Shuttering yet again, the classroom lights flickered a third time, as the cooling system came to an abrupt stop, and the wind howled outside in yet another Wyoming windstorm. Silence permeated the room. With tension quickly building, students attempted to refocus on their end of semester final, as a student whispered “Vecna.” Almost immediately the tension collapsed, as the class tried to suppress their mounting laughter. Immediately catching the reference, the instructor too began to laugh, acknowledging the earie environment and similarity to the show that had captured the hearts of this classroom’s youth. Within just five seasons, the Netflix tv series Stranger Things captivated audiences across the globe. The Netflix streaming service shared that the series had not only become one of the most watched Netflix series, but it had further amassed 59.6 million views in its initial release of its final season. With its cult like following, the text over time has become an artifact of the American culture.
With the series' finale released on New Years Eve, students returned to school eager to discuss the final scenes. While some debated plot holes and its effectiveness, others reflected on the end of an era. Regardless of the takeaway, Stranger Things not only left its mark but became an American artifact. Which then begs the question, what messages did the audience absorb, and what impacts may have been left behind?
References
Made in America: How ‘Stranger Things’ Electrified the US Economy. Netflix. (2025, December 2). https://about.netflix.com/en/news/made-in-america-how-stranger-things-electrified-the-us-economy
Phipps, K. (2025, November 27). Decoding stranger things 5’s most notable pop-culture nods. Vulture. https://www.vulture.com/article/stranger-things-5-easter-eggs-pop-culture-clues-references-explained.html
Sellnow, D. D. (2014). What Is Popular Culture and Why Study It? In The Rhetorical Power of Popular Culture: Considering mediated texts. essay, SAGE Publications.
First of all, the title of your post immediately caught my eye. Not just because of Stranger Things (huge fan here!) but because it immediately showcased the use of the reading focusing on the differences between definitions within pop culture. I think the use of nostalgia as a capitalist strategy has a few different elements. From a production stand point, it can be seen as low risk because there has already been a hunger and desire shown for the elements. Some that you discussed like walkie talkies, riding bikes, D&D, etc. It's already been market tested so incorporating elements that bring in a fondness for childhood and the way things were, could be seen as a safe choice vs an artistic risk. It's also interesting *how we decide to remember the past. Stranger Things obviously takes a unique turn into the horror genre but collective memories/experiences can be commercially shaped through media/corporations to curate what pasts are remembered and how, a theory Jan Assmann came about. I think you touched a bit on that with the mention of the government interference. The show drove the narrative that way into misuse of power and control as a central theme. To answer your question of what messages did the audience absorb, and what impacts may have been left behind - I think it can be all of those things. The impact reaching far beyond the hunger for nostalgia but perhaps being the curiosity of truth and history and into how it can play into imagination.
ReplyDeleteThe way you anchor Stranger Things in a real-world classroom setting in your piece effectively illustrates the persuasiveness of Pop Culture texts and daily life. Because it demonstrates symbolic conversions and action, one whispered word, “Vecna,” releases tension through shared cultural meaning, and the introductory narrative is compelling. Your application of symbolic Convergence Theory is excellent, especially in the way that Nostalgia functions as a rhetorical Vision that connects viewers of all ages, not just the young people portrayed on screen
ReplyDeleteYour focus on parasocial interactions and how they normalize particular behaviors, such as the boy's lack of adult supervision, was also very appreciative. This highlights a Crucial Conflict between idolization and realism: viewers support the characters while tactically endorsing standards that might be problematic in real life. Your explanation of layered messages, friendship, resilience, and skepticism of the government–Well, that's how pop culture objects may convey ideology without explicit teaching.