Is pop culture really a bad thing?

I used to think that I was one of those enlightened people. I would always talk about how much pop-culture sucked and how I thought I was so much above it all. Now that I look back at where I was back then a few years ago I thought I was a purest, and that all these things that were on pop-culture were really horrible and they were brainwashing everyone.

Granted, there are certainly a lot of junk shows out there like American Idol, or the Next Top Model, Seinfeld, or Friends, Full House, Hanna Montana or these other shows that are about nothing, or Bones.. but like while there are a lot of junk shows out there there are intelligent programs too, like Law and Order, CSI Miami, Dexter (I haven't seen it but apparently it's good), Doctor Who, South Park, and other shows that make you think.

I think with pop-culture there is a mixed bag of good shows and bad shows. First of all, it's not all about blood or violence. I mean sure there are a lot of channels with a bunch of bloody movies, on TBS or TNT, and if you watch them obsessively I'm sure that you could maybe become mentally unstable and loose track of reality. But, pop-culture doesn't make you lose all sight of reality.

A lot of what pop-culture critics think is that when you watch pop-culture you start to think that the movie world is your own reality, or pop-culture is like reality and you need to act or think or be like how it is like in the movies or on TV, and that's what you need to do to fit in. I mean yeah, if you don't meet pop-culture's standards of what makes you attractive you might get left out. But, like other than that... there is no one set kind of way that you are supposed to act. No one expects you to have a TV personality! Not too many people go around killing other people because of some game they saw, or some movie they watched, or some song they listened to... if movies, songs, and games made people more violent-- there would be a lot more deaths out there.

I don't think pop-culture dumbs people down. I don't think it makes people more violent. I mean yeah, sure it might make people think about how attractive they look... but is that really a bad thing? Is it really that bad that people dress up and try to look nice for other people? Maybe they shouldn't think about living up to unrealistic Hollywood styles of fashion... but I mean come on really... is that really a problem?

I mean, just look at what some of these people say about pop-culture, and you tell me, is pop-culture as bad as they say it is? I used to be one of those and I thought I was above it all... lately as I've been in college I've realized I'm not. Now you might say, oh hey... you just sold out... I don't think I sold out at all. I made my choice, and I happen to like pop-culture, and I don't think it nearly is as bad as the people who hate it or admonish it say it is.

Sources:

www2.ucdsb.on.ca...
hubpages.com...
babs22.wordpress.com...

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Celebrity worship, "fad', "in", "cool" etc... are all group think philosophies that tend to categorize people and put some on pedestals above others for vain and trivial reasons.

So yes. Yes it is.

That said, take everything on its own merits and don't dismiss something because of labels.

reply to post by eNumbra


I don't think that most people participate in pop-culture just to fit in or just to follow the group. I think most people do it because it's their choice. They're bored and they want to be entertained.

Now every now and then when a fad does come up and if someone does it just to do whatever someone else wants to, than yes, that is bad... but I mean, if you're making conscious choices about the kinds of shows you are watching, or what you want to see, than it isn't that much of a bad thing is it?

reply to post by Frankidealist35


By participating is pop-culture, you are following what's popular. Pop(ular)-culture changes constantly and typically creates by trashing better, more intelligent, more in-depth items by dumbing them down.

Music: Bands like Disturbed, Korn and Slipknot are what's pop in Metal, but are incredibly shallow and dumbed-down compared to practically anything else.

TV: Paranormal Investigation went pop and now we have shows and movies that over-dramaticize and even falsify events just to get ratings.

Pop(ular)-Culture is about nothing more than ratings, popularity, hence a necessary simplification to appeal to a wider audience. Frankly this thread sounds like you're trying to justify your like of something popular.

Its only bad if like you said you allow yourself to fall into to believing what you see and try and make it your own reality (gotta be yourself). If you just are naturally part of it then its like part of who you are. There is a negative aspect in the exposure that comes with it either visual or harmonic. But just as well it helps with the visual and vocal entertainment to allow many (the youth) to see each others faces around the world who are usually the new younger upcomming generation. I am part of generation x lol all 1 can really say so it can go both ways..

reply to post by Frankidealist35


lady gaga is a terrible thing, yes. they dont choose to have those fads, or worship certain bands. its really a matter circumstance, but for the most part you have to listen to certain people to be part of the "cool crowd" and if you buy hannah montan merchandise you will be popular, and all that crap. you cant tell me u didnt get sucked into a fad because the people you valued in life were doing it too, thats just too unreal. you wanna give them a choice of who to listen to, and what they buy, who they hang out with, be my guest, but dont think they are doing it because there is some kind of actual interest in..uhhhh...lady gaga. they dont care about that (dude) as a person, they see that person as an entertainer, and likely know nothing about what they like/dislike or even what his lyrics mean

they go with it, necause they are told to go with it. they are told she is talented, and beautiful, and that if she puts out a clothing line ..(plz....no...i will do anything to keep that from happening)..you will be "cool" if you buy it.

you want freedom of choice, wait untill your son/daughter is old enough to understand what the actual music is about, or actually develope interest on their own, without media/friends to mix their views. wait untill they actually want to support that actor with their money because its something they believe in or enjoy

that wont happen in our society, just wont. you will always be susceptable to fads, trends, crappy talentless "singers" that get their rich buddies to tell everyone how wonderful their music is, and pay for it to play on the radio allll day long. problem is that we are human, and will do what are friends say we should
(again, circumstances may vary)

frankly i wish people would explain to their twelve year old daughters that those cool clothes that all the popular girls are wearing were designed to make you look more naked. they dont know this (ok..some do) they just see it as the normal thing because its what they were raised around. yet younger and younger children seem corrupted by pop culture, and become completely blind to learning, and anything else going on in the world around them that didnt involve gucci, or paris hilton.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


I just don't get pop culture. I feel at times like it is used to dumb people down. So few people I talk to anymore
read at all. I have nothing against media it's the message that matters.Media content is controlled by the broadcaster. Where as on the internet I still have the choice on media I want to watch but that might change if the wild west of the internet becomes regulated. I have not owned a tv for years if I want to watch something I find some way to find it on the internet at my time and discretion. Sometimes when I go to my parents home I watch History channel And Sci FI but most of the other channels seem to be an endless stream of reality television and infotainment with a few interesting dramas here and there. I am even surprised at how it seems that the content of chanels like history chanel is going down or being dumbed down. Discovery and TLC use to be great chanels now they just seem to show pseudo reality shows and infotainment with little content. It can not compare to shows on PBS like NOVA or NATURE and other shows on PBS.
This gives me the impression that the viewing public cannot understand anything to complicated and needs things like science dumbed down for them to a ridiculous level.
This onion article illustrates my point

SILVER SPRING, MD—Frustrated by continued demands from viewers for more awesome and extreme programming, Science Channel president Clark Bunting told reporters Tuesday that his cable network was "completely incapable" of watering down science any further than it already had.

www.theonion.com...

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Pop Culture gave us the Beatles. Just saying.........that can't be all bad, eh? Were there better bands at that time? Sure!! Now my personal preferences come into play. The Animals and The Rolling Stones. Much better!!
The Beatles, though, quickly surpassed these two very wonderful bands. Because they grew. They expanded. They became the darlings of the music audiences with their she loves you yeah yeah yeah stuff. Even parents believed these boys were fun and harmless. lol Not so sexual as those bad boys like the Stones and Animals!!

Wow!! What a strong influence the Beatles eventually had on culture and music, worldwide, within just a few years!

Is pop culture bad? Not neccesarily. did I spell that correctly? Does most pop culture stink? For sure!! It's usually made up of unoriginal crap.. Poor copies of the originals.

I think of Blondie. That supposedly punk band from the 70's and 80's. Not punk at all!! They actually were trying to be punk. lol They ended up something else, and became pop heros of their time. I can't say that whole adventure was a bad thing. I still listen to some Blondie from time to time, because it was a unique sound. And it was Pop Punk!! Is it Iggy Pop or The Sex Pistols? Nope. It's a pop thing that actually worked out well.

Just my .02 New World Currency pop pennies.

I'd only worry about pop culture when it's the only kind of culture we have and I think it's trending that way.

ATS is failed pop culture.

It is, let us say, as Backstreet Bots might be to the aforementioned Beatles!

(I left the typo in the band name as it appears funnier, to me at least).

Justin Beiber - need i say more?

reply to post by awake_and_aware

You did not need to go there. I completely forgot about him I just vomited in the back of my mouth.
The only redeeming factor about him is his song can be made into ambient music though that is probabley
where all the subliminal messages are.

Pop culture and the media does have a bigger effect on our minds than you think. I appreciate the true art which occasionally shines through the load of crap. Am I above it? I don't look at it like that. Maybe pop culture keeps most people entertained (not truly happy), but it also keeps them distracted. Look at where we've come now.. are people even interested in the real world they live in anymore?

reply to post by ELahrairah


LOL - epic.

Thanks for sharing.

You didn't hear? ATS and WIKI leaks is the new pop culture. I wonder what will come thereafter? Pop culture can also be used to destroy and discredit righteous movements.

Imagine this...A vast majority of people get into the whole wiki leaks thing only to find out much of it was a sham and disinfo from some random source. At that point people will have the mindset of been there done that, conspiracy theory is b.s. Not listening anymore.

Voila

reply to post by TheRemedial


There is conpsiracy FACT, y'know?

WIkileaks has only become "popular" since all the main media outlets, which the majority of people take note of, have been broadcasting. There were people listening with interest well before this surge of media publication.

reply to post by Ophiuchus 13


That's what I'm saying. As long as people don't take pop-culture and become slaves to it and make pop-culture decide what they like, what they dislike, what their preferences are... then it should be fine. I believe that while pop-culture is all pervasive as people say it is, on the other hand... I think people can possess some control over what they do or do not do, so it really isn't ALL that bad.

reply to post by ELahrairah


I guess I would agree with you then. There does seem to be a lot of junk on TV these days. There has been a lot more reality TV shows on TV... I guess because they're popular and people like them. But in defense of these reality TV shows, I think that people like them because they're about ordinary people, and it seems more real to them than these other TV shows. That still doesn't make them any better, and I still think reality TV shows are junk and are completely unrealistic... but there might be a reason why people like these kinds of shows and not just because they're a new "fad".

reply to post by SinkingSun


I really don't know. I mean I am interested in the real world. I'll follow the news every now and then but I personally like to read a lot. Why do I like to read? I've realized that I like to read because it gives me an escape from this world. I think that while television is a less intelligent medium, these other people just simply want an escape from the mind numbing boredom of the real world, and wants something to do with their lives. TV is just their outlet... now it's starting to be less and less TV that's doing it, but now more and more people are starting to use the net.

guess I would agree with you then. There does seem to be a lot of junk on TV these days. There has been a lot more reality TV shows on TV... I guess because they're popular and people like them. But in defense of these reality TV shows, I think that people like them because they're about ordinary people, and it seems more real to them than these other TV shows. That still doesn't make them any better, and I still think reality TV shows are junk and are completely unrealistic... but there might be a reason why people like these kinds of shows and not just because they're a new "fad".

reply to post by Frankidealist35

You see I have always had a different idea about reality tv show it appeals to peoples sense of getting their 15 minutes of fame so they can feel special or like they exist it's an ego boost. They are willing to go to any extreme even embarrassing themselves on television just to be kinda famous.
Reality is also misleading the shows are staged and the situations are set up it more of a pseudo reality that is under artificial control of the producers and crew. I have always had a nagging feeling that it was a way get everybody use to being on tv and having there lives broadcast in some Neo-Orwelian fasion.



Hmm I think my I.Q. level droped a few points guess im ready for that FEMA gulag