Popular culture is a form of
history. While some may dismiss it as insignificant, the truth is that it holds
profound importance as a legitimate field of study. This idea was legitimized
by Ray Browne, often regarded as the "Godfather" of pop culture
studies. Browne challenged the English Department at Bowling Green State
University for not teaching enough popular literature. Eventually, he founded a
department and a major dedicated to pop culture. Browne’s work established pop
culture as an important subject for understanding societal trends.
Today there are many advancements such as Artificial Intelligence similar to “Skynet” from the Terminator movies. It’s only a matter of time before AI becomes self-aware. Social media platforms like TikTok may soon be banned in the U.S. People are now falling asleep at bedtime by watching YouTube or Facebook Reels. All of these things have become a part of everyday life. Understanding pop culture has helped me appreciate the influence it has on society.
I have lived through the transition of two centuries and I have seen many cultural shifts. I grew up in the '90s, I remember simpler times when it was safe to play outside until it got dark, and I grew up watching TV shows like The Simpsons. I loved how they poked fun at pop culture and I enjoyed the quirky family dynamics the show reflected. At the start of the 2000s, the internet changed everything. I remember my first friend on the social media platform My Space his name was Tom it was certainly an interesting time.
Pop culture shapes beliefs
and behaviors, as Sellnow discusses, and it has the power to influence how we
see the world. The media we consume, from cartoons to viral trends, plays a
powerful role in shaping our perceptions, especially during childhood.
Understanding this influence is important for navigating both in society and
the rapidly changing world.
Along with shaping beliefs and behaviors, pop culture can also provide the lens that allows more people access to actual historical events. For example, I've recently finished watching EVIL on a streaming platform. This series is a deep dive into the history and practices of the Catholic church. It follows the more current shifts in Catholicism by pairing a priest in training, a psychologist and an aetheist/scientist who investigate potential posessions by using the scientific method. I was surprised by my own ignorance of the Catholic church's impact on worldwide education and medical institutions. My connection and acceptance of this TV series gave validity to the deeper history contained within each episode!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post, Andrea! I really enjoyed reading your thoughts and getting some additional insights into the Klosterman text. When you mentioned that you lived through the turn of the century, it reminded me that a lot of my knowledge of the world as it was pre-2000s is actually based on stuff I've seen in pop culture. I've heard mentions of MySpace in sitcoms and stand-up comedy, but never actually experienced it for myself. Just to be clear, I'm not trying to call you old. I just think it's cool that we can still connect over these things because of the way pop culture preserves certain time periods. I also really appreciated your use of images in the post, because it helped me see what parts of that time period are most ingrained in your own view of the culture.
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