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Culture
Internet
Contemporary Era

Introducing Pop Culture

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The Pop Cult Team
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December 5, 2022

Due to the drastic effects brought by the pandemic and endless quarantine lockdowns, the COVID-19 virus has forced Filipinos to undergo home isolation, away from dear loved ones, while trying our very best to cope with missed opportunities, lost relationships, and also taking the time to rediscover ourselves and our truest potential. As a result of this alarming situation, the Filipino masses find ways to entertain themselves with every mass media outlet that is widely accessible nowadays.

SOURCE: World Health Organization

In retrospect, technological advancements present today have truly played a major role in how the masses found this innovation very useful in their day-to-day lives as it helps us communicate, connect, and be up-to-date with today’s current events, particularly in Philippine society today. From investing in online streaming platforms, to discovering new music genres, keeping up with the latest fashion trends, to finding new book recommendations on the TikTok app, these trends have essentially influenced our current society, as they undeniably create a certain domino effect on how cultures, traditions, and new innovations come into play, particularly with the presence of social media nowadays—the continuous influence of popular culture in the Philippines and even worldwide.

SOURCE: Nextgov ; The Black and White

Defining Popular Culture

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According to Crossman (2019), "popular culture" is defined as the cultures and traditions consumed by the majority of people belonging to a certain society. Meanwhile, Western culture also has "pop culture" as fields divided into certain types of media such as the arts, music, films, literature, fashion, and radio that are accessible to a society’s population. Pop culture is considered valuable among people because it is widely available and convenient to consume. 
On the other hand, Storey (n.d.) also argued that popular culture is defined in various fields, like sociology. First, popular culture is something that is favored by the public due to its positive effects on society. Meanwhile, he also emphasized the fact that popular culture is made available to be accessed and consumed by the general public. However, Storey (2019) asserted that popular culture has negative effects because of its historical origins, as it is an avenue for exploiting people from lower social classes. In essence, there is a barrier to achieving equality because it is a battle between economic status and social classes. On a lighter note, there is the fact that popular culture is driven and created by the people. Truly, popular culture is a broad topic that one needs to further dissect.

SOURCE: Aamna Shaikh

SOURCE: Constance Grady, Vox

But first, how should we define culture?


In essence, as per Pappas and McKelvie (2022), culture is defined as the characteristics a particular group of people embodies, particularly in terms of language, religion, traditions, food, music, and the arts. On the other hand, the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (n.d.) defines culture as something that is shared, may it be behaviors or traditions, that encompasses a certain society’s environment and that is also learned by means of one-on-one communication. Meanwhile, in the academic setting, the word "culture" is derived from the Latin word "colere," which is defined as growth and/or cultivation. (Berger, 2022) 

SOURCE: Lavishly Travel

In this context, pop culture refers to innate practices passed down over time that have the capacity to influence people and the environment they function in. With this, pop culture plays a vital role in a society as it cultivates interaction and establishes discussions and/or conversations concerning issues within a society. As Garchitorena (n.d.) cited in their paper on the significance of culture, "Building a culture has to start with a foundation, and that foundation must necessarily be the culture of the Filipino people if this could be separated from the encrustations grown on it by colonial rule."

SOURCE: Rosette Adel, Philstar

SOURCE: Jam Nitura, Preview

Revisiting pop culture’s historical origins


Crossman (2019) assumes that academic scholars have found that the rise of popular culture originated from events during the Industrial Revolution, tracing back to the primary historical context of popular culture as it is used to divide societies based on class and economic status. As a working class, people decided to migrate to urban areas and chose to shy away from their own innate traditions in hopes of creating and adapting their own. With this, people developed new innate cultures and traditions in pursuit of sharing these new practices with their fellow co-workers. Meanwhile, with these divisions in place, capitalism continued to thrive even after the historical event of World War II. On a lighter note, the said era prompted innovations in the fields of mass media, traditions, and cultures, particularly in Western countries. In relation to this, capitalism was utilized in hopes of earning profit by marketing newly produced products to various social classes. This prompted popular culture to have multiple facets, being divided into different fields, as it also became a broad topic in the field of mass media.

SOURCE: Sächsische Maschinenfabrik in Chemnitz, Germany, 1868 ; 

SOURCE: Richard Feloni, Business Insider

SOURCE: Matthew Tourcotte, Pop Culture Addict Lifeguide

A quick timeline on pop culture’s 

significant events 

Expounding further in terms of popular culture’s historical background, as per City Tech Open Lab (n.d.), popular culture was known to have been introduced during the 1920s. During this particular time, society welcomed various types of mass media, such as films, jazz music, the presence of automobiles, and flappers. With this, people felt a sense of freedom after the drastic effects brought about by World War I. Meanwhile, during the 1940s era, music continued to uplift the moods of people, while the significance of sports also came into the picture.


Consequently, people were deeply affected by the Great Depression. Furthermore, theater consumption was in short supply. On a lighter note, fashion trends during this particular era continued to thrive in society. As the 1960s approached, people turned to popular culture to distract themselves from the ongoing government protests, which prompted the promotion of violence during the time period. On a lighter note, love was also thriving as prominent music artists and their songs, such as those of Elvis Presley, became popular as well. Various genres of cinema were also explored in this particular era. Lastly, in the 1980’s, different fashion pieces were also popular during this time. In terms of cinema, the rise of comedic films also came into play. Meanwhile, in today’s digital age, pop culture continues to progress as new innovations are introduced and new trends become the new norm in society.

Pop culture as a discipline

SOURCE: Paper Masters

SOURCE: Margalit Fox, The NY Times

With the relevance of pop culture being used as a means of escapism for people in previous eras, pop culture is also utilized to provide insights in the academe as well. Professor Ray Browne, the prominent founder of pop culture studies, asserts that pop culture is a medium to amplify the power of democracy as well as the people’s way of living, as pop culture also reflects the entirety of society’s environment, from the significance of mass media, entertainment, traditions, actions, and prominent people who have defined our history. In essence, pop culture is innate in one’s society.


Dissecting pop culture’s multiple facets


Popular culture is made up of various components that revolve around mass media, which people nowadays use as a source of entertainment. From TV and film to music and social media, these are outlets that offer different varieties of entertainment that people surely enjoy. In addition, these types of media constantly evolve with new innovations over time. Merriam Webster defines television as a specific electronic system encompassing moving images and audio that is converted into electrical waves with discernible sound. Furthermore, televisions are considered a medium for communication meant to be consumed by the public. With the current digital age, newly innovative televisions offered by different brands are present nowadays. From manual and vintage televisions recorded by previous generations to massive Android smart TVs today, these types of media have undeniably become an effective medium for communicating current news and issues both locally and globally. Along with these aspects, television shows are produced in the industry, exploring various genres meant to be showcased on television as well.

SOURCE: CRG Soft

SOURCE: Rory Mellon, Tom’s Guide

Films, on the other hand, are defined as motion pictures combined with sound to convey a specific story, according to Vocabulary.com. In this context, films are either true stories or fictional stories intended to be depicted in various cinemas while also exploring various genres such as romance, action and adventure, coming of age, and so on. today Revisiting history, the previous kinetoscopes and kinetographs already embraced innovations, as films are now available on various streaming platforms meant to be watched on our own mobile devices.

SOURCE: Humility Javier, Star Cinema

Moving on to another type of media, we have the rise and comfort of music. In essence, music is undeniably perfect for a serotonin boost just to survive a hectic day. In this regard, music has also been found to be a form of escapism from our real-world problems as we attempt to indulge ourselves, even for a short period of time.

SOURCE: Tom Williams, ABC 

SOURCE: Lulu Chang, Digital Trends

In essence, Cambridge Dictionary (n.d.) defines music as a type of media that embodies a combination of sounds, following a pattern that is encapsulated by a variety of voices, music instruments, and electronic devices meant to be heard, listened to, and used as a means for entertainment. Revisiting past innovations, people are accustomed to utilizing traditional music record players such as IPods, radios, and cassette tapes, to name a few. People have adapted to the benefits of technology, however, as online music streaming services such as Spotify, Shazam, and YouTube are now available in the hopes of playing and listening to music.

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Pop Culture and the Significance of Social Media

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As these television shows, films, and various music platforms are widely accessible in today’s digital world, social media has truly been a helpful medium as society is able to communicate and connect with each other, enabling established relationships and public conversations to continue to prosper. With this, Dollarhide (2021) defines social media as a technological advancement that helps transmit shared ideas, thoughts, and vital information through various communities and networks. Aside from that, social media applications are catered to help people connect with their dear loved ones, engage in topics, and such applications can be used for research, education, and entertainment purposes. From the traditional social media platform Friendster to the fast-growing social media platform Facebook, these social media platforms are truly evolving today as they aim to cater to the demands of social media users.

SOURCE: Rane, Seosocial Media

SOURCE: Kolaj

Integrating globalization into Pop culture

 

According to Lumbera (1984), the Spaniards played a vital role in terms of the presence of pop culture in the Philippines. Taking into account the definition of pop culture as a specific field that wields power, they believe that the media also played a significant role in shaping both political, social, and economic presence in the Philippine setting.Through the use of social media, both pop culture and the media facilitated power in terms of providing opportunities (i.e., profit) in the advertising industries. Meanwhile, in today’s digital age, such innovations present in pop culture have undeniably been influenced by globalization, especially in adapting to new cultures nowadays.

SOurce: Angelo de Cartegena, NYLON Manila

SOURCE: Isa Munang Patalastas

Why The Pop Cult?


As the current presence of social media and technology has brought tremendous contributions to the field of pop culture, which has also continued to evolve over the years, The Pop Cult aspires to bring the public's attention to the latest issues and trends regarding pop culture, ranging from films and TV shows to music and social media. This entertainment website, derived from the root words "pop" and "cult," also aims to shed light on the importance of establishing a social community where people can engage in certain topics with such familiarity and pursuit of learning towards them. 
 

In connection to this, The Pop Cult’s content management aims to provide a deeper understanding on the issues, trends, and current discussions concerning pop culture both in the Philippines as well as in the global perspective. Each content is segmented into different sections and categories such as films and TV shows, music, and social media, all of which are components of the field. Apart from this, an in-depth introduction regarding the relevance of pop culture will be discussed. 

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