Celebrities have been around forever but only recently we’ve been acknowledging reality stars as “celebrities” as well. Every channel you flip through will have at least one type of reality show that appeals to certain categories of viewers. I can’t even remember when reality shows didn’t exist, but now days it seems like reality is more popular than fictional.
My guilty pleasures are about watching these shows. If that wasn’t bad enough, I’m hooked on magazines such as US Weekly, Life and Style, and the not so tabloid Cosmpolitan and Glamour.
Us Weekly magazine will have to be my favorite. It comes with everything. The newest gossip, fashion trends, advertisement of products, reviews on upcoming movies, etc… I will literally read the whole magazine front to back. There’s pictures of celebrities just being their normal selves doing things that are “just like us.” There’s just something so appealing to me about living vicariously through these people.
The tabloid’s intent could be to promote these celebrities whether it is in a positive or negative way. For example, as soon as the Chris Brown and Rhianna abuse broke out, it was all over the tabloids. The positive aspect of covering this story was educating consumers about relationship abuse, physical or verbal, could happen to anyone and it is never acceptable (http://m.usmag.com/?redirurl=/healthylifestyle/new/rihanna-on-chris-brown-i-needed-that-wake-up-call-20102610). This incident headlined on the magazine for weeks but the mood was serious and even frightening. Other celebrities came out and gave their opinions or even their own experience with such trauma.
But when the cover story is about how a celebrity, such as Janet Jackson, lost a good amount of weight from dieting, it promotes what the physical standard of beauty should be. This issue covered how she lost weight, what her diet approach was, and what she’s doing to “not fall off the wagon” again. Janet Jackson suppositely gained a lot of weight for a role in a movie that she was going to portray but the movie fell through and she was stuck with the weight. She blew up, the pictures of her were hideous. So when Us Weekly came out with an issue about her transformation, it became one of their best selling issues and even came with a follow up issue on how she kept the weight off ( http://www.health-emark.com/janet-jackson-diet.html , http://justjared.buzznet.com/2007/05/23/janet-jackson-weight-loss/).
Magazines are a huge contribution to popular culture. One magazine could have different types of issues around the world. Cosmopolitan Japan, Vogue China, even tabloids about American celebrities are being translated in different languages. Celebrities are a international market. Whatever they promote, people want it. Whether they’re your favorite actor or musician, these people survive on their fans. Businesses are smart to know this supply and demand factor and thrive on them. If a celebrity is going green, then people will try to go green. If there’s a charity telethon, people will call and donate. Celebrities seem to have some sort of power to do good for the world but vice versa, these people aren’t “real leaders” yet we listen to them as if they were. Popular culture is the BOOM in our modern world. From UFC going international to American celebrities doing international commercials, marketing which nation is more popular is what keeps all eyes on that area.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
conclusion
A lot has changed from 648 B.C. but even after thousands of years, one thing remains the same, there will always be a curiosity towards who is the “best.” This could apply to any area of life, whether it is business, sports, politics, etc… As I got to understand American pop culture and globalization in depth, this whole world is about challenging each other to be the “best” of its kind. Isn’t that why ever since mankind step foot in this world it’s always been about domination? The battles of wars were imminent in earlier times to separate the weak and the strong to see who would be the last one standing. Out of the approximate seven billion people that live on earth, only an estimated three hundred million people live in America (http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html). Yet we are still able to hold the interests from other countries by the characteristics that define us, “America: the land of opportunity, freedom, and dreams.”
With all these aspects of UFC becoming an international sport through globalization, mixed martial arts have been around for over a decade and only now we are starting to see the popularity of the sport to the extent that it could one day be called an American pop culture. With fighters having celebrity status and starting to market themselves as brands, the limit of what UFC could end up becoming is endless. Even though there is much controversy surrounding this spectator’s sport, the more energy people put in talking about it, either positive or negative, people’s interest will flourish just by their intense desire to know what’s going on with the modern world.
“Nothing is inevitable about globalization and American pop culture” (Crothers 205). Even though there are culture boundaries and difficulties that associate with globalizing UFC, cultures will eventually learn how to change and adapt. Without the negativity of “corruption, imperialism, and homogenization,” new ideas will sprout and eventually help new identities and opportunities for billions of people (Crothers 206). The concept of new hybrid forms will more likely have a positive influence towards the world as different cultures begin to allow and open their minds to the thought of accepting interchanging ideas. We will just have to wait and see as only time can tell the future.
Citations
Crothers, Lane. Globalization and American Popular Culture. Lanham: Rowman & LIttlefield, 2010.
Downey, G. "Producing Pain: Techniques and Technologies in No-Holds-Barred Fighting." Social Studies of Science 37.2 (2007): 201-26.
"Population Control and Consequences in China." Cartography and Geographic Information Systems Laboratory. Web. 27 Aug. 2010..
"Royce Gracie Biography." Royce Gracie. Web. 27 Aug. 2010..
Sewart, John J. “The Commodification of Sport.” International Review for the Sociology of Sport 22. 171 (1987): 2-23.
"The Hottest MMA Babes: UFC Octagon Girls | MMA News." MMA Fighters, UFC, Strikeforce, Mixed Martial Arts Fights and Results. Web. 27 Aug. 2010..
"UFC History - Complete Martial Arts.com." CompleteMartialArts.com - Most Comprehensive Martial Arts Site. Web. 27 Aug. 2010..
"UFC Takes a Chance on China - MMA Fighting Stances: Mixed Martial Arts Intelligence from the Cage and Ring - USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. Web. 27 Aug. 2010..
"U.S. & World Population Clock." Census Bureau Home Page. Web. 27 Aug. 2010..
Van Bottenburg, M., and J. Heilbron. "De-Sportization of Fighting Contests: The Origins and Dynamics of No Holds Barred Events and the Theory of Sportization." International Review for the Sociology of Sport 41.3-4 (2006): 259-82.
With all these aspects of UFC becoming an international sport through globalization, mixed martial arts have been around for over a decade and only now we are starting to see the popularity of the sport to the extent that it could one day be called an American pop culture. With fighters having celebrity status and starting to market themselves as brands, the limit of what UFC could end up becoming is endless. Even though there is much controversy surrounding this spectator’s sport, the more energy people put in talking about it, either positive or negative, people’s interest will flourish just by their intense desire to know what’s going on with the modern world.
“Nothing is inevitable about globalization and American pop culture” (Crothers 205). Even though there are culture boundaries and difficulties that associate with globalizing UFC, cultures will eventually learn how to change and adapt. Without the negativity of “corruption, imperialism, and homogenization,” new ideas will sprout and eventually help new identities and opportunities for billions of people (Crothers 206). The concept of new hybrid forms will more likely have a positive influence towards the world as different cultures begin to allow and open their minds to the thought of accepting interchanging ideas. We will just have to wait and see as only time can tell the future.
Citations
Crothers, Lane. Globalization and American Popular Culture. Lanham: Rowman & LIttlefield, 2010.
Downey, G. "Producing Pain: Techniques and Technologies in No-Holds-Barred Fighting." Social Studies of Science 37.2 (2007): 201-26.
"Population Control and Consequences in China." Cartography and Geographic Information Systems Laboratory. Web. 27 Aug. 2010.
"Royce Gracie Biography." Royce Gracie. Web. 27 Aug. 2010.
Sewart, John J. “The Commodification of Sport.” International Review for the Sociology of Sport 22. 171 (1987): 2-23.
"The Hottest MMA Babes: UFC Octagon Girls | MMA News." MMA Fighters, UFC, Strikeforce, Mixed Martial Arts Fights and Results. Web. 27 Aug. 2010.
"UFC History - Complete Martial Arts.com." CompleteMartialArts.com - Most Comprehensive Martial Arts Site. Web. 27 Aug. 2010.
"UFC Takes a Chance on China - MMA Fighting Stances: Mixed Martial Arts Intelligence from the Cage and Ring - USATODAY.com." News, Travel, Weather, Entertainment, Sports, Technology, U.S. & World - USATODAY.com. Web. 27 Aug. 2010.
"U.S. & World Population Clock." Census Bureau Home Page. Web. 27 Aug. 2010.
Van Bottenburg, M., and J. Heilbron. "De-Sportization of Fighting Contests: The Origins and Dynamics of No Holds Barred Events and the Theory of Sportization." International Review for the Sociology of Sport 41.3-4 (2006): 259-82.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
body
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”-Mark Twain
In one time or another I think everybody felt a sense of intimidation by a person whether it was consciously or not. When we feel that sense of fear heightened by excitement, a million thoughts run across our head. Flight versus fight, which instinct do you use to win in this situation. Anyone can talk the talk but who can walk the walk? Many “don’t believe it until they see it,” so is that why we feign the impossible? Is that what MMA represents in the worlds we vicariously live by? To be entertained by nature’s dominant way and to become the king of the jungle. As testosterone levels escalate, men compete to settle who the best of the best is in the most humanistic way possible. By gaining pride and respect from others, especially your peers, this gives the fighter the impression of alpha male status. By being entertained in this spectator sport, we get addicted to the emotional story that identifies within us. To see physical stature not compete with the skills of the specialized and to witness the unthinkable to the luck of the game, humoring the bystanders with unbelievable outcomes. As the popularity of mixed martial arts achieves All American sport level, how will or did it get to that status?
There is one person in particular that is known to have changed the face of UFC with mixed martial arts, the notorious Royce Gracie. Being the son of the father of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Helio Gracie, Brazilian born Royce learned how to spar against resisting opponents rather than using the Asian technique of “kata”, which is a form of elaborate training techniques (Downy 206). This meant that when you take down your opponent to the ground and lock his feet, something the opponent is not familiar with, this will stop him from using any abilities as he is being dominated by the person on top (Downy 206). This approach surprised many with his domination of his infamous first professional fights in a challenge of sixteen people of many sizes. He amazed many with his wins as he clobbered previous champions in a different form of fighting using techniques that were superior then weight advantage (http://www.royce-gracie.com/royce-gracie-biography.htm). In some matches, he just grappeled, choked, or joint lock opponents and didn’t have throw a single punch (Downy 202). Commentator Jim Brown said, “What we learned here is fighting is not what we thought it was,” and I’m pretty sure many could agree after watching this impressive fighter using strategies that many have not seen or have been familiar with before (Downy 202). This is how the Ultimate Fighting Champions became popular since the aspect of fighting has now become an amusing form of sports.
Interestingly the idea of Ultimate Fighting Championship actually came from an advertising executive named Art Davie. He wanted to find the world’s best “fighter!” Davie was able to meet Rorion Gracie through a client that was researching martial arts and ended up becoming one of Gracie’s students. Davie suggested a single elimination tournament consisting of eight men who would get the title “War of the Worlds” to his teacher Gracie and John Milius, who is also a student of Gracie as well as a film director and screenwriter. Both agreed and Milius became the creative director while Davie devised the business standpoint. He was able to persuade twenty-eight investors and started the WOW Promotions with the aim to franchise these events through television (http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/ufc/ufchistory.htm).
With the intent to broadcast the fights through television shows, WOW productions introduced their ideas to popular channel but were declined and ended up signing with SEG, which is part of Pay-Per-View. SEG were the ones that came up with the name “The Ultimate Fighting Championship.” The first event included a broad spectrum of fighters including kick boxers, karate expert, sumo wrestlers, etc… With so many different varieties of fighters competing to be the best, the show became an instant hit. In 1995 Gracie and Davie sold their franchise to SEG and dismissed WOW productions but Davie continues to be the Commissioner of UFC up until 1997 (http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/ufc/ufchistory.htm).
In the beginning years of UFC, there were no weight divisions and pretty much little to no rules that made the sport that much more entertaining. Of course there were “no biting, no eye gouging, hair pulling, head butts, groin strikes,” but that’s just not fair period and I’m pretty sure the athletes believe that that’s not the way to compete fairly since the production was known to respect competitors. With fighters only being defeated by surrendering or being unconscious with no referee’s examining the match, this was as real as it can get (Downy 206). In other sports that contain fighting, there is one specification that the certain athlete is good at. But in mixed martial arts, the athletes are able to use a wide range of skills (http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/ufc/ufchistory.htm).
But the hit of this gruesome sport would not go smoothly as controversy started stirring up about the material content that is being presented to the public. Many criticized the realism of the sport and UFC was banned in some states. This led to the drop by the major cable companies and the number of audiences dropped. As UFC started losing popularity, they decided to change their rules to be cooperative with the state athletic commissions to survive the sports industry. The changes included: “weight division, mandatory gloves, limits on permissible striking areas including back of neck and head, kicks to downed opponent, small joint manipulation, pressure point strikes, and timed rounds” (http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/ufc/ufchistory.htm).
Although the rules changed to better the sport and satisfy the authorities, the rise to fame was a long road to go. The events were still held at small venues and certain home video releases were not allowed therefore UFC were not able to get sanctioned. Close to bankruptcy, Zuffa LLC purchased UFC from SEG with executives Frank and Lorenzo Ferttita along with Dana White in 2001. Since Lorenzo Ferttita was a former member of Nevada State Athletic Commissions, he was able to secure sanctions and UFC was able to return to the major cable Pay-per-view. This was the best thing that could happen to this sport since it is based in Nevada where arenas are huge venues in popular Las Vegas hotels followed with legal gambling (http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/ufc/ufchistory.htm).
Now, how is UFC, a spectacle that surrounds itself with so much controversy, going to be able to become an American pop culture and grasp globalization? First American pop culture is defined as “public culture.” Meaning, it refers to the common terms and individuals press for power, policy, and identity that is not a matter of private conscience, but seen publicly as they promote their agendas (Crothers 14). “Civic” is what we the Americans are defined as the values, ideas, and expectations of what we believe is the norms such as liberty (Crothers 15).
Second, globalization is defined by B. Steger in the Crothers text as “a set of social processes that are thought to transform our present social condition into one of globality” which includes economic, political, or cultural factors (Crothers 17).
As Americans, we depict everything around us and analyze structures that build our societies that affect our lives. A formulaic convention to American pop culture would be VIOLENCE. Even though violence has been around for ages, it still shocks many to see the act but effectively draws attention. We see it in television shows, movies, and hear it in music (Crothers 62).
Then, of course it would have to be SEX. For American’s, anything related to sex is pushing the buttons. Nudity, sexual expressions, sexual activities are all seen as a big deal in our culture, but what’s the norm for us, isn’t the norm for other countries. Nowadays it seems we are more opened to the idea of sexiness but there are still limitations to what’s appropriate and what’s not. But obviously sex sells because the porn industry is a billion dollar empire that apparently isn’t affected by the current economy or will ever see a drastic decrease in sells (Crothers 64).
These two are so important in American pop culture, that there is actually a link that goes hand in hand with these subjects. Since the sensation of sex is the “most emotionally charged aspects of human life,” it is no surprise that violence accompanies the “experience of sex” (Crothers 65). So, sex and violence will heighten the marketing appeal to any business therefore it’s no coincidence that the media feeds on the audiences.
Even though these might be the most prominent definitions of what we believe is American culture, there are still the smaller sublets to these norms. We might not notice it but unconsciously we believe what a gender role is. Whether that is female being a housewife cooking and cleaning her house to a male who is working to support his family. When we see a homosexual, not always the case but sometimes we recognize automatically that they are not straight. That’s probably because a male is acting feminine or vice versa. We somehow assume what it is to play our gender through society and what the media portrays as gender roles. With the recent California overturn of same sex marriage, we have come a long way from the first time we saw a gay person openly come out. I mean I remember when Ellen Degeneres came out on her show that she was gay and all the controversy that surrounded it leading to her show getting cancelled and her career going downhill. Who would’ve known after a couple years of that gays, lesbians, and transgenders would be welcome with open arms even having their own television show like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
Going back to UFC, sex, violence, and gender roles fit in perfectly to this sport. The main focus is on violence that has to do with gender role about challenging their own species to a duo to suggest who is better. From olden days males were looked as the strength of the two genders and the women, sorry but the weak. This could be a side of a male’s genes that have to be masculine to even attract attention from women. Now days when we watch a UFC match, there is an octagon girl who very attractive and wearing very little clothing is holding the number of rounds. I guess sex really does sell because these girls are just as popular as the fighters to these male dominated audiences. They’ve posed in playboy, have their own calendars and some even had their own endorsement deals (http://www.fighters.com/09/22/hot-mma-ufc-ring-girls).
For globalization, it might be a little hard to proceed and achieve. The NFL is a rising form of what America’s future globalization topic would be. Since coca-cola and McDonalds are the epitome of an American product and globalizing it anything up against them will have a really hard time catching up to their status (Crothers 142). Does UFC have a chance at becoming the next leader of American pop culture and globalization?
Boosting ratings and luring audiences is not that hard for UFC. Sportization also known as “good sport” is defined as having a basic set of rules of fairplay to have tension and make the sport interesting but still protect the players from harm and violent act. At this time judges such as umpires, referees, etc... Were introduced to help keep the rules in play. But this could work both ways since sportization is a balance of tension. For example if something is too boring, they would make the sport interesting by changing the rules to make things harder for the players or game to score. But if the game is too dangerous, such as biking, they would protect the players by having a mandatory helmet wearing rule (.http://webct.hpu.edu/webct/urw/lc894623185011.tp2673223394011//RelativeResourceManager?contentID=5033622123011).
Desportization is the concept of ‘no hold barred’ concept, opposite of sportization. They try to focus on the needs of the viewers since they are the main source of income. This relates to the first article because sports are all about speculation nowadays. This type of sport is more interesting because the rules are very scarce. People are interested to see sports such as UFC because it shows what no other sports won’t allow. But this all relates to the marketing scheme of making money. The more interesting the events are, the more popularity and viewers it’ll gain. No matter the outcome as long as the match is thrilling (http://webct.hpu.edu/webct/urw/lc894623185011.tp2673223394011//RelativeResourceManager?contentID=5033622123011).
It seems like MMA is moving towards resportization, meaning to try and regain the respect of the sport by making new rules to not make it so harsh as the NHB to gain popularity and legal licenses again and spectacularization, a route different from focusing on skills and fights and actually getting to know the fighters by telling their “stories.” They focus on what’s popular and what the viewers like to see. They try to gain popularity and take things to the main stream so they could be just as popular as the other sports. They turn fighters into celebrities and rake in money by their status. They see it as entertainment!. UFC is becoming more and more popular and you could tell by the increasing prices to watch these shows on pay per view. It makes a lot of sense because of the sport becoming mainstream, more and more people are getting interested. Bars are making money by ordering the events and promoting it with special deals. Of course there are many gambling deals going on as well. Spike TV makes it interesting by showing the beginning of the fights, and then they cut it off and don’t show the main event. Even though there are new rules to protect the players, it is an all out brawl and you’re literally watching to see who gets knocked out! FIGHTING was always such a no-no that if you get the ok to watch it, why not? It is especially appealing to men and their testosterone. I mean the ring girls are wearing very little clothing and let’s be real, they are HOT! Now I know that’s to appeal to guys, even though some girls might be interested. They know what sells and NHB and sex is the perfect combination. By changing rules and giving what the viewers what they want, the sport gains more and more popularity. It even becomes a social thing by having house parties, time with friends, and having a good time. Especially in Hawaii when local boy BJ Penn started early in the boom of UFC fighting. Now there are many clothing lines that represent UFC, exercise machines, fighting school for older AND younger kids, and even Vegas is becoming popular by hosting these lavish events with celebrities sitting in the front row.
UFC already has a head start in going international since they mixed all forms of fighting to start their business. That means that they already have their foot in the door to audience appeal from different countries. Also because the sport doesn’t specify in one type of technique, there are more fans from different areas of fighting. Since UFC is dominating America with their own reality show, pay-per-view specials, and website, the next step would be obvious to market to the world. It sounds like the perfect idea to a successful business venture.
Yet, the process of making UFC the next “IT” sport is taking a slow road to victory. Not all countries are opened to American globalization. Many fear that America might take over the world, and we all know America has many enemies. To globalize anything, you have to think in depth. From culture, religion, norms, etc… it is hard to appeal to all the links to globalization but many marketers are smart to figure out which might be the easiest target.
An example of the hardship in globalizing UFC would be in China. China has the world’s largest population and the largest economy in the world. Although these statistics seem to excel other countries, that doesn’t mean that this huge country is all wealthy. There are still many poor people living in rural areas all over China (Crothers, pg 193). In a marketing eye, China would be a great place to invest any business because of its huge nation. But when it comes to UFC and bringing mixed martial arts into the Chinese cultural might be more difficult than one might’ve thought. While reading the article “UFC takes a chance on China,” as popular as the sport seems to be in the U.S., it is not gaining as much support in other countries. Since China is known for controlled population (http://maps.unomaha.edu/peterson/funda/sidebar/chinapop.html) and how greatly they emphasize a male successor to inherit the family assets. As a result, it is written in the article “there are roughly 250 million men ages 18-24,” which is the primary audience that the UFC directs its sport to. Nevertheless, as perfect as it sounds, introducing an English speaking show to other countries where there dominant language is their own, it is hard for audiences to get interested if they don’t understand what’s going on. Zuffa, a parent company to UFC, even sold 10% of its stake to Abu Dhabi hoping to contact and bring in other countries to support this American loving sport (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/mma/post/2010/07/ufc-takes-a-chance-on-china/1).
One of the examples that the Crothers text that relates to Mixed Martial Arts is “the global demand for other American product, like clothes and restaurants and sports, is also likely to grow over time.” If UFC becomes more popular with the U.S. and are able to expand as an American sport, there might be some interest to other countries because of other countries interest towards American Booms. This way they would be able to market their sport globally.
Another example of one of the main concerns would be “American popular culture will continue to be a major source of controversy in global trade agreements.” This example was explained as a state of fear for the country that is being introduced to new ideas because of how it would affect their own culture.
Third example would be “attempts to limit access to American popular culture, whether by state action or social rules, are likely to prove ineffective in the long run.” This is subdivision by spread of technology, global appeal, and global population movements (Crothers, pg.201). In the article it is written that UFC is being broadcasted on one of China’s largest portal (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/mma/post/2010/07/ufc-takes-a-chance-on-china/1). Even if China wouldn’t broadcast the fights on major television network, if people have access to the internet, they could find anything whether it be downloaded or streaming. As long as they get the word out about the subject, UFC in this case, people’s curiosity will lure them to researching it.
In one time or another I think everybody felt a sense of intimidation by a person whether it was consciously or not. When we feel that sense of fear heightened by excitement, a million thoughts run across our head. Flight versus fight, which instinct do you use to win in this situation. Anyone can talk the talk but who can walk the walk? Many “don’t believe it until they see it,” so is that why we feign the impossible? Is that what MMA represents in the worlds we vicariously live by? To be entertained by nature’s dominant way and to become the king of the jungle. As testosterone levels escalate, men compete to settle who the best of the best is in the most humanistic way possible. By gaining pride and respect from others, especially your peers, this gives the fighter the impression of alpha male status. By being entertained in this spectator sport, we get addicted to the emotional story that identifies within us. To see physical stature not compete with the skills of the specialized and to witness the unthinkable to the luck of the game, humoring the bystanders with unbelievable outcomes. As the popularity of mixed martial arts achieves All American sport level, how will or did it get to that status?
There is one person in particular that is known to have changed the face of UFC with mixed martial arts, the notorious Royce Gracie. Being the son of the father of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Helio Gracie, Brazilian born Royce learned how to spar against resisting opponents rather than using the Asian technique of “kata”, which is a form of elaborate training techniques (Downy 206). This meant that when you take down your opponent to the ground and lock his feet, something the opponent is not familiar with, this will stop him from using any abilities as he is being dominated by the person on top (Downy 206). This approach surprised many with his domination of his infamous first professional fights in a challenge of sixteen people of many sizes. He amazed many with his wins as he clobbered previous champions in a different form of fighting using techniques that were superior then weight advantage (http://www.royce-gracie.com/royce-gracie-biography.htm). In some matches, he just grappeled, choked, or joint lock opponents and didn’t have throw a single punch (Downy 202). Commentator Jim Brown said, “What we learned here is fighting is not what we thought it was,” and I’m pretty sure many could agree after watching this impressive fighter using strategies that many have not seen or have been familiar with before (Downy 202). This is how the Ultimate Fighting Champions became popular since the aspect of fighting has now become an amusing form of sports.
Interestingly the idea of Ultimate Fighting Championship actually came from an advertising executive named Art Davie. He wanted to find the world’s best “fighter!” Davie was able to meet Rorion Gracie through a client that was researching martial arts and ended up becoming one of Gracie’s students. Davie suggested a single elimination tournament consisting of eight men who would get the title “War of the Worlds” to his teacher Gracie and John Milius, who is also a student of Gracie as well as a film director and screenwriter. Both agreed and Milius became the creative director while Davie devised the business standpoint. He was able to persuade twenty-eight investors and started the WOW Promotions with the aim to franchise these events through television (http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/ufc/ufchistory.htm).
With the intent to broadcast the fights through television shows, WOW productions introduced their ideas to popular channel but were declined and ended up signing with SEG, which is part of Pay-Per-View. SEG were the ones that came up with the name “The Ultimate Fighting Championship.” The first event included a broad spectrum of fighters including kick boxers, karate expert, sumo wrestlers, etc… With so many different varieties of fighters competing to be the best, the show became an instant hit. In 1995 Gracie and Davie sold their franchise to SEG and dismissed WOW productions but Davie continues to be the Commissioner of UFC up until 1997 (http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/ufc/ufchistory.htm).
In the beginning years of UFC, there were no weight divisions and pretty much little to no rules that made the sport that much more entertaining. Of course there were “no biting, no eye gouging, hair pulling, head butts, groin strikes,” but that’s just not fair period and I’m pretty sure the athletes believe that that’s not the way to compete fairly since the production was known to respect competitors. With fighters only being defeated by surrendering or being unconscious with no referee’s examining the match, this was as real as it can get (Downy 206). In other sports that contain fighting, there is one specification that the certain athlete is good at. But in mixed martial arts, the athletes are able to use a wide range of skills (http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/ufc/ufchistory.htm).
But the hit of this gruesome sport would not go smoothly as controversy started stirring up about the material content that is being presented to the public. Many criticized the realism of the sport and UFC was banned in some states. This led to the drop by the major cable companies and the number of audiences dropped. As UFC started losing popularity, they decided to change their rules to be cooperative with the state athletic commissions to survive the sports industry. The changes included: “weight division, mandatory gloves, limits on permissible striking areas including back of neck and head, kicks to downed opponent, small joint manipulation, pressure point strikes, and timed rounds” (http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/ufc/ufchistory.htm).
Although the rules changed to better the sport and satisfy the authorities, the rise to fame was a long road to go. The events were still held at small venues and certain home video releases were not allowed therefore UFC were not able to get sanctioned. Close to bankruptcy, Zuffa LLC purchased UFC from SEG with executives Frank and Lorenzo Ferttita along with Dana White in 2001. Since Lorenzo Ferttita was a former member of Nevada State Athletic Commissions, he was able to secure sanctions and UFC was able to return to the major cable Pay-per-view. This was the best thing that could happen to this sport since it is based in Nevada where arenas are huge venues in popular Las Vegas hotels followed with legal gambling (http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/ufc/ufchistory.htm).
Now, how is UFC, a spectacle that surrounds itself with so much controversy, going to be able to become an American pop culture and grasp globalization? First American pop culture is defined as “public culture.” Meaning, it refers to the common terms and individuals press for power, policy, and identity that is not a matter of private conscience, but seen publicly as they promote their agendas (Crothers 14). “Civic” is what we the Americans are defined as the values, ideas, and expectations of what we believe is the norms such as liberty (Crothers 15).
Second, globalization is defined by B. Steger in the Crothers text as “a set of social processes that are thought to transform our present social condition into one of globality” which includes economic, political, or cultural factors (Crothers 17).
As Americans, we depict everything around us and analyze structures that build our societies that affect our lives. A formulaic convention to American pop culture would be VIOLENCE. Even though violence has been around for ages, it still shocks many to see the act but effectively draws attention. We see it in television shows, movies, and hear it in music (Crothers 62).
Then, of course it would have to be SEX. For American’s, anything related to sex is pushing the buttons. Nudity, sexual expressions, sexual activities are all seen as a big deal in our culture, but what’s the norm for us, isn’t the norm for other countries. Nowadays it seems we are more opened to the idea of sexiness but there are still limitations to what’s appropriate and what’s not. But obviously sex sells because the porn industry is a billion dollar empire that apparently isn’t affected by the current economy or will ever see a drastic decrease in sells (Crothers 64).
These two are so important in American pop culture, that there is actually a link that goes hand in hand with these subjects. Since the sensation of sex is the “most emotionally charged aspects of human life,” it is no surprise that violence accompanies the “experience of sex” (Crothers 65). So, sex and violence will heighten the marketing appeal to any business therefore it’s no coincidence that the media feeds on the audiences.
Even though these might be the most prominent definitions of what we believe is American culture, there are still the smaller sublets to these norms. We might not notice it but unconsciously we believe what a gender role is. Whether that is female being a housewife cooking and cleaning her house to a male who is working to support his family. When we see a homosexual, not always the case but sometimes we recognize automatically that they are not straight. That’s probably because a male is acting feminine or vice versa. We somehow assume what it is to play our gender through society and what the media portrays as gender roles. With the recent California overturn of same sex marriage, we have come a long way from the first time we saw a gay person openly come out. I mean I remember when Ellen Degeneres came out on her show that she was gay and all the controversy that surrounded it leading to her show getting cancelled and her career going downhill. Who would’ve known after a couple years of that gays, lesbians, and transgenders would be welcome with open arms even having their own television show like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.
Going back to UFC, sex, violence, and gender roles fit in perfectly to this sport. The main focus is on violence that has to do with gender role about challenging their own species to a duo to suggest who is better. From olden days males were looked as the strength of the two genders and the women, sorry but the weak. This could be a side of a male’s genes that have to be masculine to even attract attention from women. Now days when we watch a UFC match, there is an octagon girl who very attractive and wearing very little clothing is holding the number of rounds. I guess sex really does sell because these girls are just as popular as the fighters to these male dominated audiences. They’ve posed in playboy, have their own calendars and some even had their own endorsement deals (http://www.fighters.com/09/22/hot-mma-ufc-ring-girls).
For globalization, it might be a little hard to proceed and achieve. The NFL is a rising form of what America’s future globalization topic would be. Since coca-cola and McDonalds are the epitome of an American product and globalizing it anything up against them will have a really hard time catching up to their status (Crothers 142). Does UFC have a chance at becoming the next leader of American pop culture and globalization?
Boosting ratings and luring audiences is not that hard for UFC. Sportization also known as “good sport” is defined as having a basic set of rules of fairplay to have tension and make the sport interesting but still protect the players from harm and violent act. At this time judges such as umpires, referees, etc... Were introduced to help keep the rules in play. But this could work both ways since sportization is a balance of tension. For example if something is too boring, they would make the sport interesting by changing the rules to make things harder for the players or game to score. But if the game is too dangerous, such as biking, they would protect the players by having a mandatory helmet wearing rule (.http://webct.hpu.edu/webct/urw/lc894623185011.tp2673223394011//RelativeResourceManager?contentID=5033622123011).
Desportization is the concept of ‘no hold barred’ concept, opposite of sportization. They try to focus on the needs of the viewers since they are the main source of income. This relates to the first article because sports are all about speculation nowadays. This type of sport is more interesting because the rules are very scarce. People are interested to see sports such as UFC because it shows what no other sports won’t allow. But this all relates to the marketing scheme of making money. The more interesting the events are, the more popularity and viewers it’ll gain. No matter the outcome as long as the match is thrilling (http://webct.hpu.edu/webct/urw/lc894623185011.tp2673223394011//RelativeResourceManager?contentID=5033622123011).
It seems like MMA is moving towards resportization, meaning to try and regain the respect of the sport by making new rules to not make it so harsh as the NHB to gain popularity and legal licenses again and spectacularization, a route different from focusing on skills and fights and actually getting to know the fighters by telling their “stories.” They focus on what’s popular and what the viewers like to see. They try to gain popularity and take things to the main stream so they could be just as popular as the other sports. They turn fighters into celebrities and rake in money by their status. They see it as entertainment!. UFC is becoming more and more popular and you could tell by the increasing prices to watch these shows on pay per view. It makes a lot of sense because of the sport becoming mainstream, more and more people are getting interested. Bars are making money by ordering the events and promoting it with special deals. Of course there are many gambling deals going on as well. Spike TV makes it interesting by showing the beginning of the fights, and then they cut it off and don’t show the main event. Even though there are new rules to protect the players, it is an all out brawl and you’re literally watching to see who gets knocked out! FIGHTING was always such a no-no that if you get the ok to watch it, why not? It is especially appealing to men and their testosterone. I mean the ring girls are wearing very little clothing and let’s be real, they are HOT! Now I know that’s to appeal to guys, even though some girls might be interested. They know what sells and NHB and sex is the perfect combination. By changing rules and giving what the viewers what they want, the sport gains more and more popularity. It even becomes a social thing by having house parties, time with friends, and having a good time. Especially in Hawaii when local boy BJ Penn started early in the boom of UFC fighting. Now there are many clothing lines that represent UFC, exercise machines, fighting school for older AND younger kids, and even Vegas is becoming popular by hosting these lavish events with celebrities sitting in the front row.
UFC already has a head start in going international since they mixed all forms of fighting to start their business. That means that they already have their foot in the door to audience appeal from different countries. Also because the sport doesn’t specify in one type of technique, there are more fans from different areas of fighting. Since UFC is dominating America with their own reality show, pay-per-view specials, and website, the next step would be obvious to market to the world. It sounds like the perfect idea to a successful business venture.
Yet, the process of making UFC the next “IT” sport is taking a slow road to victory. Not all countries are opened to American globalization. Many fear that America might take over the world, and we all know America has many enemies. To globalize anything, you have to think in depth. From culture, religion, norms, etc… it is hard to appeal to all the links to globalization but many marketers are smart to figure out which might be the easiest target.
An example of the hardship in globalizing UFC would be in China. China has the world’s largest population and the largest economy in the world. Although these statistics seem to excel other countries, that doesn’t mean that this huge country is all wealthy. There are still many poor people living in rural areas all over China (Crothers, pg 193). In a marketing eye, China would be a great place to invest any business because of its huge nation. But when it comes to UFC and bringing mixed martial arts into the Chinese cultural might be more difficult than one might’ve thought. While reading the article “UFC takes a chance on China,” as popular as the sport seems to be in the U.S., it is not gaining as much support in other countries. Since China is known for controlled population (http://maps.unomaha.edu/peterson/funda/sidebar/chinapop.html) and how greatly they emphasize a male successor to inherit the family assets. As a result, it is written in the article “there are roughly 250 million men ages 18-24,” which is the primary audience that the UFC directs its sport to. Nevertheless, as perfect as it sounds, introducing an English speaking show to other countries where there dominant language is their own, it is hard for audiences to get interested if they don’t understand what’s going on. Zuffa, a parent company to UFC, even sold 10% of its stake to Abu Dhabi hoping to contact and bring in other countries to support this American loving sport (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/mma/post/2010/07/ufc-takes-a-chance-on-china/1).
One of the examples that the Crothers text that relates to Mixed Martial Arts is “the global demand for other American product, like clothes and restaurants and sports, is also likely to grow over time.” If UFC becomes more popular with the U.S. and are able to expand as an American sport, there might be some interest to other countries because of other countries interest towards American Booms. This way they would be able to market their sport globally.
Another example of one of the main concerns would be “American popular culture will continue to be a major source of controversy in global trade agreements.” This example was explained as a state of fear for the country that is being introduced to new ideas because of how it would affect their own culture.
Third example would be “attempts to limit access to American popular culture, whether by state action or social rules, are likely to prove ineffective in the long run.” This is subdivision by spread of technology, global appeal, and global population movements (Crothers, pg.201). In the article it is written that UFC is being broadcasted on one of China’s largest portal (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/mma/post/2010/07/ufc-takes-a-chance-on-china/1). Even if China wouldn’t broadcast the fights on major television network, if people have access to the internet, they could find anything whether it be downloaded or streaming. As long as they get the word out about the subject, UFC in this case, people’s curiosity will lure them to researching it.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
MMA
“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”-Mark Twain
In one time or another I think everybody felt a sense of intimidation by a person whether it was consisciously or not. When we feel that sense of fear heightened by excitement, a million thoughts run across our head. Flight versus fight, which instinct do you use to win in this situation. Anyone can talk the talk but who can walk the walk? Many “don’t believe it until they see it, ” so is that why we feign the impossible? Is that what MMA represents in the worlds we vicariously live by? To be entertained by nature’s dominant way and to become the king of the jungle. As testosterone levels escalate, men compete to settle who’s the best of the best in the most humanistic way possible. By gaining pride and respect from others, especially your peers, this gives the fighter the impression of alpha male status. By being entertained in this spectator sport, we get addicted to the emotional story that identifies within us. To see physical stature not compete with the skills of the specialized and to witness the unthinkable to the luck of the game, humoring the bystanders with unbelievable outcomes. As the popularity of mixed martial arts achieve All American sport level, how will or did it get to that status?
“I only want to be known as the best ever. Is that too much to ask?” – BJ Penn
In one time or another I think everybody felt a sense of intimidation by a person whether it was consisciously or not. When we feel that sense of fear heightened by excitement, a million thoughts run across our head. Flight versus fight, which instinct do you use to win in this situation. Anyone can talk the talk but who can walk the walk? Many “don’t believe it until they see it, ” so is that why we feign the impossible? Is that what MMA represents in the worlds we vicariously live by? To be entertained by nature’s dominant way and to become the king of the jungle. As testosterone levels escalate, men compete to settle who’s the best of the best in the most humanistic way possible. By gaining pride and respect from others, especially your peers, this gives the fighter the impression of alpha male status. By being entertained in this spectator sport, we get addicted to the emotional story that identifies within us. To see physical stature not compete with the skills of the specialized and to witness the unthinkable to the luck of the game, humoring the bystanders with unbelievable outcomes. As the popularity of mixed martial arts achieve All American sport level, how will or did it get to that status?
“I only want to be known as the best ever. Is that too much to ask?” – BJ Penn
Why are you so interesting MMA?
“I only want to be known as the best ever. Is that too much to ask?” – BJ Penn
Who knew that MMA fighting dates back to as long as 648 B.C. and originated in Greece. The Greeks created Pankration, which literally translates to “everything or more” and “strength.” This sport eventually became the most popular event during the Olympics as it used techniques such as boxing and wrestling.
But, the modern MMA fighting came about in 1925 by a family of Brazilians. The infamous Gracie family who started the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu concept after Carlos Gracie learned how to fight with Mitsuyo Maeda, who was a judo fighter and of Japanese heritage that lived around the same region. Maeda was known as a prizefighter in “no holds barred competitions.” Interesting enough, he actually started his fighting career as a sumo wrestler in his teen years but lacked the structural built of this sport. He was fortunate to travel around different countries but in 1915 landed in Brazil. From then on, he focused on judo and eventually became a pioneer in introducing this Japanese sport to Brazil.
For Carlos Gracie, Maeda brought true inspiration and started his own academy in Rio de Janeiro and focused on the concepts of MMA. But marketing this type of sport would be harder than expected until the Gracie brothers invented the “Gracie Challenge,” which challenged any fighter in size, talent, or any other aspects that are thrown into the art of physically beating someone in a match. This led to recognition from other destinations and eventually landed in the United States where the first ultimate fighting championship (UFC) organization launched in 1993. As the first appearance of UFC sparked attentions of many, by the time the third installment aired, the ratings just kept jumping in the number of thousandths.
With very few rules in the beginning, “no division weight, time-sensitive, or security equipment and fighting in an octagon,” UFC was the epitome of fighting legally with many to entertain.
Now there are many different types of organizations that involve the fighting skills of MMA such as K1, Pride, and UFC to name a few. But what is it about this sport that intrigues the eyes of many and have us addicted to the phenomenon of “real fighting?”
http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/halloffame/mitsuyomaeda.htm
http://hubpages.com/hub/Historyofmma
http://www.mmawiz.com/posts/270:Funny_MMA_Figher_Quotes
http://www.bjj.org/interviews/maeda.html
Who knew that MMA fighting dates back to as long as 648 B.C. and originated in Greece. The Greeks created Pankration, which literally translates to “everything or more” and “strength.” This sport eventually became the most popular event during the Olympics as it used techniques such as boxing and wrestling.
But, the modern MMA fighting came about in 1925 by a family of Brazilians. The infamous Gracie family who started the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu concept after Carlos Gracie learned how to fight with Mitsuyo Maeda, who was a judo fighter and of Japanese heritage that lived around the same region. Maeda was known as a prizefighter in “no holds barred competitions.” Interesting enough, he actually started his fighting career as a sumo wrestler in his teen years but lacked the structural built of this sport. He was fortunate to travel around different countries but in 1915 landed in Brazil. From then on, he focused on judo and eventually became a pioneer in introducing this Japanese sport to Brazil.
For Carlos Gracie, Maeda brought true inspiration and started his own academy in Rio de Janeiro and focused on the concepts of MMA. But marketing this type of sport would be harder than expected until the Gracie brothers invented the “Gracie Challenge,” which challenged any fighter in size, talent, or any other aspects that are thrown into the art of physically beating someone in a match. This led to recognition from other destinations and eventually landed in the United States where the first ultimate fighting championship (UFC) organization launched in 1993. As the first appearance of UFC sparked attentions of many, by the time the third installment aired, the ratings just kept jumping in the number of thousandths.
With very few rules in the beginning, “no division weight, time-sensitive, or security equipment and fighting in an octagon,” UFC was the epitome of fighting legally with many to entertain.
Now there are many different types of organizations that involve the fighting skills of MMA such as K1, Pride, and UFC to name a few. But what is it about this sport that intrigues the eyes of many and have us addicted to the phenomenon of “real fighting?”
http://www.completemartialarts.com/whoswho/halloffame/mitsuyomaeda.htm
http://hubpages.com/hub/Historyofmma
http://www.mmawiz.com/posts/270:Funny_MMA_Figher_Quotes
http://www.bjj.org/interviews/maeda.html
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Guilty Pleasure
From what I can remember, in my generation, reality TV started with the “Real World Series” in the summer of 1992; Seven young strangers living in one house from different background, race, and culture. It was something different from the average TV. shows that were scripted and directed. Real world showed how everyday average people lived and didn’t give much privacy to the cast members. That’s what made it interesting, to see these people deal with issues that we, the viewers, could relate to. As M.T.V.’s longest running series, it was the perfect mix of reality TV. that brought a lot of controversy over the years. In the past years we’ve seen gays, homophobics, racism, abuse, stereotypes, sexism, classim, and pretty much every trait out there. This opened the door to the “reality TV. BOOM!”
As television stations started to realize that the audience enjoys watching realism, creators started to designate reality TV. to certain categories as they started to target specific viewers. We have the “Ultimate Fighter” for guys, “Nanny 911” for mothers, “American Idol” for talents, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” for gays, and the list can just go on and on. But the demographic of reality TV show viewers are 20’s and 30’s year olds.
I have to say, my guilty pleasures ARE reality TV. shows. Especially on the Bravo and E channel. I watched one episode of the “Kardashians” and I was hooked. I didn’t even know who these people were at first. The only one that actually had a hint of stardom was Kim Kardashian who was spotted with Paris Hilton and dated Ray J, the singer. But other than that I thought she was just a socialite. Come to find out Robert Kardashian, the father of the clan, was a high profile lawyer who is best known for defending O.J. Simpson, his good friend.
Well, the main stars of the show are Kourtney, Kim, and Khole, sisters who have a close relationship to one another. The show also consists of the step-father Bruce Jenner, and gold medal Olympian, mother Kris, who is the daughters’ manager, younger brother Rob, and their younger 2 half sisters. The show focuses on their family lives and careers.
Kourntey is the eldest and recently a new mother. She has a live-in boyfriend, Scott, but their relationship is tumultuous. Already they are not your normal white picket fence family since they had a child before wedlock and when she first found out she was pregnant, she contemplated abortion. A very controversial topic but it was reality. At first she did not have her family’s blessings but at the end they were all ecstatic. Kourtney is represented as an independent successful woman who is juggling motherhood, career, and her personal life.
Khole is the youngest and the one that gets harassed the most since she looks the least like her family. She is often called a tranny because of her tall and bigger (than her sisters) figure. They even had a tranny lookalike contest that she judged. Khole is very self conscious about her looks even though she is depicted as the “BITCH” out of her sisters. She says what’s on her mind and is very protective of her loved ones. Recently married to Lakers player Lamar Odom, her celebrity status went up a notch.
Kim the middle and most popular sibling are portrayed as a sex pot. Her voluptuous body with exotic features makes her captivating to both men and women. Her stardom came with a sex tape that was seen all over the internet. Being popular by just being a reality TV star she launched her career as she started building her empire. Her life seems glamorous traveling and jumping from photo shoot to photo shoot.
It’s interesting to see the Kardashians on TV. because they are not your average family. In a sense it’s good to see such a loving blended family because we don’t really see that out there. We, as America tend to stereotype people and put a label on them. In every show characters have a role that they have to play, same goes with reality TV. Once an audience decides to put a title on a person, it seems like they play it out more, maybe because the producers only display what the viewers want to see. Kardashians are a good looking family and the media feeds on that. The more juice they have on these celebrities their popularity just keeps getting higher and higher.
As television stations started to realize that the audience enjoys watching realism, creators started to designate reality TV. to certain categories as they started to target specific viewers. We have the “Ultimate Fighter” for guys, “Nanny 911” for mothers, “American Idol” for talents, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” for gays, and the list can just go on and on. But the demographic of reality TV show viewers are 20’s and 30’s year olds.
I have to say, my guilty pleasures ARE reality TV. shows. Especially on the Bravo and E channel. I watched one episode of the “Kardashians” and I was hooked. I didn’t even know who these people were at first. The only one that actually had a hint of stardom was Kim Kardashian who was spotted with Paris Hilton and dated Ray J, the singer. But other than that I thought she was just a socialite. Come to find out Robert Kardashian, the father of the clan, was a high profile lawyer who is best known for defending O.J. Simpson, his good friend.
Well, the main stars of the show are Kourtney, Kim, and Khole, sisters who have a close relationship to one another. The show also consists of the step-father Bruce Jenner, and gold medal Olympian, mother Kris, who is the daughters’ manager, younger brother Rob, and their younger 2 half sisters. The show focuses on their family lives and careers.
Kourntey is the eldest and recently a new mother. She has a live-in boyfriend, Scott, but their relationship is tumultuous. Already they are not your normal white picket fence family since they had a child before wedlock and when she first found out she was pregnant, she contemplated abortion. A very controversial topic but it was reality. At first she did not have her family’s blessings but at the end they were all ecstatic. Kourtney is represented as an independent successful woman who is juggling motherhood, career, and her personal life.
Khole is the youngest and the one that gets harassed the most since she looks the least like her family. She is often called a tranny because of her tall and bigger (than her sisters) figure. They even had a tranny lookalike contest that she judged. Khole is very self conscious about her looks even though she is depicted as the “BITCH” out of her sisters. She says what’s on her mind and is very protective of her loved ones. Recently married to Lakers player Lamar Odom, her celebrity status went up a notch.
Kim the middle and most popular sibling are portrayed as a sex pot. Her voluptuous body with exotic features makes her captivating to both men and women. Her stardom came with a sex tape that was seen all over the internet. Being popular by just being a reality TV star she launched her career as she started building her empire. Her life seems glamorous traveling and jumping from photo shoot to photo shoot.
It’s interesting to see the Kardashians on TV. because they are not your average family. In a sense it’s good to see such a loving blended family because we don’t really see that out there. We, as America tend to stereotype people and put a label on them. In every show characters have a role that they have to play, same goes with reality TV. Once an audience decides to put a title on a person, it seems like they play it out more, maybe because the producers only display what the viewers want to see. Kardashians are a good looking family and the media feeds on that. The more juice they have on these celebrities their popularity just keeps getting higher and higher.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Gold Vending Machine
Really?!?! A gold bar vending machine in Abu Dhabi? The German Entrepreneur who invented the machine claims the the prices of the gold will be updated every ten seconds to have the most precise listing. Like it's normal to worry about something like that. It seems like the mockery of the wealthy is just poking us on the arm.
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