What is Popular Culture?What is Popular Culture?

Defining Popular CultureDefining Popular Culture

The People’s CultureThe People’s CultureMass CultureMass CultureLow CultureLow CultureCulture that is PopularCulture that is PopularPopular ValuesPopular ValuesCommercial CultureCommercial Culture

The People’s CultureThe People’s Culture

Invokes the word Invokes the word populus populus (Latin), or in (Latin), or in English, the populace: the people.English, the populace: the people.

Implies that some culture is somehow not Implies that some culture is somehow not the culture of ‘the people’. the culture of ‘the people’.

Or that ‘the people’ all have the same Or that ‘the people’ all have the same culture.culture.

Suggests that some culture is thrust upon Suggests that some culture is thrust upon us against our will, while other forms of us against our will, while other forms of culture are made or chosen by us.culture are made or chosen by us.

The People’s CultureThe People’s CultureThis approach to popular culture is This approach to popular culture is

associated with folk culture, as opposed associated with folk culture, as opposed to culture produced in elite institutions to culture produced in elite institutions such as art museums or symphonies. such as art museums or symphonies.

It is made at the local level in specific It is made at the local level in specific communities.communities.

We might think of quilting groups, local We might think of quilting groups, local music scenes, or community art music scenes, or community art programs.programs.

Folk music comes easily to mind, but Folk music comes easily to mind, but lots of other culture fits this description.lots of other culture fits this description.

The People’s CultureThe People’s Culture

Obviously, one problem here is that Obviously, one problem here is that this form of culture simply isn’t what this form of culture simply isn’t what springs immediately to mind when springs immediately to mind when we use the term popular culture. we use the term popular culture. Instead, we think of TV, movies, and Instead, we think of TV, movies, and music that are made within an music that are made within an industry, and not necessarily at the industry, and not necessarily at the local level.local level.

Popular Culture as Mass CulturePopular Culture as Mass Culture

Related to the notion of The People’s Related to the notion of The People’s Culture is the idea of Mass Culture. Culture is the idea of Mass Culture.

Mass culture has less of a sense of locality Mass culture has less of a sense of locality or community.or community.

This approach groups most of society into This approach groups most of society into a giant mass and assumes they all do the a giant mass and assumes they all do the same things.same things.

Historically, mass culture was a term used Historically, mass culture was a term used by economic elites (aristocrats), to by economic elites (aristocrats), to describe people who are not like them. describe people who are not like them.

Popular Culture as Mass CulturePopular Culture as Mass Culture

Some flaws with this approach:Some flaws with this approach: Economic elites still consume lots of things that fit Economic elites still consume lots of things that fit

the mass culture model. They still like country the mass culture model. They still like country music and TV shows, just like others.music and TV shows, just like others.

BUT, it turns out there really isn’t a single mass.BUT, it turns out there really isn’t a single mass. Our cultural practices are divided into many Our cultural practices are divided into many

different categories: in terms of preferences, in different categories: in terms of preferences, in terms of race or ethnicity, in terms of ideology, in terms of race or ethnicity, in terms of ideology, in terms of gender and sexuality, in terms of age. terms of gender and sexuality, in terms of age. There is no piece of popular culture that we all There is no piece of popular culture that we all consume.consume.

There is no single mass. There is no single mass.

Popular Culture as Mass CulturePopular Culture as Mass CultureCounter-response: we really aren’t as Counter-response: we really aren’t as

different as we think, and our culture different as we think, and our culture is surprisingly uniform.is surprisingly uniform.An R&B song is remade by a country An R&B song is remade by a country

band.band.A British TV show is remade by an A British TV show is remade by an

American network, using the same American network, using the same script (The Office, Coupling).script (The Office, Coupling).

The exact same style of clothes is sold The exact same style of clothes is sold by the Gap, American Eagle, by the Gap, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch.Abercrombie and Fitch.

Popular Culture as Low CulturePopular Culture as Low Culture

Defines popular culture strictly in Defines popular culture strictly in contrast to “high culture.”contrast to “high culture.”

If high culture consists of fine art, If high culture consists of fine art, classical music, opera, PBS, and classical music, opera, PBS, and Shakespeare—stuff that gets taught in Shakespeare—stuff that gets taught in schools and celebrated in art schools and celebrated in art museums—then popular culture is bad museums—then popular culture is bad art or non-art, the other forms of art or non-art, the other forms of music, the major TV networks, and the music, the major TV networks, and the Da Vinci Code.Da Vinci Code.

Implies that quality culture is “high” Implies that quality culture is “high” and bad culture is popular.and bad culture is popular.

Popular Culture as Low CulturePopular Culture as Low Culture

Problems: Classical music looks more and more Problems: Classical music looks more and more like a rock concert, with sexed up musicians like a rock concert, with sexed up musicians and top selling CDs. Lots of popular culture is and top selling CDs. Lots of popular culture is celebrated as art of the highest level and lots of celebrated as art of the highest level and lots of high culture is bad art as best. Some network high culture is bad art as best. Some network TV is really great and some PBS is pretty bad. TV is really great and some PBS is pretty bad. Shakespeare was considered trashy in his day.Shakespeare was considered trashy in his day.

There’s also a sacred/mundane distinction There’s also a sacred/mundane distinction being made here: high culture is treated as being made here: high culture is treated as special where popular culture is treated as special where popular culture is treated as everyday.everyday.

Culture that is PopularCulture that is Popular

Another approach is to say that when the Another approach is to say that when the audience for a certain form of culture reaches audience for a certain form of culture reaches a critical mass—when it gets popular enougha critical mass—when it gets popular enough—then it counts as popular culture.—then it counts as popular culture.

But how do you decide what that mass is? But how do you decide what that mass is? The culture itself doesn’t change when the The culture itself doesn’t change when the

audience reaches a certain size. audience reaches a certain size. The song that everybody loves sounded the same The song that everybody loves sounded the same

when nobody had heard it. when nobody had heard it. Plus, culture that is popular has a relationship Plus, culture that is popular has a relationship

with culture that is not yet popular. They with culture that is not yet popular. They share resources, and offer inspiration and share resources, and offer inspiration and new ideas.new ideas.

Popular Culture as Popular Popular Culture as Popular ValuesValues

Another approach to popular culture Another approach to popular culture focuses on the values of groups.focuses on the values of groups.

The term culture always invokes the The term culture always invokes the idea of idea of meaningmeaning, so popular culture , so popular culture is any set of meanings that are is any set of meanings that are widely shared.widely shared.

Often used in the context of “youth Often used in the context of “youth culture,” “American culture,” “Black culture,” “American culture,” “Black culture,” etc.culture,” etc.

Popular Culture as Popular Popular Culture as Popular ValuesValues

This approach allows us to examine This approach allows us to examine the varieties of values that are the varieties of values that are embedded in the culture we embedded in the culture we consume.consume.

Those values touch on an infinite Those values touch on an infinite variety of issues, but we will be variety of issues, but we will be focusing on race, class, gender, focusing on race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, and age. sexuality, disability, and age.

Popular Culture as Commercial Popular Culture as Commercial CultureCulture

The term popular culture is often used to describe The term popular culture is often used to describe culture that is produced and/or sold by a market.culture that is produced and/or sold by a market.

In this sense, mass produced forms of culture In this sense, mass produced forms of culture such as CDs and movies certainly count as such as CDs and movies certainly count as culture, but so too does art that is sold on the culture, but so too does art that is sold on the market. In fact, not much is left out at all. Indie market. In fact, not much is left out at all. Indie rock bands still record in studios and sell CDs. rock bands still record in studios and sell CDs. Independent movies still need distributors, movie Independent movies still need distributors, movie theaters, and video stores. theaters, and video stores.

That does not mean that the only way to That does not mean that the only way to understand this culture is in terms of money and understand this culture is in terms of money and sales, but it does gives us one thing unifies the sales, but it does gives us one thing unifies the many diverse forms of popular culture.many diverse forms of popular culture.

Our ApproachOur ApproachThe approach in this class is to The approach in this class is to

combine the popular values approach combine the popular values approach with the commercial culture approach.with the commercial culture approach.

We will examine the complex system We will examine the complex system that produces popular culture—a set that produces popular culture—a set of corporations and institutions of corporations and institutions responsible for the commercial responsible for the commercial production of culture—as well as the production of culture—as well as the complex system of meanings that we complex system of meanings that we find in popular culture—both those find in popular culture—both those intended by the makers and those intended by the makers and those that are discovered by the audience. that are discovered by the audience.

OverviewOverview

POPULAR VALUES

COMMERCIAL CULTURE

WHAT’S MISSING

•Mass Culture

•People’s Culture

•Culture that is Popular

•Low Culture

But each of these overlaps with what we see to the left, so they are by no means excluded.