HUM080 Module 1 - Lesson 1 Introduction to Popular Culture

Summary

This lecture explores various definitions of popular culture, emphasizing its widespread appeal and accessibility. It contrasts popular culture with high culture, highlighting the latter's exclusivity and inaccessibility. Popular culture is characterized by its mass appeal, originating from the people, and its role as a site of struggle involving power dynamics and social influence. The lecture promises to delve deeper into these aspects, particularly the relationship between culture and ideology.

Takeaways

• 😀 Popular culture is widely favored or liked by many people and includes various forms of media, shows, and stories.
• 🎭 High culture, such as opera, is exclusive and less accessible compared to popular culture, which is more widely available and affordable.
• 🌐 Popular culture is often considered mass culture, designed to appeal to a broad audience through accessibility and mass media platforms like television and streaming services.
• 👥 It originates from the people, showcasing their creativity, artistic talents, and other abilities, and is influenced by public opinion and feedback.
• 🎨 Popular culture is not just entertainment; it can also be a site of struggle involving power dynamics, social influence, and politics.
• 📺 Popular culture icons are often associated with positive reception and are well-liked by the public, becoming widely recognized.
• 🎤 Examples of popular culture include television series, music genres like rock and K-pop, and various forms of media that are easily consumable.
• 🏙️ High culture is often sophisticated and not affordable for many, making it less popular in comparison to more accessible popular culture.
• 🌟 The popularity of cultural elements is determined by people's engagement and the ease with which they can access and enjoy these cultural products.
• 🔍 Future lessons will explore the relationship between popular culture and ideology, further examining the role of power and politics in shaping cultural content.

Q & A

What is popular culture?

Popular culture is a concept that can be described in various ways, but it generally refers to a culture widely favored or liked by many people, considered as mass culture, originating from the people, and can also be a site of struggle.

How is popular culture defined in terms of its reception?

Popular culture is defined by its positive reception and being well liked by a large number of people, making it widely known and liked.

What is the difference between popular culture and high culture?

High culture is characterized by its exclusivity and difficulty of access, often being sophisticated and not affordable by many, while popular culture is more accessible, affordable, and not exclusive in nature.

Can you provide an example of high culture?

Opera is a common example of high culture, known for its exclusivity and the fact that it is expensive and not commonly accessible.

How does popular culture differ from high culture in terms of accessibility?

Popular culture is more accessible and affordable compared to high culture, with examples like rock music or K-pop being widely available and easier to engage with than opera.

What is meant by popular culture having 'mass appeal'?

Popular culture is designed to be likable to as many people as possible, being accessible and easy to get into, which contributes to its mass appeal.

How does the origin of popular culture relate to the people?

Popular culture originates from the people, showcasing their efforts, creativity, artistic talents, and other abilities through various media works, books, video games, shows, and more.

Why is it important to appreciate popular culture?

It is important to appreciate popular culture because it represents the effort and creativity of the people behind the works, and it also reflects people's perceptions and feedback.

How can popular culture be a site of struggle?

Popular culture can be a site of struggle because it involves power dynamics and social influence, with different motives behind the creation and dissemination of popular media works.

What role do people play in determining the popularity of something?

People play a crucial role in determining the popularity of something in popular culture by giving opinions and feedback, and their engagement is necessary to identify something as popular.

What are some examples of popular culture mentioned in the script?

Examples of popular culture mentioned include television series, celebrities hosting segments, internet content, video games, music, and printed materials.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Understanding Popular Culture

The lecture begins with an exploration of popular culture, emphasizing its multifaceted nature. Popular culture is defined as widely favored or liked by many, often associated with positive reception. It includes major works in various media forms such as television, the internet, video games, and music. The lecture notes that not all cultural elements become popular; it requires a significant number of people to like them. Examples of popular culture icons are discussed, highlighting their accessibility and appeal to the masses, contrasting with high culture, which is characterized by exclusivity and limited accessibility, such as opera.

05:02

🎭 The Dynamics of Popular and High Culture

The second paragraph delves into the concept of popular culture as a residual category, contrasting it with high culture. High culture is described as sophisticated and less accessible, with opera serving as a prime example. Popular culture, in contrast, is more accessible and affordable, exemplified by genres like rock music and K-pop. The lecture discusses the mass appeal of popular culture, its design to be likable to as many people as possible, and the ease of access contributing to its popularity. The paragraph also touches on the origins of popular culture, emphasizing the creative efforts of people behind media works and the importance of public engagement in determining popularity. It concludes by hinting at the complex interplay of power, politics, and social influence within popular culture, which will be further explored in future lessons.

Keywords

💡Popular Culture

Popular culture refers to the ideas, perspectives, attitudes, images, and other phenomena that are widely circulated within a society by mass media. In the video, it is described as a culture widely favored or liked by many people, highlighting its accessibility and mass appeal. Examples given include television shows, music genres like rock and K-pop, and various forms of media that are widely consumed and enjoyed by the general public.

💡High Culture

High culture is characterized by its exclusivity, sophistication, and often, its inaccessibility to the masses. It is contrasted with popular culture in the video as something that is not widely accessible or affordable, such as opera. High culture is typically associated with refined tastes and is often considered the domain of the elite or well-educated.

💡Mass Appeal

Mass appeal in the context of popular culture means that the content is designed to be likable and accessible to as many people as possible. The video explains that popular culture has mass appeal because it is easy to access and consume, making it attractive to a broad audience. Examples include television shows and music that are widely available on platforms like Netflix.

💡Accessibility

Accessibility, as discussed in the video, refers to the ease with which people can engage with and enjoy cultural products. Popular culture is described as more accessible than high culture, meaning it can be easily obtained and enjoyed by a wide range of people without significant financial or educational barriers.

💡Iconic

An iconic element of popular culture is one that has become widely recognized and emblematic of the culture itself. The video mentions that not all cultural products automatically become popular and iconic; it requires a positive reception and widespread liking. Iconic examples from the script include well-known television series and music artists.

💡Originates from the People

This concept in the video suggests that popular culture is created by and for the people, reflecting their tastes, interests, and creativity. It emphasizes the role of individuals in shaping popular culture through their contributions to media, art, and entertainment. The video points out that the popularity of cultural products is often determined by public engagement and feedback.

💡Site of Struggle

The video describes popular culture as a 'site of struggle,' indicating that it is not merely about entertainment but also involves power dynamics, politics, and social influence. This concept suggests that the creation and dissemination of popular culture can be a battleground for different interests and ideologies, with various groups vying to shape cultural narratives.

💡Media Works

Media works are creations such as films, television shows, music, and other forms of content that are disseminated through various media channels. The video discusses how media works are a significant part of popular culture, often reflecting the interests and values of the masses and contributing to the cultural landscape.

💡Cultural Products

Cultural products encompass a wide range of items and experiences that are part of a culture, including art, literature, music, and entertainment. In the video, cultural products are discussed as the tangible outcomes of creative efforts that contribute to the fabric of popular culture and are consumed by the public.

💡Engagement

Engagement in the context of popular culture refers to the active participation and interaction of people with cultural content. The video emphasizes that engagement is crucial for determining the popularity of cultural products, as it reflects public interest and can influence the direction and nature of popular culture.

💡Power Dynamics

Power dynamics in popular culture refer to the influence and control that certain groups or individuals have over the creation and dissemination of cultural content. The video suggests that power dynamics can shape what becomes popular, as those with influence can promote certain ideas, values, or products over others.

Highlights

Popular culture is defined as a culture widely favored or liked by many people.

Popular culture can be seen as what remains after distinguishing high culture.

High culture is characterized by exclusivity and difficulty of access, contrasting with popular culture's accessibility.

Popular culture is considered mass culture with broad appeal designed to be likable to as many people as possible.

Popular culture originates from the people, showcasing their creativity and artistic talents.

Popular culture is not exclusive and is easy to engage with, unlike high culture which is often expensive and less common.

Examples of popular culture include television series, music, video games, and internet media.

Popular culture icons are often associated with positive reception and are well-liked by the masses.

The struggle for popularity in popular culture involves people's opinions and feedback, which are crucial for something to become iconic.

Popular culture is more than just entertainment; it can also involve power dynamics and social influence.

The concept of popular culture will be further explored in future lessons, particularly in relation to culture and ideology.

Popular culture is a site of struggle, indicating that it's not merely about leisure but also about power and politics.

Accessibility is a key factor in what makes something part of popular culture, as it needs to be easy to consume.

The contrast between high culture, like opera, and popular culture, like rock music or K-pop, illustrates the difference in accessibility and cost.

Popular culture's mass appeal is achieved through its design to be as likable as possible to a broad audience.

The people behind popular culture, such as creators and performers, play a significant role in shaping its content and appeal.

Transcripts

hello everyone in this lecture we will

discuss about the different definitions

of popular culture

popular culture is a concept that can be

described in many ways but for this

lecture we'll be focusing on the

following definitions popular culture

can be defined as a culture widely

favorite or like by many people it can

also be defined as a culture left over

after we have decided what is high

culture it is also a culture considered

as a quote-unquote mass culture it is

also a culture that originates from the

people and it can also be described as a

site of struggle so let's discuss these

definitions in detail in the next few

slides

for the first definition popular culture

is a culture widely favored or liked by

many people

from the word itself popular culture it

means that it is something that is

indeed well known now usually there are

certain things to consider about things

in popular culture there are indeed many

major Works shows stories movies films

or other video works in general there

can be so many of those kinds of things

but only a few

are actually considered as something

that you'd often call answer popular

culture icon the idea here is that for

something that to be considered as part

of popular culture it is often

associated with being well liked so

there's a positive reception as well or

a positive opinion from people as well

so the reason why it's also popular is

basically because many people like that

so for example you can see this as an

example in

in the television like in teleseries in

theories in general

from non-tang shows for example they

utilize different celebrities for their

shows for hosting the segments in their

shoes you can also see popular culture

in different Technologies as well like

in the internet in video games in total

media and of course other media forms as

well also have popular culture like in

music can also be printed materials so

basically there can be many different

sources of popular culture but not all

of these actually become automatically

very popular and iconic it takes a lot

for something to become popular and

iconic and usually what is attributed to

that is that many people should actually

like that thing in the first place

let's move on to the second definition

of popular culture

popular culture is a culture left over

after we have decided what is high

culture now what is the so-called High

culture anime High culture is something

known for its exclusivity and difficulty

of access and it's basically the

opposite of popular culture which is

considered as more accessible but what

do we mean by being accessible are not

difficult to access

now when you're talking about high

culture this is usually regarded as

something that's sophisticated or high

level

and not many people could actually

afford to go or to Avail of this kind of

thing in high quarter a good example or

a common example of this one would be

opera The Art of Opera

now we know that Opera is usually very

very expensive it's also not very

commonly done and oftentimes uh you see

this one more in other countries and

here in the Philippines and the general

idea about this one is that it's

basically so high-end that not many

people can afford it so it's not

something that you'd often describe as

something for the masses or in Tagalog

now compared to something that's usually

considered as part of popular culture

like for example rock music or K-pop

so unlike Opera wherein it's quite hard

to get Ninja about it or to actually

watch it but for example if you look at

rock music for example or K-pop music

this is basically everywhere so for

example there are people in most that

perform rock music

keep open meeting from television for

example or maybe you can also see this

ones from

um other places like concerts so the

concerts can be free or sometimes they

also have payment but the idea here is

that it's generally more accessible and

affordable

compared to for example the Opera so

that's basically the idea about popular

cultures a culture left over after we

have decided what is high culture so

popular culture is not exclusive in

nature it's easy to get into

now for the third definition popular

culture is a culture considered as a

mass culture popular culture is said to

have Mass Appeal this means that it's

designed to be as likable as possible to

as many people as possible so how can we

any how can many people like something

in the first place so it should be

accessible so this means that it should

be something that is easy to get into

like for example if you're going to

produce a show for instance so for

someone to actually know about show in

the first place it should be easy to

watch the show that's why oftentimes you

can see shows becoming popular those are

the shows that come from me history

media like in television or for example

in Netflix so a lot of people are able

to access this piece and that ease of

access adds to the max appeal

so that's basically the general idea

when it comes to popular culture as

being a mass culture it's made to appeal

to a lot of people as much as possible

now as for the fourth definition popular

culture is a culture that originates

from the people

these things that we enjoy in popular

culture like different media works

books video games shows and so on and so

forth there are people Behind These

works as well people's efforts

creativity artistic talents and other

abilities

they are often also being showcased

through these things in popular culture

that's why it's also good to appreciate

it also things in popular culture

because there is effort put by the

people who are inside of making these so

that's why popular culture is indeed a

culture that Origins from the people

also at the same time for something to

be considered as popular

there are people who actually

Give opinions or feedback about

something's popularity so popularity

also depends on people's perceptions

without people's engagement how will you

be able to identify something as popular

in the first place

and last but not least popular culture

can be described as a site of struggle

it is said that popular culture is more

than entertainment and Leisure and it

can also be a matter of power and

politics as I mentioned before there are

people behind popular media works and

people can have different motives when

it comes to the networks that we do so

of course sometimes power dynamics and

social influence may also come into the

picture and affect the content or things

that you see also in popular culture now

we'll cover these kinds of aspects of

popular culture in our future lessons

particularly the ones about culture and

ideology but for now I hope that you're

able to understand

or get a general idea of the definitions

the different definitions of popular

culture

not

and that concludes our lesson for today

thank you very much and stay safe always

everyone