I've always wanted to be like Spider-Man, specifically Toby Maguire's version of Peter Parker (he's the best.) Not only of course being able to have super natural powers like climbing walls or slinging webs, but because of the social power it can bring to one's behavior and beliefs. A notable quote said by Uncle Ben was "with great power comes great responsibility." This is an example of a pop culture message that can positively influence one's beliefs, behaviors, social norms, and outlook on life. Throughout all movies, TV shows, music, and more, there's always someone you want to be like. Whether it's their style, attitude, demeanor, or success, pop culture messages are always there to influence us to want to be like the main character. However, some pop culture messages extend far beyond amusement and positive traits in oneself. Some messages quietly normalize harmful ideas, unhealthy behaviors, and negative attitudes about life itself. These messages, just like the more positive ones, reach millions of people everyday, which can be emotionally and mentally damaging. Even the positive messages bring unrealistic ideas, such as becoming a superhero or becoming the "main character" in life. Because of this reality, I pose the question. - Should we resist pop culture messages entirely?
Like we see in this week's material, there are certain characters in the film industry that people click to. These characters could be positively or negatively portrayed depending on the show, yet some may embrace their attitudes and mindset. Whether that be Homer Simpson sharing his outlook on marriage and having kids, or wanting to be a hero in order to win over the Disney princess, these pop culture messages are quietly influencing negative behaviors and outlooks through characters that are humorous or relatable, making it easier for people to embrace their mindsets. One of the most prominent fictional characters I could think of to provide an example comes from the legendary Walter White, from the TV show Breaking Bad. See, I naturally thought of him as legendary, in a good way, because he is of course. Believe it or not, I just watched this show for the first time last summer, and boy did I miss out. Fans of this show or people who watch this show widely support and view Walter as a positive character through certain messaging. Some view him as a man who was pushed too far, from his cancer, financial struggles, lack of respect, etc, justifying his transformation to the iconic Heisenberg. Walter/Heisenberg of course is full of greed, pride, envy, is power hungry, and destroys his family and associate Jesse Pinkman in the meantime. Not to mention he kills people and cooks meth throughout the entire show. If you were to look at Walter through an objective lens, you would view him as nothing short of a monster. Yet, many do not perceive that of Walter, because of the messaging that is present throughout his transformation. A example of this comes from his "I am the one who knocks" speech. This speech is incredibly famous and is embraced by many in a positive way, even though it asserts dominance, control, power, and narcissism.
As we saw in this week's content, some people may take on the behavior of these fictional characters, such as the U.S. soldiers who embraced the show 24. Because of the potential side effects, it's worth asking if we should dismiss pop culture messages as a whole, both the good and bad ones, due to the unrealistic and harmful ideas they promote through relatable characters.
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ReplyDeleteYou pose an interesting question: Should we resist pop culture messages entirely? I think this is an essential phrasing of the question because you didn't say 'should we avoid pop culture messages,' you said 'should we resist.' In our current world, it seems impossible to avoid pop culture messaging, but resisting it is another matter altogether. Resistance to rhetoric begins with critical evaluation. When we can engage critically with media, we can remove ourselves from the emotional responses or character arcs. When taking a step back, we can decide which messages to internalize (like the Spiderman example, "with great power comes great responsibility") and which to overlook.
ReplyDelete“With great power comes great responsibility.”
ReplyDeleteThis is truly an iconic statement, one that will likely be remembered for generations, much like “Go ahead, punk, make my day,” or “I’ll be back.” However, Uncle Ben’s line in Spider-Man carries greater moral weight than many other famous movie quotes because it speaks directly to personal accountability. What we say and do truly matters.
Granted, these are fictional stories shaped by artistic license, but the saying “art imitates life” rings true, and it can just as easily be flipped to “life imitates art.” Because of that, we cannot simply dismiss the messages embedded in pop culture.
This concern applies equally to shows like Breaking Bad, which appear to idealize villain protagonists. To be fair, I’ve never watched Breaking Bad and am only responding based on your post. We’ve also seen similar trends with characters like the Joker in The Dark Knight or even Deadpool. Every year, countless children, and adults for that matter, dress up as these characters for Halloween or conventions, often in ways that reflect admiration or idolization.
I would argue that these villain-centered characters are not truly relatable in a healthy sense, particularly in a cultural climate that already discourages genuine, real-world relationships.
Pop culture messages really matters because people spend an enormous amount of time consuming it. Children especially are absorbing these messages while spending much of their time glued to screens and disengaged from real human interaction and relationships. Over time, many begin adopting the ideologies and values they repeatedly see portrayed.
Since this screen-centered way of life is unlikely to disappear, one effective way to reach this generation of content consumers is by creating stories that offer more positive role models, characters who promote real-world connection, accountability, and healthy relationships. This would provide a meaningful alternative to the apparent and frequent glorification of mental instability, violence, drugs, and criminal behavior.
Good post!