Pop Culture & Society

Trends and fads mould the way society presents itself to the public. By the way they look, the way they spread like wildfire and the way they are accepted, trends and fads give society an excuse to follow in each others' footsteps. Do not get me wrong, trends and fads are a great way to be "hip" and "modern", but they also suggest that society depends on them to progress into new culture.

The popularity of  a current trend or fad suggests that society is afraid to branch off from the mainstream culture that dominates North America. The fear of not having the latest technology, or wearing something "that was so two months ago" leaves society with the impression that these popular culture factors is what gives our North American society the reputation it has today: the reputation of dominating the mainstream world. For example, trends in fashion are created by those who are watched by the world. Those people can be fashion icons - but not just that - they are leaders and celebrities as well. Military apparel is what is currently dominating the fashion world, providing a sense of durable and colour coordinated wear. It is the celebrities of Hollywood, California that set the trend for fashion. However, trends and fads are not all about fashion, they can include music and television. The show Glee is an example of a current popular show. It is a show that attracts audiences of different ages, and situations. The fact that it is so popular suggests that this is what society looks for in a television show, but also possibly in real life. The show presents many scenarios in which audiences may be able to relate, therefore signifying the hopes of the audience that what is presented on the television show is what truly happened to them, or what they wish would have happened. The way people can relate to the show is the reason why it is so popular, along with the fact the cast sings songs, which adds to the pure entertainment of shows like Glee.

In reality, trends and fads change over time. The popularity of them just comes to show that people enjoy being "in the know" of what is 'in' and 'out'. Without popular culture, the North American society may be a mess. If you think about it, without pop culture, where would stores look to when the new season arrived? And where would award show executives find candidates for their awards? To be without popular culture, communicates to the world that this is what we define our lives around. Whether it be from that song on morning radio, to that late-night talk show, and from the trends of today and the fads of tomorrow, popular culture is a part of our everyday lives, and it does not take much to change it.