the past two w
eeks I've seen many of these improvised jam circles being set up by students on campus. On Norlin Quad the other night I witnessed a group of about ten students playing all sorts of various instruments and singing along with one another. At least one group of freshman lounging on Farrand Field can be spotted having a nice jam sesh almost every afternoon after classes are out. The undercurrent pushing this activity along is simply people wanting to practice and play with others who enjoy their same liking. Its a fun way to meet people and express ones individuality. The circles are always welcoming anyone who wishes to participate and strongly encourages joining. The jam circles popping up around campus are guaranteed to stay for as long as humans enjoy the sound of music, which will likely be through eternity. If you see a group playing, don't hesitate to take a seat and listen in on them; they love to play for a crowd.
eeks I've seen many of these improvised jam circles being set up by students on campus. On Norlin Quad the other night I witnessed a group of about ten students playing all sorts of various instruments and singing along with one another. At least one group of freshman lounging on Farrand Field can be spotted having a nice jam sesh almost every afternoon after classes are out. The undercurrent pushing this activity along is simply people wanting to practice and play with others who enjoy their same liking. Its a fun way to meet people and express ones individuality. The circles are always welcoming anyone who wishes to participate and strongly encourages joining. The jam circles popping up around campus are guaranteed to stay for as long as humans enjoy the sound of music, which will likely be through eternity. If you see a group playing, don't hesitate to take a seat and listen in on them; they love to play for a crowd.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Trends In Language For The Week Of October 9, 2009
"The Tits"
A saying that I have been hearing much more frequently around campus here at CU is in reference to the female anatomy, but not literally. Students (mostly male) are using the saying "the tits" to refer to something that occurs that they believe to be cool, good, funny, etc. Some examples of this phrase being used in sentences are, "Oh man, that burrito was the tits," or, "This kid is the tits!" or, "That movie was the tits!" The undercurrent pushing this trend along is simply word of mouth. When one person hears another use the saying in a manner that they think is funny, they add it to their arsenal of catchy sayings to bring up in conversation. This routine occurs over and over again, thus making the phrase grow exponentially. Also, recently on Comedy Central's hit show South Park the saying was used multiple times in the same episode by one of the most comical characters, Eric Cartman. The show most likely was mocking people who use the saying, but in the end it will probably just exploit the phrase more.
"For Sure"/"Fo Sho"
The phrase "f
or sure" has made its way into most students' lingo here at CU. The saying is generally substituted for the words "yes" or "yeah" when one is responding to another person. A couple of examples of the phrase being used in conversation are, "Gimme a call later, man," "For sure, dude," and, "Toss me a beer," "For sure." Both males and females use the saying regularly with one another, and it is easy for anyone to grasp how and when to use the phrase. A variation of "for sure" that has twisted itself from the original phrase is "fo sho." "Fo sho" is used in the exact same manner as its predecessor in every way. The undercurrent pushing these two sayings is unbeknownst to me, but if I had to guess I would give credit to the surf, skate, and snow scene. Steaz-masters shredding the slopes and ramps are the ones I most often hear using the phrase, however, it is certainly not limited to any certain group or demographic.
"I Haven't Seen You In A Minute"
The phrase "I h
aven't seen you in a minute" is catching on all over campus. The saying is obviously not to be taken literally. As one could guess when someone says the phrase to a friend or another person it means that they haven't seen that person in a long time. I've heard this phrase used mostly by the female students from CU, but also by the guys. I have been told that the undercurrent for this phrase comes from the east coast, specifically New Jersey and Philadelphia. "I haven't seen you in a minute" traveled with CU students who reside in the areas and have brought the phrase with them to Colorado. Hopefully this trend will fall out of our language sooner rather than later.
"Big" Beanies
Until just a couple of years ago beanie hats were always a snug fitting winter accessory for one to wear. A new style of beanies can be seen around campus on top of students' heads everywhere, especially with the onset of cold weather. The hats still fit snugly around the person's forehead and occipital, but there is a few inches of excess material that hangs down off the top of the cranium. These hats are worn by both the male and female crowds at CU and the trend is catching on rapidly. The hats come in different sizes, lengths, designs, and of course, colors. The undercurrent for these hats is the snowboard and ski scene here in Colorado. Any time one hits the slopes they can see these hats blowing in the wind all over the terrain park and the rest of the mountain. Students take this style from the mountains and rep the hats here at CU. I don't see this trend fading out any time fast, seeing as that today when it snowed I saw more of these hats in two hours than I did all last year.
A saying that I have been hearing much more frequently around campus here at CU is in reference to the female anatomy, but not literally. Students (mostly male) are using the saying "the tits" to refer to something that occurs that they believe to be cool, good, funny, etc. Some examples of this phrase being used in sentences are, "Oh man, that burrito was the tits," or, "This kid is the tits!" or, "That movie was the tits!" The undercurrent pushing this trend along is simply word of mouth. When one person hears another use the saying in a manner that they think is funny, they add it to their arsenal of catchy sayings to bring up in conversation. This routine occurs over and over again, thus making the phrase grow exponentially. Also, recently on Comedy Central's hit show South Park the saying was used multiple times in the same episode by one of the most comical characters, Eric Cartman. The show most likely was mocking people who use the saying, but in the end it will probably just exploit the phrase more.
"For Sure"/"Fo Sho"
The phrase "f
or sure" has made its way into most students' lingo here at CU. The saying is generally substituted for the words "yes" or "yeah" when one is responding to another person. A couple of examples of the phrase being used in conversation are, "Gimme a call later, man," "For sure, dude," and, "Toss me a beer," "For sure." Both males and females use the saying regularly with one another, and it is easy for anyone to grasp how and when to use the phrase. A variation of "for sure" that has twisted itself from the original phrase is "fo sho." "Fo sho" is used in the exact same manner as its predecessor in every way. The undercurrent pushing these two sayings is unbeknownst to me, but if I had to guess I would give credit to the surf, skate, and snow scene. Steaz-masters shredding the slopes and ramps are the ones I most often hear using the phrase, however, it is certainly not limited to any certain group or demographic. "I Haven't Seen You In A Minute"
The phrase "I h
aven't seen you in a minute" is catching on all over campus. The saying is obviously not to be taken literally. As one could guess when someone says the phrase to a friend or another person it means that they haven't seen that person in a long time. I've heard this phrase used mostly by the female students from CU, but also by the guys. I have been told that the undercurrent for this phrase comes from the east coast, specifically New Jersey and Philadelphia. "I haven't seen you in a minute" traveled with CU students who reside in the areas and have brought the phrase with them to Colorado. Hopefully this trend will fall out of our language sooner rather than later."Big" Beanies
Until just a couple of years ago beanie hats were always a snug fitting winter accessory for one to wear. A new style of beanies can be seen around campus on top of students' heads everywhere, especially with the onset of cold weather. The hats still fit snugly around the person's forehead and occipital, but there is a few inches of excess material that hangs down off the top of the cranium. These hats are worn by both the male and female crowds at CU and the trend is catching on rapidly. The hats come in different sizes, lengths, designs, and of course, colors. The undercurrent for these hats is the snowboard and ski scene here in Colorado. Any time one hits the slopes they can see these hats blowing in the wind all over the terrain park and the rest of the mountain. Students take this style from the mountains and rep the hats here at CU. I don't see this trend fading out any time fast, seeing as that today when it snowed I saw more of these hats in two hours than I did all last year.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Trends For The Week Of October 2, 2009
Texts From Last Night
TextsFromLastNight.com (TFLN) is an up and coming media sensation amongst college aged individuals who want to inform the world of their raucous, raunchy behavior. Text messages are submitted to the site by anyone willing to share their antics and possibly humiliate themselves (anonomously of course) by submitting "that text you shouldn't have sent last night." Other users viewing the site can see the area code where the text was sent from once the host has published the message for the public domain to see. Area codes from all over the nation are submitted everyday, the most popular day being Sunday, after the weekend of drinking and partying is over. More new area codes containing texts submitted to the website are being seen everyday according to the website, meaning the site is only gaining popularity and status. The site has certain features which allow users to comment on the text they are viewing on the site as well as classify it as a "best night" or "worst night" for the person who submitted it. The undercurrent most likely pushing the website is extreme word of mouth from people who use the site. Also, TFLN has an iPhone app for users to directly submit a text they receive or send from their iPhone instantaneously. Furthermore, users of Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are using TFLN to spice up theirs or their friend's profiles with content from the website, thus gaining even more popularity from peer-to-peer communication websites. Although Texts From Last Night is relatively new, it already has websites trying to emulate its style and content. With the ever rising popularity of this website among college students and others, this website does not seem like it will be going anywhere anytime soon.
Cougars In The Media
The media has recently been reporting on the trend of older women seeking out younger boys and men to satisfy their needs. The women who do this have acquired a term and are labeled as "cougars." Cougars who are reported in the news are often school teachers who fall for one of their younger, underage students. However, many women are reported as being housewives, mothers, or most of all, celebrities who seem to be bored with their current love lives. Demi Moore's relationship with Ashton Kutcher has been labeled as a cougar relationship due to the large age difference between the two. Also, just last year wrestler Hulk Hogan's wife left him from a lifetime of marriage for a nineteen year old boy. A new series that exhibits this trend just debuted on ABC just last week and is appropriately titled "Cougar Town." The series features the "Friends" and movie star Courtney Cox as the leading role. She plays a single mom who is on the prowl with a group of cougar friends that exhibit traits similar to her own. The show is described on the ABC website as "a comedy based on the media trend of older women hooking up with younger men." The undercurrent pushing this trend must be the fact that women simply are not happy with their current romantic situations and want to live a more youthful, adventerous lifestyle. If there were a marketplace specifically directed at cougars it would be gradually gaining customers and business, but for now its just jokes on T-shirts and a new television series mocking the cougars hunting their prey.
Netbook Laptops
These tiny laptops approximately one-half the size of a conventional laptop are being seen in the media with much more frequency these days. Advertisements for the small computers can be seen on television, street ads, and even through cell phone companies who recently affiliated themselves with the nifty devices. The computers pack a lot of memory, ram and power, but are still intended for simple, typical computer usage such as surfing the web or checking email. The undercurrent most likely pushing these new computers is society's fascination with new technologically advanced items coming in smaller, more compact sizes. Some examples include hand-held paper shredders and the new iPod Nanos. By shrinking the new laptops to half the size and best of all, half the price, the sales and marketplace for Netbook's should not see a decline in business anytime soon.
Barstool Sports
Originally started for the avid New England sports fan base, Barstool Sports has grown exponentially since its start in 2006. Although originally (and still) a monthly newspaper, Barstool Sports is now an online publication as well. The blog style website is dedicated to reporting any news on sports teams in the greater Boston area during the on and off seasons. The website also reports on interesting, and many times peculiar, however endlessly entertaining stories gathered from all over the world. Recently Barstool Sports announced it would be hosting another website dedicated to the city of New York. Not long after the announcement, it was told to the Stoolies (fans/users of the site) that Barstool Sports was planning to expand its readership to ever major city in the nation, constantly keeping up with sports and interesting information at all times. However, just because the website is currently up and running in Boston and NYC does not mean that only readers from those areas log onto the site. Users can submit their emails and pictures to the "Does this ______ (tattoo, shirt, car, etc.) get this guy laid?" column as well as the "Is This _____(poster, costume, tattoo) Lame?" column, among others. Users fill in the blanks for the categories with their submission to El Presidente, the site's creator and most popular blogger. Barstool Sports is a phenomenon that women and men alike are flocking to, mostly to see the smut, sports news, and funny articles posted on the website daily. The undercurrent pushing this up and coming national website is most likely word of mouth between Stoolies and other non-users. Also, the website hosts parties at various bars and clubs in Boston and NYC in which they give away promotional gear and booze to advertise their company. Barstool Sports' tagline reads "By the common man, for the common man." This quote simply reiterates the fact that the website may not be run by quote unquote "professional" journalists, but its proud of that fact and I'm assuming that is why many people like to read the news reported on it. The common man does not need to hear the world news that is so often reported by the typical news broadcasters. Instead they log onto www.barstoolsports.com to see the debauchery and strange news that doesn't make the headlines of Fox and CNBC, etc. If Barstool Sports continues to grow at the rate their company is, before we know it Stoolies will exist in every city across the nation and jobs for sports and smut journalists will be in high demand in the coming years.
TextsFromLastNight.com (TFLN) is an up and coming media sensation amongst college aged individuals who want to inform the world of their raucous, raunchy behavior. Text messages are submitted to the site by anyone willing to share their antics and possibly humiliate themselves (anonomously of course) by submitting "that text you shouldn't have sent last night." Other users viewing the site can see the area code where the text was sent from once the host has published the message for the public domain to see. Area codes from all over the nation are submitted everyday, the most popular day being Sunday, after the weekend of drinking and partying is over. More new area codes containing texts submitted to the website are being seen everyday according to the website, meaning the site is only gaining popularity and status. The site has certain features which allow users to comment on the text they are viewing on the site as well as classify it as a "best night" or "worst night" for the person who submitted it. The undercurrent most likely pushing the website is extreme word of mouth from people who use the site. Also, TFLN has an iPhone app for users to directly submit a text they receive or send from their iPhone instantaneously. Furthermore, users of Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are using TFLN to spice up theirs or their friend's profiles with content from the website, thus gaining even more popularity from peer-to-peer communication websites. Although Texts From Last Night is relatively new, it already has websites trying to emulate its style and content. With the ever rising popularity of this website among college students and others, this website does not seem like it will be going anywhere anytime soon.Cougars In The Media
The media has recently been reporting on the trend of older women seeking out younger boys and men to satisfy their needs. The women who do this have acquired a term and are labeled as "cougars." Cougars who are reported in the news are often school teachers who fall for one of their younger, underage students. However, many women are reported as being housewives, mothers, or most of all, celebrities who seem to be bored with their current love lives. Demi Moore's relationship with Ashton Kutcher has been labeled as a cougar relationship due to the large age difference between the two. Also, just last year wrestler Hulk Hogan's wife left him from a lifetime of marriage for a nineteen year old boy. A new series that exhibits this trend just debuted on ABC just last week and is appropriately titled "Cougar Town." The series features the "Friends" and movie star Courtney Cox as the leading role. She plays a single mom who is on the prowl with a group of cougar friends that exhibit traits similar to her own. The show is described on the ABC website as "a comedy based on the media trend of older women hooking up with younger men." The undercurrent pushing this trend must be the fact that women simply are not happy with their current romantic situations and want to live a more youthful, adventerous lifestyle. If there were a marketplace specifically directed at cougars it would be gradually gaining customers and business, but for now its just jokes on T-shirts and a new television series mocking the cougars hunting their prey.Netbook Laptops
These tiny laptops approximately one-half the size of a conventional laptop are being seen in the media with much more frequency these days. Advertisements for the small computers can be seen on television, street ads, and even through cell phone companies who recently affiliated themselves with the nifty devices. The computers pack a lot of memory, ram and power, but are still intended for simple, typical computer usage such as surfing the web or checking email. The undercurrent most likely pushing these new computers is society's fascination with new technologically advanced items coming in smaller, more compact sizes. Some examples include hand-held paper shredders and the new iPod Nanos. By shrinking the new laptops to half the size and best of all, half the price, the sales and marketplace for Netbook's should not see a decline in business anytime soon.Barstool Sports
Originally started for the avid New England sports fan base, Barstool Sports has grown exponentially since its start in 2006. Although originally (and still) a monthly newspaper, Barstool Sports is now an online publication as well. The blog style website is dedicated to reporting any news on sports teams in the greater Boston area during the on and off seasons. The website also reports on interesting, and many times peculiar, however endlessly entertaining stories gathered from all over the world. Recently Barstool Sports announced it would be hosting another website dedicated to the city of New York. Not long after the announcement, it was told to the Stoolies (fans/users of the site) that Barstool Sports was planning to expand its readership to ever major city in the nation, constantly keeping up with sports and interesting information at all times. However, just because the website is currently up and running in Boston and NYC does not mean that only readers from those areas log onto the site. Users can submit their emails and pictures to the "Does this ______ (tattoo, shirt, car, etc.) get this guy laid?" column as well as the "Is This _____(poster, costume, tattoo) Lame?" column, among others. Users fill in the blanks for the categories with their submission to El Presidente, the site's creator and most popular blogger. Barstool Sports is a phenomenon that women and men alike are flocking to, mostly to see the smut, sports news, and funny articles posted on the website daily. The undercurrent pushing this up and coming national website is most likely word of mouth between Stoolies and other non-users. Also, the website hosts parties at various bars and clubs in Boston and NYC in which they give away promotional gear and booze to advertise their company. Barstool Sports' tagline reads "By the common man, for the common man." This quote simply reiterates the fact that the website may not be run by quote unquote "professional" journalists, but its proud of that fact and I'm assuming that is why many people like to read the news reported on it. The common man does not need to hear the world news that is so often reported by the typical news broadcasters. Instead they log onto www.barstoolsports.com to see the debauchery and strange news that doesn't make the headlines of Fox and CNBC, etc. If Barstool Sports continues to grow at the rate their company is, before we know it Stoolies will exist in every city across the nation and jobs for sports and smut journalists will be in high demand in the coming years.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Trends For The Week Of September 24, 2009
Nintendo 64
Although it was released over a decade ago in
1996, the Nintendo 64 is making a huge comeback with CU students. The classic gaming system seems to be taking the place of Xbox and PS3 games on students’ television screens everywhere with games like Mario Kart and Goldeneye 007 being amongst the popular choices. The gaming experience is not limited to any one gender, but a certain age range; that age being 18-25 year olds. The undercurrent pushing this trend is simply the fact that CU is made up of people who fall within this age range. They grew up during the rise and fall of the Nintendo 64, and many are bringing back the system they cherished so much during their childhoods. Children bore after the 90s grew up with a new age gaming experience and don’t understand the authenticity that lies within the classic 64-bit system. The trend is even being recognized by CU organizations, such as the one hosting the 96 hour sober weekend this month for September being Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Any market dealing with vintage gaming systems and accessories will surely see some business coming their way, but the most popular way to acquire an N64 seems to be by making cash trades on craigslist.org.
Flat Brimmed Hats
Baseball caps with large, fl
at brims can be seen bobbing around campus on top of students’ heads these days on campus, on the hill and pretty much everywhere else. The trend has been catching on over the past couple of years and now the hats seem to be everywhere. Flat brimmed hats vary in color, size and what they represent. Anything from sports teams to band names to various cities can be seen being flaunted on the hats. Popular skaters and snowboarders along with ghetto fabulous wannabes are likely the undercurrent pushing this trend. They all wear the hats as a fashion statement to their style and steaz. The hat market should continue to flourish since the sales and presence of these hats do not seem to be going anywhere soon.
Converse All Star Shoes
Converse sneakers have been around for what seems lik
e forever; however, their popularity has not. Both lo-tops and hi-tops are making a comeback these days with CU students around campus. The shoes come in various colors, including designs that can be customized by the consumer upon purchase. The throwback style is popular amongst both the male and female crowds here at CU and is not age limited. Faculty as well as their pupils are sporting the old school sneaks in class, and the style seems to be popular among many different cliques of students on campus because the shoes are vintage, youthful, and hip at the same time. The undercurrent pushing this trend is likely the vintage look that many people aspire to dress to these days. Also, I think the older generation sees the shoes being worn and remembers their youth when the shoes first made their debut. In wearing the shoes they are wearing a piece of their childhood. The market for these Converse shoes seems to be growing slowly, however, steadily. Its my opinion that if anyone ever desired to own a pair of Converse shoes they would have done so by now.
A usual winter time accessory has been a popular summer asset to many peoples' style this summer. The scarf can be seen being worn in 75+ degree weather on most days around CU's campus. Surprisingly (at least to me I suppose), the trend is not limited to the female gender. Although the girls dominate the style, male students can be seen wearing scarves, too. With so many different styles, designs and colors to choose from, its just another accessory to spice up one's outfit and stylize with the times. The undercurrent pushing this trend is unbeknownst to me; the only things I can think of that sparked it are 1) People like their winter scarves and wanted to carry over the accessory into the summer months, or 2) Celebrities are wearing scarves in the spotlight and the general population is following the trend set forth by their idols. Either way I expect the scarf trend to die down next summer due to people realizing its simply an unnecessary fashion statement.
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