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Popular American Culture
The analogy of the tail-wagging-the-dog has never been more prevalent than in the expression of contemporary angst, vision and dreams popularly embraced by American film and music. Where both mediums were once the looking glass through which society could admire its best qualities and endeavor to rise above its worst ones, the passage of time and the resultant re-invention of personal values have transformed them into templates for destructive behaviors predicated on greed, loss of identity and desperation.
SEX
What ever happened to commitment and fidelity? The themes of early movies and songs revolved around the premise that for every woman there was just the right man, a romantic journey of discovery that was as happily anticipatory as the final destination itself was secure and ever-lasting. One needs only to look at America's dismal, 50% divorce rate to question the validity of those early promises, a disenchantment subsequently reflected in the big screen's uninhibited bed-hopping romps and the music scene's reinforcement of the philosophy that if at first you don't find love, you may as well just put a bullet in your brain. The excessive displays of nudity gracing CD covers and bouncing throughout movie plots have further fueled an interesting dichotomy: some interpret this mass market exhibitionism as permission to shed their sexual inhibitions (along with everything else) whereas others, assaulted with unbidden images of naked and youthful perfection, can't help but make mental comparisons and deem themselves as "lacking."
AGE
It is no coincidence that the largest consumer group at today's record stores and at the movies belongs to the same age category as the most popular artists and up-and-coming stars. Both industries are heavily geared toward youth, subliminally espousing the notion that imitation is not only the sincerest form of flattery but the fastest route to financial success and peer envy. In addition, the skewed view presented that only the young have something...
In addition, the inclusion of non-Caucasians in major films and the meteoric achievements of ethnic musicians who have brought their signature sounds to life provide positive role models for inner-city, rural, and immigrant youth. Not so positive, of course, are the traits of arrogance, selfishness and insensitivity to others that sometimes become part of the emulation message. The obsession of becoming an actor or a rock star has also served to blind our youth to the practicalities of getting a good education first and developing marketable job skills to fall back on.
WORK
In real life, work is a necessary means to an end. In film, of course, the end is always achieved whether the protagonist is gainfully employed at the time or not. His or her employment status also seems to have no direct bearing on the standard of living (regardless of city), nor the furnishings artfully assembled within. For the sake of plot contrivance, low-end service jobs are misrepresented as yielding a fairly comfortable income and plenty of flexibility in one's hours to go pursue other interests. Not only does this carry the potential to be demoralizing to individuals who actually have to work in those dead-end, minimum-wage occupations but the flagrant abuse of the employer's time, resources and trust serves the twofold objective of challenging authority and challenging the work ethic itself. In the area of music, what few songs are penned and sung about…
American popular culture has also infected our dietary choices although in my case, it has encouraged me to think much more critically about what I put into my body. Ironically, the poor suffer the worst in that regard because fast food restaurants are concentrated in their neighborhoods ( Kasser, 2003). Meanwhile, fast food is much more expensive than quality food and it only perpetuates obesity and diabetes. I have sworn off
Culture and the Ipod American Culture and the IPod Apple first introduced the iPod in October 2001, beginning what many would consider an enormous revolution in the music industry. While music had been previously made available on MP3 players, the iPod became the first product that was also linked to computer software designed to help consumers both manage and purchase files. In fact, by the end of 2001, consumers had the option
American Culture and the institutionalization of the 'sage' in the American political discourse -- are sages necessary? According to the philosopher Plato, the ideal form of governance was not a raucous democracy, along the lines of the ancient Athenian state or polis. Nor would the ideal form of government take the guise of a modern republic, where popular sentiment was judiciously filtered through the wisdom of elected officials. Instead, under Plato's
American culture and the consumption (patterns) of American youth in television, film, and other entertainment venues Mommy I want that!" When discussing how American culture 'corrupts' children, the first words to come to mind are usually four letter words, or words pertaining to highly sexualized scenarios. Yet the culture of American capitalist cultural consumption is if anything more omnipresent and equally damaging to American children. It has created a legacy of
Another writer notes, "It is important to point out that the marketing/merchandising effort is not a haphazard or casual affair. Not only are licensees carefully selected, but the Disney company insists on coordinating all aspects of the design and marketing of the products" (Wasko, 2001, p. 56). Most American children grow up on a diet of Disney films, and that has continued for generations, really showing that good, high-quality
Music on American Culture and Values Over time, music has molded the American culture and its values in a variety of ways. In this text, I will highlight the various ways in which both music and radio have shaped American values and culture. In so doing, I will identify my favorite genre/type of music in an attempt to highlight the impact the music I listen to has had on American