Assignment 1-2

What is popular culture and what does it mean to you?

For me, popular culture is one of those things that you know what it is, but it is hard to define. In my opinion, it is what is popular right now – similar to a fad, but it may or may not have a lasting effect or staying power. In doing research for this assignment, I found that my definition of popular culture was somewhat incorrect. Popular culture surrounds us at any given time. We see it on the television and in movies, hear it on the radio or around the water cooler at work, and read about it in magazine and internet articles. Popular culture reflects on the current nature of people’s way of life, but it also influences it as well.

Why is an understanding of popular culture relevant to you in a business environment and in your present and future career?

Popular culture can be an important aspect of the business environment. By having an understanding of popular culture, you can better reach your customers as well as your employees. Consider the phenomenon of social networking sites, such as MySpace, Facebook, and Friendster. Although these sites have traditionally been used to connect individuals together, businesses are starting to see it as another way to reach their target audience. Also, nearly every band – from major label stars to unsigned garage bands now have a MySpace page.

What would you consider to be an example of a pop culture artifact? And why would you choose it?

One of the most prolific and confusing artifacts of pop culture is reality television. Specifically, Survivor comes to my mind whenever anyone mentions reality TV. Generally, I fail to see the appeal of these shows. I can see an allure for these shows from the point of view from the corporate TV executives: they are inexpensive to produce as compared to a sitcom or other TV series. There are no actors being paid, little or no sets to construct, and very little script to be written. Survivor, and other reality shows like it, are low budget and relatively high ratings, which equate to big profits for the TV networks that air them. Personally, I haven’t seen much appeal for most reality TV shows out there with the exception of The Amazing Race. Unlike Survivor, the scenes for The Amazing Race changes from week to week with very little drama and secrete alliances that are found in Survivor. Instead, The Amazing Race focuses on 2 person teams racing against each other across the globe and competing in challenges to see which team will advance. I find it educational and vastly more entertaining than the “who gets voted off this week” melodrama of Survivor.