What Is Pop Culture? Why Study It?

Quickwrite #1: What is “Pop Culture?” Choose a favorite or familiar piece of pop culture (a band, a musician, a film, a sports team) and write about it in the context of the essay we read for today. In what ways does your chosen piece of pop culture fit in with at least one of Delaney’s ideas about what pop culture is and how it functions in our society?

What is “culture”? cul·ture noun : the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time The word “arts” in this definition is what we are most concerned with. Now, this doesn’t just mean “art” as in drawing, painting, etc. The art of a culture is ALL of that culture’s methods of creative expression. What are some of the ways people express themselves creatively in the culture of early 21 st century America?

What is “Pop Culture”? One possible definition is in the introduction to our textbook Mirror on America, where pop culture is defined as “all of the objects, people events, and places to which most of us readily relate and which comprise a society at any given time” (xv). What this means: Pop culture is short for “popular culture.” This means it has a broad appeal. (A large cross section of society relates to it.) Pop culture is sometimes defined in opposition to “high culture” (which is a label I’m not fond of). “High culture” is thought to be more accessible to the educated/elite, while “popular” cultures is thought to be the art and creative expression of the “masses.”

Group List of Pop Culture What are some specific examples of pop culture you we can come up with as a group? Again, we’re talking about TV, Movies, music, books (yes, comic books count), fashion icons, artists, and brands that have a broad appeal.

Some Other Features of Pop Culture… Pop culture is dynamic. This means it is constantly changing and in motion. This is always been true, but the speed at which pop culture shifts has increased as mobile internet technology and social media have become more and more popular. Pop culture is not monolithic. This means that while we may talk about pop culture as a whole in order to understand it, the individual pieces that make up pop culture are diverse, and sometimes contradictory.

Why study “Pop Culture”? Historically, academia (schools, universities, professors) put a lot of emphasis on “high culture” and disregarded “pop culture,” thinking it wasn’t worth studying or analyzing. Recently, many scholars and universities have recognized the value of pop culture as an area of study. Some general assumptions that the study of pop culture makes: – The art (this includes movies, music, tv, etc.) that a culture produces reveals what that culture values. – The art a culture produces reveals widely held attitudes about important/controversial issues. – While Pop Culture can reveal attitudes, it can also change them. – In other words, the pop culture that we are exposed to can affect how and what we think, while at the same time forcing us to examine commonly held assumptions.

Class Discussion of “Pop Culture: An Overview” What, according to the author (Delaney), is the purpose of popular culture? What does it do for us as a society? Do you agree with his observations? How does popular culture help people to create identity? What is the connection between popular culture, social media, and mass media?

Analysis of Pop Culture Look at the list of examples of pop culture on p. xv – xvi in your Mirror on America text book, and consider our class list, then answer the following question: “We’ve made lists, individually and as a class, of examples of pop culture that we enjoy. What are some important issues that your examples of pop culture brings up?” In other words, what important issues/ideas might these examples of pop culture lead us to discuss? By answering these questions, we are beginning to do the work of analyzing pop culture.

Everyone’s a Critic Because you will be doing the work of analyzing pop culture, you will be taking on the role of pop culture critic. The word “critic” here doesn’t mean that you are only going to be saying negative things about pop culture. Instead, it means that you will… – Examine the pieces of pop culture you are studying carefully and thoughtfully. – Examine the assumptions, trends, and social issues are brought to light by your examination of pop culture. – Make claims about what your examination of popular culture tells you about the society that produced it.