Final Thoughts on the Hurricane Katrina and the Theories of Popular Culture

Throughout this course we have been analyzing different popular culture theories surrounding Hurricane Katrina.  Some of these theories include icons, myths, heroes, rituals, and formulas.  The theories that best relate to Hurricane Katrina are the popular culture theories of icons and the theory of myths. 

There are plenty of iconic images that come from Hurricane Katrina.  Forever etched into our minds will be sight of people on rooftops, the Superdome with the mass of evacuees surrounding it, and the countless other images that came after the hurricane hit.  “The devastation in reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina” is now a popular phrase by reporters in the mass media. 

In the regards to myths, the most interesting thing I found lies in the myths that Hurricane Katrina created.  The first myth is that Hurricane Katrina was a superstorm and that all future hurricanes will be superstorms because of global warming.  In reality, compared to other storms that have struck the United States in the last one hundred years, Katrina was a relatively minor storm.  The second myth is that “society will be left to fend for themselves after a disaster” (Harper, 2012).  This myth has led to the development of a number of different apocalyptic genres such today’s virus and zombie apocalypse fad.  In reality, while there were some issues, the government did have resources positioned before the hurricane and did respond to the disaster quickly as could be expected, given the scope of the disaster.   Nevertheless, Katrina will always be known for the government’s perceived slow response. 

As an eye-witness to Katrina, I know I look at the disaster in a different light.  I enjoyed looking through the materials and being able to put some of the icons and myths on paper.  I have also begun to use the analysis that I performed during the course on other events of national significance.  This analysis has truly opened my eyes.  

Analysis of the Journal Article Katrina That Bitch! Hegemonic Representations of Women’s Sexuality on Hurricane Katrina Souvenir T-Shirts

While in New Orleans for a meeting, the authors of the article Katrina That Bitch! Hegemonic Representations of Women’s Sexuality on Hurricane Katrina Souvenir T-Shirts noticed a number of t-shirts at a tourist attraction that referenced Hurricane Katrina.  Many of these t-shirts had slogans that “criticized the government for slow relief efforts” and others “poked fun at Mayor Ray Nagin” but what particularly interested the authors was the number of t-shirts with slogans that had undertones of the sexual degradation of women.  After seeing a number of these shirts, the authors reached the hypothesis that our culture has a tendency to create subtle ways to degrade women.  In researching this hypothesis, the authors did some research and not only found more t-shirts, but found more stores selling these same types of items.  The researched shirts were completed in two parts; the first part categorized by what was said on the t-shirts.  The second part was to gather reaction from people walking among the stores selling the t-shirts. 

In the first part, the authors wrote down the slogan on the t-shirt and took photographs.  From the information gathered, the authors coded the slogans on the t-shirts “using seven, non-mutually exclusive categories: gendered, sexualized, political, cursing, civil unrest, relief/rebuild, and factual/historical.”  The authors found nine t-shirts with slogans that were gendered, sexual, or both.  Of the nine t-shirts, the authors found a “prominent use of three linguistic strategies: sexual slang, expletives, and active language that attributes sex acts to “female” hurricanes. 

From this categorization, the authors found that there was a definite pattern of branding Hurricane Katrina as a “sexually aggressive woman.”  These authors believed that society was showing its hatred of women through the branding of Hurricane Katrina; not just a hurricane, but a “’bitch’ because ‘she’ was uncontrollable and caused widespread damage.”  Since 2004 and 2005 were years of severe hurricanes, the authors decided to look for similar t-shirts for hurricanes that had male names.  In their search, they were only able to find one t-shirt and that slogan, which said “Hurricane Charley / Just like a Man to Get Direction All Wrong”, also had overtones of a nagging woman and the male’s inability to navigate effectively.

The second part of the research dealt with the public’s feeling about the t-shirts.  The authors asked different people in the general vicinity what they thought about the t-shirts.  The authors interviewed twenty-six people and found that overall most people “did not find the t-shirts offensive.”  Eleven found the shirts “funny”, six indicated the slogans on the shirts were “distasteful” and the remaining respondents dismissed the shirts and slogans as “cheesy” or “simply part of the tourist culture one would expect in New Orleans.”

Of the people who found the t-shirts and slogans funny, they justified their response by citing the “rowdy and raunchy” crowd that visits the area (in this case the French Quarter of New Orleans.)  Of the people who found the shirts distasteful, many of the respondents had a personal connection with the hurricane, either being injured during or after the storm or losing everything in its aftermath. 

Overall, the authors felt that the shirts and the reaction of the public to the shirts showed how “sexual degradation is not only a taken for granted part of mainstream culture, but also a readily available subject for humor.” 

In analyzing this article, I spent several days looking over the article and attempting find the t-shirts discussed online. I read the article a number of times and used the Analyzing an Article template provided (see Appendix A).  I highlighted the key points of the article, and summarized the research. 

After conducting the analysis, I would have to agree with the authors’ summation that the t-shirts and their slogans were distasteful.  I spent several days in Biloxi, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, and my experiences during both before, during, and after will be with me (and sometimes haunt me) for the rest of my life.  However, I have to disagree with the authors’ hypothesis that society gives hurricanes female names as a form of power over women.  The naming of storms after women has nautical roots.  It is a maritime tradition to name our water-bound vessels after women, a tradition that has roots in bringing the vessel good luck. As seen in the movie Forest Gump, Forest names his boat “Jenny” for good luck (Groom, 1994).  This trend of naming objects after women has been continued with cars, weapons, and airplanes.  Blues guitarist B.B. King even named his guitar after a woman. Additionally, tropical storms and hurricanes are the only natural disasters that are named.  Forest fires, earthquakes, floods, and even tornadoes are not given names and only referenced by the area devastated.

            I also believe that the author’s research was flawed as it was confined to the French Quarter of New Orleans, which the authors readily admit is a “raunchy and rowdy” area known for its Mardi Gras celebrations.  The authors’ research would have had more validity had they branched out to other cities that were touched by other hurricanes that struck between 2004 and 2006 (when the article was written) and / or visited other cities devastated by Hurricane Katrina, such as Biloxi, Mississippi, or Mobile, Alabama to see if similar t-shirts and slogans exist.     

Hurricane Katrina was a devastating storm and had long-lasting consequences.  Like the terrorist attacks of September 11^th, 2001, Hurricane Katrina will forever be etched in America’s history books.  This article takes the reader away from remembering the devastation by focusing on an idea that society is overtly attempting to undermine women.  Therefore analyzing this article is important to show facts, and not opinions. 

References

Finerman, W. (Producer), Groom, W. (Writer), & Zemeckis, R. (Director). (1994). Forrest Gump [Motion Picture].

Macomber, K. Mallionson, C., & Seale, E.  (2011). 'Katrina That Bitch!' Hegemonic Representations of Women's Sexuality on Hurricane Katrina Souvenir T-Shirts. Journal Of Popular Culture, 44(3), 525-544. doi:10.1111/j.1540-5931.2011.00847.x

Analysis of the Use of Formulas in Reference to Hurricane Katrina

In many different genre of popular culture, including music, literature, television, and movies, we see an organizational strategy known as formulas.  Formulas are roadmaps for how a particular genre will be laid out.  For example, in most country music songs, the formula would be the singer loses the significant other, goes through a period of self destruction where the singer loses their house, dog, and all their money, the significant other returns, and all is well.  While one wouldn’t think that natural disaster, such as 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, necessarily conforms to a formula, the media coverage of that disaster (and many afterward) does.  Since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, media coverage of disasters has exploded.  Any and all weather events are now reported on an unprecedented scale.  Such coverage has begun to be known as “apocalyptic coverage” and has coined phrases such as the “snow apocalypse.”     

This weather reporting formula tends to follow the following categories: Pre-disaster, disaster, and recovery.  Within each category can also be subcategories, depending on the disaster.  These subcategories usually involve reporting on what the local, state, or Federal government is doing to prepare, respond, or recover from these events. 

As Hurricane Katrina made its way off the Florida coast and headed toward the western Gulf States, mass media jumped heavily into the pre-disaster division.  Reporters were stationed all along the Gulf Coast in anticipation of Katrina’s landfall.  Pre-disaster subcategories such as evacuation preparation, shelter information, and other helpful hints were reported on heavily.  When the storm struck land on August 29^th, 2005, media switched to disaster mode; covering every measured wind speed, storm surge, and other storm warning.  As the winds and rain subsided, media switched to post disaster or recovery mode; reporters began reporting on food distribution centers, status of shelters, and other sound bites that dealt with what the government was doing (or wasn’t doing) to help people recover. 

This formula has been followed time and time again since Katrina; you will see it in the coverage of the Indiana’s devastating floods in 2008, the February 5-6, 2010 North American blizzard (Morrissey, 2010) and most recently in the Hurricane Irene overage this fall.  

Hero and the Cult of Celebrity Analysis of Hurricane Katrina

In the past ten years, there have been two national-level disasters that befell the United States.  The first, disaster is the terrorist attacks of September 11^th, 2001, and the second is the landfall of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  9/11 will forever be remembered as a heroic period in American history.  Hurricane Katrina, on the other hand, has been played out in popular culture as a mega-blunder.  This view of Katrina is untrue; and Katrina should be considered one of our finest hours or at least an equally heroic period in American history.  

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a number of heroes emerged.  These heroes included the soldiers, sailors, and emergency responders who made numerous rescues during and after the storm.  Images and stories of these rescues have been recorded and replayed many different times.  What wasn’t effectively reported were the countless acts of heroism that were committed by civilians who risked life and limb to save their neighbors. 

Instead of focusing on the good outcomes from Katrina, popular media has focused on the negative stories and the “villains” who played a role in them.  These villains included those in local, state, and Federal government who the media perceived as not having responded quickly enough.  They include those responsible for the flooded busses that could have been used in the evacuation, and former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin who will always be known for his blundered the evacuation of New Orleans (Reiland, 2005). 

In popular culture there is the theory of heroes and villains.  This theory is important to consider when thinking of Hurricane Katrina.  We should remember that many people did evacuate; we should remember that countless people volunteered food, water, and even shelter to those who survived the storm.  Katrina deserves a version of the patriotic images such as the raising of the flag at the World Trade Center.  Nevertheless, Hurricane Katrina will always be treated in popular culture as a blunder.  Remember this fact when you read about some of the great blunders in history.  Consider that while we may read that is was a blunder, there were probably countless heroes who will never receive credit for their selfless actions. 

References

Reiland, R. R. (2005, September 19). Comedy of Deadly Errors. Retrieved January 27, 2012, from www.pittsburghlive.com: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_374919.html

Rituals and Stereotypes of Hurricane Katrina

When you think about Hurricane Katrina, many automatically think of thousands of people standing outside the Superdome.  You also think of people looting, shooting and raping each other and think of elderly people dying in their beds.  While these things did happen, and no one denies they did, they did not occur to the degree that has been reported.  Katrina was one of the most documented events in modern history.  Because of the massive media coverage, the aforementioned events have since led to stereotypes being placed on Hurricane Katrina.  In essence, Hurricane Katrina has become the “stock character” of hurricanes. 

            Hurricanes have been stereotyped because of Katrina and its aftermath.  People now are led to believe that every hurricane heading for the United States will cause death and destruction on a grand scale.  Anarchy will reign.  In reality, while no one will discredit that Hurricane Katrina was a terrible storm, there were other storms that were much worse and caused more damage than Katrina.  However, because of this stereotype, every time a hurricane comes close to landfall, media begins to report on the coming apocalypse; sending reporters all over the area projected to be hit.  Shows are interrupted or cancelled.  Everyone and their brother are interviewed.

            A lack of Government response is another stereotype that has come from Katrina.  This stereotype is partly true; it does take some time for the government to respond.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) admits this, and has developed a website called www.ready.gov, where it shows people how they can become self-sufficient in any type of natural disaster.  However, the government does responded en force after any natural disaster.  Even while Katrina was still moving through New Orleans “dozens of National Guard and Coast Guard helicopters flew rescue operations” (The Editors, 2006). 

            In applying these theories to describe Hurricane Katrina, what has made Katrina such a popular stereotype has been the wide-spread media coverage.  The fact is that Hurricane Katrina was a Category 3 storm when it made landfall (The Editors, 2006); it was a Category 1 storm when it crossed over Meridian, Mississippi where I rode the storm out.  It was not the all-powerful storm that it has been stereotyped as.  As mentioned before, Katrina has become the “stock character” of hurricanes.  When people consider a storm coming ashore, they think of Katrina, much the same way a movie actor playing a gangster will study Al Capone.

            I have gained some insights in applying these theories.  Stereotypes have a way of making people think differently about something.  In some ways Katrina’s stereotypes can help; without the stereotype that the government won’t help after a disaster has spurred the creation of websites like www.ready.gov, or other sites that help people become self-sufficient.  In some ways Katrina’s stereotypes hurt, we now consider every hurricane or other natural disaster to be the next world-ending crisis.  This leads to panic and mass confusion. 

            Katrina was a bad storm, and many people’s lives were disrupted because of it.  Unfortunately, many people also were injured and killed during the storm.  However, put in perspective, Katrina doesn’t deserve the stereotype that it received.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Terminator-2-judgement-day.jpg

www.google.com

For this assignment my three icons were The Terminator; Google®; and a firefighter.  The Terminator comes from the television and film series of the same name, Google® is one of the most common and well-used internet search engines, and firefighting is the global profession that involves emergency, fire and medical response. 

I chose each icon for various reasons, but the each has a symbolic status.  The Terminator icon was chosen for many different reasons.  The Terminator character definitely has the recognition factor, as do many different quotes from the movie series.  Statements like “I’ll be back!” can be easily identified from the movie, even by people who haven’t seen the movie.  I also chose Google® because of its recognition factor.   The word “Google” has replaced the words “search for” in daily language.  For instance, many times when we are looking for something on the internet, we will say, “did you Google it?”  For my final icon I chose firefighters.  Whether it is the firefighter with ice hanging off his mustache, the firefighter raising the flag over the ruins of the World Trade Center towers, or the buff firefighter in the calendar, firefighters have become a universal sign of help. 

I grew up watching the Terminator movies, so I have used the quotes from the movies and I can identify with that “you are destined to be something great” idea. My wife uses the phrase “I’ll be back” from the Terminator movie, even though she has never seen it.  I use Google every day, and I didn’t realize how much it is ingrained in our everyday lives until I heard the phrase “Google it” from my mother.  Finally, the firefighter; my grandfather was a firefighter, and I remember looking forward to the fire station tours that every American child experiences at some point in their elementary school education.  Now, I am a firefighter of fourteen years.  Most of us can remember the iconic image of the firefighters raising the flag above the World Trade Center disaster and the role firefighters played in that disaster elevated the profession to hero status.  

What does Popular Culture mean to me?

Thanks for pointing this out.  My definition of Popular Culture is:  "A grouping of various traditions, media pieces (sound, print, and visual), and styles that define a set group of people" I know that seems to be a very antiseptic response, so let me try to put it into other words.

For me, popular culture allows us to give reference to a particular period of time.  For example, when I ask you about the 1940s.  In a historical mindset, you would think of the World War II.  In a pop culture mindset, you may think of big band music, or radio programs, or the movie "Casablanca".