Pop Culture is mainstream culture, the ideas and perspectives that the majority of belong to. Heavily influenced by the media, pop culture is in reality commercial culture, one that is mass produced for massive consumption by the general population. Arising from pop culture is pop art, an art movement that incorporates many aspects of pop culture, including commercialism and graphic design.
Driven by commercialism, pop culture is trivial, superficial, and is a mindless, lower form of art for the masses. Pop culture has been referred to as low culture, and trash culture for a reason. Pop culture features a generation of people who are fashion conscious and have little intelligence, encouraging superficiality among the general population.
Key Moments in the History of Pop Culture
Michael Jackson "King of Pop" - Michael Jackson was one of the most successful and influential performers of all time. Recognized as the King of Pop, he is famous for both his music and his dance moves.
Facebook - A relatively new innovation, Facebook is now one of the most popular social networking service in the world. With millions of users, Facebook has had a huge impact on our social interactions, and is now a very dominant aspect of the lives of many people.
Lady Gaga - Known for her music and unique fashion sense, Lady Gaga is a prominent figure in today's pop culture. Her music, music videos, and her way of dressing (such as the meat dress), is both widely praised, and criticized.
Examples of Pop Culture
Apple - What can be more mainstream than Apple? Take a look in the classroom around you, and you will see people with iPods, iPhones, and Macs. Apple Inc. is one of the largest companies in the world, and their products are well known for their sleek aesthetic design.
Twilight - After the release of the teen novel Twilight, vampires have become a large part of pop culture. In fact, if you walk into the teen section of the bookstore, you will notice that a large majority of the books are romance novels featuring vampires.
Glee - A popular musical comedy, Glee portrays the life of several high school teenagers in the Glee Club, dealing with issues such as relationships, sexuality, teenage pregnancy, and the drama of high school life. Glee features both catchy show tunes as well as popular songs.
Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet and Pop Culture
Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet is a modern remake of the Shakespearean classic that exemplifies pop culture. Termed as the "MTV Romeo and Juliet", the fast pace and the popular soundtrack (at the time), give it the feel of a music video. Baz Luhrmann's many references to pop culture give the movie a much more modern feel, to the extent that it is almost comical. One example of this would be the clothes that the actors wore. The Montague are often seen wearing colourful, Hawaiian shirts, while the Capulets are dressed in black leather and shades, giving them the appearance of high class gangsters. Another display of pop culture would be the commercialism. The rivalry between the Capulets and the Montague are often displayed on the news, and it is almost sold as entertainment for the people. Shakespearean phrases are often displayed as advertisements, and the audience is constantly bombarded with the media within the film. Flashy newspaper articles, television screens, and banners and posters flash on the screen repeatedly, giving the film a more commercial like feel. Common themes within pop culture such as cars, wealth, drugs, and parties are displayed, especially during the masquerade ball at the Capulet mansion.
Juliet in Romeo + Juliet
In contrast to Romeo, Juliet's character in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet lacks passion, emotion, and agency. While the film is fast paced and its characters are in constant action, Juliet alone remains still. In her first appearance, Juliet is seen submerged in water, a motif that repeats throughout the play. The water serves as a barrier, one that removes her from the frantic frenzy that envelopes the rest of Verona. Even at times when she is driven to movement, it is often directed by the other characters. At the Capulet mansion, she is led by her parents, nurse, and Paris, and it is Romeo who actively chases after her. Her way of dressing only furthers her stillness. She is often seen in a simple, white plain dress, in contrast to the flashy, colourful clothing worn by the other characters. Juliet's appearance is parallel to her many religious statues, which "still and porcelain like, they appear as empty extensions of herself". (Scott, 5) Beside the energy and overflowing emotion of Romeo, Juliet's character is easily overshadowed. Romeo's passionate declarations of love and overwhelming sense of grief at the death of his friend dominates the screen, while Juliet's brief moments of screen time lack emotion. Whether she is pining for Romeo or grieving over her cousin Tybalt's death, her character lacks the emotional appeal that Romeo provides to the play. As Lindsey Scott accurately describes, "Luhrmann's camera transforms... Juliet into a still, objectified body, and at moments where Shakespeare's play demands passion and energy, she is virtually erased from the spectator's gaze". (Scott, 6)
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