Popular Culture, It's not all good, where do we draw the line?

         Pop culture is described as commercial culture based on popular tastes. The problem is, pop culture has become more and more adventurous and some would even say precarious, as the line between what is too risky for television and movies becomes increasingly blurred. Two other forms of pop culture, music and video games, are becoming problematic as well for reasons that correlate with the harmful effects television and movies have the potential to cause. There are many different types of content found in these popular outlets that are questionable, especially for young children and teenagers. I intend to touch on specific subject matter that I feel is likely already creating unwanted attitudes and mannerisms, but is plausibly going to cause irreparable, long-term, adverse consequences.

           Violence is found in just about anyway in which media is manifested. Television includes not only violence performed by professionals, but there is a new type of program that is all the rage, reality television. When watching an action movie with lots of violence and brutality, I think at least for adults, we are able to recognize the fact that this is staged fighting and only contains portrayed disorder. Reality television, however, often shows untrained actors or actresses, or everyday people, duking it out, destroying property, or verbally bashing someone else all to the cheers and delight of the often faithful viewers. These people often appear ignorant, reckless, and with a blatant disregard for the law or any type of authorities. I would say that our youth would only benefit without seeing erratic, thoughtless, vagrants whose only goal is to put on a good show. Music can be a wonderful, literary work that can provide a type of therapy for many people. However, violence in popular music is a quickly growing trend, possibly to keep up with the consumer's demand for this type of song writing. Radio stations edit most curse words and some inappropriate lyrics, but there are still plenty of controversial topics that are left untouched. Video games, I feel, are the primary channel for any and all type of violence and bloodshed to take over the T.V. screen. The fact is, violence has become so common and accepted, that parents will often let their children play games if violence and gore are the only aspects of the game that contain a warning.

            www.ocd.pitt.edu/Files/PDF/Parenting/TvAndMovieViolence.pdf is a website published by The University of Pittsburg listing ways and reasons why violence in T.V. and movies can be harmful to children. This website from ABC news, http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/reality-tv-show-violence-real-life-consequences-teen/story?id=13256971#.UJ0Fr8XA9mc, shows how reality show violence can cause real aggressive behaviors in teens and young adults. Science daily.com posted this article, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/05/030505084039.htm, to warn parents regarding the aggressive thoughts and hostile feelings violent lyrics in music can elicit in teenagers and young adults. This article, http://www.ithp.org/articles/violentvideogames.html, gives a very informational and thorough break-down of the negative impact that violent video games can have on almost anyone. This article also gives three good reasons why violent video games have an even greater influence on behavior than movies or television do combined. This website, http://www.lionlamb.org/media_violence.htm, gives an all-inclusive look at violence in the media, including all the previously addressed forms. Check out the video about media violence

              The next alarming feature of pop culture can not be described as one specific act. Most avenues of media produce offensive, insulting, and shocking elements for the sake of entertainment. Television programs like Family Guy, Futurama, and South Park have incredibly aberrant and distasteful humor and all three are cartoons. Some adults do like cartoons as well, but these are shows that kids should never watch, yet they are drawn to them because they are cartoons and feature characters that kids would enjoy, even if they don't understand all of the adult themes. Movies such as The Hangover, Jay and Silent Bob, 30 Year Old Virgin, or Kids have some very weighty scenes, some of which may possibly be too much for even an adult making sex, drugs, and outrageous behavior seem cool and attractive. Tosh.0, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Workaholics use terribly offensive, disturbing, and disgusting spectacles for their loyal fans to enjoy. Music, especially genres like hard rock, metal, and rap have some pretty crooked lyrics, some encouraging drugs and alcohol, death and destruction, sex and violence, or dark and depressing messages.  In the media of today; stereotypical jokes, woman treated as objects or as if inferior, racial slurs, homophobia, and mocking or ridiculing one's appearance is popular, accepted and widespread.

             This article in the Oxford Journal, http://alcalc.oxfordjournals.org/content/44/3/229.full, addresses the effects of alcohol advertising and media exposure in adolescents. http://www.ehow.com/about_5304830_psychophysical-effects-music.html, looks at some of the psychological and physical impacts of different genres of music. This blog on yahoo voices discusses some of the prejudices and discrimination found in the media, http://voices.yahoo.com/bias-media-racism-sexism-homophobia-553712.html. The above video's are some examples of the programs I mentioned that some may feel cross the line.

              The last aspect of popular culture I would like to address that I think is harmful to people is the portrayal of sex and body image in media. Sex and sexuality is no longer kept in the bedroom and lacks censorship in a lot of ways. Sexual innuendo can be found in most programs, even the more innocent seeming sitcoms or movies. Every genre of music has songs that get down right dirty, often singing in detail what they want to do, intend to do, or what they are doing. Advertisements also try to sell products using sex and sexuality. The problem with most of the people we see in advertisements is that they are not "real." Computers take a regular person, and make them flawless. In fashion and runways, you see women who are very thin and tall and men have the ideal build as well. This idea of beauty is doing a great job of making young girls feel inadequate and can help lead to eating disorders and body image disturbances. It just seems that nothing is sacred anymore, sex is no longer something done between two people who love each other, and the media now defines what is and is not attractive.

        There is so many articles and blogs addressing these issues so I will list just a few that I felt had a powerful message. http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book/excerpt.asp?id=2, this article talks about the lies media tells us about our bodies.  http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/29049/InTech-Westernization_the_role_of_mass_media_on_body_image_and_eating_disorders.pdf, this report shows the prevalence of eating disorders related to the media's portrayal of the  ideal body type. CBS posted this article claiming that media may be prompting teen sex, http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500368_162-1464262.html.CNN posted an excellent report addressing both body image and sex promotion in the media, check it out at http://articles.cnn.com/2012-03-09/living/living_beauty-media-miss-representation_1_social-media-natural-beauty-jennifer-siebel-newsom?_s=PM:LIVING.

         The bottom line is that the media is a powerful thing and can influence people without them even realizing it. Recognizing what is the truth and where it is distorted is the first step to stopping the media from ruling your mind or your emotions. Stay true to yourself, and don't let your kids watch, listen, or read things that could influence them in a negative way. We can beat the media, we just need to know where to draw the line.