POP CULTURE & SOCIETY
Pop Culture, a term coined in the 19th century, is a modern kind of method that companies/organizations use to transmit using mass media, aiming to reach younger people. How does it do this? Each face of this culture undergoes an extensive process/research in constructing any message that is (most of the time) invisible to the audience as the final product has, what is regarded as, "an effortless aesthetic." The viewers do not have the capability to see the multiple discussions and trials revolving around which angle the company wants to display their story/product, as well as the technical process of constructing the final product. These technical processes include editing, special effects, typography, as well as other creative features that aid in delivering the message in a stylistic manner of which sets the tone of the product. For example, Reality TV is part of this pop culture as it depicts what is relatively relatable as it documents "real" peoples lives and the drama that occurs within it. In "Keeping up with the Kardashians," one can notice that the trailers for new seasons include small dramatic moments in the show to entice the audience as drama is something ubiquitous in any household. Although different families vary in the degree of that drama, the occurrence of anything stressful in one's life is something any person can relate to. From the selection of scenes to the choice of color for the subtitle font, these stylistic choices render the viewing experience either pleasurable or just the opposite as, after all, pop entertainment relies on finding the right pulse.
In terms of whether media messages are representations of the world, this is a debatable question as popular culture merely documents what is "official" and "popular" and therefore only covers the general estimate of whatever topic. For example, popular culture is the same culture that portrays American suburbs as white-picket fences with happy families, when in fact this is a general statement that cannot be applied to every corner of the U.S. As, this is a mainstream way of thinking made by people most likely outside of that lifestyle, making judgments based on their own livelihood. Furthermore, this can also be applied to certain times in history as each period has had a defining zeitgeist (i.e. the 1980s was the belief in money and to spend money, whereas the 1970s was about peace and love). On the other hand, pop culture is well known as being trivial and comes under heavy criticism for its "dumbing down" in order to stay inline with societies mainstreams. As, one cannot deny that this culture has made many understand the world as a place with set-standards (often too demanding) concerning one's lifestyle.
As to how popular culture is affecting the world politically and economically, one relevant example can be seen in Social Media (i.e., Instagram, Facebook, etc...). This form of idea-spreading has been redefining the landscape of media, especially how brands have contacted their target audience. For example, successful YouTubers (with a virtual profile) usually have a subscriber range between 3 million to 60 million of which means that each video would have either a million or more views. This kind of access to regular consumers has been exploited by companies as this is an easy and quick method to sell one's product. For example, if a beauty guru were to state that he/she always uses a particular kind of moisturizer, the brand of that moisturizer would most likely boost in sales as the kind of "fabricated lifestyle" the guru has made for him/herself would be associated with that product. Or, if "E-News" were to talk about Kim Kardashian wearing a "choker," this dead trend would revive itself back from the grave all because that famous and adored person would be associated with that product and the lifestyle she leads. In general, a lot of the economy in the world now for new or old businesses relies on the audience, meaning that they need those popular in society to advertise it for them; essentially selling audiences to companies, making one wonder whether social media is driving the world economy.
Moreover, individuals create meaning in media messages through interpretation as this is similar to the old understanding that something only has meaning to it once someone puts meaning there. This is one of the advantages of pop culture is that issues such as racism can be solved when attention is brought to it. An example of this can be seen when the video of Walter Scott (an unarmed black man) was fatally shot by a police officer after running away form a traffic stop. As soon as this went "viral," many discussions regarding racism erupted like popcorn in a microwave and therefore had influenced many young mind's perceptions of racism. What is meant by this is that, unfortunately, uninformed kids only know racism for its definition and do not usually associate it with events or time in history. However, when videos such as this gain popularity in the media, people are notified that this discrimination is still ongoing in society and isn't a word of the past. And, the beautiful thing is that what is put online can never come off, making a permanent mark on what is an unlimited and "practically" immortal source of information that cannot be erased. In this, ideas about racism become affiliated as this manner of perceiving society becomes more of the norm.
*Product: whatever is delivered to the audience whether this be a story, ad, media, etc...
In terms of whether media messages are representations of the world, this is a debatable question as popular culture merely documents what is "official" and "popular" and therefore only covers the general estimate of whatever topic. For example, popular culture is the same culture that portrays American suburbs as white-picket fences with happy families, when in fact this is a general statement that cannot be applied to every corner of the U.S. As, this is a mainstream way of thinking made by people most likely outside of that lifestyle, making judgments based on their own livelihood. Furthermore, this can also be applied to certain times in history as each period has had a defining zeitgeist (i.e. the 1980s was the belief in money and to spend money, whereas the 1970s was about peace and love). On the other hand, pop culture is well known as being trivial and comes under heavy criticism for its "dumbing down" in order to stay inline with societies mainstreams. As, one cannot deny that this culture has made many understand the world as a place with set-standards (often too demanding) concerning one's lifestyle.
As to how popular culture is affecting the world politically and economically, one relevant example can be seen in Social Media (i.e., Instagram, Facebook, etc...). This form of idea-spreading has been redefining the landscape of media, especially how brands have contacted their target audience. For example, successful YouTubers (with a virtual profile) usually have a subscriber range between 3 million to 60 million of which means that each video would have either a million or more views. This kind of access to regular consumers has been exploited by companies as this is an easy and quick method to sell one's product. For example, if a beauty guru were to state that he/she always uses a particular kind of moisturizer, the brand of that moisturizer would most likely boost in sales as the kind of "fabricated lifestyle" the guru has made for him/herself would be associated with that product. Or, if "E-News" were to talk about Kim Kardashian wearing a "choker," this dead trend would revive itself back from the grave all because that famous and adored person would be associated with that product and the lifestyle she leads. In general, a lot of the economy in the world now for new or old businesses relies on the audience, meaning that they need those popular in society to advertise it for them; essentially selling audiences to companies, making one wonder whether social media is driving the world economy.
Moreover, individuals create meaning in media messages through interpretation as this is similar to the old understanding that something only has meaning to it once someone puts meaning there. This is one of the advantages of pop culture is that issues such as racism can be solved when attention is brought to it. An example of this can be seen when the video of Walter Scott (an unarmed black man) was fatally shot by a police officer after running away form a traffic stop. As soon as this went "viral," many discussions regarding racism erupted like popcorn in a microwave and therefore had influenced many young mind's perceptions of racism. What is meant by this is that, unfortunately, uninformed kids only know racism for its definition and do not usually associate it with events or time in history. However, when videos such as this gain popularity in the media, people are notified that this discrimination is still ongoing in society and isn't a word of the past. And, the beautiful thing is that what is put online can never come off, making a permanent mark on what is an unlimited and "practically" immortal source of information that cannot be erased. In this, ideas about racism become affiliated as this manner of perceiving society becomes more of the norm.
*Product: whatever is delivered to the audience whether this be a story, ad, media, etc...
Face or phase?
ReplyDeleteThrowing in an example of the Kardashians was a good idea by connecting how media's creative techniques are projected through each episode, though the audience might see it as unintentional. I'd also add in the fact that some shows also provide the audience with a recap of the previous episode. This either reminds them of the previous episode and thus, can get them hyped up, or it can be a summary for viewers who missed it. This could also be seen as a creative technique I suppose.
I agree that media messages tend to stay within societal streamlines and this can be seen in news publishers as well. They seem to give out information that is out on the surface and which is published by other companies of the news field. They try to maintain this view in order to not get criticized or outcasted. They also give out information that PEOPLE want to hear. This at times, doesn't have to be the truth and so, can't be a true representation of the world or reality.
Yes, we do rely on social media heavily and believe that these foundations provide us with exact and truthful info but, at times, this isn't the case. It might've just started off as a small controversy which turned into "actual" facts later on, depending on how much it (the post) has been shared or commented on.
I too agree that interpretation is the basis on how humans create a meaning for themselves, from a certain piece of composition. Be it textual, or visual, or audible. Though, I don't see how it's beautiful when the things you publish online is permanent. That sounds like sort of a threat though.
But else, I do agree on your points.