2 Broke Girls as modern Gatsby

The American television sitcom ‘2 Broke Girls’ incorporates many aspects of ‘The Great Gatsby’ as well as bringing to mind various similarities between contemporary America and the ‘roaring twenties’ era in America. One of the most obvious similarities between the two ‘texts’ is that they are both (at least partially) set in New York City, which I believe many Americans and people all over the world, view as the place to go to realise your dreams. New York is arguably the modern day ‘land of opportunity’ and seems to be the central place for achieving (or attempting to achieve) the ‘American Dream’.

The main plotline of the sitcom also appears to have similarities with Fitzgerald’s novel; the first series introduces the characters of Max Black and Caroline Channing and their misadventures together. They are both financially poor, struggling waitresses in their mid-twenties who soon become friends and endeavour to fulfil their dream of opening a cupcake business. The background of the character Max is a poor working class family, which draws similarities to many characters in ‘The Great Gatsby’, interestingly however the character of Caroline Channing is from a rich upper class family. This initially seems to differentiate this character from that of Jay Gatsby, however the audience learn that Caroline lost all her money (and thus had to turn to waitressing) because her father got caught up in the ‘Ponzi scheme’ which is arguably similar to some of the misdealing’s of Gatsby and his colleagues.

An aspect of the TV programme that reminded me of Gatsby’s ‘schedule’ to improve himself is that at the end of each episode a tally shows how much they have made toward their goal of $25,000 that they need to open their business. During the second series the girls manage to reach their targe and open up their business, however, before the end of this series the business fails, and in the 18th episode they are forced to give up the lease of their cupcake shop with just enough money to pay off their loan, and thus resetting the end of episode tally to $1.00. During the third season, the girls reopen the business in the back room of the diner, using the window as a walk up window. This concept of remaking yourself no matter what your background, particularly in New York, is a key idea in ‘The Great Gatsby’. However, a similar critique between the two ‘texts’ of the ‘American Dream’ in both contemporary America and 1920’s America is that you can never fully forget and leave behind your past, whether that be your lowly beginnings or your bad mistakes.

Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1845307/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Broke_Girls

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=2+broke+girls&FORM=HDRSC2

Transmetropolitan as the new Great Gatsby

Transmetropolitan is a comic book series written by Warren Ellis which ran from 1997  to 2002. It follows the character Spider Jerusalem who works as a journalist in a futuristic version of New York. In Ellis' vision of the future, morals have been wiped out and people exist in a nihilistic state of religious fervor and materialist greed. Everything, even people, is covered with advertisements, providing a critique of American consumer culture. In Transmetropolitan, the 'American Dream' has become about materialism and greed. The character of Spider himself is not immune to this, as shown when he says "I am so incredibly bored that I will buy a pair of your ridiculous shoes", summing up the apathy and greed that is so strong it even corrupts the main character.

Ellis' harshest critiques are saved for American politics. Through his futuristic setting, he explores the contemporary world of what he sees as corrupt politicians who care more about themselves and their own celebrity than the people they are supposed to govern. In the earlier comic books, Spider is reporting on the presidential election. One of the candidates is referred to as The Smiler, because he is such a fake personality. His character reflects Ellis' concern that presidential elections have become less about policies and more about looking good on the television screen and their policies on paper. This can be seen even in contemporary political campaign ads, which say nothing concrete about the candidate's policies, but only appeal to the cult of personality they have built up around themselves. One example of this is Mitt Romney's ad, which I have discussed in a previous post:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTiOLGtiEPQ

Ellis represents voting as the choosing between two evils, with nowhere else to turn. The problems inherent in a two-party system can be seen in the recent US government shut down. It also discusses contemporary concerns of the American people - such as trying to balance personal liberty and safety. In Transmetropolitan, after The Smiler is elected, America faces censorship and media blackouts. Towards the end of the series, the government shuts down the paper that Spider works for and he has to post his columns online. Interestingly, the anonymous online site he writes for parallels WikiLeaks before it even existed.

Sources:
http://comicsalliance.com/i-hate-it-here-transmetropolitan-and-the-election-season/

Starbucks commercial

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In this 2004 commercial for Starbucks, the band Survivor follow a man on his way to work. By having him as the focus of the advert, it presumes that the white, middle-class, employed male is the typical American. The lyrics to Survivor's song 'Eye of the Tiger' have been rewritten to praise the man's "ambition" and having a "dream he will never let die". This relates to the idea of the 'American dream', showing that the man is embracing his full potential and aiming to better himself through getting promotions at work. It plays to the idea of the American as the hard-working and ambitious individual.

The commercial also appeals to masculinity and the frontier-spirit, by ending the advert with a picture of Starbuck's double shot espresso and the slogan "Bring on the day". This suggests the values of rugged individualism and rising to any challenge that life throws at you. The colours used in the final scene are earthy browns and the green of the Starbucks logo. Although brown is the colour of coffee and could have been used for that reason, it also reinforces the message of back-to-nature pioneering in the West.

Consumer item in USA: Coca Cola

 

 

 

 

Coca Cola is a renowned consumer item within the United States and around the rest of the world. As I’ve argued in a previous post, Coca Cola is a brand that is often considered as being representative of the ‘American Dream’, particularly due to its humble beginnings in 1886 in Atlanta. The Coca Cola Company has grown and expanded their products ever since and is consequently one of the most famous and influential companies in America today.

While researching Coca Cola advertisements and commercials it became clear that from the very start they wished to get across how ‘American’ its products were and wanted to emphasise the ideals and values they hold, with many highlighting the ‘American Dream’ aspect of the brand. Similarly, something that is also very clear is that each advertisement reflects the time in which it was produced, for example ‘The Great National Temperance Beverage’ slogan from 1906 reveals a time in America when people were moving away from alcohol and Coca Cola took the opportunity to exploit this and offer themselves as the alternative. One of the more recent advertisements (1986) inscribed the slogan ‘Red, White & You’ which most likely would have expressed to the American consumers that if they bought and thus consumed a Coca Cola product they would be doing something very patriotic and even making their country proud. Other advertisements throughout the 20^th century seem to focus on the ideal American family as well as America as the place for adventure and excitement (and the place to drink Coca Cola), such as the ‘Along the Highway to Anywhere’ ad in 1949 and the ‘Look up, America’ ad in 1975.

One of the most recent commercials for Coca Cola (2010) focuses more, I think, on the diversity of the American people and how their products can bring these people together to have some fun and be happy. The ‘Happiness Vending Machine’ advertisements show Coca Cola vending machines across America, primarily in University campuses , dispensing not only their own products but flowers, pizza and many other ‘gifts’ to the unsuspecting students and consequently brings them all together: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqT_dPApj9U

This emphasises again how the Coca Cola Company attempts to reveal their American ideals and through this ‘spread happiness’.

Other Sources:

http://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/coke-lore-slogans

http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/about-us/history-of-coca-cola-2000-now.html

Jack Daniels: American Advertising

One of the most iconic American brands in my opinion is Jack Daniels. The brand is famously unchanging throughout its history, with a simple black label and white writing on every bottle; I find it slightly surprising that a company that has made very little effort on improving the style or taste of the product, has remained as prominent in the market as when they first started.

This could be because of what Jack Daniels represents and what their simplistic advertising tries to convey. Much like the cigarette advertising showing a cowboy, Jack Daniels portray their drink as a route to freedom; by drinking their whiskey you are taking life into your hands and “standing up for what you believe in.” It is a very masculine message and works very well in modern times when there are so many stories in the news about the government having too much power over the American population.

It is a brand that is so grounded in history, that it can actually claim in its advertising to mention the forefathers of America, saying that they didn’t’ “fight for the right” for Americans to stand in the shadows and be passive. If anything this comes across almost like propaganda, with very direct orders to be free and stand up for you rights.

Wendy's diner: typical American product

Diners are a stereotypical feature of American food as they originate from this country, they are featured all around the United States. Wendy's is one of the most commercialised diner's around the USA. When taking a glance at the website's homepage, it has colours such as red and blue, which suggest a representation of the colours of the American flag. Also when looking at the logo, the girl in the picture has a typically American appearance, but in particular she has a westernised appearance. The logo almost symbolises America as an whole and their way of life.

When looking at Wendy's story on how it was founded, the pictures are typically American and hold american features. For example the design of the diner is very American and resembles a symbolism of cowboys, which also emphasises the westernisation of the american diner. Looking at the founder of Wendy's, it states 'Dave Thomas dreamed he'd run the best restaurant in the world. He didn't just achieve this dream, he shared it with everyone.' This is a typically american view as it utilises the idea of the 'American Dream' and the self motivation and determination that Wendy's seems to pride itself on.

http://www.wendys.com/en-us/nutrition-info

http://www.aboutwendys.com/Our-Company/Our-Story/

http://www.aboutwendys.com/Our-Company/Dave-s-Legacy/

Statement in the notion of the 'American Dream'

"I am living proof that the American dream still exists. It is still alive and well. There is only one trick, you have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and work very, very hard." - Paula Deen
This quotation speaks very truthfully about the 'American Dream', but also relates most to the novel Ragged Dick. The significance of this quotation is the line, 'you have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and work very, very hard.' which can evidently be seen in Ragged Dick. For example, Dick shows a willingness to learn and adapt himself in order to better himself and gain success. Dick's willingness to learn really relates back to this quotation and the notion of hard work and motivation in order to receive the 'American Dream'. 

When looking within context of Paula Deen, she is a famous cook and has written many cookbooks within her career, however has had many struggles throughout life. For example, after her divorce from her first husband she was only left with $200 in order to support herself and her family. Therefore, this also supports the notion of the American Dream being about having freedom, but that it can only come from hard work and determination, which was a key factor within Ragged Dick as Dick willingness to adapt showed his eagerness to learn and motivation.

Although, it also shows that the 'American Dream' doesn't revolve around having a great fortune, but bettering yourself. For example, cooking helped Paula Deen overcome her insecurities and phobias. When linking this to Ragged Dick the notion of the American Dream wasn't about Dick becoming richer (e.g. rags to riches) but by becoming a gentlemen, in other words, bettering himself.


http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/pauladeen431865.html#LGWWqEjR0KPdYPRt.99

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Deen