Analysis #3, Heroes and the Cult of Celebrity

Analysis #3 , Online Dating, Heroes and Culture Celebrity  

What theories seem to apply to your popular culture topic?

     Since my topic is Online dating is hard for me to realize or determent who is a hero? , In other words is just hard to determent  what is a hero in the online dating word. In my opinion and I will probably sound weird by saying that I been call many time a hero by my own drunk buddies, the reason why is because not everybody has hardly travel 10,000 miles by plane to meet someone face to face after only 6 months  … now let me explain my rationality .. I meet my wife using the internet and phone calls , I never been outside USA, Ecuador or England prior to meeting  my wife.  After talking with her online and over the phone for over 6 months I decided to go to her home country and meet her… Tashkent , Uzbekistan ( Ex Soviet Republic), which  is not like flying to England it took me close to 2 days to get there. My itinerary was Columbus-New York-London-Paris-Yaravan (Armenia) – Tashkent (Uzbekistan) …  16 hours in a plane and 6 hours waiting for my fly made this trip an “Epic” trip.

     To simplify my idea and interpretation, the person who has the skill and desire to meet someone across the ocean and has no fear to get lost and shows a pure spirit of bravery is simply a hero.

      In the Online Dating circle, not because I did it but is not an easy thing to do, therefore my analysis can point out only to two things:

• 1)      Heroes are the ones that risk themselves in pursue of happiness and adventures
• 2)      Heroes are the ones that has dedicated their time, ideas and effort  to make possible the idea of online dating. .

• How do these theories describe, analyze or evaluate the topic you have selected?

     I think that my topic is evaluated on a way that it shows that in the online dating businesses you need to have some courage , desire and bravery to risk and move forward with you goal , those are qualities that people needs to have in order to risk themselves .

Now, in other scenario the cult  of the celebrity is just unique   with the exceptions of the creators of matching websites most of the users tend to keep a low profile, I don’t think the cult of celebrity exist in online dating.   

• What insights do you gain from applying these theories to your popular culture topic?

     The only inside that I can think of is the fact that everybody can be a hero, when you meet someone while you are in Columbus and your match lives in Australia , it takes some dedication and bravery to go there and meet that person, therefore I think that under my topic “ Online Dating”  anybody can be a hero.

Analysis # 2, Online Dating: Stereotyping and Rituals

     Dating online has lots of stereotypes rather than rituals, dating online is full of ideas and stereotyping that sometimes can create some rituals fallow by the trends of our popular culture.

     According to the Oxford Dictionary (2012) a stereotype is a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. In the online dating business stereotyping of people is wide open.  It is not strange that people who date other people online are the target of constant attacks by people and media of loners, strange, weird or simply people who lack personality and can’t meet people face to face.  

     We can say that stereotypes are formed in a social context through a combination of observing others, learning, and mental processes. In popular culture stereotypes are formed in society,  we as society determent what is “perfect”  or the “weird” kind.  Using the example of my topic I can say that it is assimilated immediately that if you are dating online or meet your partner online, you had some type of social issue, either you are too busy , too weird or simply you lack of social skills has left you to the margin of  others and with reduces chances of meeting someone.

      In the context of society we can say that stereotypes have some advantages and disadvantages. Some people say there is hardly anything good that we can say about stereotyping, but I can say that there is appositive side to stereotyping. Stereotypes are basically generalizations that are made about groups. Such generalizations are necessary sometimes in order to learn about a certain type of groups. In the present time dating online had becoming more and more popular and little by little the stereotype of the “loner” who dates online is starting to change to a better prospective such as a busy individual who don’t have time to meet people face to face.  

·         What theories seem to apply to your popular culture topic?

     Stereotyping for sure is the main topic applied to my theme online dating . In the present moment society has started to move forward in accepting online dating as a normal and formal way to meet people. 

     One in ten Americans have used an online dating site or mobile dating app; 66% of these online daters have gone on a date with someone they met through a dating site or app, and  23% have met a spouse or long term partner through these sites. Public attitudes toward online dating have become more positive in recent years, but many users also report negative experiences. (Smith ,2013) .

     I can only think one ritual that is almost mandatory, setting up a profile and uploading your best pictures is a ritual and is a most do in order to meet someone.

How do these theories describe, analyze or evaluate the topic you have selected?

     Stereotyping sometimes describe and  points out the wrong side of online dating, I will have to agree that is not easy , I think that is even harder than meeting someone in person .

     I will have to mention that back 5-10 years ago online dating was not as popular as of today , therefore it was describe as an alternative way for a “loner” or a “busy” individual to meet someone.

     Currently online dating is evaluated in a way that has gain some positive points in society , I think that the term stereotyping people who meet someone online will continue to disappear to the point that would be 100% acceptable in any society .

    After analyzing my theme I can say that technology has helped online dating, Smith (2013) mentioned “11% of internet users (representing 9% of all adults) say that they have personally used an online dating site such as Match.com, eHarmony, or OK Cupid. 7% of cell phone apps users (representing 3% of all adults) say that they have used a dating app on their cell phone “ (p.2)

What insights do you gain from applying these theories to your popular culture topic?

     After reading I can say that online dating does have some rituals, setting up profiles, uploading pictures, sending messages to your matches, etc.  I was not even aware that all these activities could been call rituals.

     From day one I was aware of stereotyping people who date online, like I said before, I’m a living experience of the online dating business. By experience I can say that 8 years ago went I meet my wife in Russia, meeting someone primarily online was seem as weird and risky.

References

Smith, A & Maeeve Dugan (2013, October , 21). Online Dating and Relationships. retrieved November 29,2013, from www.pewresearch.org Web Site: http://pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2013/PIP_Online%20Dating%202013.pdf

Proffitt, M (2012). Oxford English Dictionary . Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.