Why Pop Culture?

Why pop culture?...

I got asked that question recently. There are a million blogs out there and a fair amount of them are devoted to popular culture. But when I was asked why I started PopCultureFiend.com, I thought it was important to reiterate my feelings on the subject. (It's a great time to do it, what with this being the first post of the new year.)

Well, first and foremost, when I write about pop culture, I'm following the old adage, "Write what you know."

So then the next logical question is, "What is pop culture and why is it important?"

Over the last 30 years or so, American movies, music, books, magazines, TV shows, celebrities, fashion, toys and games, advertising, etc., have been elevated from being merely frivolous diversions that (entertaining though they may be) have little or no lasting significance. Instead, these things are reflecting and indeed shaping our society, as they underscore who we are and what we care about, and bind us together through a common experience and shared appreciation.

By examining our popular culture, studying it, you create a window into the hearts and minds of American society and see concrete examples of what we've come to value, accept and embrace.

Think I’m overstating things? Why then, is it our popular culture that continues to endure and permanently etch itself into our memories, even as other (seemingly more consequential things) pass away? Why are movie quotes like, “Show me the money,” as easily recognized as “Ask not what your country can do for you."?

How is it that most people know more lines from Caddyshack than they do bible verses?

And why are events from the 80s like Iran-Contra and the US invasion of Grenada -- events that had not only national, but global implications -- practically forgotten, while movies and TV shows from the same era (like The A-Team, 21 Jump Street, Miami Vice, Footloose and Die Hard) are still beloved and continue to live on remake after remake, sequel after sequel?

Because it's the miscellanea of popular culture that’s providing cohesion for us in this, the most diverse society on the planet. So many of us are of different races, religions, economic statuses. We live in vastly different geographies, have different political ideals, enjoy different cuisines; and the list goes on and on. Because of this, any given American’s experience can be completely foreign to that of the next. And yet we’re able to find common ground in our shared remembrance of a popular TV show, song lyric, music video, or children's game. Or in our recognition of a funny movie scene, or a one-liner delivered by a stand-up comedian. Or in our mutual admiration (or disdain) for a particular celebrity.

Popular culture has now moved beyond fad or trendiness, beyond the realm of the short-lived, and beyond the moment. It has ingrained itself in our society and now influences the way we communicate, how we act, and what we value. And we're certain to continue perpetuating our pop culture the same as we do our religious rituals, political history, family traditions, and all the other things that make up traditional culture. And finally, through all of this, pop culture continues to be one more thing… uniquely and undeniably, it's just plain fun. Enjoy...