Is pop culture replaceing culture?

Is MTV becomeing the cultural outlet for todays kids?

Is the next generation of kids not going to know that Romeo and Juliet was a play and not something Leo stared in?

Will kids not be able to make a distinction between Bach and Puff Daddy?

My thoughts: I think that reading is being replaced by the less time consuming TV and kids of the next generation and their kids are going to stop putting an importance on learning plays and going to see theater and put more importance on who Britney (or whatever pop legend is available) is dateing or who the cutest member of some teen drama is.

It's not just MTV (something I stopped viewing when I was 14), it's American pop culture in general that is creating the next generation of the generic. Trends, styles, celebrities, musicians, fast food places, etc.. It all has a major influence around the world. Cultures are dying because of this. For example, Tribes in Africa are begin to sport western clothing and turning there back on traditional dress. Go to almost any country in the world, and you will find a Mc Donalds there, or a CoCa Cola ad. (Mc Donalization is a great book that talks about the issue of pop culture influence). Is this a sign of advancement, stepping forward? Or a sign that we as a world society have taken a step away from our roots.

It doesn't affect just kids, it affects us all. It's hard to keep your sense of self when you don't see "you" (your culture) being represented at all in this age of "pop culture". I know I sometimes struggle with keeping my sense of identity; an identity I'm still building.

Take care

::Chelle::

I disagree with this somewhat... as a parent I think that it is up to me to expose my children to culture. If children are to know what Romeo & Juliet are the parents are ultimatly responsible.
I do agree that westenization of the rest of the world is happening, but I also look to influences that come to the US from other countries, time will tell if this is good or bad though.

-ping_me

I am not all that certain that the question is really pertinent or not. Culture changes, it has always changed, sometimes slowly, sometimes more rapidly. We are currently in a period of seemingly rapid change and yet many things are in regression.

I agree that a lower percentage of kids will go to plays than may have in the past. Honestly though how many do. I am not from a big city where there are many plays to attend. I rarely go to local theater because the quality is poor. When I was growing up these were not available to me where I lived and they continue to be unavailable. I have yet to attend a live Shakespeare play although I have read many of his plays myself.

There are many influences on culture and MTV, VH-1 and TV is one but is not a major one. One of the influences is a childs need to feel different from his parents. So they listen to different music, dress differently, try to act more enlightened. Then as they mature they tend to drop a lot of the more childish aspects of their behavior. Responsibility brings another dose of reality and a stabilizing effort. Finally family brings even more. This is generalizing and only pertains to a majority of the population not to every individual. The next step is for them to complain and moan about how their children will be the doom of civilization and the end of culture.

The things that worry me aren't the piercings and the tattoos. The music and the rebellion are not what concern me. What concerns me is when the adult population seem to be unwilling to enforce any type of restraint on themselves or allow any type of moral training to be instilled in the next generation. I fully expected my kids to rebel against what they had been taught but I also fully expect them to come back to it as they mature. So far both predictions have been working out pretty much like I expected.

It is not the kids who will ruin culture and damage society, it is the adults. If our generation continues its trend of selfish abandonment, increasing divorce rates, judicial law making, and unfettered values then what example to we leave for the next. I am worried about us not about the kids.

plays and music are merely the tip of the cultural iceberg. your example is excellent for showing the degradation in modern culture for the appreciation of classical arts. and of course hinting at possible effects associated with this.
but the real heartache lies not within the contents of the "programs" and what they are promoting, but _WHAT_ they are promoting. i refer of course to the advertisement interludes that accompany each and every television program that airs, and the crap they implant into the minds of the worlds youth with image and song*. and as we all know, song is the medium of choice for Crap Pushers the world over, and i hate to admit it, but it sticks in your head better than the printed word. (I never choosed to have britney and her minions in my head http://www.postmodernvillage.com/eas...1/1a-0004.html )
somewhat deviating from the topic of how culture is changing, it is remarkable to note how language is changing, and how fast too. with the recent developments and successes of various communication devices and technologies (tv being a one-way only com. device) such as instant messaging and SMS, people are able to talk more. and so, or as some people believe, this is speeding up the natural development of language.
tyvm 4 readn dis far
u wer gr8 phun 2 rite 4
*BBC rulz man
p34C3
0ut

So could it just be that in a struggle for power throughout our existence we just device better evil scheme's to rule the world as a whole..and the individuals also ..communication plays a big part in that I guess... Overheard somebody doing his cultural musical bit saying.."the best trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist".
Now I'm on a path that gives me a feeling that it's not only about god and the devil as beings but more as statements..helpfull hints to guide you through your surroundings so to speak... We all know things and actions could be wrong..it's all about keeping your distance and testing for the greater good...big brother stuff and all that.. Suppose culture is here to help us find our way...what did george orwell mean back then writing 1984..was it really about the future..or already happening..that's a question we should start asking ourselves maybe It seems silly to let the discussion float off into a meaningless debate what our culture is, should be and will never be unless we accept it as something that is ours...nature has been a while ago..maybe some of us can still remember waking up in the morning hearing the birds whistle and feeling the sun on your face..

The powerpuffs could be right!!...

pop-culture/commercialism is the destruction of culture i nthe united states.... ive noticed that a LOT of people are blindly following everyhting they see on tv or read i nthere pop magizines. more recentally though ive noticed an increase in kids that are interested in political matters, and seeing what the pop culture has done to us. Those that i see are into pop culture tend to make very bad leaders, role models, and people in general. they are fake and materialistic. they ahve no exposure to the world and many of its evils. they live inside an eggshell of simplicity and comfort... unknowing of the evils waiting them whe they have to make a decision on their own

pop-culture/commercialism is the destruction of culture i nthe united states.... ive noticed that a LOT of people are blindly following everyhting they see on tv or read i nthere pop magizines. more recentally though ive noticed an increase in kids that are interested in political matters, and seeing what the pop culture has done to us. Those that i see are into pop culture tend to make very bad leaders, role models, and people in general. they are fake and materialistic. they ahve no exposure to the world and many of its evils. they live inside an eggshell of simplicity and comfort... unknowing of the evils waiting them whe they have to make a decision on their own

in my area "ME" , i see lots of kids moving to that culture, MTV + others ... but after what's going on these days regarding Iraq and Jerusalem and the other bad setuation in the area ....
and specially the 11.Spt.
the Government of US decided to help these kids moving faster to distruction , so US Gov started a new Radio broadcasting to the ME and they bame it " radia sawa " = ( together)
playing a kind of Arabic and other Pop and forginer music.

now days, i can see lots of these kids just turn the radio off whenever they hear the name of ( radio sawa).
hope they keep it up, coz' if they didn't .... i garantee u , whithin 2 years u can hardly find a well educated person in the ME.

in my area "ME" , i see lots of kids moving to that culture, MTV + others ... but after what's going on these days regarding Iraq and Jerusalem and the other bad setuation in the area ....
and specially the 11.Spt.
the Government of US decided to help these kids moving faster to distruction , so US Gov started a new Radio broadcasting to the ME and they bame it " radia sawa " = ( together)
playing a kind of Arabic and other Pop and forginer music.

now days, i can see lots of these kids just turn the radio off whenever they hear the name of ( radio sawa).
hope they keep it up, coz' if they didn't .... i garantee u , whithin 2 years u can hardly find a well educated person in the ME.

in my opinion, art in general is being removed from life. As an artist this disturbs me. I mena the other day i was talking with my sister (age 17) and i was naming well known artists and she was like "who are they?" because the arts are not at all taught in the schools.

in my opinion, art in general is being removed from life. As an artist this disturbs me. I mena the other day i was talking with my sister (age 17) and i was naming well known artists and she was like "who are they?" because the arts are not at all taught in the schools.

I believe the appropriate question here is if American culture is being destroyed, or if it is being redifined? Just because it is not the same culture we grew up with, doesn't mean that it isn't a culture at all.

I believe the appropriate question here is if American culture is being destroyed, or if it is being redifined? Just because it is not the same culture we grew up with, doesn't mean that it isn't a culture at all.

I agree with Delstar. Culture is merely changing. Is it changing in a good way though? In many ways, I don't think so. It seems like it's the trend that drives it, not the quality.

I agree with Delstar. Culture is merely changing. Is it changing in a good way though? In many ways, I don't think so. It seems like it's the trend that drives it, not the quality.