Jackie Johnston
HUMN 341 F2WW
Assignment 4-1
I chose this week to discuss the NASCAR. I thought that this would make a good topic because of the presence that NASCAR has on our society. I think that NASCAR is now being considered a sport and is just increasingly drawing more and more fans. I think that NASCAR exemplifies a lot of elements of pop culture. A lot of society likes NASCAR because they like the thrill of the racing and they also may consider some drivers their heroes. One author’s opinion on why NASCAR is so popular now is because the drivers are people that you can relate to. Author Mark Spoor says that it’s possible to picture yourself at a party drinking a beer next to Jeff Gordon, but trying to relate the same scenario to Barry Bonds just isn’t the same (Spoors, 2005). The author suggests that since NASCAR fans watch races each week they see the drivers’ families and hear them talk all the time (Spoors, 2005). This helps fans picture drivers as someone they know or can relate to. I also think that NASCAR involves a big stereotype when it comes to its fans. I also believe that NASCAR is a good topic in pop culture because it involves stereotypes. NASCAR fans are stereotyped and most often are associated with being a redneck and beer drinkers who just sit around and watch a car go around a track 500 times. I used to think to believe in the stereotype of a typical NASCAR fan being a redneck. I believed this until I went to see an actual race, and saw that there were all types of people there, and that watching a car go around a track is a lot more exciting than I thought it would be. It’s pretty fun to watch in person and I can see why it attracts so many fans.
HUMN 341 F2WW
Assignment 4-1
I chose this week to discuss the NASCAR. I thought that this would make a good topic because of the presence that NASCAR has on our society. I think that NASCAR is now being considered a sport and is just increasingly drawing more and more fans. I think that NASCAR exemplifies a lot of elements of pop culture. A lot of society likes NASCAR because they like the thrill of the racing and they also may consider some drivers their heroes. One author’s opinion on why NASCAR is so popular now is because the drivers are people that you can relate to. Author Mark Spoor says that it’s possible to picture yourself at a party drinking a beer next to Jeff Gordon, but trying to relate the same scenario to Barry Bonds just isn’t the same (Spoors, 2005). The author suggests that since NASCAR fans watch races each week they see the drivers’ families and hear them talk all the time (Spoors, 2005). This helps fans picture drivers as someone they know or can relate to. I also think that NASCAR involves a big stereotype when it comes to its fans. I also believe that NASCAR is a good topic in pop culture because it involves stereotypes. NASCAR fans are stereotyped and most often are associated with being a redneck and beer drinkers who just sit around and watch a car go around a track 500 times. I used to think to believe in the stereotype of a typical NASCAR fan being a redneck. I believed this until I went to see an actual race, and saw that there were all types of people there, and that watching a car go around a track is a lot more exciting than I thought it would be. It’s pretty fun to watch in person and I can see why it attracts so many fans.
Spoor, Mark. (2005). NASCAR Remains a Sport for the Average Joe. Retrieved on October 21, 2007, from http://www.nascar.com/2005/news/opinion/01/13/spoor_nascar/index.html
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