March 23, 2007
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Cultural Blender: Shirley Temple, America's Sweetheart
The latest page in my "Cultural Blender" website is the first of about 30 pages featuring the lasting pop cultural icons in America's history. It is the "Shirley Temple Page" in the Iconography Section of the Cultural Blender. The page has a short bio, photos, and contains links to other Shirley Temple sites. This is merely the first of a planned 30 pages containing the "cultural icons" in the image of the "Cultural Blender" which is reproduced below. CLICKING HERE or on the image above takes you directly to the new page.
For most of the past three years, I seem to have concentrated more on writing blog entries than working on my actual website, and there are sections of AllThingsMike that were dutifully planned and constructed, but never updated or even completed. Two glaring examples are the "ElectricMovies" and the "CulturalBlender" sites. Originally, the "ElectricMovies" site was to include movie reviews, but I stopped writing these in 2003, and eventually the "ElectricMovies" site will contain information and movie clips for my "20 Favorite Films". I am in the midst of finally updating the "CulturalBlender" site, and right now I haven't had too much time for the blog.
The "Cultural Blender" is the first of my sites which deals more with commentary and observation than with creation, although "composite images", like that of the "Blender" itself, will always be a part of my websites. "ElectricPoetry", contains my own poetry. The reminiscences I write for the blog are all personal. "Yes, But Is It Art? Gallery" contains examples of my art. My "Webshots Gallery" contains my photography. The "Blender" was to contain observations about how the cultural landscape has changed with the advent of the internet, so that all past and present pop culture icons have attained the same level of gravitas. After I had the initial idea, which included the "image" of the blender itself, I began to put pages online, without giving them lots of content. The Cultural Iconography page, of which "Shirley Temple" is a part, has been online but really didn't have too much content other than photos of cultural icons Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe, the twin "dieties" of modern cultural iconography. I've always had a plan to write short pieces on all the "icons" in the blender, and now I've actually made a beginning.
The Blender site went online in 2001, complete with five main sections, and three "variable sections" (Called "Blend, Chop, and Puree") I've spent most of the past two weeks on a reconstruction of the website, and as usual, my vision has far exceeded the actual amount of time it's going to take to "finish" this, so, like cultural history, and like all of my websites, it will really never be finished.
Sections in the "Blender" are Iconography, Television, Advertising, Cartoons, and Channels. It is the Iconography section upon which I chose to attack first of all.
The first thing I endeavord to establish is a "design" for the site, including color and texture. I try to make my websites attractive, and easily readable, end even though all my sites might have differing "themes", the look is similar on all of them, and older sites are redesigned to fit in with the same "scheme". The 2001 "design" was created in Microsoft Word, and I use Dreamweaver now to make my sites. I was never satisfied with the look of the "Cultural Blender" site. I wanted to evoke those flashy 1950s kitchen advertisements, with lots of shiny new appliances, since the "blender" image is of an appliance, after all. Immediately below is the revised "blender image". This is a lot cleaner than the original from 2001. (Which I showed in a previous blog entry) Along with the new pages on the website, I've been making an animated "internet movie" called "Cultural Blender" in which the "icons" jump from the blender, and are included in a few seconds 'tribute' to each one, with more images, film clips, and themed music. When I enlarged the image of the blender for the movie, the pixelation was atrocious, so I rifled through some image files on an old computer a while back, and completely reconstructed the blender. (Click on the image below for an even larger example) I changed the images of the 65 Mustang, Britney Spears and Napster, and added Muhammad Ali, American Idol and Star Trek. I mulled over the list of "icons" when I created this, and I chose each one for the reasons which will be documented on each icon's "page". Shirley Temple is not only an iconic child star, for example, but she, like Elvis and Marilyn, has attained iconic status far and above her celebrity. Thanks to home video, even children today know and love Shirley Temple. She is timeless. (The fact that she didn't really "grow up:" onscreen helps to cement her iconographic status. Elvis and Marilyn died young, so their "icons" never aged in the public consciousness.) Temple has also inspired a large collectible market, chiefly for the Ideal doll which was first introduced in the 30s, during her heyday, and has had a drink named after her.
I'll be returning to "blogging" soon, and as I have stated, this little "exercise" is getting to be larger in scope than I first figured. The result, when all the icons have their own pages, is that of a varied "mixture" of Amereican Pop Culture, both past and present, all themed to the "blender" aspect. As usual with anything I put on the internet, I am researching, and will include pertinent links, so that any "fan" of any of these icons will be proud of the page that features their icon.
The "movie" is taking a lot of time. I'm using my new Sony "Vegas" software, and so far I have only five of the icons represented an just under two minutes of "footage". The good news: My roommate Joel, who usually disdains anythbing I create for the internet, has seen what I've produced so far and actually likes it.
At least a couple of readers have mentioned that there aren't places to put comments on my main websites. I don't use questbooks much anymore on my regular webpages, but comments can always be put in the main guestbook on the front page to Allthingsmike. (Or of couse added to my blog at any time.)
Comments (94)
:wave: you do make your sites elegantly and they are chic.
I can imagine that this has become a large project as there were so many cultural icons and each day we have more. I loved Shirley Temple, but loved LUCY more... I am not sure why but somehow I connected to that lovely red head that made us laugh... and then there is Marilyn, Opie, Andy Griffin, Barney, oh and the list goes on and on.
I loved this post.
Hugs, Tricia
I love that blender! ahhhhhh the memory of Napster - I used it, my son had to tell me it wasn't legal
I love Ms. Temple... Your projects rock Mike!
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My favorite was Betty Boop. When I was kid, she was the kind of woman I wanted to marry. Sexy in a weird kinda Mickey Mouse way. I was wondering what's going to happen to all your work when the day comes that you can no longer pay your server? I just noticed that Terry Cuthbert's Homestead.com sites are all gone
You should maybe pay for a lifetime Xanga and transfer all your stuff over here. They host everything now.
Fantastic! I wonder what would happen if you threw Hulk Hogan into that belnder?
i remember as a child watching shirley temple movies, i always loved them, now you barely see them anymore!!
Your website sounds like my garden - huge, blowout plans and wild creativity vs. time and reality. Boo on Time and Reality!!
Where's Anna Nicole????
It sounds like you're having a great time :fun:
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This is great stuff! One of the few things you're missing in your blender is Adam West as Batman. I know he's less well known and a bit more obscure, but I love the guy
I look forward to seeing more of this.
I thought Mary Pickfort was America's sweetheart and Shirley Temple was America's Child Sweetheart...
Glad you are working hard at your old project, sometimes the everyday blog scene is too ephemeral.
Maybe you and your roomate could work on a project on the future of healthcare? The New York Times did an article on Conseco and their refusal to honor those who paid for healthcare benefits. The government may have to take care of future health benefits now that the insurance companies are bugging out before the big baby boomer surge comes to hit them...
Gee if your roommate likes this video maybe I too will enjoy this upcoming project, some of your stuff is not easy to like, but hey sometimes things improve after more experience....
sounds like a huge project, Mike! Looking forward to seeing the work-in-progress
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