Commentary
Dirrrrty Pop
- by Jason , February 19, 2007
"Sick and tired of hearing
All these people talk about
What's the deal with this pop life?
And when is gonna fade out?"
This past weekend I heard someone complain about how pop culture is crap. They argued that knowing about Britney’s hair contributes nothing to society. I must admit that I do too think at times some people seem to be more concerned with pop culture than issues that might have a greater concern. I do also wish people would soak up some international or national news, but I also realize that understanding pop culture can actually help you understand the world (culture) we live in.
I mean, we are a culture that likes to gossip and know what is happening to celebrities. Some of us wish to be them or be best friends with them, or simply like to like to see people with it all…lose it all. Understanding pop culture can also tell you what the “average American†thinks or feels. With shows like Will and Grace, Sex and the City, and The View (Ha) being accepted by millions it just shows you how open people have become about Gays/Sex. Now, although I do know that just because people are watching does not mean they necessarily agree with the life style choices of these characters, exposure always helps misunderstood cultures.
Also consider how much the American people look up to and take advice from celebrities. Rock the Vote brought people to the booths. Whenever a star supports a global issue (Bono/Joile) people seem to take notice. When Kayne West spoke out against Bush his approval ratings had its biggest hit. So maybe understanding celebrities and their views on the world, understanding how they are going to affect the millions that take part in any form of pop culture can be reached. Also the average American becomes aware of issues they might not have heard of if not for celebrities.
So…pop life may just be the important area worth understanding by researchers, politicians, and you and me.
Just a thought…
Oh PS…Did you hear that Shia Labeouf might be cast as Indiana Jones Jr. in the new movie.
~Jason
In many ways the modern media climate has created celebrity like never before. Sociologists/psychologists have studied the phenomenon and found that people often know more about random celebs than they do about family members living out of state. This creates a false sense of 'knowing' a celeb - they become like a friend. It's almost like a short circuit in our social brain that causes people to think of celebs as much closer to us than they really are.
An extreme and (probably) fictional example would be the Eminem song 'Stan', in which the stalker thinks of Eminem as a best friend who rejected him. In reality there was no relationship whatsoever.