Popular culture is all around us! Its the 100% pure, not from concentrate, fascination of mainstream America. Popular culture is as much a part of my life as it is in yours. Its the state-of-mind that bonds us as people. Instead of defining popular culture right away, think about a typical day for a working professional and you can find many examples of popular culture at work.
You wake up in the morning, hop in the shower, and then turn on the Today Show to play in the background as you get yourself ready for work. You here a segment about fall clothing items on sale at Old Navy and make a mental note to stop by during your lunch break. As you hop in your car and start off to work, you stop off at the Starbucks drive-thru for a Grande Mocha before hopping onto the highway. Later in the morning, you stop to chat with a co-worker and laugh at last nights episode of The Office. During the conversation, you notice the great pair of shoes your co-worker is wearing. You ask her about them and she mentions that she purchased them online from an eBay Auction. You go back to work and soon after decide to head out to grab a bit to eat for lunch. You stop by the nearby shopping center and pay a quick visit to Old Navy. After purchasing a couple of sweaters and some outerwear at Old Navy, you pick up a copy of People Magazine while standing in the checkout line. While working through the afternoon, you check your MySpace page for any new messages, text your friends about plans for dinner, and check out eBay for any good deals that might catch your interest. Once you get off work, you go to the grocery store and buy a handful of South Beach Diet Meals for the week and talk to your friends on your Blackberry Smartphone while sitting in traffic.
This is a great example of how popular culture influences our lives, from our purchases to our behaviors. This blog was created to celebrate the good, the bad, and the ugly of popular culture. Why was the broadcast premier of High School Musical such a ratings bonanza? Why is Britney Spears on the cover of every magazine? Why is it that when Oprah Winfrey names a new book to her Book Club, it automatically rises to the top of the New York Times Best Sellers List? The answers to these questions might seem easy to answer.
Popular Culture is defined by MSN Encarta as a set of values that come from advertising, the entertainment industry, the media, and icons of style and are targeted to the ordinary people in society. These values are distinguished from those espoused by more traditional political, educational, or religious institutions.
When I think of Popular Culture, I think of enjoying my hobbies, staying current with changing technology, buying a popular style of shoes, or even starting on a new trendy diet.
Have you thought about how much Popular Culture has permeated your life?
SOURCE: Popular Culture. MSN Encarta Premium. Retrieved from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761585688/Popular_Culture.html
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