When I was asked to write a post about pop culture, the first thing that “popped” into my mind was Andy Warhol. The king of pop, as we have been taught in our school days.
Our thoughts were thirsty for anything we could call intellectual and transgressive, and the walls of our bedrooms were covered with posters of soup cans.
My generation was born in the seventies and grew up in the eighties and nineties, so we witnessed the birth and triumph of the pop music, of the pop movies and pop art.
In those days there was not much English spoken in Italy, and so it took us a long while to understand that “pop” was nothing but the abbreviation of “popular”.
To us, popular were those boring lyrics sang by local melodic singers, but certainly not Madonna, Boy George or Michael Jackson. The pop culture was the pop culture, full stop! A transversal movement we all embraced without feeling victims of the consumerism.
“Pop Culture is not about depth. It’s about marketing, supply and demand. It’s about consumerism.”
Trevor Dunn
When the other day I googled pop culture, the above quotation came up, but I didn’t recognise the Pop Culture I grew up with.
Maybe we didn’t really get the essence of Andy Warhol’s art but to my generation Pop is a more a genre, like rock. A revolution that brought Pacman and The Goonies to our house.
Yes, The Goonies, that’s my pick about pop culture. An adventure through real feelings, friendship, empathy and acceptance of those who are different.
Quite the opposite of consumerism, that wants all to be the same right?
So, is pop culture all about marketing? Does pop culture influence our society?
Or most likely, is pop culture a reflection of society as it changes? After all, who is the society if not us?
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You can reach me at contact@sindrelf.com
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