Each year a photo is taken of the high-school graduating class, and you can see the current trends in hairstyle and clothing. Ten years pass, and there is usually a reunion photo, showing the updated styles.
What gets me is when the classmates with similar hairstyles, although separated by distance, will often end up with the same hairstyle.
I suppose this could be just the overwhelming pressure of mass media, targeting a frequency I don't perceive, that affects graduates of the same age.
Pop Culture pushes our perceptions here and there, but we are the ones that make the ultimate choice as to our appearance. Or are we? Is there something even more sinister, an unknown force that already has us in its grip? ...A demonic waste-product of Popular Culture that has infiltrated our decision making processes. I call this the "style track".
If you meet up with someone from your generation, and you see the similarity, run! Fight! Flee! Change! Dig deep!
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It's probably just a passing phase...
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Who is this?
- Sean Benson
- got a BA in Education at Eastern Washington University. He enjoys math, art, science, and the quintessential joy of being around friends. He does not enjoy applying for jobs.
6 comments:
Not sure why you'd assume that Popular Culture is a bad thing. I suppose you are uncomfortable with the idea that you are subconsiously affected by it, but I think it could be seen as a good thing. Pop culture creates a feeling of unity. All those people with the same hair-style--even if they were miles apart and living totally unconnected lives, they were still experiencing some of the same things and going through life "together" in a sense.
Sorry Amanda--I logged on as you earlier. Here's what I was thinking:
Popular culture in itself is just a thing. I'm amused that it is affecting us while we think we're so free to determine who we are.
What gets me all weirded out is that the culture has defined how we make choices, and is therefore a self-perpetuating series of choices... you start off all Tabula Rosa and within a few steps your path is pretty much chosen for you.
I'm saying it's important to fight that.
Okay, I agree that the unifying forces of pop culture can be a good thing. But at what price?
If everyone IS following the same path, this is the reason there's "nothing new under the sun". If we refuse to step out, how will we discover new things about the world and grow as society? And where is the path taking us?
Hmmm I am curious now what I said that was so offensive as to be removed by the administrator....
Sean--
I still disagree.
***you start off all Tabula Rosa and within a few steps your path is pretty much chosen for you.***
First of all, we don't start off with a blank slate--we start off with fully-coded DNA. Now, that doesn't determine fully who we are, but it certainly directs our future from moment one. It limits us in some ways, but in other ways...well, it's the reason we're alive at all.
***the unifying forces of pop culture can be a good thing. But at what price? If everyone IS following the same path, this is the reason there's "nothing new under the sun".***
I think the great thing about pop culture is that it doesn't actually define everyone. Sure there are some people who feel at home in it, and they are the ones who are actually creating it, so that seems fair to me. But the rest of us are more likely to be involved in some sort of anti-pop-culture or sub-culture or some other mix. I hate the whole "rage against the machine" mindset (not the band, but the ideas). It's like it only refers to people you see on TV. I don't know about you, but most of the people I know are pretty much just awesome individuals, not sheeps. We're all making our own way in the world.
***If we refuse to step out, how will we discover new things about the world and grow as society?***
We are discovering new things about the world every day and we're defintly growing as a society. We face a lot of problems in the world today, but I don't think lack of individuality and growth is one of the biggies.
Sean Juan, This has nothing to do with this post, but I figure you check your blog more often than you check your email, so here it is.
Found a like I think you'll like:
http://ekarj.com/261/postmodern-mazes/#more-261
Enjoy!
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