Popular Culture

What is pop culture? What does pop culture tell us? Read more to find out….. Examples where we can identify pop culture –Television –Films –Newspapers, magazines and books –Themes and amusement parks

This weekend, did you…. Jog while listening to a IPOD? Listen to music on your radio? Watch TV? Read a newspaper? Eat a McDonald’s hamburger? Go to a bar or movie? Shop at the mall? Participate in a sport activity? If so, you did the things that most people in Western societies do with their free time….these are examples of popular culture.

Discussion What were particular pastimes of when YOU were younger?....but are not so popular now…..

Popular Culture Defined The everyday pastimes of a majority of people in a social group.

Cultures Defined Popular Culture –The everyday, typical pastimes of a majority of people in a social group. –What masses do in their free time. –Differs by group. High Culture –Recreational and cultural activities that are somehow more serious and more profound than pop culture. Often seen as cultivation of the mind and spirit. Folk Culture –Pastimes shared through direct oral communication, stories, jokes and children’s street games.

What does Popular Culture tell us? It is a mirror which reflects the values and beliefs of society. Toys and dolls are good examples.

Popular Culture Characteristics Popular Commercialized Trendy Dependent upon tastes of youth (ages 14 yrs -26 yrs)

Television Hub of popular culture. –98% of homes in US have 1 television, most have 2 TV is the most frequent participation of all pastimes. Most freely chosen and relaxing, yet least enjoyable and invigorating of all. People in US watch about 7 hrs/day…7 full years in the 47 waking years of someone living to be 70 years old.

Television Tremendous impact on leisure behavior. Not only does mass media consume leisure time, it also greatly influences the leisure values of individuals. Kids: (9-11yrs old) spend about 21.5 hrs/week watching TV.

Top 10 Click here to see the Top Syndicated TV ShowsTop Syndicated TV Shows Click here to see the Top Broadcast TV ShowsTop Broadcast TV Shows Click here to see the Top Cable TV ShowsTop Cable TV Shows

Why is Television So Popular? 30 minute situation comedies require little thinking. TV dramas where complex social issues are raised, addressed, and resolved in less than an hour. TV shows often shape people’s views and influence leisure choices. TV often seen as reality of life rather than fantasy. Can create problems if viewers feel that their lives do not live up to standards they see on TV.

Findings of Kubey & Csikszentmihalyi TV viewing can both help and hinder quality of family; provides us with the family participating in the same activity and doing it together, but no interaction value. Parallel leisure--low form of development; no interaction. Driven by a wish to escape negative mood states; oftentimes TV watching made a negative mood worse. Viewers tend to feel passive and less alert after viewing TV. Less rewarding the longer TV is viewed; law of diminishing return; heaviest viewers felt the worse.

Discussion: Subject Television” Has watching TV made life better or worse for us in the United States?

TV Turn Off Week

Theme & Amusement Parks Traditional amusement parks vs today’s theme parks.

84% of adults in the US read a daily newspaper. 1,626 daily newspapers worldwide with circulation over 62 million readers. 54,000 book titles published annually in the world. Why do people read a newspaper? Magazine? Book? Newspapers, Magazines and Books

Films More limited clientele than TV. Will theater movies disappear? Impact of home video on leisure. Why is attending a movie so popular for teenagers? Slasher/horror films.

Films Top 10 Movies of All-Time –Current Box Office HitsCurrent Box Office Hits –All Time HitsAll Time Hits 1929: 110 million people attended a movie per week.....4/5 of the US population went to a movie once a week throughout the entire year! This continued until 1950's when TV began to be mass produced. 1998: 23,000 walk-in theaters and 800 drive-ins. –Drive-in tourDrive-in tour –History of drive-inHistory of drive-in

Films Video rentals Video rentals.... –On average, a movie makes about 5 times more from its video sales than ticket takings –#1: Ladder 49 Hollywood continues to prosper ($6 B/yr) and serves as a major shaper of fads and trends in US.

What are some popular activities that Americans do in their leisure time? U. S.MTSU

Discussion: Subject: “Pop culture differences” What is popular in one area may not be popular in another…based on the ‘culture’ of the area. –Discuss what is popular in the US and why –Discuss something that may only be pop culture in the south as opposed to the north or vice versa