Ameiican Pop Cultuie

What makes things "pop"

!"#$ &'! #$%&'%% ($)* + ,+-)./-
1.) The Beatles, Psy, Baviu Beckham, 0($1$2*)3 0*/ 4+)-$53 6-$/.7%3 8/5 $. )*/
9$):3 0*/ #+;$.&$ 9<7/ aie all consiueieu pait of "pop cultuie."
a. Bo you know them.
b. Why uo you think they aie populai.
c. Bo you like them.

!"#$%&'

When I was youngei, I thought the ieason something became populai was
because a lot of people thought it was cool. The Beatles weie populai because
"eveiyone" likeu them. (Ny paients incluueu.) Anu since eveiyone likeu them,
they weie cool. It was the same with othei things, ='-+%%$& >+-?, 6-$/.7%3 8/5 $.
)*/ 9$):3 0*/ @'!0+.2 91+.3 (I thought they weie ieally cool.) If you uiun't like
these any of these things that meant you weie not coolA Naybe you weie weiiu,
too olu, oi confuseu like a countiy kiu on theii fiist uay in the big city. If you
uiun't knowuiun't like what was 'populai', theie was something wiong with
you, because, millions of fans can't be wiong. Right.

Expeits sometimes say that pop cultuie B'%) $%. Theie isn't a iational explanation
anu you'ie silly to tiy to explain it. But that isn't veiy helpful. If we consiuei how
something, oi someone, becomes populai, we often think of this )*%'%& +,)*-.

C )+1/.)/7 2-<', <D E'%$&$+.% D<-E + F+.7A 0*/: -/*/+-%/ &<.%)+.)1:3 (-$)/
(<.7/-D'1 %<.2%3 F') E'%) +1%< *<17 E/.$+1 B<F% )< ,+: )*/ -/.)A C) .$2*)3 )*/: ,1+:
+) &*/+, F+-%3 $. *<,/ <D F/$.2 .<)$&/7A G./ .$2*)3 + -/&<-7 ,-<7'&/- H<- + )+1/.)
%&<')I %//% )*/$- ,/-D<-E+.&/A J/ %$2.% )*/E3 ,')% )*/E $. + %)'7$<3 +.7 *+% )*/E
1+: 7<(. )*/ )-+&?% )*+) ($11 F/&<E/ H$.%/-) .+E/ <D +1F'E */-/IA 0*/$- D$-%) %$.21/
*$)% )*/ )<, )/.3 +.7 $)K% +11 ',*$11 D-<E )*/-/ H+) 1/+%) '.)$1 /2<%3 7-'2 <;/-7<%/%3 <-
L<?< G.< 2/)% $. )*/ (+:IA

Boes this sounu familiai.

()*+&**),- .

2.) Bow many music gioupsactoiscelebiities uo you know that has a
similai beginning to the 'oiigin stoiy' uiscuss above.
S.) Bo you think the )*%'%& stoiy is tiue foi most celebiities. 0i uo you think
it's just a myth.
4.) Bo you feel if you uon't knowuon't like something that's populai, that
you'ie not cool.
S.) Bo you think that the majoiity of celebiities become famous uue to the
quality of the woik they make. 0i uo you think it's something else.


Ameiican Pop Cultuie
What makes things "pop"

!"#$%&' ./ 01#-2" 1#*3 4#$ %, *%'4,56

Accoiuing to Communication anu meuia scholais, "7)8%,%9#8 "9)&):-" is a teim
to uesciibe the connection of economic, political, anu communication systems of
capitalistic countiies. (This incluues both Koiea anu the 0S). This teim is ielateu
to Naix's iueas (Kail Naix, 0*/ 9<EE'.$%) 4+.$D/%)<). The basic iuea is that a
few peoplecompanies contiol the majoiity of factoiies, anu what they make.
This contiol allows them to influence society. They can contiol piices, wages,
supply anu uemanu, music, movies, anu cultuie.

If a banu wants to be populai, (anu what we consiuei populai) uepenus on
auveitising: the kinu that makes a piouuct uesiiable. So populaiity isn't just luck,
it's :#&;<#9,;*"$ anu auveitiseu the same way youi cell phone is.

()*+&**),- /0

6.) Consiuei the commeicials you watcheu foi homewoik,
a. What weie they selling.
b. Who was in the commeicial (Celebiities, etc.).
c. Who uo you think woulu want to buy it.
u. Biu you want to buy the piouuct.

7.) With youi paitnei, make of list of all the places you sawheaiu some soit
of auveitisement touay. (Tv, iauio, etc.)













a.) Boes it make you want to buy things.

8.) Who influences you the most when it comes to the pop cultuie you like.
a. Youi Family.
b. Youi Fiienus.
c. Wanting to be cool.
u. Auveitising.