Piece 3: Pop Culture is Manipulative

Sadly, pop culture is probably the biggest influence in many peoples' lives. Some might view pop culture as something chosen by the people, what is popular at the time. The truth is that pop culture is controlled by corporations purely for profit. Media conglomerates decide what we watch on tv and what movies get produced. Advertisements aren't just found in commercials; almost every piece of media is attempting to sell a product, and all of them are attempting to keep the loyalty of their viewership for future gains. As shown in Havrilesky's "Stalking Celebrities", we are obsessed with those who represent pop culture: actors/actresses, musicians, pro athletes, politicians, etc. We want to see what they do, how they live their lives, so that we can emulate them and hopefully become more popular ourselves. These celebrities are paid to endorse certain products by using them publicly and explaining why others should use that product as well. Pop culture influences what we should buy, the topics we discuss in our conversations, and how we live our lives. Pop culture is manipulative, because that is exactly how the people behind pop culture (corporations) want it to be.

<Taken From Tradition DB #2>