Danica Patrick: Pop Culture Icon

Through pure hard work and determination, Danica Patrick has driven her way into the role of racing legend and pop icon, in just a few short years.  Born in Beloit Wisconsin on March, 25, 1982, she has devoted her life to her passion of auto racing.   She got her start kart racing, at the tender age of 10, and at 16, she dropped out of high school and moved to England, to compete in the Formula Ford racing series.  Three years later, her career took off, when she began driving in the Izod Indy Car series. She proved herself to be a serious contender in the world of auto racing and in 2010 made her debut in the NASCAR nationwide series, and quickly earned a spot in the Sprint cup series.

            Danica's Indy career is one for the books.  In her seven years with the series, she can boast 115 starts, one win,  twenty top five’s, sixty-three top 10’s, three poles,  and 124 laps led, with career earnings of $5,975,585.  Her win in Japan in 2008 made her the first woman to ever win a major open wheel race, and she also became the first female to lead a lap at the Indianapolis 500 in 2005, for which she earned the title of rookie of the race.  She holds the series record for consecutive races in which she was running at the end, with a total of fifty.  Danica was named Rookie of the year in 2005.

            All her hard work paid off, and she soon made her transition to the most popular racing circuit, NASCAR.  In 2010 she began driving for team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr, in the Nationwide series, where she is in the midst of running her first fulltime schedule this year.  She drives the number 7 car, with Go Daddy as her sponsor, just as she did in the Indy series.  Danica is also running a limited schedule in the Sprint cup series for Stewart-Haas racing, in the number 10, Go Daddy sponsored car this year, and became the third woman ever to participate in the Daytona 500. 

While Danica was busy concentrating on her racing career, people from all walks of life were turning their attention to her. Fans flocked to the track to see her, and soon Danica fever was creating mass hysteria in the garage area.  Crowds followed her everywhere, screaming fans congregated outside of any building she was rumored to be in. Thanks to her, Indy Car gained hoards of new fans. People would buy anything that had her name on it or was in any way associated with her.  Her merchandise, from tee-shirts, to hats, to toys, posters, coolie cups, and anything else imaginable was, and continues to be, in high demand. She was also a media magnet.  The reporters and commentators just couldn’t get enough of her, and the amount of time they devote to her outweighed that of any other driver on the track.  Danica managed to keep all this attention from distracting her; she is extremely serious when it comes to racing, placing all of her focus on her job.

Danica has made a splash outside of the racing world as well. She is also an advertising spokeswoman, TV personality, actress, and model.  She is a media marketers dream come true; everyone wants to stop and look at her; everyone wants to hear what she has to say.  The Super bowl commercials she appeared in for her racing sponsor, Go Daddy, were instant hits, and Danica has since became spokesperson for numerous other company’s and causes. She is currently the 38^th most marketable athlete  and her most notable partners include, Nationwide insurance, Peak Antifreeze, HotWheeles, Tissot Watches, Alpinestars, and Bell Helmets, as well as the awareness campaign “Drive4COPD”. 

Danica has been featured in numerous magazines, receiving extensive coverage in Sports Illustrated, she has been mentioned in over 225 articles, and appeared on the cover twice.  A great example of the diverse appeal of Danica Patrick can be seen in the fact that she also graced the cover of Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, where she has made an appearance in two installments. In 2006, she released an autobiography, Danica, Crossing the Line. Her television credits include late night shows like Letterman, and Conan O’Brian, a Jay-Z video, and appearances on episodes of the Simpsons, and CSI New York.  She can also be seen hosting shows on the Spike TV network.  You can also keep up with her through any number of sites on the internet, from her Go Daddy webpage, to her personal webpage, to Nascars page on her.  She networks through social media using Facebook and Twitter, where she has 571,213 followers.

Danica’s success on and off the track is undeniable.  Being the first female to trailblazer her way into racing stardom was fuel to her  larger than life persona.  Her accomplishments in the male dominated world of racing made her a role model for women and underdogs alike. According to an ESPN article “Patrick’s appeal hits just about every demographic, from casual female fans to hard core gear-heads” (Merrill). This fierce image, coupled with her all American good looks, makes Danica Patrick hard to ignore.   Her popularity has been rewarded with numerous recognitions off the track.  In 2007 she was named sexiest athlete on Victoria Secretes “What is Sexy” list, and on FHM’s 100 sexiest women in the world list, she ranked number 42 in 2006, and 85 in 2007.  In 2008, she won the Kids Choice award for favorite female athlete.  Danica was also honored as female athlete of the year by the U.S. Sports Academy in 2006.  She is an inspiration to people of all ages from all types of lifestyles, and her status as a pop culture innovator is growing with every lap she takes.

Works Cited

“Danica Patrick." 2012. Biography.com 22 MAR 2012, 02:03 http://www.biography.com/people/danica-patrick-201312

Makin, Bakin. "The Beautiful and Talented Danica Patrick." HubPages. HubPages, n. d. 0. Web. 22 MAR 2012. <http://makinbacon.hubpages.com/_31k46azqb1sff/hub/Danicapatrick>.

Merrill, Elizabeth. "Danica already a NASCAR force." ESPN.com 19/002/2010. n.pag. ESPN.com. Web. 20 March 2012.

Danica Patrick: Pop Culture Icon

Through pure hard work and determination, Danica Patrick has driven her way into the role of racing legend and pop icon, in just a few short years.  Born in Beloit Wisconsin on March, 25, 1982, she has devoted her life to her passion of auto racing.   She got her start kart racing, at the tender age of 10, and at 16, she dropped out of high school and moved to England, to compete in the Formula Ford racing series.  Three years later, her career took off, when she began driving in the Izod Indy Car series. She proved herself to be a serious contender in the world of auto racing and in 2010 made her debut in the NASCAR nationwide series, and quickly earned a spot in the Sprint cup series

Danica's Indy career is one for the books.  In her seven years with the series, she can boast 115 starts, one win,  twenty top five’s, sixty-three top 10’s, three poles,  and 124 laps led, with career earnings of $5,975,585.  Her win in Japan in 2008 made her the first woman to ever win a major open wheel race, and she also became the first female to lead a lap at the Indianapolis 500 in 2005, for which she earned the title of rookie of the race.  She holds the series record for consecutive races in which she was running at the end, with a total of fifty.  Danica was named Rookie of the year in 2005.

All her hard work paid off, and she soon made her transition to the most popular racing circuit, NASCAR.  In 2010 she began driving for team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr, in the Nationwide series, where she is in the midst of running her first fulltime schedule this year.  She drives the number 7 car, with Go Daddy as her sponsor, just as she did in the Indy series.  Danica is also running a limited schedule in the Sprint cup series for Stewart-Haas racing, in the number 10, Go Daddy sponsored car this year, and became the third woman ever to participate in the Daytona 500. 

While Danica was busy concentrating on her racing career, people from all walks of life were turning their attention to her.  Fans flocked to the track to see her, and soon Danica fever was creating mass hysteria in the garage area.  Crowds followed her everywhere, screaming fans congregated outside of any building she was rumored to be in. Thanks to her, Indy Car gained hoards of new fans. People would buy anything that had her name on it or was in any way associated with her.  Her merchandise, from tee-shirts, to hats, to toys, posters, coolie cups, and anything else imaginable was, and continues to be, in high demand. She was also a media magnet.  The reporters and commentators just couldn’t get enough of her, and the amount of time they devote to her outweighed that of any other driver on the track.  Danica managed to keep all this attention from distracting her; she is extremely serious when it comes to racing, placing all of her focus on her job.

Danica has made a splash outside of the racing world as well. She is also an advertising spokeswoman, TV personality, actress, and model.  She is a media marketers dream come true; everyone wants to stop and look at her; everyone wants to hear what she has to say.  The Super bowl commercials she appeared in for her racing sponsor, Go Daddy, were instant hits, and Danica has since became spokesperson for numerous other company’s and causes. She is currently the 38^th most marketable athlete  and her most notable partners include, Nationwide insurance, Peak Antifreeze, HotWheeles, Tissot Watches, Alpinestars, and Bell Helmets, as well as the awareness campaign “Drive4COPD”. 

Danica has been featured in numerous magazines, receiving extensive coverage in Sports Illustrated, she has been mentioned in over 225 articles, and appeared on the cover twice.  A great example of the diverse appeal of Danica Patrick can be seen in the fact that she also graced the cover of Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, where she has made an appearance in two installments. In 2006, she released an autobiography, Danica, Crossing the Line. Her television credits include late night shows like Letterman, and Conan O’Brian, a Jay-Z video, and appearances on episodes of the Simpsons, and CSI New York.  She can also be seen hosting shows on the Spike TV network.  You can also keep up with her through any number of sites on the internet, from her Go Daddy webpage, to her personal webpage, to Nascars page on her.  She networks through social media using Facebook and Twitter, where she has 571,213 followers.

Danica’s success on and off the track is undeniable.  Being the first female to trailblazer her way into racing stardom was fuel to her  larger than life persona.  Her accomplishments in the male dominated world of racing made her a role model for women and underdogs alike.  This fierce image, coupled with her all American good looks, makes Danica Patrick hard to ignore.   Her popularity has been rewarded with numerous recognitions off the track.  In 2007 she was named sexiest athlete on Victoria Secretes “What is Sexy” list, and on FHM’s 100 sexiest women in the world list, she ranked number 42 in 2006, and 85 in 2007.  In 2008, she won the Kids Choice award for favorite female athlete.  Danica was also honored as female athlete of the year by the U.S. Sports Academy in 2006.  She is an inspiration to people of all ages from all types of lifestyles, and her status as a pop culture innovator is growing with every lap she takes.

Works Cited

http://videos.godaddy.com/danica-media.aspx

 www.danicaracing.com

http://twitter.com/#!/DanicaPatrick

http://www.biography.com/people/danica-patrick-201312

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/nascar/nationwide/columns/story?id=4928137

Samsung Galaxy Precedent

My cell phone is a Samsung Galaxy Precedent Android Smartphone, with unlimited talk, text, and web through Straight Talk for which I pay $45.00 a month. It is black in color, about five inches tall, and weighs a little less than four ounces. A majority of the front devoted to the touch screen excepting the small area for the speaker at the top and a strip at the bottom where four function keys are located.  There is a power button on the top, a volume control on one side, and a camera button on the other.

This phone has a vast number of functions besides being able to make calls and text.  It has a 2.0 megapixel camera, which takes photos and short videos.  It allows access to the internet through its 3G connection, or you can use a wireless network. With numerous apps to choose from you can do all kinds of things. You can stay connected to Facebook, look up anything you want on Google, or watch videos on You Tube or Netflix.  You can download songs to play on the built in MP3 player, and listen with or without earphones.  You can play games, get the weather or traffic report, or check the news. 

The Galaxy comes equipped with a variety of tools too.  There is a calendar and alarm clock, to keep you on track; and a GPS and navigation system so you don’t get lost.  It has a calculator, and an office app that is compatible with Microsoft, so you can do your work on the go.  One of my favorite apps allows me to download and read books right off my phone.  Voice recognition allows this phone to dial numbers or send text messages for you; all you have to do is speak!        

Samsung phones and strait talk prepaid plans, available at Wal-Mart are extremely affordable with no contracts to sign, or credit check to worry about.  You simply buy a new card and add it to your phone each month, or for a longer service period, you can load multiple cards at once.  This set-up allows the Galaxy to be marked to a large group of consumers, but mainly it targets the middle class. 

This phone is ideal for personal or professional use, because it does so many things.  While it has a lot of features, it can be a little difficult to use, and may not be suitable for the elderly, or those who have poor hand coordination.  The touch screen can be tricky, and there is no key pad, almost everything is done through the screen.  This means being able to navigate it is a must.  Smartphones can also pose a challenge for new users, because the technology has come along so fast and there are so many different things involved in its operation that you must learn.

There are many different brands and versions of smartphones like my Samsung Galaxy to choose from, like Apples IPhone or Verizon’s Android.  While the technologies are all basically the same, there are a lot of different builds and features to choose from.  Some are only available through contracts and are much more expensive. Some are of better quality, have better features, such as cameras and voice recognition, and may offer better internet connection.  They may have faster access, or download and play videos better.  Security features may differ as well.   Apples IPhones are known as the top of the line and they do provide the best product.  They are well built and sturdy as well as reliable.  They offer the best, most in demand features and apps, while being fairly easy to use.

The smartphones of today, like my Galaxy, evolved from the earlier cell phones and laptops, to become a kind of portable computer. The phone has progressed from large boxes connected to a wall, which had poor reception, to portable phones that allow you to talk while in range of the base, and are now the pocket sized wonders that you can use anywhere.  The first cell phones were bulky, and only had a phone feature, testing didn’t come along until later.  Over the years, as their capabilities have grown, the phones themselves have shrunk to become one of the smallest, lightweight items we own, but also one of our most treasured possessions.

Cell phones and especially the smartphones have swept the nation bringing about great changes in our lives.  We can now reach virtually anyone, anywhere, anytime.  This can be good and bad at the same time.  There is no getting away from anything if you have a smartphone, but you can always be reached for an emergency.  Now, you have to go see someone face to face, or talk to them on the phone.  You can just send them a text and be done with it.  Being able to take pictures and even send a copy to someone else can be a great help in an emergency or crisis situation. Anything you need to know can be found using your phone.  It allows us to avoid so many inconveniences, like going to the library for a book, or looking at a map for directions. The amount of change smartphone technology has bought to our lives is unbelievable, especially to those of us who experienced life without them.

Adele: Strong Voice, Powerful Inspiration

Bursting onto the music scene with back to back number one debuting albums for her freshmen and sophomore efforts, Adele has made a name for herself as one of the strongest female voices of today.   Using her own life experiences as inspiration, Adele writes powerful lyrics which speak of heartache, struggle, and inner strength.  Her music can be classified in a number of different genres, from pop, to soul, jazz, acoustic, and even folk because they tell stories or of life lessons. 

            Her first two albums, named for the age she was when they were written, express the anger and betrayal she was feeling at that point in her life.  Song titles from her 2008 album “19” include “Best for Last”, “Chasing Pavements”, “First Love”, and “Cold Shoulder”.  The second album, “21” was released in 2011 and earned Adele six Grammys including album of the year and song and record of the year for the hit “Rolling in the Deep”.  Other songs on this album, which sold 4.8 million copies in the U.S. and 3.4 million in the U.K., from where she hails, are “Set Fire to the Rain”, “Take it All”, and “Rumor Has It”.  

            The red haired, green eyed Adele is a full figured beauty, and while she has received some flak from critics over her weight, she is an inspiration to women everywhere, because she carries her body with pride, and confidence.  She is very elegant and classy, always dressed in black dresses, her tailored outfits are form fitting and flattering to her curves.  She is rarely ever seen in pants, but will occasionally throw in a splash color, using a scarf or even a sweater to accent her outfit choices.  She puts herself together with great detail, and her hair, makeup, and nails are always flawless. Fans everywhere strive to emulate her look, and she is quickly becoming a fashion icon, promoting positive self-image for a whole generation.

            Adele’s most popular song, “Rolling in the Deep”, the first single from her second album “21” made her a household name.  It hit the charts hard, not only topping pop, and adult pop, but also showing up on adult contemporary alternative, hot dance club, hot R&B and hip hop, and rock charts.  The lyrics of this song very deep, full of power and emotion, it tells the story of the broken trust and heartache of a dying relationship. It gives those hurt by the betrayal of someone they trusted, hope and strength for moving on.  It is the typical girl power song, dedicated to the dirty dog who misused her love and trust.

 Adele wrote the song in three hours in the studio the day after a breakup, while the emotions were still raw.  The words flow perfectly, and Adele’s deep, sultry voice mix well with the powerful beat to catch the audience’s attention.  She’s angry, she realizes her relationship is over, and she finally sees the truth and lies.  The memories of what almost was are scared into her body and she will never forget what they had, nor will she let him.  She’s strong, and going to move on with her life, she’s going to have everything she wants, and he is going to realize one day how good she had it, but it will be too late.  He will never have it as good again, and that’s the true revenge. 

The video for the song “Rolling in the Deep” depicts her, sitting in a chair, alone in a room covered in plastic with very little furniture.  She is dressed in an elegant black dress, and has her “big” red hair pulled away from her face with a ribbon.  As she sings, the video flashes from scenes of her, to the drummer, to a girl practicing sward fighting in a small room full of sawdust.  There are also scenes of glasses, full of water, vibrating to the beat, which cover the floor of a house, and dishes being smashed against a wall, the broken pieces forming a pile in the floor.  In the end, a paper city, built on a table is set on fire.  There is very little color in the video, it seems very dark and grey, in match with Adele’s emotion.  The video is very symbolic of the end, for example, the empty house, the plastic covered room, broken dishes, and burning city.  The drummer facing the wall could symbolize the betrayal, and lack of trust.  The water filled glasses symbolize hope.  The girl practicing sward fighting can be seen as strength, and preparing to overcome.

I love Adele’s music.  I think she is a role model for young girls and women across the world.  She is highly talented and her great success over such a short period of time is sure to be just a preview of what she has to come in the future. 
           

           

"Adhesive Ducks and The Big Bang Theory”

 “The Big Bang Theory” episode eight from season three entitled “The Adhesive Duck Theory” is one of the funniest sitcom episodes I have ever seen.  This hit comedy airs Thursdays, on CBS at 8:00pm, and it be seen at various times on several other channels, such as FOX and TBS.

            This particular episode revolves around two of the shows characters, Sheldon and Penny.  Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper (Jim Parsons) is sort of “head nerd” to a group consisting of his roommate, Dr. Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki), and their co-workers Howard Walowitz (Simon Helberg), and Dr. Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Naygan).  While Sheldon is exceptionally intelligent with a genus IQ, he takes everything literally and fails to understand sarcasm.  These personality traits, along with extreme obsessive-compulsive behavior, cause Sheldon to have issues forming personal relationships.  He has a hard time feeling empathy for others and sees little need for bonding or close friendships.   Penny (Kaley Cuoco), a waitress and aspiring actress who lives across the hall, is the complete opposite of Sheldon.  She has a bubbly personality, great people skills, and while her book intelligence seems almost nonexistent in comparison to Sheldon’s, she can usually outwit him with her sarcasm.  She has an ability to relay normal situations to Sheldon in terms he can understand which has allowed them to forge a shaky friendship. 

            When Penny falls in the shower and dislocates her shoulder, Sheldon is the only one available to come to her rescue because Leonard, Raj, and Howard are away on a camping trip.  She is in need of someone compassionate to get her naked body out of the tub and to the hospital, but what she gets is Sheldon, and while he may be a genius, to say he is lacking in people skills would be putting it mildly. His attempts at being a sympathetic friend to Penny in her time of need are hilarious, from his reaction to being forced to face her, in all her glory, to his adventures behind the wheel of her subprime car.  Acting as her chauffer to the hospital is one of Sheldon’s few driving experiences, and he’s not about to set off without preforming all of his pre-navigation rituals, no matter how much pain Penny is in, but by some miracle they manage to arrive safely at the hospital.

            Sheldon keeps the laughs coming in the scene where he is filling out Penny’s paperwork in the hospital waiting room.  This is where the episodes name comes into play; a question on the triage form asked the cause of the injury and being that Penny slipped in the shower, Sheldon’s practical answer was “lack of adhesive ducks” referring to the pads often seen in showers which aid in traction, thereby preventing falls.  When there was a question asking for the date of her last menstrual cycle, and Penny rudely refused to answer it, Sheldon decided this must mean it was currently in progress.  He had no clue that her attitude was not the result of PMS but his brash behavior.  Sheldon moves on to a question about her psychiatric and behavioral stability, causing Penny to snap back with a quip about how that has anything to do with her shoulder.  Sheldon answers this question by diagnosing her with episodes of sub psychotic rage, which leads Penny to call him an “ass”, making him add “possible turrets” as well.  Penny has finally had enough and lets Sheldon know she needs him to act like a normal person for once in his life and comfort her because she’s scared.  He does give this an honest attempt, but the look that comes over his face as he tries to mimic a sympathetic expression is almost as painful as Penny’s injury!

            Once her shoulder is set and she is released from the emergency room, Sheldon sees a very medicated Penny to her door, where he thinks his quest will come to an end.  He reminds Penny of her medicated state, warns her against operating heavy machinery, and advises her against choking on her own drool; however, his departure is interrupted by her pleas for help into bed.  After he gets her tucked in, she tells him to sing “Soft Kitty” to her.  This is a song Sheldon made her to sing to him once when he was sick and she took care of him.  His mother used to sing it to help him sleep when he was sick as a child, and he tries to tell Penny that was only for when you were sick, but she is having none of that and forces him to awkwardly sing it with her.  Penny tells Sheldon that despite his cold “robot” manner, she cares about him and actually likes him; and while he’s uncomfortable with these emotions, this revelation seems to satisfy him.

            This episode is sure to become a classic.  It is signature “Big Bang Theory” in which the plot, story line, and jokes work well together to deliver an entertaining look at the inner workings of the relationship between Penny and Sheldon.  This show is one of the most popular today because it is so consistently funny, thanks to its great writers, director, and cast.  You will not be disappointed with any episode of this show!

“The Adhesive Duck Theory.”  The Big Bang Theory.  Dir. Mark Cendrowski.  Creator Chuck Lorre.  CBS.  16 Nov. 2009.  Television.

Mayhem Commercial Analysis

The contemporary commercial I chose to do my analysis on is an advertisement for Allstate auto insurance.  This commercial features a man acting out a form of mayhem that may befall some unsuspecting victim, in order to demonstrate the need for adequate coverage when it comes to your car insurance plan.

In this commercial, a grown man, who looks as if he’s just been in a fight, is driving a pink SUV and claiming to be a teenaged girl who has just received a distressing text.  Instead of concentrating on driving, this “girls” only focus is the news that her BFF Becky has just kissed Johnny, the boy she likes.  Emotions and driving do not mix for this girl, in the heat of her tantrum she hits any car in her way and just keeps on driving.  The message of the commercial is that if you don’t have the proper coverage, you will be paying for this damage yourself.

            The commercial is comical because this beat-up guy is acting like an emotional teenaged girl, even using the popular slang used for texting. Every time I hear him say, “OMG Becky’s not even hot!” I can’t help but giggle. His imitation of a young, emotion riddled girl is dead on.

            I could see examples of all three rhetorical appeals in this commercial.  The appeal to reason, Lagos, and ethics, Ethos, is the need to have enough coverage in your auto plan for situations like this.  You can’t rely on that irresponsible girl to take responsibility for her actions; this is an appeal for you to be the reliable one.  Pathos or the emotional appeal can be seen in the girl’s situation.

I think that this is a great commercial, in fact it’s one of my favorites.  I feel it’s very effective in its approach to get people thinking about the amount of coverage they need.  The storyline makes the situation very realistic, so it provides a good example of why you may need the service he’s peddling.