Why is pop culture so superficial? (school, money, welfare, stimulus)

[Charles]

It isn't that genius and intellect and cerebral don't sell; Emotions sell more.

Who compares specs when they buy a car? Marketers know that a shiny car with a hot bikini chick sitting on the hood is more likely to sell than an ugly car with higher reliability, lower costs, and higher safety ratings.

Companies including the media (movies, TV) spend lots of money to research what will sell and what you see is what sells and people react a lot more to emotional stimuli (which can be delivered to them much faster) than boring old facts.

Besides, if everyone was practical and unemotional, they'd all be engineers.

[Crackpot]

Originally Posted by stan4

I hate to bring this news to you guys, but MOST of the population is made up of morons...the 'lowest common denominator' is actually the majority of people on this planet.
People are dumb. They are vapid. They have little self-control or discipline. They are child-like in their insistence on instant gratification.
They are not going to work for their entertainment, and that includes struggling to understand something beyond "oooh oooh ah ah."

And this is why I didn't have a whole lot of friends! All kidding aside, there are times where it makes you wonder if our culture is responsible for allowing the dumbing down of our society.

I get this feeling that pop culture is being shoved down our throats en mass giving us this illusion that it's all normal, and as you've probably witnessed that people who enjoy such superficial activities seem to be considered far more well-adjusted (By THEIR standards) and able to socialize far better.

The downside is that when they become so deep into the propaganda parade they don't want to get out, they cannot cope with realizing how pointless and distracting it is. Cliques are formed to keep the few "free-thinkers" at bay by shaming and shunning.

Okay, I'm going too far with that but the short version is that as long as the consuming masses are pleased they'll buy into anything... and I mean literally anything thrown at them. It's just one big distraction under the guise of entertainment, just ask the Kardashians.

[texdav]

Bascailly there has always been snake oil saleman seeling dollar miracle to the maddening crowd. For some its the hold they have on any reality is what I have seen.That also why celebrity is dangerous because some of the crowd truely believe they have a real connection with the celebrity.Pop culture always has more of these types because of the sales pitch that the celebrity is like them. Then that person is disappointed his/her world collapses.We also see that it can be a danger to celebrity when they buy their own con.Pop culture has little behind it like always except the celebrity.We oftern see that a celebrity is surrrounded by yes people who tell them what they want to hear and really care only for the money they can produce.

[Charles]

Is society really "dumber" than it used to be?

A lot more people (higher percentage) are educated in high school and college.
Technology is steaming along as fast as ever.

[erasure]

Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer

In today's society, a tremendous variety of popular entertainment is nearly always at our disposal. TV shows, movies, music, magazines, books and other media bombard us like never before in history.

And yet, it seems that 99% of these things are aimed towards the least common denominator in our society. The vast majority of pop culture relies on image, sex or gimmicks these days to sell and there's little depth or substance.

Why do we as a society accept this and what led us down this degenerate path? Why do we act like mediocrity is genius? Where are the true geniuses of today that would put even Shakespeare, Mozart, da Vinci and Plato to shame?

Food for a thought; pop culture (originally) is a product of Anglo-Saxon culture. So when you are talking about the classical art, Anglo-Saxons didn't produce much of it to begin with; few "classical" writers here and there - yes, philosophers here and there - yes, but when it's coming to music, sculpture, paintings of the world class - practically none, comparably to other European countries. There you would have to look towards other nations - the Italians, The Germans, The Russians, the French, who have produced great number of world-renowned writers and philosophers as well, and who have very controversial opinion about Anglo-Saxon culture, American culture in particular. Does it have anything to do with Anglo-American pragmatism (as a foundation for national character)? Most likely.
After all these are the people who were paving the way for the industrial revolution, creating and perfecting word of law, developing banking system and intricate financial schemes. I wouldn't say that those are the national qualities that correlate to the world of Clasical Art very well. Or if I would quote one particular Russian writer - "The heart and mind are at odds."

[stan4]

To be fair, in order to appeal to the broadest audience, you have to be pretty superficial.

[Beilua Rose]

Originally Posted by BigCityDreamer

In today's society, a tremendous variety of popular entertainment is nearly always at our disposal. TV shows, movies, music, magazines, books and other media bombard us like never before in history.

And yet, it seems that 99% of these things are aimed towards the least common denominator in our society. The vast majority of pop culture relies on image, sex or gimmicks these days to sell and there's little depth or substance.

Why do we as a society accept this and what led us down this degenerate path? Why do we act like mediocrity is genius? Where are the true geniuses of today that would put even Shakespeare, Mozart, da Vinci and Plato to shame?

Would you like me to tell you a sad but true story?

I lived two years without basic cable and whenever I did have the chance to watch cable television, I would turn it to the Discovery, History, Crime or news channels because I would only find those station to be worthwhile. Well, the other day, I went to a business to do my laundry and I just so happened to be confronted with a television which unfortunately was not turned on to one of the channels that I would be watching. Instead, it was turned onto a station called, CWTV.

I literally thought that I was a victim of some sick, practical joke. I have no idea what show I was watching, but I do know that all of the characters looked like they just walked out of a Abercrombie and Fitch ad-with their perfectly bleached teeth, highlighted hair and $100 t-shirts. The plot was so pathetic that I almost thought I was watching some type of satire making fun of pop-culture. The conclusion of the show ended with a couple running into the ocean, under perfectly blue skies with their tops off, and to top it off, it had the cheesiest music playing in the background. Hmmm..right.



The television was depressing so I turned to another alternative and decided I would be better off reading a magazine. Why..did I have to choose Glamour Magazine? Oy!

-What is the point of having a fashion section which contain clothes that would be unattainable to the general public?

-They make sex seem as though it should be perfect, almost rehearsed. Sex shouldn't seem like a chore but with the long lists of "How to Turn a Guy on", "Sex Positions that Men will Love", "How to look more Sexy", it truly seems like I might as well take a freaking college course on "sexiness".

- I kid you not, there was even an article on, "How to Make Yourself Look Better in Public" and it contained tips on how to make yourself seem wealthier, smarter and fashionable. The title might have well have been, "How to Lie to the General Public and Make Yourself Look Artificial."

I forgot why I stopped reading magazines or watching many televisions shows that are on at night. Like the OP stated, Pop culture is trashy!

[Beilua Rose]

Originally Posted by Charles

Is society really "dumber" than it used to be?

A lot more people (higher percentage) are educated in high school and college.
Technology is steaming along as fast as ever.

Sure, education may be more readily available to the general public, but does this mean that the quality of education is the same than it was several years ago? There was an article that I was reading which showed how uneducated, "educated" college graduates are. You know the controller errors that led to Michelle Obama's aborted plane landing? They were saying that it was due to the high amounts of college graduates in that field.

[newhandle]

Pop culture in any age is superficial. Whether it bear-baiting, drinking in taverns, cheap yellow-journalism, chariot races and gladiators.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Beilua Rose

"How to Turn a Guy on",
"Sex Positions that Men will Love",
"How to look more Sexy",
"How to Make Yourself Look Better in Public"

What's wrong with these? They serve a better purpose than anything we'd read about Iraq, Afghanistan, the budget, church, elections, abortion, etc.