Term Paper on "Pop Culture Every Day"

Term Paper 4 pages (1289 words) Sources: 2

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Pop Culture

Every day I come into contact with the emblems and elements of American popular culture, whether I like it or not. Walking down the street, I see the golden arches that signify a McDonald's is nearby. I shudder to think of what garbage people are putting into their mouths. Then I see KFC, Burger King, Wendy's, and the list of American fast food chains metasticizes. There is no way to avoid the ubiquitous fast food signs, logos, and advertisements on billboards, bus benches, and store windows. Then there are the retail stores selling clothes that are made in China but bearing an American label such as the Gap, Banana Republic, and larger stores like Macy's. Then there are the hideous culprits such as Wal*Mart and Target, which seduce consumers by their low, low prices on junk. The popular culture of America is shopping and rampant consumerism. Even the arts have been packaged as the lowest common denominator, no longer creative expressions but solely means of propelling the consumer engine. So horrible has American popular music become that I cannot even listen to MTV anymore unless there is a special show or concert. Otherwise, I have lost touch with American popular music because my ear drums cannot handle the bombardment of badness. Movies have, however, retained some of their entertainment value although much of what comes out of Hollywood is not worth wasting ninety minutes of my time on. Finally, American popular culture is disseminated and propagated by the American media. American popular culture has an impact on my decision making in that I am more aware of the difference between what I really want and what marketing departments tell me.

When it comes to f
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ood and drink-related decisions, American popular culture has encouraged me to think more critically about what I put into my body. American popular culture has until fairly recently dominated the discourse on eating. The poor suffer the most because fast food is marketed as a means to load up on the maximum amount of calories for the least amount of money. Having seen one too many obese people and watched people die of heart disease and diabetes, I have sworn off all American fast food. I cringe to think that people still eat McDonald's, especially knowing how much sodium and artificial flavorings are in the fake sandwiches. The mass consumption of meat is destroying the environment too. Knowing what I do about fast food has turned me off completely, which is why American popular culture has impacted my decision-making. The impact on my decision-making is the opposite of what the corporate marketing departments would like. Rather than sell me on the latest bun-free chicken burger that uses slabs of pre-fabricated reconstituted chicken, KFC has effectively ensured that I will never patronize one of their "restaurants" ever again. American popular culture in the guise of fast food has driven me to make healthy choices regarding what I eat. Now I make sure to cook my own food so I do not get stuck being hungry and only having McDonald's or KFC as options.

In the same way that American fast food culture has influenced my decision-making, American retail culture has also turned me off to shopping entirely. The American shopping model is heartless, as I have seen consumer zombies swarm into stores like Wal*Mart and shop for things they imagine they need. Sure, consumers use Wal*Mart because of the perceived convenience. Lured by saving a few pennies, consumers sacrifice quality of life. I have made a decision to improve my quality of life by purchasing fewer consumer goods. Again, the marketing departments must hate people like me.

American popular culture does not promote imagery of happiness or altruism. Rather, American popular culture is about instant gratification and the fulfillment of selfish desires. The values propagated by American popular culture… READ MORE

Quoted Instructions for "Pop Culture Every Day" Assignment:

Must be written with proper grammar and punctuation. This paper is due on Tuesday, 12-14. Thanks

Popular American Culture Paper

In preparation for this paper, compile an inventory of every artifact of popular culture that you come into contact with*****such as music videos, fast food establishments, comic books, and so on*****over the course of three days.

*****¢ Prepare a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you describe the impact that popular American culture has on your personal decision making. In your paper, be sure to address the following items:

o Briefly describe popular American culture.

o Identify patterns in the list of pop culture artifacts in your inventory.

o Describe which sorts of items are more common than others, and identify which themes are prevalent.

o Describe the values that are being communicated by the items listed in your compiled inventory, such as convenience, pleasure, health, pursuit of wealth, or social responsibility.

o Determine the extent to which you feel the values of popular American culture have directly impacted your personal decision making. Do you consider yourself very aware of the influence of popular culture on your decision making? Or has the influence been more subconscious? Justify your answer.

*****¢ Attach your inventory to your paper.

How to Reference "Pop Culture Every Day" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Pop Culture Every Day.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2010, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/pop-culture-every-day/322844. Accessed 6 Jul 2024.

Pop Culture Every Day (2010). Retrieved from https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/pop-culture-every-day/322844
A1-TermPaper.com. (2010). Pop Culture Every Day. [online] Available at: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/pop-culture-every-day/322844 [Accessed 6 Jul, 2024].
”Pop Culture Every Day” 2010. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/pop-culture-every-day/322844.
”Pop Culture Every Day” A1-TermPaper.com, Last modified 2024. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/pop-culture-every-day/322844.
[1] ”Pop Culture Every Day”, A1-TermPaper.com, 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/pop-culture-every-day/322844. [Accessed: 6-Jul-2024].
1. Pop Culture Every Day [Internet]. A1-TermPaper.com. 2010 [cited 6 July 2024]. Available from: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/pop-culture-every-day/322844
1. Pop Culture Every Day. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/pop-culture-every-day/322844. Published 2010. Accessed July 6, 2024.

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