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Pop Culture: The Misconceptions Of Popular Culture

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‘Popular culture’ is defined by the oxford dictionary as “culture based on the tastes of ordinary people rather than an educated elite.” This definition implies that those who are educated are inclined to ignore this gossip, or are ‘too good’ to never indulge in it, which is simply not true. Carey’s article states that “long-term studies…have confirmed that…people devote anywhere from a fifth to two-thirds of their daily conversation to gossip” (2005, n.p.). Many people deny these facts, but when you understand that gossip does not mean bad-mouthing people all the time, and is in fact used to help “clarify and enforce the rules that keep people working well together” as well as working to “[circulate] information about the behaviour …show more content…

Mass media and advertising both promote the ‘perfect’ life to the ordinary person by making them feel even more ordinary than they are, and with television channels and posters stating that some product will make your life better, it leads people to falsely believe that celebrities are ‘better’ and we can be like them if we use the same beauty products as them. Despite these being blatant lies, we turn a blind eye to this to keep the cogs of the machine that is celebrity culture running smoothly. We, as consumers of gossip, are happy to comply with this rule and ignore what we already know. This is because celebrity gossip magazines are appealing to many, and for a variety of reasons, including the ‘escape’ from our own lives, and the social aspect of …show more content…

Hollywood culture places emphasis on those who are aesthetically pleasing; feminine, fair-skinned women and physically strong males, preferably together to promote a perfect, heteronormative couple. In this way, Hollywood culture has a powerful influence on popular culture in the western world as it promotes beauty and lifestyle ideals that many strive for. This is demonstrated in society today in many ways, with one of the most predominant forms of influence being the advertising that is aimed at young men and women to poke at their insecurities and encourage them to attempt to reach what many see as ‘physical perfection’. Although popular culture is undoubtedly influenced by Hollywood, it is ultimately defined by the masses- by this, I mean specifically the consumers of celebrity gossip, as these magazines would be forced to change if their readership did not conform to the ideas that the magazine promoted if they wished to remain successful. Gossip is understood by many to be “idle, trivial, invasive, malicious and potentially harmful” as it is not recognised as a substantial part of human interaction and connection (Westacott, 2013;2012;2011, p.33). Despite us all having these very “human urge[s]” to “tell each other what we know” (Westacott, 2013;2012;2011, p.33), society has a

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