[jo d]

(Original post by ckingalt)
"pop culture" can be

A way of speaking (slang, dialect, etc), a way of dressing (fashion, fads, etc), a type of music, an attitude, a catch phrase, a trend, a belief, a movement, a style, and even a belief.

Some of the forms of media which can promote "pop culture" are

TV, cinema, magazines, internet, newspapers, essays, books, webcasts, social media, radio, graffiti, and word-of-mouth.

Now, write a clear and definitive definition as to what exactly qualifies as "pop culture" and in what form is it illegal. Then provide a plan as to how we should enforce such a law. Good luck.

Simply ban all the media. Pop culture relies on media outlets creating these values.

[g_star_raw_1989]

I wouldn't say it makes people mentally unfit; more predictable, boring and unoriginal. Popular culture is society's sheepdog.

[Steevee]

Why are people so easily manipulated by authority figures?

Most persons' beliefs and attitudes come from what an authroity figure tells them is good/right, and advice from authroity figures is not taken with a pinch of salt at all.

Shouldn't these authority figures be outlawed?



Yeah, you're argument is kinda retarded.

[jo d]

(Original post by Steevee)
Why are people so easily manipulated by authority figures?

Most persons' beliefs and attitudes come from what an authroity figure tells them is good/right, and advice from authroity figures is not taken with a pinch of salt at all.

Shouldn't these authority figures be outlawed?



Yeah, you're argument is kinda retarded.

Authority is part of life. Your parallel is "retarded".

[Steevee]

(Original post by jo d)
Authority is part of life. Your parallel is "retarded".

So is Media, which I believe you suggested we do away with altogether. 'Popular Media' is an intrinsic part of life now aswell, and quite impossible to do away with.

Media is a part of life, as are popular concepts.

[jo d]

(Original post by Steevee)
So is Media, which I believe you suggested we do away with altogether. 'Popular Media' is an intrinsic part of life now aswell, and quite impossible to do away with.

Media is a part of life, as are popular concepts.

So magazines and TV are inherent parts of the human condition? Why then have most societies not had these things?

Media is far from inherent, it is only necessary for modern living. Authority on the other hand comes from the family, and one's society.

[jo d]

(Original post by g_star_raw_1989)
I wouldn't say it makes people mentally unfit; more predictable, boring and unoriginal. Popular culture is society's sheepdog.

Which are all signs of mental unfitness.

[sputum]

(Original post by jo d)
So what frankly was your point? yes, people grow up with pop culture media, but how does that mean it shouldn't be banned or outlawed?

have you got a draft of the legislation you propose? A form of wording?
any ideas how to tell the legal and illegal media apart under your proposals?
any thought whatsoever to the practicalities?

[jo d]

(Original post by sputum)
have you got a draft of the legislation you propose? A form of wording?
any ideas how to tell the legal and illegal media apart under your proposals?
any thought whatsoever to the practicalities?

it's simple. no pop culture media at all. no reality TV, no crap like Chelsea Lately, etc.

[Annoying-Mouse]

There's nothing wrong with pop culture. What's the problem with liking reality TV? None. What's the problem with liking popular music? None. Can you provide me with a logical argument as to why X non-popular TV show/music is better than popular TV shows/music? No. Then, what's the problem? Chelsea lately can be funny, I like her.

[Steevee]

(Original post by jo d)
So magazines and TV are inherent parts of the human condition? Why then have most societies not had these things?

Media is far from inherent, it is only necessary for modern living. Authority on the other hand comes from the family, and one's society.

You said part of life, not the human condition. It's like saying agriculture is not part of life. Sure, it may not be a process someone would find assuming they were raised apart from all society, but it is a huge part of our modern society. Media cannot simply be done away with, unless you would have us move back to the Bronze Age, with no passage of information what so ever.

[jo d]

(Original post by Annoying-Mouse)
There's nothing wrong with pop culture. What's the problem with liking reality TV? None. What's the problem with liking popular music? None. Can you provide me with a logical argument as to why X non-popular TV show/music is better than popular TV shows/music? No. Then, what's the problem? Chelsea lately can be funny, I like her.

it's dumb and inculcates shallow and inane values into people. most people these values are deep and of value, but they're not.

how can people be mentally fit if they're so easily influenced like that?

[Annoying-Mouse]

(Original post by jo d)
it's dumb and inculcates shallow and inane values into people. most people these values are deep and of value, but they're not.

how can people be mentally fit if they're so easily influenced like that?

Why is it dumb?

[jo d]

(Original post by Annoying-Mouse)
Why is it dumb?

As said, it's hollow values with no deep insight.

[Pindar]

Humans are easily conditioned. That is why those in power; the propagandists, the politicians, business interests, the public relation manipulators, the elite - consider us cattle.

Today's society, our reality, is based solely on images. It is the society of the spectacle. People are brainwashed and accept anything what people on a screen tell them to believe. Convince them they need to buy meaningless and useless objects.
We don't even know our own reality, as we are completely alienated from ourselves and anything which means anything.

So did anyone see the footie?

[Pindar]

(Original post by Steevee)
Why are people so easily manipulated by authority figures?

Most persons' beliefs and attitudes come from what an authroity figure tells them is good/right, and advice from authroity figures is not taken with a pinch of salt at all.

Shouldn't these authority figures be outlawed?


Yeah, you're argument is kinda retarded.

No you're actually making sense for once.

[Pindar]

(Original post by Annoying-Mouse)
There's nothing wrong with pop culture. What's the problem with liking reality TV? None. What's the problem with liking popular music? None. Can you provide me with a logical argument as to why X non-popular TV show/music is better than popular TV shows/music? No. Then, what's the problem? Chelsea lately can be funny, I like her.

I think his argument is that popular culture is dumbing people down and distracting them from the important questions in life and reality.

I mean I like some popular culture, however the majority of it is brainwashing and propaganda. I don't let it dominate my views of the world as all of it is designed to make you think a certain way or distract you from the things which matter.

[C_B_C]

(Original post by jo d)
Why are people so easily manipulated by popular culture?

Most persons' beliefs and attitudes come from what the media tell them is good/right, and pop culture media is not taken with a pinch of salt at all.

Shouldn't these media be outlawed?

I agree with you, OP; people are dumb.

But I disagree with blaming the media.

If a kid sees David Beckam smoking and decides to follow his idol, I blame the kid/parents, not David Beckam.

Being influenced has always been a strong aspect of society... Each religion, political movement... each culture: is all down to influence.

What IS new, in my opinion, is that people start to believe that they don't hold any responsibility for anything.

[Annoying-Mouse]

(Original post by Stefan1991)
I think his argument is that popular culture is dumbing people down and distracting them from the important questions in life and reality.

I mean I like some popular culture, however the majority of it is brainwashing and propaganda. I don't let it dominate my views of the world as all of it is designed to make you think a certain way or distract you from the things which matter.

It's entertainment, entertainment by it's very definition is a escapism. Escapism isn't necessarily wrong. I don't think there's anything of importance that's being missed out because of popular culture. There's no inherent objective criteria of importance. People place value on importance. For example, I place the knowledge that my favorite actor/musician higher than the knowledge that congress are trying to pass SOPA even though I disagree with SOPA it's very passively and not something I particularly give much of a **** despite understanding it's consequences. It isn't brainwashing or propaganda. That isn't the intent of popular culture. There are shows that show the government in a good light and there are shows that show the government in a bad light and go on conspiracy theories. It's a reflection of writers point of view or just an interesting storyline that the writer wants to play out.

[Pindar]

(Original post by Annoying-Mouse)
It's entertainment, entertainment by it's very definition is a escapism. Escapism isn't necessarily wrong. I don't think there's anything of importance that's being missed out because of popular culture. There's no inherent objective criteria of importance. People place value on importance. For example, I place the knowledge that my favorite actor/musician higher than the knowledge that congress are trying to pass SOPA even though I disagree with SOPA it's very passively and not something I particularly give much of a **** despite understanding it's consequences. It isn't brainwashing or propaganda. That isn't the intent of popular culture. There are shows that show the government in a good light and there are shows that show the government in a bad light and go on conspiracy theories. It's a reflection of writers point of view or just an interesting storyline that the writer wants to play out.

You can't deny that all popular media, tv shows, hollywood films etc all reinforce the values, presumptions and preconceived notions which benefit the interests o the people making them. I.e. corporations and business interests.

Of course some government criticism is allowed, however the scope of what is permissible is severely constrained and narrowed by these institutions. For example you will never get certain people on the news, you will only get the same sort of people repeating the same tired old mantras. The X factor is designed to make us all believe that one day we can make it and be rich and famous someday. Films will always portray the west as good and courageous, fighting evil arab baddies. Dividing everything into "us" and "them", "good and "evil". etc etc

I'm not saying escapism is bad, i'm saying popular media is inherently biased and designed to condition and influence you into certain ways of thinking.