Assignment 1-3/J.Slyman/Journal Analysis

The article I chose “Tricksters and the Marketing of Breakfast Cereals” was very interesting. I learned a lot of things about cereals, their creation and its business that I had never heard before and probably would not have thought. The fact that breakfast cereals as we know them today were originally marketed as health food or medicinal was quite an eye opener. The nineteenth century advertising or breakfast foods became centered on the myth of health, happiness and satisfaction. “Natural” took on almost magical powers in its suggestion concerning certain foods. Because of the diet which most Americans had at the time, not consisting of many fruits and grains, they experienced a high number of gastro problems. The grains being added to their diet helped, so it appeared healthy or magical. Hence, the breakfast cereals were set apart because they were never presented as mere food, but rather by an aura of power overreaching its actual dietary value. (Green)
Slogans and mascots have been connected to breakfast cereals in their advertising almost as long as the cereals themselves have been around. The trickster or mascot can take the shape of the cereal, giving the impression of achieving the benefits of the cereal by consuming the cereal (mascot). Another form used by the tricksters is disguises, using them to get the cereal (valued food) from the owner. The Trix rabbit is the most recognizable example of a trickster in breakfast cereal advertising. He takes on disguises, appearing more human, to try and get the cereal. Whatever the advertisers think is most popular in the culture with kids at the time is what his disguise will be or include. Most recently the rabbit has skateboarded, worn a leather jack and been a karaoke singer. Jung believes the use of such representations is the example of humanity’s transitioning from animal to humankind. The animal tries to control its basic overwhelming behavior, uses disguises, but can’t control for very long, displays animalistic behavior and is discovered. In many advertising plots, the trickster being undone by his basic animal behavior and his own doing, it’s the basic good versus evil.
Then there are the heroic tricksters – he isn’t trying to “get” the cereal which is so coveted, he is looking for worthy people on which to bestow. Someone in need of its “magical” powers, again suggesting a better life, more success from consuming their breakfast cereal An example of this type, is Tony the Tiger wandering playgrounds, finally finding the kid that is all tuckered out, can’t compete. He bestows his gift to him, being a good breakfast, and viola – he is back on the playing field or acing that test.
Although I believe this article for written for the casual reader or general public, I don’t think it was organized comfortably. It took a long time for you to get the gist of what the author was actually trying to convey and a good portion of this article didn’t even related to what the title would suggest. There was huge about of information about the creation of cereal, who created and why.
The main idea, I thought, was supposed to be that there is a certain type of advertising involving mascots or tricksters. Even though this article did explain background information of these and some reasons why they are used, I actually took more from this article about the beginnings of the cereal industry and how people thought of it when first introduced. I found it fascinating that the cereal industry focused on dietary fiber as well as moral fiber when first advertising. Moral purity and goodness being the results of better eating, which of course, included cereal.


References
Green, T., (2007) Tricksters and the marketing of breakfast cereals. The Journal of Popular Culture, Vol 40, No. 1.

Assignment 5-1/Weekly Analysis/HUMN341/J.Slyman

Every Day is a Holiday When You are Unemployed!

Being one of the many job eliminated, displaced workers – this sounds too sweet – unemployed workers, I can tell you it isn’t much fun. Having always had a job since I was 15, being in the masses of people looking for a job at 50 was not my plan.

Of course, being out of work and a paycheck is very hard since most people are two to three paychecks from being homeless, there are other things that being unemployed can do to you and your family.

Even though who you are is not your job, your job identifies you, to yourself and others. It is a sense of purpose, responsibility and achievement. Once that is gone there is a sense of loss, similar to a grieving period. There is also the anger, frustration, disappointment and self-confidence issues.

Without a solid family or relationship all these things can be overwhelming, I must be fortunate. After the first couple of weeks of fear and anger I picked up and got moving. And although I'm still unemployed after six months, I am busy and working towards other goals along with looking for employment. It's all how you look at it. To this end, it solidifies my belief that everything happens for a reason, we just don't always know what it is...at least for awhile. ;)


Unemployment - Consequences Of Unemployment, Problems With The Statistics, Who Becomes Unemployed?, Solutions To The Unemployment Problem. Retrieved from http://family.jrank.org/pages/1728/Unemployment.html#ixzz0mo0cxgwj