PopularCulture

PopularCulture

• Whatispopculture?

• Whatdoespopculturetellusaboutsociety?

Whatdidyoudolastweek-end?

• Jogwhilelisteningtomp3music?

• Listentotheradio?• WatchTV?

• Readanewspaper?• EataMcDonald’shamburger?

• Gotothemovies?

• Goshopping?• Participateinasportactivity?

Discussion

• Whatwereyourpastimeswhenyouwere

younger?Aretheypopulartoday?

CulturesDefined• PopularCulture/popculture/lowculture

• Theeveryday,typicalpastimesofpeopleinagivensocialgroup.• Differsbygroup.

• HighCulture• Recreationalandculturalactivitiesthataremore“serious,”more“profound,”more“highbrow”thanpopculture.Oftenassociatedtotheuppermiddle-classandtheupper-class.

• FolkCulture• Pastimessharedthroughdirectoralcommunication,stories,jokesandchildren’sstreetgames(wewillnotcoverfolkcultureinthisclass).

WhatdoesPopularCulturetellus?

• Manyseeitasamirrorwhichreflectsthevaluesandbeliefsof

society(butdoesitinfluencebehaviors?)

• Toysaregoodexamples.

PopularCultureCharacteristics

• Popular,successful• Commercial(ized),easilyavailable

• Fashionable,trendy• Mostlychildren/youngpeople

• Dependentupontastes/groups(“tribes”),gender,sexualorientation,race,religion…

Television:hubofpopculture• 98%ofhomesinUShave1televisionset,mosthave2ormore.

• TVisthemostfrequentpastime.

• PeopleintheUSwatchTVabout7hoursperday=7fullyearsinthe47wakingyearsofsomeonelivingtobe70yearsold.

Televisionprograms

TVseries

RealityTelevision(includingmakeovertelevision)

Children’sprograms

Talkshows

Quizgames

Sports

Cooking

Shopping

News(popularculture?)

Etc.

Theme&AmusementParks

Newspapers,MagazinesandBooks

• 84%ofadultsintheUSreadadailynewspaper.• 1,626dailynewspapersworldwidewithcirculationover62millionreaders.

• 54,000booktitlespublishedannuallyintheworld.• Whydopeoplereadanewspaper/magazine/Book?Whatmotivatestheirchoiceofreadingmaterial?

PopularFiction

• Sci-Fi(example:teenagedystopia),Thriller(example:DanBrown),Fantasy(example:Charlaine Harris).

Movies(willbediscussedinL2)• MorelimitedclientelethanTV.

• Willmovietheatersdisappear?

• Impactofhomevideo(thendigitalera)onleisure.

• Moviegoerdemographics:Boys15-25

Movies:Top25

Movies(willbediscussedinL2)

• 1929:110millionpeopleattendedamovieperweek.4/5oftheUSpopulationwenttoamovieonceaweekthroughouttheentireyear.

• Thiscontinueduntilthe1950swhentelevisionchangedeverything.

Discussion:Subject:PopculturedifferencesandAmericanization

• Whatispopularinonecountryisunknown/dislikedinanother--basedonthecultureofthecountry.• DiscusswhatisparticularlypopularintheUSandwhy• DiscussaculturalproductthatispopularintheUSandnotinFranceandwhy• DiscussaculturalproductthatitpopularinFranceandnotintheUSandwhy