Everybody is trying to make their life as meaningful as possible like a mark before their last breath in this world. Since we all know that we will die some day, people are trying many different kinds of ways to make their life meaningful before they leave. Although nothing really has a meaning in this society, people give it to them. Therefore, varies of people live their life differently based on how they are shaped since they are a baby. However, I personally have some ideas about how to have a good and meaningful life, too. One similarity between my ideas and others' ideas is that they all are from the dominant culture. These dominant cultures could be corporate, folk, or other large subculture.
*My Ideas I (Finished)
My ideas about the good life are to overcome obstacles and to become better. Having a good life does not mean it has to be happy although a lot of people think that life has to be happy in order to have a good and meaningful life. But for me, I think that life does not have to be happy and it is not a "must" or a "necessary criteria" to meet in my life. Since everybody got influenced by the dominant culture, people tempted to limit themselves to do certain things. One of the biggest dominant cultures is the corporate message from the media. A lot of the music videos, movies, advertisement, and etc. are telling people what to do in order to have a good life like a boss. Then a lot of people follow these messages without any force to live their life like a "slave" for their own life. Because of the majority are following it, people become a follower in the society to do what others do to get accepted in the society. Meanwhile, people begin to limit themselves to do certain things. Perhaps some people think to be a certain character will be acceptable in this society, but since it is not trendy from the majority, they limit themselves to be that certain character.
*My Ideas II (Finished)
A lot of people think that overcoming obstacles and self improvement is a difficult experience in their life and they tempt to go away with it. Differently, for me, overcoming obstacles and improving myself are one of the biggest things that I like to do in order to make my life meaningful. I deeply believe that happy or joys are from overcoming difficulties. It is like one hand can't clap by itself unless it hits the other. In order to live a good meaningful life is to overcome those obstacles that prevent us to meet our desire. Once people get what they want, immediately, people will be happy. At the same time, you feel like you accomplish something new in your life that challenges you once in your life journey. In other words, happy comes from unhappiness and sadness leads to happiness. Therefore, life does not have to be "always" happy in order to have a good life. Obstacles and sadness are definitely part of our life that we need. In addition, when people accomplish something/overcoming obstacles, they improve themselves immediately and they create a mark in their life. I believe that most of the people are doing the same thing as I did, and the majority of people's meaningful memories are from experiencing new things and overcoming obstacles that makes their life happy.
*Other People's Ideas I (Finished)
While I believe that the meaning of life is to overcoming obstacles and become better. Some people think the meaning of life are mostly happiness.The most common answers that I got from the people on the streets are: families, friends, and happiness [a sense of belongings]. But there do have some unique answers such as: God, music, fashion, photography [dreams and achievements]. When people mentioned meaningful, it usually means something that you appreciate and it “means” something to you like a mark that makes it unique in your life. The way I interpret these people's ideas about to live a good meaningful life is to put them into two different categories. One of them is individualism, and the other is groups. While some people like to live their life based on others such as family and friends to have a sense of belonging, the other 1/3 of people like to live their life based on their dreams that does not really have to do with somebody else. The specific pattern that I see from the people who response, “family, friends, and happiness” is that these people are the ones who think a meaningful life is to having a relation with somebody else to be able to make their life and somebody else’s life meaningful. Not necessary they are seeking for meaningful by themselves, but they are looking for meaningful by being part of somebody else. The pattern that I see from the people who response, "convey God, music, and fashion" is that they are the ones who like to be independent and go on their own other than with somebody else. It does not mean these people do not have a family or friends, but it seems they like to do things individually in order to make life meaningful for them.
*Other People's Ideas II (Finished)
The similarities between these two categories of people are that they both are identities that tell people who they are in this society. It does not really matter they say family or God; it gives people a sense of who they are in this world. Everybody in this world is searching for the answer of "who am I" in this society. Therefore, people find the answers based on things that is around them. Some people that I interviewed on the street are born into a good happy family, it somehow shapes them into living a good meaningful life of to be with her/his family members. Some people are born into a more independent environment, it will shape them into a more individual life of living based on their own dreams and achievements. The fact that people in this world is identifying themselves, they make their life meaningful. Is like naming your pet or your descendants, it has a meaning to it because the way you name it. Life could be complete empty with no meaning. But choosing to live in this universe, people have to color their life like a blank page of paper, and that is the meaning of living. People also can look at it in different angles, such as depending what color they want to color their life. You can be completely positive about your life and you can be completely negative. But is better than nothing. Overall, the majority of the people in this world is afraid of emptiness-the feeling of blank (does not know who you are). Hence, even though the majority of the population does not really know how to live a good meaningful life, they just follow what is around them to have a sense of belonging-to fit in such as the dominant corporate perspective.
*Definition of Dominant Corporate Culture (Dominant Messages)
The dominant corporate culture is make of companies who consistently pours messages into people's brain. Then these message will eventually brainwash people's view of living a good meaningful life. These message often seem to be accepted by the majority and it shapes the way people live. The most popular way the companies send these message is through the media. Since now a day, most of the teens even adults are sit in front of the computer at least two hours. The companies make advertisements on internet in almost every website that keep telling people how to live a good meaningful life. Other ways of sending these messages are through the TV (commercials), magazine, newspaper, posters on street, trains...etc. In people's daily life, we see these messages everywhere and they are the most popular topics that most people talk about. The power of these messages are not only shaping people's way of living, it also affect people's view on looking at their life. The most common ones that we see in our daily life are to be cool, rich, and live your life with happiness. The dominant corporate perspective on living a good meaningful life are basically trying to teach people how to upgrade themselves and be better in some way. Such as look good even though you are already look fine or it tells you that you have to follow the trend so you are always with the dominant group. But one thing that these corporate companies don't tell you are that you are a follower and you are not being the real "you", because the goal for the corporate companies are not really telling people how to live a good meaningful life, the way it works is that benefits first, others second. Thus, people often shaped by the dominant culture and got brainwash by these accepted messages from the majority.
*Examples of … (Dominant/Marginal/Prohibited)
(Finished Dominant Messages [Some Prohibited Messages are in it] / Marginal Messages)
*Music Video I (Corporate Culture & Dominant Messages) (Finished)
People in now a days society are mostly shaped by the corporate culture. The corporate culture consistently sends messages throughout many different kinds of ways to tell people how to live a good meaningful life. One music video that I watched called the "Lip Gloss" by Lil' Mama is basically a music clip that tells people how to fit in among the larger community. In the very beginning of the music video, she is trying to fit in to the “cool crowd”, so she will be poppin’. After she got the lip gloss, she changed totally from self-diffident to self-confident to represent she fits in the group now, and she is cool. Throughout the whole video, it constantly sends the message to people that they have to look good and cool by using expensive products/cosmetics to be able to have a good life (power) in this society , because they fit in the group and they are part of the popularity. Also it helps you to get sexual attention from the opposite sex and being the representative of the same sex at the same time.The pop culture in this society is sending out the dominant message that YOU have to follow the trend and update yourself to be able to get the center attention. Or else, you will not be on the same level as the other. In other word, you will not be attached to the society that you are in. The corporate culture sometimes tells you the marginal message about how to live a good meaningful life, but often people don't really see it. According to this music video, the marginal message is that you don't need these luxuries and you will still be pretty, but if you use it, you will upgrade yourself. Hence, the society gets to decide what is really the way to live a good and meaningful life.
*Music Video II(Corporate Culture & Dominant Messages) (Finished)
Another music video that I watched is called the "Good Life" by Kanye West. The music video is basically about how to live a good meaningful life by having the best cars and being rich. Part of the lyrics from the song is "50 told me go 'head switch the style up and if they hate then let 'em hate and watch the money pile up, the good life". Kanye West is basically saying that ignore what other people said or think about you, and just go for what you want, then you will be rich and upgrade yourself. Then the lyric talks about traveling to many different places and have a good life. The corporate culture keeps sending the dominant messages about the meaningful life such as being rich, travel around the world, have the best car, dress in style, and that is the good life. But they never tells you the prohibited message that sometimes living a good meaningful life might not need these luxuries. The music video also shows how women in the society should look. "Where we like the girls who ain't on TV Cause they got more (Ass than the models)". This line from the lyric is basically telling the females how they should look in the society to be able to get accepted by the males. Women needs good body shapes in the society even better than the models to be able to fit in the society. Meanwhile, it tells the men that other than the cars and money, they need to have pretty women in the society too to be able to ratify in the society. In addition, the music video also sends out marginal message saying that "Whether you broke or rich you gotta get biz Having' money's the everything that having' it is". The music video tells people that they have to be rich, but they also contradicts itself by saying having money is not everything, but not having, it is. In this society, people easily got attracted by the media and choose to believe that is the way to live a good meaningful life. Therefore, the society gets to make the decisions of what is the dominant messages of living a good meaningful life.
*Films/Movies (Corporate Culture & Dominant Messages) (Finished)
Music video is not the only ones who send out corporate messages that will affect people's perspective of living a good meaningful life. Movies and films sends out message that will affect how people should live, too. One movie that I watched called "The Music of My Heart" is basically about having accomplishments in the society. The movie starts out to be a women whose family has fall apart and she has to start her new life in a new black community while she is Caucasian. At first, she went to a school for part time job to teach students violin lessons. But then most of the parents did not seem to accept her. They do not want their kids to play the "white men's music". Throughout the whole movie, she insistently spread how important it is to the kids in spite of what race the music is from. She starts to get accepted by the parents by showing them how talented their kids are in the music concerts. Which later gets to the end that more students wants to be her students and she even get to perform with her students in Carnegie Hall. This movie tells people that they should not go away from their obstacles and they should overcome the things that is on their way. It also tells people that if you are persistence on your dream, you will succeed someday. This messages that is being send out from the dominant culture sometimes might not be so bad to follow. These are the practical ideas that is being send by the media, too. In the corporate culture, sometimes is not very bad to follow those messages, because it gives people a sense of belong and avoid being lost.
*Magazine (Corporate Culture & Dominant/prohibited Messages) (Finished)
Not only the televisions and the movies send out corporate messages. The magazines and advertisement send out messages that will affect us somehow, too. I still remember one magazine that I read in the library called "OUT", a fashion magazine, inside it was full of articles and advertisement about high fashions and how to look good in the society. One article I read called "Taste Makers 2008" by Chris Rovzar is a detail write up about high fashion taste for the year. The article is an interview of many designers and directors of famous brand. They explained how they create an impeccable taste and style that make people's life simpler, prettier, happier, and richer. The creative director from Calvin Klein, Kevin Carrigan explained "it's extremely important for me to have one consistent message for the season that can be applied to different areas and different regions- one emotion with many expressions." Based on what he said in the article, it pretty clear that these magazines do send out messages that tells people how to have a good meaningful life. He believes that it is extremely important for him to create a taste for people in order to help them look good. But these magazines never mention how expensive these products are. Throughout the whole article, there are bunch of top designers and taste makers who talked about what is the best taste in this society, but the prohibited message is that they never tell you that these are all luxuries that you not necessary need in your life. The whole point of following wearing these expensive brands is to make yourself feel comfort in the society-the feeling of being accepted by somebody else.
*Definition of Dominant Corporate Culture (Marginal Messages)
From the dominant corporate culture, we are not only shaped by the dominant messages that we often see in daily life. We also are shaped by the marginal messages from movies, TV, commercials, and advertisements...etc. Marginal messages are the ones that we don't often see in movies or TV, but it is not something new. It is something that we know and see before, but not often. Some of the marginal messages are to make a difference, to be the real self, the truly you, or money is not everything but not having it is...etc. All these messages are something that we know and see in the movies, but they are not often show though media. But it still shapes people in some way on living a good meaningful life. These messages are often seem to be acceptable to follow and they are not as the popular one as it is. Sometimes people think that to be the true self is to follow what they believe and avoid following the messages from the dominant corporate culture. For marginal messages, they are different from the dominant messages that sometimes they are not bad to follow and they will somehow make sense to people to live a good and meaningful life based on them. Such as to make a difference and fight the norms. These are the marginal messages from the media that are acceptable for people to follow.
*Films/Movies (Corporate Culture & Marginal Message) (Finished)
One movie called the "Foxfire" (1996) was about five teenage girls who got suspended from school and eventually they became friends. Then they start to do many things that are against the norms such as sneaked into the school at night to take the art portfolio, and saying no to the teacher that she refused to dissect the frog...etc. All these scenes from the movie is telling the people that sometimes they should not obey the rules that are locking them to do the things that they really want to do. It is acceptable to break rules and fight the norms to be who you want to be. Also, the movie sends an message to the audience that to be your true self and don't be something that you dislike. I think that in most of the movies that sends out a marginal message are usually telling the people to make a difference. It does not matter how the results end to be, as long as you make a change in your life, that is consider meaningful in your life. I personally think that sometimes marginal messages from the media are not so bad to follow as long as it works for you. Having something is better than the emptiness. But I think that people should rate the messages to see if they fit them or not, because if people tempt to follow the media, they would eventually limit themselves to a certain point for doing things.
*Films/Movies (Corporate Culture & Marginal Message) (Finished)
Another movie that I watched called the "Fight Club" is a movie that really sends out marginal messages that people do not really hear them often. Throughout the whole movie, Tyler Durden keeps saying things to the narrator to face the reality. One scene that they caught a asian guy and put a gun on his head to force him to answer the question "what he want to be". If this guy does not end up to be what he said he wanted to be, he will be killed. Then Tyler explained that in this six months, the foods that the guy eats will taste better than anything he has tasted in the rest of his life. I feel like this scene is very reinforcing the point that you have to know who you want to be, and if you think about death, it will really come up to a reason to yourself that why should you live. Another scene is when Tyler said, "You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world." I think this is a powerful statement in the movie that sends out a message to people that even we so much being aware of ourselves, we actually does not worth as much as we look ourselves compare to others look at ourselves. I think Tyler in this movie said that is because he is trying to say that we consuming a lot of products that we do not really need, and trying to be rich and struggle with money, all these things in our life has been making our life out of shaped. The reason that all these truth messages that gets to extreme are able to show on the movie through media to the rest of the people is because these messages are easy say but hard to do. People sublimate themselves to take the real urge to be something that they will be, and shape it in a way they will comfort themselves, so they will feel comfort of who they are. However, these marginal messages do shaped the way people live even though they might not be able to really take the urge to do what they are said to do.
*Magazine (Corporate Culture & Marginal Messages) (Finished)
Not only movies are the most popular one that sends marginal messages. Magazines are part of the media that sends the messages that we don't often seem, too. One magazine that I read called "Milk", a fashion magazine that tells you what are the new products from most of the famous brands, mostly streetwear brands. One of the page from that magazine was saying that it is the Milk magazine's birthday. The aurthor of that article was talking about the reason why people celebrate birthdays and he asked a question saying "Why do people celebrate birthdays if they were counting down that they are getting old even more?". Another question that he asked was "Why do people celebrate birthdays if they were celebrating they are getting closer to death?". These are the message that I don't really see on the magazines, but I believe these are marginal messages that the media are sending out sometimes. I also heard a lot of people saying when people celebrating their birthdays, it is also celebrating their mom's most painful day. Although knowing these messages does not really bother me the way I celebrate my birthday, but I think these messages are quite powerful. Because these messages are the ones that people media does not exposed often. It is like a flip over of the fantasy of celebrating birthdays back to the reality of the celebrations. Although people don't usually see these messages, they are able to expose to the public is because people will still do it! Perhaps people will take these messages as a curiosity and twist the message to the ones that they will be able to follow. Same as learning, everybody perceive differently based on what they learned. Marginal messages do affect the way people lived, and it depends on how the person takes the message to live on their life. It might be meaningful for them to live by knowing a new message from the corporate culture.
*Conclusion
Looking at the pros and cons of celebrating Christmas, it makes me start thinking about the principle of you get something and you lose something at the same time. One of the marginal message about Christmas was that people cut down Christmas trees to celebrate the holiday is actually hurting the environment. Also people become too commercialized from consuming products on holidays and spend too much money. All these messages usually does not reveal on Christmas. But people do know the fact that they are doing it. These messages are able to exposed in the public is because people will still do it in a way that will comfort themselves. Some of the dominant messages such as celebrating Christmas with the family and shared the happiness is the good way of living is something that a lot of people do, too. By reading the reasons why people should not celebrate Christmas could be very bias because when something gets to an extreme, it will definitely have more than two sides to argue. 
In either way, it can't be determine or to justify what is right or wrong. Thus, perhaps thinking about what is right or wrong to do something is just as pointless as life is meaningless. In my opinion, sometimes things could be see as more than one choice for people to choose to live.
