The fresh trends that have been appearing throughout Spring fashion week have given us the inside scoop as to the latest styles for Spring Break 2010! Due to the warm climate, college students must prepare their ensembles accordingly. There are some clothing pieces that are a “must” for this season!
We all know Spring Break is a great time for college girls to shed their winter wardrobes and show off stylish new summer trends by having fun, shopping for bathing suits, mini dresses, and cute but comfortable shoes. During Spring Break, it is important to build lasting relationships with your girlfriends and memories for a lifetime. Rule number one, do not bring your boyfriend with you; that is a disaster waiting to happen. Spring Break is a time to have fun and either party with family or friends. Relationships can wait until school starts back up. I am sure it is time to get your suitcase ready, so let’s begin!
Some of the latest fashion trends come from what we see on.“As consumers, we rely on what we see on MTV and BET for the latest styles for the upcoming summer.” Starting with the premiers of the classic Spring Break traditions, partying and drinking, very few items are worn during the day. However, for a night on the town, clothing is used to help consumers express their own individualism. One of the hottest college student fashion trends for this Spring Break is the little mini dress for girl’s night out.
Recently MTV showed one of the top post-feminism movies, “Sex & the City.” These four women demonstrate a sense of freedom, happiness and liberation within their environment. Despite every hardship that comes their way, their sisterhood remains intact. This movie is a perfect addition to your road trip ladies! Understanding the importance of self-fashioning is vital when out with the girls This movie can help guide your ensemble shopping with the girls casual outings, when girls just want to have fun.
In addition to the high interest generated by our Spring Break magazine edition last year, we have hired a ‘cool hunter’ to go into the top fashion districts such as Miami, Los Angeles and Panama City!
From the latest hairstyles to your shoes, we have everything covered! The outfits will be revealed on the next page. We also looked for trends on some of the top teen television programs and last month MTV premiered the movie, “Sex in the City.” All four women are independent and very fashionable. If ever there were a movie to demonstrate sisterhood “Sex in the City” would be a perfect example.
These women’s liberation marked a transition to being successful and independent. Yet, critics and filmgoers alike theorize that “Sex in the City” is a prime example of feminist backlash because these cinematic attacks upon women were indicative of male frustration and the rage over feminist gains. Yet, these women posses individualism and their own since of fashion, which gives insight to their personalities.
All women struggle with their own personal problems, however, “Sex in the City” demonstrates that anything is attainable. It is a new generation and not all women have to be settle for the traditional role as the “housewife”. These days, women are independent and all they often need is the support of self.
“Sex in the City” movie is a prime example of post feminism because it shows that women can be successful in their careers and simply have fun without being burdened by traditional roles for females. In addition, Post feminism promotes and advocates the ideologies that women are equal to men whether pertaining to social or political issues. These four women seem to find unity in their femininity and they accept that their identity is not determined in their significant other.
Spring Break is one of the biggest events known to college students across the nation. During the spring semester, college students take a break from their studies to enjoy a week of relaxation and festivities. Spring Break is seemingly one of the biggest subcultures known to the college experience. Spring Break can be identified as a sub-culture because it represents a specific time for college students to break the social norms of acceptable collegiate behavior regardless of their individual differences.
In the reading “Subculture: The Meaning of Style,” Dick Hebdige states that “…despite these individual differences, the members of a subculture must share a common language” (Hebdige 1266). The common language that college students share is the collegiate experience and the 2-4 year matriculation that bonds them together within their environment. Every year, new students are inducted into the ritual of spring break activities as they release the tension of their workload and enjoy the “wild” and “fun” college experience. In popular culture, Spring Break ideologies are prominently expressed through the medium of television. Television networks such as, Music Television (MTV) and Black Entertainment Television (BET) display special programming of Spring Break festivities and experiences around the nation. In this programming, several overwhelming ideas about the culture of Spring Break are illustrated. In this programming, music concerts and fashion shows are depicted while displaying the revelry and behavior of excited Spring Breakers across the nation.
Some of the popular images and ideologies projected about Spring Break include excessive alcohol consumption, bikinis, wild parties, promiscuity, sexually explicit behavior, beach activities, and dancing. The images projected about spring break develop ideologies that are absorbed by new inductees into the Spring Break sub-culture. What is most interesting to examine is whether or not the image projected about Spring Break is accurate to the actual experiences among college students. After interviewing several college students about their interactions with
Spring Break the feedback varied regarding
individual experiences.
Shana Childs, Junior Sociology major at Spelman College reflected on her experiences during spring break in contrast to the images illustrated in popular culture. “For spring break I have gone to Miami, Florida twice but I have also heard of people going to places such as Puerto Rico, Myrtle Beach, and Panama City. I think the images perpetuated in popular culture about Spring Break are very accurate to the reality of Spring Break that I have experienced. Spring Break is a big party. People have fun on the beach; they go to parties, drink and eat great food, and relax. My experiences of Spring Break have been very similar to the ones I’ve seen portrayed on television.” This student’s response acknowledged that images depicted on networks MTV and BET as accurate to her own experiences. What is still unknown from her feedback was whether or not being pre-exposed to such images and behavioral expectations impacted her personal decisions while on break. When asked whether or not these images influenced her behavior or expectations regarding Spring Break she added, “To a degree because it gave me an idea of what is done on spring break and what I should do. It informed me not necessarily on all my individual behavior but what occurs and how to navigate myself in that environment.” While the images of Spring Break pervade the youth with ideologies about what image and behavior is required for Spring Break, many individuals still have the ability to discern what choices and behavior they want to participate in.
For senior Bryan Rogers, Business major at Morehouse College, images of Spring Break projected in popular culture have done little to influence his decisions and choices regarding Spring Break while at college. “Personally I am a senior and I have not participated in any traditional spring break activities. I usually work during that time and go out to different places in Atlanta. I don’t think that the images of spring break in popular culture give an accurate reflection of spring break. I’m sure some people have those experiences but some people may have other things to do or may not be interested in what happens during Spring Break. Images of spring break make people think they have to go to a tropical place and get drunk but that time can also be used taking a mental break, working, and planning ahead for future endeavors.” Bryan’s Spring Break reflection differs drastically from other student’s feedback. His reflection of Spring Break reveals that although the ideologies expressed on television can mirror the experiences of college students the narrow depiction excludes non-traditional experiences.
The ideological feedback loop of Spring Break perpetuates ideas, behaviors, and images that are consumed and reenacted by college students across the nation. In both students feedback it was evident that the images perpetuated can be overwhelming influencers of behavior and attitudes of students during spring break. However it was also evident that individual decisions and desires have the power to overshadow expectations developed in popular culture regarding Spring Break.
Hebdige, Dick. “Subculture: The Meaning of Style” Cultural Studies. 1258-1267.
For college students during the month of March there emerges an important decision that must be made which has an large effect on the success or failure of the Spring Break experience: WHERE SHOULD WE GO? Although there are many factors to consider when one approaches the major task of planning a trip, it is Spring Break that many students ignore possible restrictions and stipulations in order to obtain the most "authentic" and fun seven days possible. In this quest for the best experience, there are three destinations that hold exceptional reputations: Cancun, Mexico ;Jamaica; Miami (South Beach), Florida
Thanks to the popular television station, MTV, Cancun’s entire economy can be argued to be solely dependant on partying. Every year, thousands of Spring Breakers flock to Cancun’s gorgeous beaches and crystal-clear waters. Originally built as a tourist destination, Cancun is to Mexico as Las Vegas is to the United States! Because of the pleasantly “sinful” nature of Cancun, many Spring break Trip Advisory websites have surprisingly cheap vacation packages. A smart Spring Breaker will have obtained his or her passport well in advance, considering the popularity of the destination. Soon, he or she will be sipping margaritas in the gorgeous Mexico sun!
Considering the fact that perhaps 80% of college students have some type of Bob Marley memorabilia adorning their dorm room walls, traveling to Jamaica is a perfect idea to pay homage to the musical genius. There are several areas a student can visit throughout Jamaica, but Negril and Montego Bay are the most luxurious and popular choices. Jamaica is the location where relaxing on the beach with an umbrella and your drink of choice (may I suggest anything with Jamaican Rum?) is the most favorite pastime...but that’s only during daylight hours. The nightlife in Jamaica is exceptional, with open-air bars and beach parties so intense that days of recuperation are necessary. Thus the cycle-relax to party to relax to party- begins again.
Last and certainly not least, South Beach, located just east of Miami, Florida, has certainly risen on the list of most popular Spring Break destinations. It provides the Spring Breaker with a tropical island experience without the need of a passport. Although many college students run the risk of bumping into fellow colleagues, South Beach’s party atmosphere loosens Spring Breakers up…with the help of a Triple Play daiquiri from Wet Willies or a 190 Octane daiquiri from Fat Tuesdays, the most popular bars on South Beach. Spring Breakers have more of a chance of running into celebrities who also recognize the freedom that South Beach offers. Because of this, the phrase “What Happens in Miami, Stays in Miami” has begun to circulate among campuses.
From March to April, television stations, such as BET and MTV, and magazines, such as Cosmopolitan and Seventeen, advertise these destinations and others to high school and college students. The pictures of white, sandy beaches, water so clear you can see straight to the bottom, and Spring Breakers smiling and holding drinks provides the student with an image that contrasts largely to white dorm room walls and blistering cold. This "fantasy" of total relaxation and outrageous fun is reproduced every year by the media thats"seizes" the audience's attention. Douglas Kellner, author of "Media Culture and the Triumph of the Spectacle", suggests that consumers of these images become dazzled by them and tend to desire to shape their own lives by the spectacle being displayed before them. For example, the amazing image of lounging on a gorgeous beach in Cancun, margartia in hand, and beneath a large umbrella can create frenzies for rest and relaxation in just the manner it is displayed.
However, the college-educated student should recognize that these images very rarely represent the location in its entirety. Yes, Jamaica, Cancun, and South Beach are beautiful places, but these locations also mask extensive poverty, sometimes within five miles. For example, Jamaica is a place of extremes. With the wealthy residing in Negril and the suburbs of Kingston, there are a significant number of poor Jamaicans that live in squalor and extreme poverty with lack of access to clean water and under constant violence. Of course, Mexico’s drug wars are plastered across news networks and in newspapers, showcasing a country in political and social turmoil. Just one exit away from South Beach, is Little Haiti, a community known through out South Florida as being riddled with violence, drug addiction and war, and poverty.
So before pressing the CLICK button to solidify airport and hotel reservations to these and other various locations, recognize that images and representations are rarely accurate. Be prepared for possible disappointments, but put energy into optimism. Have fun but remember those who are not as fortunate as you. And remember to tip the bellhop….
"Media Culture and the Triumph of the Spectacle" -Douglas Kellner
Your calendar says that you’ve only got 3 more weeks until Spring Break. Whenever you turn on the television, MTV, BET, and VH1 are playing clips of last year’s Spring Break events. As you skim through the channels, you catch a clip of BET’s annual “Spring Bling” extravaganza; a show that pays particular attention to the prettiest girls with the most toned bodies.
If that’s not enough, your television bombards you with info-mercials that emphasize the importance of having a great body and how they can provide you with an overnight transformation via weight loss pills, ab loungers, and suction bands. Well, you don’t need all of that, right? You stand in front of a full length mirror and realize that your stomach is not as tight as all of the women on TV, your thighs look gigantic, and your boobs aren’t big enough!
Areyou panicking yet? Ahhh yes, just as I suspected. But that’s okay because you’ve created a master plan! You won’t eat any carbs or calories for the next few weeks and you’ll hit the gym everyday. There’s nothing wrong with that. After all, you do want to look like the girls on MTV and all of your friends are doing the same. So technically, that makes it right, right? NOT!
We’re happy that you’ve taken the time to read this article, because this was written especially for you. Yes, YOU! This article is not going to spit info-mercial-like solutions at you to make a quick and easy profit off of the young teenager looking for a get-thin scheme. In contrast, we plan on informing our readers of the dominant ideologies present within many of our television programs and how beauty and body image ideals become conducive to many of the insecurities present within many teenagers today.
Particularly, we plan on analyzing John Fiske’s article, “Television Culture” and “the way television is constructed using codes of representation that are invisible to viewers but shape everything they see” (Fiske 1274). After we’ve educated our readers, we will propose healthy solutions to lose excess weight, not as a means to conform to ideals of beauty and body image, but to create a more healthy and informed individual.
“Television broadcasts programs that are replete with potential meanings, and…it attempts to control and focus this meaningfulness into a more singular preferred meaning that performs the work of the dominant ideology” (Fiske 1274)
John Fiske’s statement is valid and many of his assertions are prevalent within many forms of Spring Break programming today. For instance, MTV’S “Spring Break 2010” displays images of beautiful men and women between the ages of 18-25, dancing in skimpy clothes to the hottest rappers and singers. The program is taped in Panama City, FL on Panama Beach and each clip depicts the weather as sunny and extremely hot. The people are often sweaty and intoxicated as well.
Television broadcasts, such as MTV’S “Spring Break 2010” and BET’S “Spring Bling” are “replete with potential meanings” via all of these images. In this sense, Spring Break programs such as this one attempt to define and place ideologies on Spring Break. After viewing this program, one may assume that in order to have fun on Spring Break, one must look like, act like, be intoxicated like, and be in a similar location as the people depicted on the television program. Together, these ideas of beauty, behavior, and location create one “dominant ideology” which is that of the Spring Break experience.
Television, then, becomes one of the many mediums that assist in the circulation of such dominant ideologies. Beauty ideals become encoded within and associated with the “dominant ideology” of the Spring Break experience. Bikinis, beautiful hair, and ridiculously gorgeous bodies become standards of beauty that are placed on the Spring Break experience. In turn, young women feel that they must conform to these ideals of beauty as a means of preparation so that they can enjoy their Spring Break experience.
However, television is not solely responsible for the dominant ideologies placed upon Spring Break. Television is just a medium for the “codes” that are upheld within American culture. Fiske defines a code as “a rule governed system of signs, whose rules and conventions are shared amongst members of a culture, and which is used to generate and circulate meaning for that culture” (Fiske 1275).
In this sense, codes found within television are only a product of the beauty ideals that are upheld within society. For centuries, Western European ideologies have influenced American perceptions of beauty, and media favoritism towards all things white, slim, and blonde.
These original ideals have branched off into more modern ideals of beauty that still favor the slim, and light woman. Spring Break programs also use camera to assist in the emphasis of such codes and ideals of beauty. For instance, the camera may zoom in on a beautiful woman’s stomach or buttocks to create an “intimate, comfortable relationship with the characters on the screen” (Fiske 1277).
The female viewer feels a sense of pressure to conform to this image because the television depicts this beautiful woman as “the girl next door”. After all, many of the women on forms of Spring Break programming are not famous. This lack of notoriety, in terms of fame, increases the young woman’s desire to conform to such images because, after all, the woman on television is “normal”, holding no celebrity status or recognition. She thinks to herself, “If the girl next door has a six pack, then why can’t I”?
MTV and BET’s use of the camera work “objectively” present these construed and images of Spring Break as reality. Viewers often times forget that the college students, location, and celebrities have all been planned and chosen by MTV as a means to uplift the “dominant ideology” placed on the Spring Break experience. These networks often times edit out rain, or people that are not as attractive, or people who fail to fit these ideals of beauty. For instance, the heavier chick, whose image is more realistic, will get much less camera time (if she even receives any), than the blonde bombshell who is a size two.
So, before you begin to diet or exercise profusively, consider the claims made my John Fiske and the role that television plays in upholding ideals of beauty and cultural codes. Spring Break programs are edited and planned to conform to the “dominant ideology” of the Spring Break experience, and are quite unrealistic in nature. Below, we have attached some healthy methods of diet and exercise, not for transformation, but for an overall healthier you.
1. Add an hour of moderate aerobic exercise training to your daily routine. Walking is ideal, because it meets the needs of people at every fitness level and doesn't require equipment or training.
2. Drink eight glasses of water each day. Water keeps you from feeling dehydrated, which you might mistake for an ice cream craving.
3.Eliminate all alcoholic beverages from your diet. Alcohol contains seven empty calories per gram, and drinking unnecessarily stimulates your appetite.
4.Initiate a weight-training regimen for your arms three times a week. If you have time to weight train other areas of the body that's a bonus, but arms show definition faster than larger muscle groups.
5. Eat nine servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. The powerful antioxidants neutralize free radicals generated by your increased exercise. Nine servings seems like a lot, but 1/2 cup of dried fruit provides two servings.
6. Trade refined sugars for whole grains. Refined sugars, like the high-fructose corn syrup ubiquitous in snack foods, leave you feeling washed out and hungry after a spike in insulin levels zaps your blood sugar level. Look for the words "whole grain" on the label, and enjoy a sustained energy level.
Every year, college students from all over anticipate the week of Spring Break and the festivities that come along with it. Sunbathing, shopping, and partying are on most of the agendas for the Spring Breakers. Yet, what these young adults fail to grasp are the dangers that come along with being out for Spring Break. With visiting places such as Cancun, Mexico, Miami South Beach, Panama City, and Daytona Beach, Florida, just to name a few, people would assume that there are nothing but fun and games that await them in these lively cities. However, alcohol poisoning, predators, and disorderly conduct are some of the issues that one should be aware of when visiting these beautiful tourist cities. There have also been a number of horror stories associated with Spring Break vacations. An example of this would be the Natalie Holloway case. Natalie Holloway, a senior from Alabama disappearred from the shores of Aruba while on her graduation trip. MTV has also covered the dangers that arise in the Spring Break world. They have given false perceptions to their viewers as to how Spring Break should be.
Ever since the early 90’s, MTV has given its viewers a second hand look into what Spring Break is like. The show entitled Spring Break came along with many different shows that portrayed half- naked young adults dancing, playing games, and enjoying the many performances by different celebrities from all genres of music, off the beautiful beaches of Cancun, Mexico. One of the many shows that concentrates on the dangers of Spring Break rather than the “ fun in the sun” is Spring Break: Uncensored. The show focuses on one group of friends, which makes it seem more personal, and the different activities or trouble that they get into over the course of Spring Break.It is recorded from a documentary point of view and shows young adults participating in binge drinking contest, wild parties, and sexual acts (yet censored) under the influence of alcohol. On the next day, most of the people cannot remember the events from the previous night, yet do similar activities the next day.
This show, and many other shows from the Spring Break lineup, introduce Spring Break as “big fun”. Most people who have viewed Spring Break on MTV have a perception of how Spring Break is, based off of the show. The show is directed towards college students, but there are many impressionable children that get to watch the events displayed on television. For these young naïve kids, Spring Break seems to be nothing but hooking up with the opposite sex and drinking until you pass out with nothing on but little bikinis and swim trunks.
This becomes a problem because when these children are old enough to participate in the Spring Break activities, they try to imitate the misbehavior of the previous generations as seen on television. This brings up the concept of the Giant Feedback Loop. The Giant Feedback Loop says that the cool hunters go out and get a perception of what Spring Break or any other event that teenagers or young adults would view as “cool,” and put it on television shows such as the lineup that comes on MTV for Spring Break. The viewers of the show see the behavior of the teens and reenact similar situations in their actual lives. So this becomes a continuous cycle and an illustration as to how to act when on Spring Break.
Some of the terrible effects that the Giant Feedback Loop has on its prey are the consequences that come from being incoherent and not thinking logically in a unfamiliar city while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Many girls come up missing, raped, and taken advantaged of because they are not aware of the dangers that are out in the world. The harm is not always done to the girls either. Many young men end up in huge brawls and/ or in jail for not being more careful. Often times young adults take this fun to another level and people get hurt. This and other reasons could be the grounds as to why the Spring Break lineup is not as popular as it was in previous years. So to help the upcoming Spring Breakers on their adventures, here are some do’s and don’ts to look out for while enjoying your time in the sun:
It was my pleasure to be involved in the process of creating Exposure Magazine. Exposure Magazine serves as a manual for college-aged young men and women in reference to their Spring Break experience. From destination ideas to financial tips, Exposure takes pride in presenting Spring Breakers with real, solid information in order to make those seven days the most exciting and safe days possible. Our teams of journalists, photographers, and researchers are specialists in their fields and have passion for exposing truths and presenting reliable details to enhance the Spring Break experience. It was fulfilling to birth such a magazine and I hope you find it as helpful as possible.
Happy Spring Breaking!
Nichole L. Richards
Editor-in-Chief
Exposure Magazine
