That was the name of a course I took when I was an undergraduate in the field of Speech -Communication. That class focused on the movies, music and tv of its time and I really enjoyed it. I was pop culture savvy at the time and thrived on all things contemporary.
I am still intrigued with pop culture but feel so removed from it. I suspect that this distance is common with people who are old enough to remember vividly the Summer of Love but that doesn't make it acceptable to me. How does this happen? How is it that younger people can be infused with pop culture while older people are distanced? Or are they?
Really, I want to know this. I want to know how I can rejoin the popular culture. Or is it even possible? I get distracted by a demanding profession. That profession does involve teenagers so you would think that might help and it does - a little. I also get overwhelmed with the abundance in the culture. How do you make time to stay tuned in to new music, new technology, new movies especially when your first impulse is to read and do physical things outside? Do I make myself not read the contemporary fiction and non fiction (leaning the most toward biography, sociology, and philosophy) but rather read lots of blogs and on line periodicals? And I'm not talking about being plugged into celebrities. I don't really care about them. I am talking about being plugged into the ideas that make the culture alive now.
For those of you that fancy the pop culture, what is the route I should take? Four years ago I secured a part time job at an Apple store mostly because I wanted to develop Apple acumen. I did. I gained a lot of knowledge but I also wore myself out (I was still working my "real" job). That attempt at staying current was fun but too much. My best connections to now include Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Wired, The Atlantic, The Rumpus, other websites, and, of course, my own kids who are in their 20's and plugged in. What avenues would any of you recommend for touching the ideas that float around the culture these days?
I find that Twitter helps me tremendously -as far as keep up with pop culture. Are you on Twitter?
ReplyDeleteOkay! That's what I am talking about. But how does it help you?
DeleteTo go with what Keith said, Twitter clues me in to what people are talking about—what's popular and "now." Perhaps it's the same for him.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend!
Thanks, Dana. I will play with the Twitter stuff this weekend. :)
DeleteYou know, I never tried to be up on pop culture; it just sort of caught up to me. I grew up doing the whole comic book thing back when it wasn't cool, and I clung to Star Wars through the dead years until it was cool again. I suppose what I'm saying is I don't really recommend trying to be into things that you're not really into. Which is not to say that you shouldn't try some of those things, just don't force it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I get that. I guess I get discouraged when I feel like a stranger in my own culture. Maybe it is no longer my culture?
DeleteThis is a great question. I'm in the same boat. I often feel out of touch but then I realize it's by choice. Twitter, for example, was just a lot of noise for me. And I'm not a pinterest gal, either. I agree with the previous comment--follow what you like. There's a lot to choose from! Too much, IMHO :-)
ReplyDeleteYes! Too much! I follow books and read every review I stumble across. I read some movie reviews and very little about music. I think the place I would most like to be plugged into is technology. HUGE field!
DeleteConsider that most corporations focus on satisfying a certain demographic, and that demographic skews young. I think at a certain age, we stop trying to be like everyone else, thinking what they think, liking what they like, and doing what they do. And that's when we're no longer marketed to.
ReplyDeleteTo keep up with current entertainment, I read Entertainment Weekly. And I find that most of what people love now, I can't stomach. But that's just me.
I've never even picked up a copy of Entertainment Weekly. I guess I assumed it was celebrity blather and not much else. I can at least check it out. Thanks.
DeleteI also find that I don't like a lot of what passes for pop culture these days but there is still an allure that goes with belonging.
I read Entertainment Weekly, too. It's a nice, concise overview of most everything pop culture. Most of it is unappealing to me in one way or another, but every now and then I'm intrigued by a review and check out the band/movie/book/TV show, sometimes with very satisfactory results. It's an easy and painless way to keep one foot in without being immersed in it.
ReplyDeleteBingo, then. Seals the deal. I bet Meg (my daughter) reads it. Girl time tonight!
DeleteUnfortunaly, as much as you may want to avoid celebrities, they will most likely be in an form of entertainment/pop-culture publication/website/etc that you may look at. However, I count on apps such as Pinterest and USA Today to keep me informed, along with watching current TV shows (and sitting through the commercials).
ReplyDeleteIt's not so much that I want to avoid celebrities as it is that I find them boring and annoying. Why do I care what their homes look like or what they think? I just don't see the attraction in celebrity worship. It's ideas I am after.
DeleteCommercials? I guess that's where you can see upcoming attractions of movies or tv and sometimes there is some humor but is it worth it to have to watch the rest of the garbage? maybe I need to rethink this pop culture thing.
Thanks for stopping by! XO