Evaluate the contribution of popular culture to social change?
Popular culture does contribute to social change through texts such as teen movies and popular
music. Texts in these popular culture genres contributed to the emergence of youth culture, the anti
war movement, changes to gender roles and changes to race relationships.
In 1954 the teen movie Rebel Without a Cause presented a lasting image of the emergence of youth
culture. The ideas of the text, easily decoded at the time provided a way for teenagers to create an
identity separate from their parents’ identity. As a result of this text youth culture was synonymous
with rebellion. One year later rock ‘n’ roll music emerged and continued to define youth culture as
rebellious. Elvis Presley was influenced by the image of teenage rebellion presented by James Dean
in Rebel Without a Cause.
In the 1960s youth culture became politicised and the anti war movement emerged. However in the
atmosphere of the Cold War Hollywood ignored social dissent. Teen movies were institutionalised
and sanitised. Texts included the beach party series, the most popular being Beach Blanket Bingo
and the Elvis Presley travelogue movies. American teenagers were presented as affluent and free.
The ephemeral nature of these texts lowered expectations of teen movie audiences and did not
contribute to macro social change. Teen movie texts of the 1970s continued to ignore the politicised
youth culture. Hollywood presented nostalgia films that mythologised the 1950s and early 1960s.
American Graffiti presented the car as a symbol of teenage aspirations and the conspicuous
consumption of that time. The cross referencing of popular culture in the teen movie genre avoided
social comment and led to a “depthlessness” in the text. (Lovat et al 2000)
However rock n roll texts were not sanitised. This musical genre provided a soundtrack to the anti
war movement and broadened its appeal, “One two three four, what are we fighting for, don’t
know, don’t give a damn, next stop is Vietnam.” The Woodstock music festival, three days of peace,
love and music was an anti war statement by youth. The contribution to social change by broadening
the base of the anti war movement continued in the texts produced by the music industry in the
1970s. Counter culture became mainstream culture. The rock musical Hair is an example of the anti
war movement translated into popular culture and changing the social consciousness.
The women’s movement emerged in the late 1960s and consolidated in the 1970s. This social
change was reflected in the anthem to the movement I Am Woman. Overall however the popular
music industry ignored the women’s movement and lyrics to rock songs particularly objectified
women. Similarly the values underlying the text of the teen movies of the 1960s and 1970s did not
reflect the women’s movement.
The breakthrough in popular culture came when the teen movie The Breakfast Club (1984)
presented the female characters as independent and powerful. The Breakfast Club contributed to
social change by broadening the acceptance of the changing role of women. Similarly Madonna
challenged stereotypical views of women and empowered a generation of young women to reject
the double standards of previous decades. Over time however the presentation of women in
popular culture texts reverted to objectification. The American Pie series is an example of this.
Current popular music videos are another example of the objectification of women.
In the content analysis of teen movies from the 1950s to the present there is a notable absence of
African American actors and other ethnic minorities. Once again institutionalisation of popular
culture has led to sanitisation. Popular music artists and texts however have played a major role in
breaking down racial barriers. The success in the 1980s of Micheal Jackson broke through any
remaining barriers to African American artists.
Popular culture contributes to social change by broadening the acceptance of social change. Texts
produced by the popular culture of music have contributed far more to broadening the acceptance
of social change than texts produced by teen movie genre.
THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING
The following table helps you learn about changes to popular culture over the decades:
THE 1950S
WHAT WAS HAPPENING?
World War 11 was over
The Cold War started
A war was fought in Korea
The baby boomers were born
There was an economic boom
Youth culture emerged
WHAT WERE TEENAGERS DOING?
Spending their disposable income
Driving their own cars
Listening to rock ‘n’ roll
Going to the movies to see Rebel Without a Cause
Watching Elvis Presley on television
Buying portable record players
The Cold War began between the USSR and the USA in the 1950s. Popular culture was a medium for
America to present a global image of freedom and affluence. The 1950s was a decade of economic
boom in Modern Western democracies. The economic boom led to the emergence of youth culture.
Youth culture was associated with popular culture. Young people had disposable incomes and for
the first time American teenagers had their own cars. This independence gave them the chance to
listen to black R&B radio stations. Record producers responded to the new market by presented R&B
sounds more suited to a white audience, this music became known as rock ‘n’ roll. This music was
associated with other paraphernalia such as portable record players, vinyl records, and fashion. Less
commercial was the intangible outcome of rock ‘n’ roll: Teenagers developed an attitude and a
jargon that gave teenagers a separate identity from their parents. Although the production of Rebel
Without a Cause preceded the institutionalisation of rock ‘n’ roll by a year Dean presented a lasting
image of the teenage rebel. Elvis Presley was inspired by this image and teenagers became
synonymous with rebellion. By the end of the 1950s institutions of power and authority in the USA
began to censor the popular culture of teenagers. The churches referred to rock ‘n’ roll as devil
music. Major recording companies sanitised the genre by promoting ‘boy next door’ types such as
Bobby Darin. Teen movies such as Rebel Without a Cause and Blackboard Jungle were no longer
produced by major movie companies.
THE 1960S
WHAT WAS HAPPENING?
The Cold War continued
John Kennedy was assassinated
The Vietnam War began
The anti – war movement began
The Civil Rights Movement continued
The contraceptive pill became available
Man walked on the moon
WHAT WERE TEENAGERS DOING?
Listening to Elvis Presley
Going to the movies to see Elvis Presley
Going to the movies to see the beach party series
Watching Bandstand on television
OR
Growing their hair
Listening to Bob Dylan
Running away from home to join a hippie commune
Experimenting with drugs
Marching in anti-war demonstrations
Going to Woodstock
AND EVERYONE WAS
Listening to the Beatles
And buying the Beatles album Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Cold War continued throughout the 1960s. Popular culture continued to be the medium for
America to present a global image of freedom and affluence. Teen movies were sanitised. Hollywood
presented the beach party series and a series of romantic comedies starring Elvis Presley. Both series
were formulaic, boy meets girls, boy loses girl and boy gets girl. These movies presented the
teenagers years as one long party punctuated by surfing, water skiing and car racing.
In the early 1960s the Beatles dominated the pop music charts. Their early songs were ephemeral
and reflected the boy meets girls, boy loses girl and boy gets girl formula of the teen movie texts.
However the 1960s was a decade of social change including the anti-war movement, the Civil Rights
movement and the women’s movement. This change was both reflected in the popular music genre
of rock n roll and influenced by the popular music genre of rock ‘n’ roll. Youth culture became
politicised and associated with the anti war movement and the Civil Rights movement. Country Joe
and the Fish sang “one, two three four, what are we fighting for, don’t know and I don’t give a damn,
next stop is Vietnam.” Bob Dylan wrote and performed The Times They Are a Changing with direct
references to the Civil Rights movement.
The hippie movement was a counter culture movement that rebelled against war, racism and mass
consumerism. They were the psychedelic generation. Although the politicised youth culture began
as counter culture by the time of the Woodstock festival of peace, love and music politicised youth
culture was mainstream. Popular culture had broadened the appeal of the protest movement.
The women’s movement was not reflected in youth popular culture. There was one exception, the
song I Am Woman provided an anthem for the women’s movement but overall popular music texts
and teen movie texts patronised women: Women were stereotyped and objectified.
1970s
WHAT WAS HAPPENING?
The Cold War continued
The Vietnam Water continued and ended in 1975
The environmental movement began
WHAT WERE TEENAGERS DOING?
Teenagers started the decade just wanting to “give peace a chance” and by the end of the decade
they were
Wearing flared jeans
Still wearing long hair
Going to the movies to see Grease
Watching Starsky and Hutch on television
Going to discos
Buying platform shoes
And by the end of the decade not thinking about anything!
The demands for social change that began in the 1960s continued in the first years of the 1970s.
Youth culture remained political. Around the world young people demonstrated against the Vietnam
war. John Lennon spoke for a generation with the lyric, “All we are saying is give peace a chance.”
The Vietnam war ended in 1975.
However in the last years of the decade the music scene was dominated by glam rock entertainers
like Queen and Elton John. They represented a new conservatism in youth culture. Teenagers no
longer wanted to rebel they just wanted to be entertained.
The teen movie genre ignored the demands for social change in the early years of the 1970s.
Hollywood presented nostalgia films of the 1950s and early 1960s. American Graffiti and Grease
presented the boy meets girl formula against a rock n roll soundtrack.
The 1980s
WHAT WAS HAPPENING?
Reagan became President of the USA
The Cold War ended
Computers were suddenly everywhere
Princess Diana married Prince Charles
WHAT WERE TEENAGERS DOING?
Wearing big hair
Wearing shoulder pads
Listening to Madonna
Doing the moonwalk
Watching Miami Vice on television
Going to the movies to see The Breakfast Club
Going to the movies to see Ferris Beuller’s Day Off
Buying Micheal Jackson’s Thriller album
The 1980s was dominated by the conservative politics of President Reagan. Madonna dominated
pop chats with her Material Girl album. However Micheal Jackson represented an important social
change. The Thriller album was the biggest selling album of all time. African American artists could
no longer be ignored.
For the first time since the 1950s teen movies provided innovative texts that resonated with the
teen audience. The Breakfast Club explored teenage identity through cliques and stereotypes. The
commercially successful teen movies of the decade including Risky Business and Ferris Bueller’s Day
Off focused on the micro concerns of teenagers, identity, acceptance and relationships.
The 1990s
WHAT WAS HAPPENING?
George Bush became President
A war was fought between the USA and Iraq
Bill Clinton became President
WHAT WERE TEENAGERS DOING?
Going to raves
Going to the movies to see American Pie
Watching DVDs
Watching 90210 on television
Buying walkmans
The conservatism of the 1980s continued into the 1990s. This was known as the ‘greed is good’
decade. Popular music began to fragment. Many teenagers followed boy bands like Take That. Rap
had emerged as a global popular culture. Its failure to compromise gave it commercial success.
Within this genre violence was celebrated and women were objectified.
Teenagers went to see the American Pie series. Popular culture was not sanitised as it had been in
earlier decades. The typical formulaic teenage movie included ‘gross out’ humour to ensure
commercial success.
THE 2000S
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
Global warming is a big problem
President George W Bush was a big problem
9/11 occurred
Another war is being fought between Iraq and the USA
A war is being fought between Afghanistan and the USA
Barak Obama became President of the USA
WHAT ARE TEENAGERS DOING?
Exactly what are you doing?
The trends of the nineties have continued into the new century. However media has changed.
Analyse the role consumption, mythology and media could play in the future directions of ONE
popular culture you have studied.
A future scenario will provide aspects of continuity and aspects of change. The changes will affect
the media facilitating access to the text. However the values and ideas underlying the texts will
remain consistent into the future as they are relevant to teen audiences and make them marketable.
The mythology of teen movies will remain the same in the future as myths provide the images that
are easily decoded by the teenage audience as a result of constant cross referencing.
Consumption of teen movies relies on acceptance. In spite of myths that popular culture lacks depth
and meaning and lowers our expectations many texts are rejected. Box Office hits resonate with
their audience. Rebel Without a Cause resonated with the audience of the 1950s. Teenagers
identified with the conflict between teenagers and authority. They also identified with the search for
identity and need for acceptance. Exploring these ideas and values fulfilled the emotional needs of
teenagers. Texts such as American Graffiti, The Breakfast Club, Ten Things I Hate About You and
Mean Girls explore the same ideas and values. In the future teen movies will continue to explore the
same ideas and values as they are relevant to teenagers and commercial success depends on
relevance.
Consumption of popular culture texts also rely on access. Patterns of use and access have changed
over time as media has changed. Until the invention of video, movies could only be accessed at the
cinema for a short season. Since the invention of videos and DVDs teen movies have two levels of
consumption, firstly as a cinema event and then as a DVD. In the 1960s Hollywood presented the
beach party series of teen movies, the most popular was Beach Blanket Bingo. They presented the
teenage years as one long party punctuated by surfing, water skiing and of course car racing. They
were presented as a once only ephemeral cinema experience and lowered expectations of the teen
audience. However teen movies made for video and DVD release are not always superficial and
ephemeral. The Breakfast Club, Mean Girls and Juno are example of entertaining and meaningful
popular culture texts suitable for multiple viewings. Although teen sexploitation movies such as the
American Pie series and Superbad will always find an audience there will also be a market in the
future for clever, relevant texts in this genre.
Changes in patterns of use through changing media has led to parasocial interaction, that is
interaction outside of the normal range. Multiple viewings increases the responsibility of film makers
and stake holders in the future as teens identify strongly with the texts.
Mythology is ideas and beliefs that are created. The images of teenage rebellion were mythologised
by James Dean as the rebel Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause. Drag racing also became
mythologised as the symbol of rebellious youth. These images have been continuously cross
referenced in popular culture since this production appeared on cinema screens. Elvis Presley’s rebel
persona reflected Dean’s iconic portrayal of rebellious youth. Drag racing was featured in both
American Graffiti and Grease. Future teen movie texts will cross reference these aspects of teen
movies as these images have become part of our shared consciousness. These images are easily
decoded as symbols of the teenage experience.
Myths are created for commercial exploitation. In teen movies characters and plots are presented
to ensure the profits of corporations that own the movie companies. To some extent teen movies
present the nuances of everyday life so that teenagers can identify with the text. However the
characters, plot and sets are often exaggerated to make the text more marketable. Ferris Bueller’s
Day Off, Risky Business and Mean Girls present exaggerated plots, characterisation and sets.
Teenagers are enticed into a world that seems normal but it is a mythical world. The mythology of
teen movies is part of the suspension of reality. In ninety minutes the medium of movies takes the
audience to another place and perhaps another time for a price.
Currently teenagers interact with the popular culture of face book. This media allows teenagers to
present their own lives as text. Youtube also allows teenagers to present their own lives and their
fantasies as text. Each teenager becomes the protagonist and the director. This technology can
potentially undermine the mass culture of teen movies. In the future this places emphasis on movie
makers to present texts that resonate with the lives of teenagers but present such depth and
creativity that they are marketable. They will need to package our dreams and sell them back to us
in ways we never thought possible. (Lovat et al 2000) Currently Juno by new director Diablo Cody
fulfils this role and sets the standard for future teen movies.