American Studies Commons^™

Asking For It: Gendered Dimensions Of Surveillance Capitalism, Jessica Rizzo

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

Advertising and privacy were once seen as mutually antagonistic. In the 1950s and 1960s, Americans went to court to fight for their right to be free from the invasion of privacy presented by unwanted advertising, but a strange realignment took place in the 1970s. Radical feminists were among those who were extremely concerned about the collection and computerization of personal data—they worried about private enterprise getting a hold of that data and using it to target women—but liberal feminists went in a different direction, making friends with advertising because they saw it as strategically valuable.

Liberal feminists argued that in …

Isocrates's Place In Postmodern Advertising, Christopher Barkley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study in communication and rhetoric seeks to ascertain constructive applications for distinct advertising practices by examining Isocrates’s work and place in postmodern advertising. The focus uses 5 principles known to Isocrates which are: 1) commonwealths of households, 2) integration of reputation, elegance, substance and style, 3) education and public discourse, 4) phronesis and praxis, and 5) truth and verisimilitude. These 5 principles can form a constructive and practical advertising approach. This study is important. It examines Isocrates through the lens of advertising and extends the research done about him by leading Isocrates scholars who have looked primarily at his …

Forgotten Crime And Cultural Boom: New York And Brazil's Coffee Trading Relationship In The Early Twentieth Century, Collin Green

The Forum: Journal of History

In the United States of America, coffee and its ever-evolving culture has become a focal point of everyday life. However, we did not just stumble upon this phenomenon; the popularity of coffee was carefully calculated by leaders of the wealthiest coffee companies of the early 20th century in America’s biggest city, New York. In this paper, the history of the powerful coffee trading relationship between Brazil and New York is analyzed on two different levels. Firstly, I examine how New York's big coffee companies successfully participated in criminal activity on an international and national level. Secondly, my focus shifts to …

Instagram And Eating Disorders: An Empirical Study Of The Effects Of Instagram On Disordered Eating Habits Among Young Girls, Katherine Wayles

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have studied the relationship between body dissatisfaction and social media use, particularly focusing on young women as vulnerable consumers. Many studies concentrate on the amount of media consumed, rather than the specific activities and behaviors associated with feelings of low self-esteem or poor body image. It is important to determine exactly what behaviors and social media engagements contribute to disordered relationships with food, assessing a user’s pre-existing weight/body concerns in relation to the amount and type of media they consume. Instagram in particular is included in this study, as it is an image-based social networking site where users can …

Looking At People Watching People- A Comparative Approach Of American And British Advertising, Kyle Heger

Cultural Studies Capstone Papers

Advertising reaches millions of audiences every day, yet some of the most impactful ads only appear once, while other advertisements thrive in a world where audiences are most receptive to what the campaign is feeding to the masses. Spaces like the Super Bowl, ads created for the wonders of television are the bridge between artificial realism and situational experiences that most people can relate or aspire to, but what if one person’s experience is leaning towards misrepresentation? In this paper, I’ll be using media studies to dissect American advertising, through its construction of non-profit advertising and responding to the form …

Selling Togetherness: Family Vacation Advertising, Zandria Michaud

Access*: Interdisciplinary Journal of Student Research and Scholarship

Family vacation advertisers want parents to believe that their destination will create memorable moments families cannot experience anywhere else. They want parents to believe their life will be better for choosing those experiences. But underneath advertisers' overt messages are hidden meanings related to their product and society. By looking at three contemporary TV family vacation advertisements, I discover the obvious, and not-so-obvious, messages these companies are sending viewers. These three advertisements commodify family by using elements of governmentality and nostalgia while hiding deeper ideologies like patriarchy and globalization. Critically studying these ads reveals cultural ideologies and norms. This essay begins …

Giving The Global High Sign: Coca-Cola Advertising Of The “American Way” In Life Magazine, 1941-1947, Scott Greenfield

History Theses

Magazine advertising through these years marketed American products to a consumer base that was becoming more patriotic. This “patriotic consumerism” manifested itself both in its foundational support for the United States’ involvement in World War II and in its constant implementation of the “American Dream” ideology that mixed nostalgia and modernity in preparation of a post-war world. Expanding upon the resulting cultural behavior of classifying the support of American business as a quasi-civic duty, The Coca-Cola Company successfully situated the “American Way of Life” as a global aspiration through its product’s entanglement in the global settings of war, ensuring that …

Damsels And Heroines: The Conundrum Of The Post-Feminist Disney Princess, Cassandra Stover

LUX: A Journal of Transdisciplinary Writing and Research from Claremont Graduate University

This research explores cultural shifts in the popularity of the Disney princess in American culture, especially its postmodern resurgence, as well as the complex relationship between Disney’s recent representations of women in the 1990’s and post-feminist ideology. My project begins by analyzing the historic appearance of the Disney female in relation to the women’s movements. I also examine lingering anti-feminist backlash in representations of what I call “New Wave” Disney heroines. Finally, I examine the implications of post-feminist discourse and advertising for young female viewers.

From American Bandstand To Total Request Live: Teen Culture And Identity On Music Television, Kaylyn Toale

American Studies Senior Theses

Because television succeeds or fails based on its ability to attract an audience large enough to entice advertisers, this project will operate under the assumption that popular television conveys some important cultural attributes of both its creators and its audience. American Bandstand and Total Request Live (TRL) each presented the most popular music of the day in ways that drew massive audiences from America’s youth, between 1952-1989 (Bandstand) and 1998-2008 (TRL.) I will treat these and related shows as venues through which to view American youth culture. The music itself adds an exciting component to the project: as music changed, …

Teegarden, Mike (Fa 499), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 499. Paper: "Folklore in the Media," by Mike Teegarden, which examines folklore elements found in advertisements from 'Sports Illustrated.' This paper was done for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

Biggs, Amy (Fa 494), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 494. Paper: "Ads in the Media," by Amy Biggs, which documents folklore elements in magazine advertisements. Produced for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

Mendelsberg, Joanna (Fa 498), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives project 498. Paper: "Folk Speech in Advertising: Proverbs and Sayings," by Joanna Mendelsberg, which examines these folklore elements in advertisements from 'Sports Illustrated' and 'Mademoiselle' magazines. This paper was done for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

Gilkison, Tamara (Fa 497), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 497. Paper: "Folklore in Advertising: A Collection of Ads From Various Magazines," by Tamara Gilkison, which examines how folklore elements were used in print advertising. This paper was done for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

Phillips, Noelle (Fa 496), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 496. Paper: "Tempting by Association: The Use of Folklore in Selling Liquor," by Noelle Phillips, which discusses folklore elements found in liquor advertisements from various magazines. This paper was done for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University. Project does not contain supporting material.

Collin, Andrea (Fa 495), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 495. Paper: "Folklore and Advertising in 'Time Magazine'," by Andrea Collin, which examines folklore elements in advertisements from 'Time Magazine'. This paper was done for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University.

Spears, Angela (Fa 344), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 344. Paper: "Folklore and Media Project on Folklore in Advertisements," written by Angela Spears for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Jasper, Cindy Rhea (Fa 129), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 129. Paper: "Folklore in the Mass Media" written by Cindy Rhea Jasper for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University. Includes examples of folk sayings, songs, games, proverbs, and traditional images in advertisements found in "Ladies Home Journal," February 1981 to February 1982. Includes photocopies of 56 magazine ads.

Leavell, Tim (Fa 416), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 416. Paper: ["Folklore in the 'Daily News'"] written by Tim Leavell for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Scheer, Virginia (Fa 408), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 408. Paper: "Folklore Genres in Six Issues of 'GQ' and "Vanity Fair' Magazines" written by Virginia Scheer for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Oberdier, Andrew (Fa 427), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 427. Paper: "Irish Folklore in the 'Boston Globe'" written by Andrew Oberdier for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Collins, Ellen (Fa 176), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 176. Paper: "Finding Folklore in Magazine Ads," written by Ellen Collins for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class. "Parents Magazine" photographs referenced.

Hawes, Susan (Fa 506), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 506. Paper: "Women in Mass Media" written by Susan Hawes for a folk studies class at Western Kentucky University. The paper examines how women and folklore are highlighted in advertisements. Project includes paper and supporting material.

Morris, Holly (Fa 508), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 508. Paper: "Cultural Tourism: Folklore in Tourism Brochures" written by Holly Morris for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class. The paper looks at folklore elements found in cultural tourism brochures. Includes paper and supporting material.

Helbig, Kymberly (Fa 398), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 398. Paper: "Food, Folks, and Fun: The Holidays Through 'Good Housekeeping'" written by Kymberly Helbig for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Harbolt, Tami (Fa 394), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 394. Paper: "'I'm Not a Real Doctor, But I Play One on T.V...'": The Use of Folklore in Representations of Occupational Stereotypes in Television Advertising" written by Tami Harbolt for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Miles, Claude D. (Fa 338), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 338. Paper: "[Folklore in 'Rolling Stone']," written by Claude D. Miles for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Clayton, Chad (Fa 294), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 294. Paper: "The Use of Advertising and the Kentucky State Fair" written by Chad Clayton for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Lee, Andrew (Fa 321), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 321. Paper: "Supernatural Beings in the Daily News" written by Andrew Lee for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Durham, Tracy L. (Fa 281), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 281. Paper: "[Ads in Cosmo Magazines]" written by Tracy L. Durham for a Western Ketnucky University folk studies class.

Cecil, Jill T. (Fa 296), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

FA Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 296. Paper: "The Number 'Three' in the Media" written by Jill T. Cecil for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.