PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE
At the end of this module, the learners should be able to:
✓ Understand the philosophical and sociological relevance.
✓ Identify the formation of Popular culture
• The rise of Popular culture
• Different definitions of Popular culture
• Soures of Popular culture
P O P U L A R C U LT U R E
Philosophical and Sociological Relevance
v PHILOSOPHY
PHILOSOPHYAND POPPOP
AND CULTURE
CULTURE
In the 1960’s Philosophy has stalled, and pop has conquered the
world. And it is now the foremost medium for the articulation of
ideas on a mass scale. This explains why, if it’s to survive,
philosophy must study pop.
Pop teaches us about charm, the great pop songs are the
witchingly, dazzlingly charming in the manner which they get their
messages across. Pop is the most seductive force the world has
ever known. It’s more deeply loved, trusted and a more constant
companion in our joys and sorrows than the other artform.
Let’s watch this video
Beyoncé & Bruno Mars Crash the Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDPITj1wlkg
. SEATWORK
Imagine you are watching a concert of your favorite artist in a big arena, what do you think will you feel
while listening and watching him/her perform your favorite songs? Share your thoughts below.
Danielle Frid (October 1, 2015) Elem
ents of Art Poster =
2SP_Qg1w_J8&t371
PHILOSOPHY AND POP CULTURE
Pop achieves what Pericles, Lincoln, Dickens, and Proust were attempting and spectacularly exceeds all of them.
The Philosophy needs to learn from Pop but it doesn’t preclude that pop, of
course, should learn quite a bit from Philosophy as well. Pop currently
touches on the big themes, but doesn’t as yet properly take up many of the
opportunities that lie its way. In the future, we need pop musicians to take up
the challenge of investigating the deepest truths of getting behind
transformative concepts and making these into the things we’ll sing about in
front of the bathroom mirror so that they become a background sound of
our inner lives. The world awaits from a redemptive synthesis between
philosophy and pop.
PHILOSOPHY AND POP CULTURE
Philosophical and Sociological Relevance of Popular Culture
We learned that Sociology is associated with Adorno and
Horkheimer and how they questioned capitalism and the use of
different technologies to control the mind of the people. While
Philosophy today, uses popular culture to attract people and produce
something that is meaningful life.
Therefore, Pop culture can really contribute in the development of a
person, group and a community we are in. Pop culture serves an
inclusionary role in society as it unites the masses on ideals of
acceptable forms of behavior.
F O R M AT I O N O F P O P U L A R C U LT U R E
v FORMATION OF AND
PHILOSOPHY POPULAR
POPCULTURE
CULTURE
Popular culture refers in general to the traditions and material culture of a particular society. In the modern West, Pop
culture refers to cultural products such as music, art, literature, fashion, dance, film, cyberculture, television, and radio
that are consumed by the majority of a society's population.
The term "popular culture" was coined in the mid-19th century, and it referred to the cultural traditions of the
people, in contrast to the "official culture" of the state or governing classes. In broad use today, it is defined in
qualitative terms—pop culture is often considered a more superficial or lesser type of artistic expression.
FORMATION OF POPULAR CULTURE
The Rise of Popular Culture
Scholars trace the origins of the rise of popular culture to the creation of the
middle class generated by the Industrial Revolution. People who were
configured into working classes and moved into urban environments far from
their traditional farming life began creating their own culture to share with
their co-workers, as a part of separating from their parents and bosses.
After the end of World War II, innovations in mass media led to significant
cultural and social changes in the west. At the same time, capitalism,
specifically the need to generate profits, took on the role of marketing: newly
invented goods were being marketed to different classes. The meaning of
popular culture then began to merge with that of mass culture, consumer
culture, image culture, media culture, and culture created by manufacturers
for mass consumption.
FORMATION OF POPULAR CULTURE
Different Definitions of Popular Culture
In his wildly successful textbook "Cultural Theory and Popular Culture" (now on its 8th edition), British media
specialist John Storey offers six different definitions of popular culture.
Popular culture is simply culture that is widely favored or
well-liked by many people: it has no negative connotations.
Popular food - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9WYHN-NlLE
Popular culture is whatever is left after you've identified what "high culture" is:
in this definition, pop culture is considered inferior, and it functions as a marker of status
and class.
Mormon Tabernacle Choir - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8jImIjg4UY
FORMATION OF POPULAR CULTURE – Different definitions of Popular Culture
Pop culture can be defined as commercial objects that are
produced for mass consumption by non-discriminating
consumers. In this definition, popular culture is a tool used
by the elites to suppress or take advantage of the masses.
The Bank of America - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAuwEVb1XqI
Popular culture is folk culture, something that arises from the people rather than
imposed upon them: pop culture is authentic (created by the people) as opposed to
commercial (thrust upon them by commercial enterprises).
Pop and Folk Culture - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swK8mDVjN34
FORMATION OF POPULAR CULTURE – Different definitions of Popular Culture
Pop culture is negotiated: partly imposed on by the dominant classes,
and partly resisted or changed by the subordinate classes. Dominants
can create culture but the subordinates decide what they keep or
discard.
Milk commercial - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2rKDhswWF0
The last definition of pop culture discussed by Storey is that in the postmodern world,
in today's world, the distinction between "authentic" versus "commercial" is blurred. In Are these “authentic”
pop culture today, users are free to embrace some manufactured content, alter it for or “commercial”?
their own use, or reject it entirely and create their own.
Oakley - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20q9gtFXx-g
Coca Cola - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdPXQLrueRg
FORMATION OF POPULAR CULTURE
Popular Culture: You Make the Meaning
All six of Storey's definitions are still in use, but they seem to change
depending on the context. Since the turn of the 21st century, mass media—
“I love the way Pop culture is delivered—has changed so dramatically that scholars
the shoes. are finding it difficult to establish how they function. As recently as 2000,
Mine.” "mass media" meant only print (newspapers and books), broadcast
(televisions and radio), and cinema (movies and documentaries). Today, it
embraces an enormous variety of social media and forms.
To a large degree, Popular culture today is something established by niche users. What is "mass
communication" moving forward? Commercial products such as music are considered popular even
when the audience is tiny, in comparison to such pop icons as Britney Spears and Michael Jackson.
The presence of social media means consumers can speak directly to producers—and are producers
themselves, turning the concept of pop culture on its head.
So, in a sense, Popular culture has gone back to its simplest meaning: it is what a lot of people like.
FORMATION OF POPULAR CULTURE
Sources of Popular Culture
There are numerous sources of Popular culture. As
implied on the previous page, a primary source is the
mass media, especially popular music, film, television,
radio, video games, books and the internet. In addition,
advances in communication allows for the greater
transmission of ideas by word of mouth, especially via
cell phones. Many TV programs, such as American
Idol and the Last Comic Standing, provide viewers with a
phone number so that they can vote for a contestant.
This combination of Pop culture sources represents a
novel way of increasing public interest, and further fuels
the mass production of commodities.
