Words: 905
What is Popular Culture? Well, that depends on whom you ask. Personally, I see pop culture as how people are influenced by what they get from things such as television and magazines. It is a way of life. It is what connects us with people who share the same views as ourselves. It is how we decided what we wear, eat , what kind of music we listen to or even what we do for fun. It is the latest craze, what everyone is talking about, whether it be the latest cell phone to be released, the newest dance or what type of jeans you wear.
Most people do not realize that the choices they make are usually influenced by pop culture. While gathering my list of pop culture influences that I come across in my day to day life, I realized that a lot of my influences were focused on what activities I participate in. I also chose the which restaurants I ate at and when I did watch television, I watched what was on at peak evening hours. The shows that are on when I am not at work are the big ones that everyone is always talking about.
Usually I try to keep myself busy enough that I do not get wrapped up in these shows, but since I had the extra time and as part of my assignment, I thought it would be interesting and helpful to see what all the fuss was about. The restaurants I went to this weekend were either ones that I found online, on websites such as azcentral. com, in their dining section, or ones that someone had told me about. I did not chose these places because I had been going there before, I chose them because I was influenced by the media and my peers to go there.
I also noticed that the things I did over the weekend, going out to bars and clubs, Oktoberfest at Tempe Town Lake and the Scottsdale Fashion Week after parties were all influenced by the media. I heard about specials different bars were having over the radio. I had never been to these bars but with the announcer repeatedly saying each club was “the hottest” place to be and that it is always packed every weekend, I wanted to go and check it out. One place in particular is Dos Gringos trailer park in Tempe. Thursday nights it is ten dollar cover and drink specials.
The bar/restaurant does a great job at promoting this with my age group. I know most of my friends started going when they heard that was the place to be. If it was not for the drink specials and all the promotion, I do not believe I would go there. Also, this weekend I went to Oktoberfest and Scottsdale Fashion Week parties. I honestly could care less about Fashion Week, whether it be in Scottsdale or anywhere else, but I had met a few people at Oktoberfest earlier in the night who were giving passes out to the after parties. It did not sound very appealing to me but the people I was with wanted to go and talked me into it.
The guys handing out the VIP passes did his job at persuading them to want to go. This made me realize that a lot of the places I go are influenced by the media and my peers. When I realized this, it made me wonder why I make these choices. Why do I go out on a Thursday night, after having class the previous evening and knowing I have work early the next morning? I decided it was because I could go out and not have to pay as much for drinks and cover charge as I would on a Friday or Saturday night. Not only that but some of my friends work nights on the weekends and are not able to go out.
This not only gives me the chance to save money, but also catch up with my friends and even meet new people. I believe the choices I make, what or where I eat, what I listen to in my iPod, the fact that I have an iPod and small choices I make are all subconscious. I do not realize or put very much thought into why I do those things. I also feel that the things I buy for myself or others, are also choices I make self consciously. I go with what is in the stores, and what is in the stores are things the media portrays as most popular, what you should have.
At the same time, certain things such as what kind of clothes I buy, the way I style my hair I feel are choices I make consciously. I do not want to look like everyone else. I know that a lot of the things I do are common among lots of twenty-one year old females today, but I do not want to look like the girls on television or in the magazines as most women do. I do not go out and cut my hair dramatically because it is the latest trend. I like to believe that I do “fit in” with pop culture but I can still hold my own and be somewhat of an individual.