The Study of Pop Culture

What do we, as students, gain from the study of popular culture? Is there something to be learned from the current crop of trash television and super hero comic books? Does Rachael Ray or Batman teach us any lessons that speak to our society as a whole? Or is popular culture simply composed of simple ideas and meant to only be consumed as mindless entertainment?

This is not a new question and has been addressed by serious literary critics such as T.S. Eliot. In T.S. Eliot: The Critical Heritage by Michael Grant the author argues that Eliot saw the working class at the popular theater in sociological context. Eliot's article "Marie Lloyd", concerning a popular singer of the day, advanced the idea that popular culture could be the subject of serious criticism. The performance of a singer of popular songs, attended by the lower classes of society can become art. The art that comes from such a performance becomes a reflection of the society. The audience, through their boisterous participation, became part of the performance. The give and take between audience and artist is necessary in all art. The popular theater was art and worthy of study. The art reflected and was made of the common people.By studying this creation, we are able to gain insight into the mind and zeitgeist of the people.The study of popular culture is the study of the products and practices of everyday life. The world we live in can not be separated from the media (of various types) that tell the story of that world. Our world is made by how it is represented. The media creates the story as much as it reports the story. No further proof of this is needed other than the phenomenons of "copy cat killers" or "reality TV". The killer commits his crime based on images he sees from the popular media. The star of reality television is not an actor, but a supposed "common person" who is rocketed to media stardom through the media. The public voraciously devours coverage of these media creations; the killer and the star. The public is participating by enabling the creation of the culture.

But, is there a danger to the study of the popular culture? What do we lose when we turn to this particular area of study? popular culture is a reflection of its audience and the influences upon the contemporary society. The student of popular culture must take all the influences of the audience into consideration when examining the signifiers and what they signify. A focused approach is necessary. The student gains nothing from reading the current issue of "People", but the student can gain considerable insight be attempting to identify what the cultural figures, or signifiers, in the pages represent and why.

In my own life, there have been several instances when a product of the popular culture has stimulated me emotionally and intellectually. the words and music of popular artists such as Aimee Mann and Michael Stipe have moved me. Their work made me feel as if their songs had a special message that spoke to me on a personal level. The words and music had emotional resonance for me and where I found myself. The writing of authors like Stephen Hunter, Grant Morrison, and Warren Ellis has exposed me to new ideas, and helped me to find a means to express internal emotions. The artists that have touched me have enabled me to grow by both challenging me with the new, and allowing me to understand and express the emotions of my experience.