Religion in Horror

I've always found it interesting that in so many classic as well as B-movie horror films, there are often subtle elements of religion implemented throughout, especially those surrounding possession or hauntings. When you think about a ghost in relation to a horror film, most of the time your automatic image is something similar to that of Beetlejuice, Ghostbusters, or even Caspar the Friendly Ghost. Aside from the childlike spirit, the first two movies involve a scare tactic, an element of horror making the ghosts appear more like a monster figure rather than an actual spirit. A lot of movies also explore the more spiritual side of these entities and dig deeper into the religious aspects. What I think is the most fascinating part is that through film, especially the horror genre, you are given (for the most part) complete freedom portray things basically any way that you please. I mention both of these portrayals because whether the ghost is played off as some monster character or a strong connection to a loved one, these always manage to tie back to religion in some way. Many would say that religion deals with life and death, and what constitutes being a spirit? Being dead (or mostly) of course! Personally I would argue that it is always up to perspective and that religion doesn't necessarily have to do with these two phenomena, however it is often the case in these films that there is some religious backstory in regards to the spirit world and/or spirits themselves. When discussing these topics, they are often referred to as sensitive subjects depending on the viewer demographic. As for many of the films, minor thing such as religious symbols or cursed chants are spread throughout the storyline, and digging even deeper into this realm, we see origins of countless faiths, ranging from Catholic, Christian, to even Wiccan. Religion is scary, it is a scary topic when you're dealing with so many rules and strictures and each versions' idea of punishment and purgatory, as well as the afterlife, and that is what is so crazy about the film industry in particular. They are able to profit off of all of these ideas, yet most of them twist the original values for a shock factor. That is what makes it so interesting, Hollywood has created essentially a blackhole for filmmakers to express themselves, but also providing them the tools to explore what many will not.

Does religion play a key role?

Brandon James

After reading A Little History of Religion by Richard Holloway and explaining in detail about what he was trying to get across, I have taken an approach with the evidence I believed to be achievable. To begin with, I do not believe that the human existence created religion out of nowhere just because they wanted something to believe in. Religion has its main focal point and its purpose to everyone no matter what religion that may be. Some question that raised from the reading are: Is religion made up or accurate? Does religion play a key role through the lives of people, or does it just brainwash people with false hope?

In the early chapters od the book it begins to mention how the human existence explained the reason why they exist on earth. Going into further speculations we discover that people made up religion in their heads to create a sense of hope. As a man of faith, I find this challenging to believe because I know after reading the bible numerous times throughout my life the Bible his accurate and the teachings of God are real. I would agree that religion plays an impactful role through the lives of its believers, because it impacts an entire community or culture. Religion forms the way people think and act.  Each religion has its own code of conduct set for its followers to abide by, which gives them the challenge to see how strong that faith actually is. For instance, the ten commandments gives Christians a set of commands on how they should live and treat others. Another reason religion plays a key role in our lives is sue to the fact that it helps people deal with hard situations daily. For people without religion it may be hard to handle tough situations in their life, but with it they have faith to overcome any obstacle.

A Little History of Religion - Conflicts

When reading the first few chapters from A Little History of Religion by Richard Holloway and further discussing the main idea of those chapters in class, I realized that I found it hard to connect the idea that religion was created by humans with basically everything that religious people believe in. I found myself saying "Well yes this is obviously true, but doesn't it entirely erase the idea that any religion is real and valid?" and "How does one believe in this but also believe that religion was placed into our heads by God? Are believing in both even possible without contradicting the other?"

The first few lines of the book come right out with the idea that religion is created by humans having the innate desire to explain why we are on this earth and what we should do while we're on it. It also mentions that we are the only animal on the planet who found it necessary to have a higher power in the first place. In my opinion, these ideas and basically everything else mentioned in the later parts of the book completely shoot down the concept that religion was placed into the heads of the people by God (or any other deity that people worship) as we are meant to believe through our religious teachings. I couldn't wrap my mind around how somebody religious could hear the things written in this book and agree with it whilst still continuing to believe in their religion and their God.

As somebody who doesn't know much about what I believe in when it comes to the spiritual world and religion, reading something like this is almost dangerous. It further agrees with my rationale that humans just made everything up to explain the world around them, create a set of rational morals that they could get everyone in that religion to follow, and to produce a sense of purpose for humans in general, and to always be able to possess the faith that once we die there isn't just infinite nothingness. As a very literal person who doesn't normally believe in something just because it was told to me, why would I believe in God or follow a religion when there's proof like what's written in this book that essentially goes against the entire thing? Why would anyone?

To answer the questions above, and to rationalize the human thought process a bit more I turned to something that I have often heard my mother, a woman who believes in God, express throughout my lifetime. To explain her intermixing of believing in both science and her religious teachings at the same time she says that anything is possible, and if God is all-powerful like he's supposed to be, then he created every single thing and every single scientific phenomenon that happens on earth and to humans. If I think about it from this point of view, I can better understand how a person who believes in rational things like science or the ideas presented in this book, including the fact that humans created God with their minds, but could also believe in God at the same time. Although this book seemingly discredits the idea that God is real and almost makes it seem like just another natural thing that humans did in their free time to explain the world around them, if you think about God as being all-powerful as he is supposed to be, then why would he not be able to give humans the ability to think about him and create their own ideas of how he created the world?

How religion affects some people

What impact does religion have on people from the past and present?

          From the beginning of time religion has molded and shaped the way that people live. Religion has not only played a role in people's lives just by going to church but there could be something that people view is as important as a church. For some people that could be a person, cow, or spirit that they believe will guide them. Every religion or practice that people do usually has a set of rules that they go by. For example, in the Catholics church, they follow the Bible, ten commandments, and other rules that they believe are true and right. These different rules will give them a guide that they, for the most part, should abide by and it tells them what to do and what not to do. Since the church exists and people follow it this will give them morals that guide their lives, although those morals have changed quite a bit over time they are still relevant today. For other religions, they may meditate which can also change their lives because they have to set time aside just to do that specific thing when they could be doing other things that could possibly change their lives in a different way. In the past, the practices of different religions were much different and very complex compared to the ones we see today. One example is the story of the Slav's that we talked about in class and how they had such a specific ritual when one of the masters died because they could have wanted the stories to be remembered or they really believed that these odd rituals would benefit the person that passed away in some way. Overall religions have changed people's lives in countless ways and will continue to do so because people need a moral compass to go by because if you do not have morals what is the point in anything that you do?    

"Watched people are nice people"

In the section "Under the Gaze of Watchful Eyes," (Big Gods 19) Ara Norenzayan discusses the first principle of big gods, the idea that watched people are nice people. He bases this principle on vast evidence proving that when people are being watched or will be held accountable or punished for their actions, they behave better, follow the laws, and are nice people. I agree with what the author is saying, and the evidence is hard to dispute. Take for example the Stanford Prison Experiment, the participants were put into the roles of prisoners or guards and left unattended, without watchful eyes and someone to hold them accountable the experiment went horribly wrong and had to be ended only a few days after its start. Another example, which is popular in the news today is the use of body cameras for police officers. A police department in California implemented the use of cameras and found that not only did their officers perform their duties in more professional manners, the people that they came into contact with reacted differently knowing that they were being recorded. It is interesting to think that if we know someone is watching us at all times how it affects our behavior. If we never had the notion of a Big God watching our lives how different would humanity be today?

Another idea of being watched which we did not discuss in class is the negative supernatural watcher. Like the monsters or boogeyman, our parents may have said would "get you" if you didn't listen. No one wants to be taken by some unseen, mysterious monster, so we hear and do as we are told. In religion, there is the devil and demons, if one disobeys God or is not a good person they may go to hell instead of heaven. The idea of something negative also watching and waiting to punish negative actions is another method of encouraging good behavior. If we think that there is not only someone watching the good we do but also the bad and either will decide our fate perhaps we will be more likely to attempt to be better people.

Pop Culture

Although "Popular Culture" is such a normalized and widespread term, it is generally not often referred to or used in the vernacular of every day life. The way we tend to think about this phenomenon changes throughout the years based on what state the world is in. In most cases, when referencing pop culture, many automatically insert themselves into a mediastruck world filled with celebrities, musical artists, film series often with cult followings, so on and so forth. It is true that these things all contribute to what society usually means when discussing the term, however these are not the only contributors. Breaking down the term, popular culture is powered by it's own traction. Something doesn't have to just be a film or television series, a new album or even a celebrity charity drive. It can be made up of millions of things, simply starting with social media. You may not often assume social media is classified under popular culture, as it is merely a social platform, but this is the one thing that makes it such a huge contributor. Social media allows us to not only communicate directly with people all over the world, but this has recently become a highly significant news source. There are plenty of times when I personally am scrolling through my Twitter feed and finding out important information going on that hasn't even been broadcasted on the news. These news stations are also clearly taking advantage of the social media benefits, as it has now become easier for them to find stories to deliver. Social media provides so much opportunity for sharing, bonding, seeking help, and much more, which is why it is an incredibly important aspect of popular culture, along with the societal view so widely seen today.

What is pop culture to me ?

Pop culture as it would be defined today is the sharing of interests, beliefs, and or objects by mass communication and education. Some may also say it is of much importance because of its mass influence on society from food to fashion. Especially in western culture where pop culture plays apart in just about everything, there's a whole industry dedicated to studying and observing society's most popular beliefs, ideas, and customs. Pop culture in short is a number of people with a commonly shared interest in other and idea or object.

How I'm Grading this Blog

Excited to see your contributions to the blog so far! Here I just want to outline my expectations again, so you feel comfortable and confident about how this work is being evaluated.

First: from the syllabus...

***Blog Entries

The main way you will demonstrate your consistent, ongoing engagement with the material of this course is through weekly blog entries. Each week, you will be required to write a 300- to 500-word post that utilizes our recent materials in some way. Regardless of the approach you take, you must cite by page number at least one reading from the course so far. You also must make clear what you think the significance of your observations is. Each post should do one of the following:

1.      Raise a question about a reading or film in relation to our ongoing analysis of “the supernatural” and “religion,” then attempt to answer it.

2.      Respond to a classmate’s post from a previous week, using one or more readings or films to add to the discussion of that question.

3.      Write a post that directs our attention to an outside reading that you’ve encountered, summarize its findings and perspective, and then explain its connection to course concepts or questions.

4.      Occasionally I will give a specific prompt for you to respond to or an activity to conduct on the blog. If so, I’ll let you know at the beginning of the week.

Blog entries must be posted each week by Friday at 11:59pm unless stated differently in the schedule below.***

By the end of term you'll have written (at least) 15 blog posts. Each will be graded on a 1 to 5 scale, according to the following criteria:

A post that earns a 5 has 
1) raised a question about our shared material,
2) offered a plausible answer to that questions, based on
3) evidence from our readings or films, cited appropriately, and
4) explores concretely and creatively the significance of your observations, in order to
5) connect with other aspects of our study of religion and popular culture, with other classmates' reflections and questions on the blog, or with content and experiences "out there" in the larger world.

In other words...

5/5 = Fantastic! You’ve given evidence from the reading/film, explained clearly what you think it means, and offered some truly original thoughts on a critical piece of our shared content. You may have even connected ideas across different films/readings in a thoughtful, convincing way. It’s a significant, well-written contribution to our collective understanding of the material.

4/5 = Really well done. You’ve connected your thoughts to a specific part of the reading/film, and you’ve shown clearly that you can pull meaning out of what we watch together. Your interpretation makes sense, and you’ve done more than just summarize in your own words. You’ve clearly begun to follow up on the implications of what the author or filmmaker has presented to us. Perhaps though you could say more about its significance. Generally well written and organized, this is high quality work and you’re on the right track.

3/5 = Satisfactory. You’ve written something that appropriate responds to the question or prompt and demonstrates that you have some good ideas about what our film might mean. You might not have quoted a reading, but I can tell you’re thinking about the concepts they present. Your overall understanding of the reading/film or the appropriate concepts/methods isn’t quite coming through. That’s what class discussion is for – don’t get discouraged. It’s possible you’ve got one good idea that just needs more clarity and development. It’s also possible that you have mostly just summarized plot or restated what an author says. Summarizing ideas is a good start, but it is only the beginning. You could be on the verge of some really penetrating insights, but it needs a little more time to develop. Some work on the clarity of your writing might help, or perhaps you need to spend a little more time explaining the implications of what you’re saying. 

1/5 or 2/5 = You haven’t really completed the assignment. Either it’s too short, or you haven’t answered the question I asked. There may be significant problems with your writing. You may have just put it off too long and not had time to do well. I encourage you to work harder and give these little essays they time and attention they deserve. It’ll help you in the long run (in this class and beyond!).

Beginning with the second post (due Friday, 1/18), lateness will subtract a half-point. So 5 becomes 4.5, 4 a 3.5, and so on.

I will reply to some posts directly on the blog, but not to all. Some weeks I will post, but not all the time. I want this to be a space where you engage with each other (the classroom often being more of a question-and-answer space than a true dialogue).

I hope that what I've posted here serves as clear guidelines without stifling your creativity. I want to give you some structure and some clarity, but I also want you to make it your own. Remember that unless I put up a specific prompt, the post is open to where our work recently is taking you!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

pop culture to me

Pop Culture
Diamond Allen

         
         Pop culture is a term regularly used in our society. From what I know, the term 'pop culture' has only come from the mouths of an older generation. It's not hard to understand why that term comes from the mouth of someone older; That is because pop culture is aimed at the younger generation. To fully understand the term 'pop culture' one needs to know that pop culture is spread through the media for example problematic celebrities like Cardi B go viral on social media because of how she may show indifference to certain races, genders, and cultures. Because Cardi B is so popular right now she is considered a pop culture celebrity because she is liked by the younger generation and because of the presence she has on social media. Whether it's through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat, anything considered a trend will and can go viral on anyone of those apps. Considering how society lives today, I would have to say that pop culture is important. I wouldn't say it's a necessity but I would say that having pop culture/media is important. The reason pop culture is so important is because it's an influence, that wildly impacts everything such as music, food, clothes, etc etc. Pop culture can also help you form bonds with other people. you can build a relationship with someone with the same interest as you because of pop culture. whether someone sees it or not pop culture can affect society. It can also change your personality, or your identity all over. There are negative and positive sides to pop culture and building friendships is the positive side. The negative side of pop culture is the changing of personality or your identity as a whole. As teens and young adult we spend most of our time on social media because we find it fun. No one really uses social media for the news unless it is news about a celebrity dying, coming out with more music, or they're coming out with a makeup and clothing line. The things we see that are considered popular will change the way we eat, dress, and think because we don't want to be criticized for being different or out of a trend. This will then causes us to alter our personalities because we want to be that person that everyone likes. Changing our identity maybe cool at first, but it will really start to affect you when you start losing your true self. Pop culture is the definition of a millennial and it does have its ups and downs, it just depends on how we come to terms with it.

Reality versus Fantasy....

How does superheroes and the supernatural relate to the dimensions of religion? I think it begins with the history of how the universe came about. Religions have been around for decades, and many people often question or wonder about their existence or life after death. For reasons beyond the human comprehension, the universe is known to be from a place that does not exist within our natural world, in which we call supernatural. Many people nowadays have rituals they perform, mythic narratives that they believe in, and other sacrifices they may make based on their values and what they worship. I often question myself and ask how I or others worship something or someone that is unseen. How can we believe in a higher power and trust that power to guide us through life? Initially, there is not right or wrong way to confirm or answer these questions, however, I think as we have previously discussed in class that pop culture has a lot to do with our beliefs and values especially when it comes to worshiping a certain figure. Today, many people idolize and practice many different rituals that correlates with religion and the superhero and the supernatural. For instance, in colleges all over the world, many people join groups in where their beliefs and values lie such as Greek organizations. Through the membership of these Greek organizations, people practice rituals that emphasize their values in life such as sisterhood or brotherhood. Another example of rituals is when a group of people idolizes their favorite action hero, and then proceeds to learn the codes, behaviors, languages, etc. that connects them to others who identify as one of the same. Being Megafans of a celebrity or a fictional superhero allows people to become accustomed to their environment. Religions people often attend Sunday services, bible study, choir, and other institutions such as churches to show commitment and loyalty to that “higher power.”

Much like religion, the supernatural helps us define our understanding of the world through lessons, and the narrative that is being told repeatedly. For example, many believe in the idea of “payback” or karma, but I think karma is just an illusion to frighten people and get them to idolize the doctrinal of being in someone else’s control. This leads to my other question; can karma be a symbolization for a religious belief or is it just a mythic illusion? Like many religions, there is a narrative that many people choose to honor and believe. I think karma is a way to justify and prioritizes a person’s way of living so that they believe the universe controls things out of their control. Karma to me, is a way to acknowledged reality versus fantasy by allowing people to idolize such supernatural beliefs such as karma the same way they idolized a specific God or superhero. My other question is can superheroes be used as a religious figure or symbolize an aspect of religion?  In my opinion, I think superheroes also have a special place in the religious aspect because many people create and follow this image that kind of portrays how many follow such religious beliefs. For example, on page 13 in world religions by Ninian Smart the author states that “every tradition has some practices to which it adheres---- for instances regular worship, preaching, prayers and so on.” With many fans of superheroes such as trekkies or the Star Wars fan club, comic con is a ritual that many attends religiously to show that loyalty to that higher figure that they look up to. Like many religions, the Comic – con represents the “altar” and symbolizes a place of worship.

what is pop culture?

Brandon James

What is Pop Culture? When the term ‘Pop Culture’ comes to mind I think of the society that we live in today. Literally everything around is can be considered pop culture from: gaming, movies, music, and sports. Anything that is popular, or trending can be defined as pop culture. The popular opinion of the consumers creates the pop culture towards an idea. The most common form that we see everyday would be entertainment. Entertainment is what this generation thrives upon as crazy as that may seem, especially in our younger population. Social media plays a huge importance with what society considers to be popular. There are so many influencers that have taken advantage of these social media schemes to where anything they say or do can impact everything around them. For example, our president Donald Trump is one of the biggest trolls out there and he says the darnest things on Twitter which a lot of people take offense to. Social media spreads quicker than the common cold. I hear about what’s happening all over the world on social media than I do on the news channel. Maybe its just a generation x thing? Most people I know don’t even have basic cable anymore because they watch Netflix and YouTube everything now or even Firestick TV. The prime example of pop culture would be Smartphones! Smartphones have completely taken advantage over the world. We are all brainwashed and addicted to the point where we are dependent on these hand-held objects. Honestly, I’m curious to where our technology will be in the next ten-fifteen years because we are rapidly evolving and adapting coming up with new ideas every day.  Pop culture’s the center of our lives and interesting to think about because we all enjoy the happiness that comes with it.

Pop Culture to me

What is Pop Culture? When I hear the word Pop Culture I instantly think of the generation I was born in, and everything that we have in our generation such as social media, technology, fashion, and music. Pop Culture is the majority of a certain culture we may follow that is perhaps the most popular thing that is out at the moment. Social media has started this platform for Pop Culture, it's easier to follow the most popular things out in the world today such as your favorite music artist, any major league sports team, fashion icons or even the hottest shows out on Netflix, Hulu and on regular cable. For example, stated in, The Routledge Companion To Religion And Popular Culture, "Pop" artists who go to packed performances along with thousands of other in giant arenas and the various types of popular music will attract different audiences as well." And I feel that Pop Culture has a lot to come with music and definitely with all the different music that has come out in our generation has really affected our generation in the long run. Pop Culture in our lives has really defined our millennium generation, the place it stands in many lives is the Center of everything we do in our young adult life if you look around and see what kids and young adults are doing and how they respond with certain things and then you take a deeper look into social media and the most popular music artist there is. Once you take a closer look, you'll notice that there are very close similarities between the people and the things that define Pop Culture. For an example, many women on social media have this there where they say "men aren't shit", its the most popular thing that you'll see women say just because this is apart of the Pop Culture all on social media. That many women use because  of how other men may treated women, but the statement has became a regular statement for all women on social media will say. Pop culture has became one of the biggest things in our society today, I say it has became the buggesg thing on our society based on experience of older generation may be gravitating towards some of the Pop Culture that is in our society today and it could be from music,fashion and even following your favorite major league team and getting on social media to see what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.

Pop Culture, Religion, and Society

    The Cambridge dictionary defines pop culture as “music, TV, cinema, books, etc. that are popular and enjoyed by ordinary people, rather than experts or very educated people” The concept of popular culture is in its name, it is widely excepted or popular among a culture. Popular culture, however, in my opinion, does not belong to just one culture. Because it stems from widely available sources such as music, books, and movies to name a few, it can transcend a variety of nationalities and cultures around the world. Pop culture, like religion, has to ability to bring people together to create a sense of unity and belonging among those who also appreciate the same things. The examples of pop culture such as the music we listen to, the books we read, the characters or celebrities we admire in some way shape our lives and our views of the world much like religion do for those who follow it.  

    One example I am most familiar with of where pop culture has strongly influenced a diverse number of people would be Harry Potter. The books were released from 1997 to 2007, I was in third grade when the first one came out and a junior in high school when the last was published. The popularity of the books followed by the movies created a community of people who like me had virtually grown up alongside Harry and his friends. Translated into multiple languages, people from all different backgrounds were brought together, we read the books, saw the movies, and even today as adults are still fascinated with the boy who lived. Fans of Harry Potter came together to discuss their love of the characters, of the magical world we all wished to exist in, and the trials that they faced to defeat evil. Potterheads, as the fandom is named, learned valuable lessons like facing our fears, standing up for what is right even in complicated circumstances, and “that happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one remembers to turn on the light” (J.K. Rowling). These lessons have followed us from adolescence to adulthood, and while it may not be as prominent in the media as it was then, we remember how we felt, and how the words and actions influenced our lives.  

    Much like religion, the different forms of popular culture can teach us lessons, to inspire us and make us feel things. We learn stories of good and evil, right and wrong, what makes a good person and how our choices shape our path in life and affect those around us. Religion brings its followers together in much the same way pop culture brings together those who subscribe to follow a specific trend, musical group, or fandom. It encourages conversation and allows those from different cultures and walks of life to learn from and about each other creating a sort of global society or culture through similar interests. 

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/pop-culture

https://www.forbes.com/sites/francesbridges/2017/06/26/the-inspiring-life-lessons-harry-potter-taught-us/#5f9403818580

Pop Culture From The Past

     What is Pop Culture

          In my opinion pop culture is popular things that are relevant in either the time period that you live in or the place that you live. Some examples of pop culture, in the past, is the expansion westward to try and find gold and another example could be the popularity of drug use in the seventies. Some may not think that the movement westward isn't considered "pop culture", but to me it is. This fits in the category of pop culture because everyone in that time period was doing it and it was one of the biggest most common things going on so it is in that category. The gold rush is, in my opinion, one of the most influential cultural movements to ever happen in America and could be considered one of the first "pop culture" things to happen. The other pop culture time period that I thought was important is the 1970s. This time period was important to the definition pop culture because it was in fact that. At this time a lot of the young people in America started doing more and more drugs and it seemed to continue to spread more every day. This is a very good example because the popularity of drugs was the biggest thing happening and just like when you think of the words pop culture you think something is popular, but the drug movement was more than just popular is was the biggest thing all around and possibly one of the most popular things of all time. Just like many people go to church and practice their religion's the people in both the gold rush and the drug movement practiced what they were doing in a religious way. The way that people were doing these things all day every day can be a form of religion because of the practice and in a way it can shape the way that they lived their lives and can also alter what they believe is right from wrong such as stealing out west or joining cults and other groups for the hippies in the 70s.       

My Take On Pop Culture

When I think about what "pop culture" means, it often takes me a moment to come up with a definition. What I do know off the top of my head is that it is very much intertwined with my life, and has truly played a part in shaping the lives of people for decades.
Oftentimes when thinking about "pop culture" my mind almost automatically jumps to various things such as artists, media, phrases, dances, etc... that have been popular during my lifetime. These famous people were not and are not simply famous people, they are people who had and still have cult followings of devoted fans that would literally live their lives for them. Their influences also often spread much farther than to their fans base.

When it comes down to it, some of the biggest names I think of are: Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Soulja Boy, Eminem (etc...) What I can distinctly remember about these artists is the fact that basically everyone knew them at the time that they were most popular, and probably still know about them now. Whether you were a young kid or a grown adult, in the year 2010 or so, you could probably associate at least one of these artists with their most popular songs, or could even think of their faces almost instantly if they were brought up. The impact that these people had, spread throughout more than just the music world. Their influences literally crept into peoples daily lives whether those people listened to them or not.
If you were a child in The United States during the time that these people were at their peaks, your childhood memories probably have something to do with at least one of them, and if you were an adult you either liked them along with your kids, were terrified that your children would be subjected to their music, or were somewhere in between. Even if you had no idea who Soulja Boy was, you were probably subjected to the dance that was associated with his popular single. When it comes down to it, these celebs likely had some impact on your life in one way or another.

In fact, one of the biggest examples of a pop culture phenomenon that snuck its way into most peoples lives isn't even a song or a movie. It's when Taylor Swift was interrupted by Kanye West at the 2009 MVA awards. Whether you watched the 2009 MVA awards or didn't even know that they existed, back in 2009, you most likely heard about this event, and if you didn't, you may have just been ignoring everyone who talked about it. In fact, even in 2019, 10 years down the road, if you were to ask the average American if they remember this taking place, they are likely to still remember it. I find this to be a great example of an iconic pop culture event.

To me, pop culture is more than just what society is into at the moment; It's what society is shaped by at a certain time in history.
In some way, all of the artists that I mentioned above (and more) have had something to do with who we are today as a society.

My point on this can be easily explained by taking a look at America's favorite yet most hated family: The Kardashians. When the reality TV show Keeping Up With The Kardashians first debuted, they were nothing more than a simple semi-famous upper-middle-class family who had their ties to the OJ Simpson Trial and (another pop culture icon of the early 2000s,) Paris Hilton. In fact, reality TV of this nature was just barely becoming popular. If you take a look at them today, they have not only created themselves in a bigger way than anyone would have thought possible, but they have created new fashions, new trends, and new ways of life, and can even be credited with creating America's obsession with peering into people's lives through watching their every move on television. Everything from the trendy clothes that teens and 20-year-olds wear today, makeup trends that most women implicate in their everyday routines, to actual body/surgical trends such as wanting to have big butts, lips, and boobs and also little tiny waists on top of all of it can be accredited to this one family. Even if people did not watch their show, or claim to hate these women, the simple fact that those people know enough about them to verbally dislike them shows just how much they weaseled their way into our culture.

Another instance of pop culture shaping the world around us is how in recent years we have been creating new words on nearly a monthly basis. Many of these words having their roots in songs, tv shows, movies, and the internet. The words that most people under 35 and some on-trend older people use pretty often today such as selfie, stan, meme, turn up, lit, ship, woke etc... are all examples of popular culture in what we call "the 2010's." With the internet, we also see an influx of new memes and dances nearly every day that creep into our lives one way or another, changing what we are fixated on or what we say and do.

New words, styles, trends, and looks that pop up during specific eras have been a part of pop culture for decades, but with the internet, these are able to spread like wildfire, and in a sense, completely change our little worlds and how our pop culture reaches us, setting our decade apart from the rest.
In my opinion, there is a pretty fitting reason that the word "culture" is included in the words "pop culture." Culture is defined as: "the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social groups." and if you apply this definition to pop culture but think about it as pertaining to celebrities and media, it can still fit pretty well into that definition.
Pop culture is basically a way of life that is shared between wide groups of people, no matter the cultural background, and is something that shapes us into who we are as a society, whether we want it to or not.