Unavoidable Changes in Pop Culture

Unavoidable Changes

“Popular culture moves through our world at warp speed” (Aufses, Scanlon, Shea 707). For example, current events that take place by day are the main topics by night. Even videos posted on the internet can become the biggest trend overnight, but disappear just as quick. Without realizing it, everyday these trends of thought affect the way we dress, live and think. Whether we like it or not, these thoughts are manipulated by popular culture. It is undeniable that “we are creatures of outside influences; as a rule we do not think, we only imitate” (Source A). Pop culture influences us through many forms: movies, television, music, art, and peers are some examples. This affirmation is supported through essays from prominent figures, such as cartoonist Scott McCloud, movie-critic David Denby, satirist Mark Twain, and writer Teresa Wiltz.

The way we think is like a comic book because we “[use] words and images interchangeably” to create an image of our own (Source D). If given words, a person would create their own visuals images in their minds and vice versa with a picture to create a story. Words and pictures were thought to be only great when “kept at arm’s length” apart, but “together are considered, at best, a diversion for the masses, [and] at worst a product of crass commercialism” (Source D). So when brought together, the mind alters its way of thinking to relate the words with the given illustrations. By making us comprehend what is happening in the image with words, it deals with pop culture by changing from one idea to the other.

Our lives have been manipulated by the media. Movies, in particular, are influential to all age groups, from toddlers to senior citizens. Why do we continue to watch these f...

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...because now “violent films […] were wiped out by the success of movies […] which feature no small amount of bloodshed” (Source E). However, others feel that this catastrophic event did not change the nation as much as it was expected. Why? Because “the public’s desire to be entertained is constant,” meaning it happened quickly, and will dissolve just as quick (Source E). Our own experiences can affect the way we think, which spreads because of pop culture.

Popular Culture is “how we see ourselves and how others see us,” and changes society constantly (Source E). Every moment, these trends of thought affect us in almost everything we engage in. It alters our lifestyles, thoughts, and personalities. It makes us re-think if anyone is an individual, since we depend on one another relentlessly. It is unavoidable, whether we like it or not. “We only imitate” (Source A).