Of course there are those of us, such as myself, Donnie, BBigD04, Chris Megatron and Ultraviolet521, who usually tend to participate more in these kinds of threads. Some of us not so much (which is cool too - to each his/her own). :)

But anyway, I thought I'd ask, what specifically about it interests you the most? For me, it's evaluating how I looked at things when I was younger, comparing with how I do it today. And what that's got in common/against other people's experiences.

The most interesting "overall" aspect of pop culture, is looking at things from a "current" point of view in the past. For example, reading a newspaper article or a Rolling Stone review from 1985, and seeing how people thought of that stuff when it was actually going on. Or how did someone in the 60's think the year 2000 would be?

To me, it's seeing how time changes and comparing times to other times.  Also, my obsession with decades and centuries looking like each other around their borders.

I don't necessarily like pop culture, but I'm extremely fascinated by it and it adds an extra dimension to Time.

Just the way things keep changing, even in the last decade, pop culture has changed quite a bit, even though other aspects of life haven't changed so much. Pop culture is a big part of our memories of the past. You can tell a lot about an era just by listening to some of the songs. When I hear '80s songs I can feel what the '80s were like in a way, even though I really wasn't there to experience it.

Of course there are those of us, such as myself, Donnie, BBigD04, Chris Megatron and Ultraviolet521, who usually tend to participate more in these kinds of threads. Some of us not so much (which is cool too - to each his/her own). :)

But anyway, I thought I'd ask, what specifically about it interests you the most? For me, it's evaluating how I looked at things when I was younger, comparing with how I do it today. And what that's got in common/against other people's experiences.

The most interesting "overall" aspect of pop culture, is looking at things from a "current" point of view in the past. For example, reading a newspaper article or a Rolling Stone review from 1985, and seeing how people thought of that stuff when it was actually going on. Or how did someone in the 60's think the year 2000 would be?


I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it would definitely have something to do with the way something will be so "in" and everybody's jumping on the bandwagon, only to be trashing the same thing a few years later.   Disco would be a prime example.   How do you get all into the disco craze, dress disco, dance disco, listen to disco, etc... and then two years later say how much disco sucks and how the 70's were the worst decade ever???

I guess once I like a certain style of music or clothes, I will always like it... maybe not as much later on, as things come out that I like better, but I won't say it sucked.   At least, not when it comes to pop culture.

When it comes to technology, I will say that those stupid dot matrix printers of the 80's SUCKED.  They always got jammed, you had to thread the paper... but that's all there was back then.

I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it would definitely have something to do with the way something will be so "in" and everybody's jumping on the bandwagon, only to be trashing the same thing a few years later.   Disco would be a prime example.   How do you get all into the disco craze, dress disco, dance disco, listen to disco, etc... and then two years later say how much disco sucks and how the 70's were the worst decade ever???

I guess once I like a certain style of music or clothes, I will always like it... maybe not as much later on, as things come out that I like better, but I won't say it sucked.   At least, not when it comes to pop culture.

When it comes to technology, I will say that those stupid dot matrix printers of the 80's SUCKED.  They always got jammed, you had to thread the paper... but that's all there was back then.


I find it interesting that after 6 years, 60% of the '90s is still passable and some of it is even cool.  THAT fascinates me, but I can understand since the '90s were so individualistic.

I just really enjoy looking back to the time I was a child...remembering all of the songs that were popular, toys that I played with, movies & TV shows that I watched, etc... IMO, today's pop culture doesn't even compare at all to what was in the past. The funny thing is that back then..I didn't once think to myself...wow, I had better appreciate all of this now, because in the 2000's things are going to be so different.  It's moments from my past that make me realize that none of them will ever happen again...and that all I have are memories...to which I hold very dear to me.

I just really enjoy looking back to the time I was a child...remembering all of the songs that were popular, toys that I played with, movies & TV shows that I watched, etc... IMO, today's pop culture doesn't even compare at all to what was in the past. The funny thing is that back then..I didn't once think to myself...wow, I had better appreciate all of this now, because in the 2000's things are going to be so different.  It's moments from my past that make me realize that none of them will ever happen again...and that all I have are memories...to which I hold very dear to me.


Yeah, me too... back in the days when listening to the radio was fun. ::)

I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it would definitely have something to do with the way something will be so "in" and everybody's jumping on the bandwagon, only to be trashing the same thing a few years later.   Disco would be a prime example.   How do you get all into the disco craze, dress disco, dance disco, listen to disco, etc... and then two years later say how much disco sucks and how the 70's were the worst decade ever???

I guess once I like a certain style of music or clothes, I will always like it... maybe not as much later on, as things come out that I like better, but I won't say it sucked.   At least, not when it comes to pop culture.

Yeah. I'd say the reason for backlash, for younger people especially (say, under 25 or 30), although sometimes for older adults too, is partly pressure to fit in, otherwise they'll look silly and dated.

However, I think with the decrease of fashions changing every year or so like they used to, this is on the decline. In fact, everyone these days tends to have a "do my own thing" kind of attitude.

When it comes to technology, I will say that those stupid dot matrix printers of the 80's SUCKED.  They always got jammed, you had to thread the paper... but that's all there was back then.

I hear ya on that. ;D

Even the printer I used five or six years ago sucked - half the time you had to play with it for 20 minutes just to get it to do one thing!

Yeah. I'd say the reason for backlash, for younger people especially (say, under 25 or 30), although sometimes for older adults too, is partly pressure to fit in, otherwise they'll look silly and dated.

However, I think with the decrease of fashions changing every year or so like they used to, this is on the decline. In fact, everyone these days tends to have a "do my own thing" kind of attitude.

I hear ya on that. ;D

Even the printer I used five or six years ago sucked - half the time you had to play with it for 20 minutes just to get it to do one thing!


You know, in a way it's good people aren't followers of trends so much.  But, I kind of miss it, because I like being able to look fondly back on stuff I hated at the time and appreciate the good stuff more, but when it never leaves you can't really.  For instance, if tattoos and body piercings became laughable in 2002, I could look back upon them fondly.  But they're still here, so I still don't like them.

Yeah. I'd say the reason for backlash, for younger people especially (say, under 25 or 30), although sometimes for older adults too, is partly pressure to fit in, otherwise they'll look silly and dated.


Yeah I agree... but that's what I don't get... how does it make you look "cool" to trash something you totally loved last year?  I mean, it's good or it isn't...ya know??



half the time you had to play with it for 20 minutes just to get it to do one thing!


<heads to forum quotes of the day> ;D

My reasons have already been stated. It's not that I like pop culture. In fact, most of it (say 80%) I reckon is a load of crap. It's just interesting to see things change over the years, and look back (and laugh) at things people were liking some 20-30 years ago.

you guys would like this website:

http://www.x-entertainment.com/



pop culture fascinates me...its kind of like a time capsule of the past...this is what people enjoyed, people liked, people beleived.  It goes hand-in-hand with history.  When we think about what represents a time period, what do we think about?  Normally its some pop culture piece.  The 60s?  The Beatles, Hippies, Woodstock, Rolling Stones...those are all just as likely and as acceptable answers as historical responces like Vietnam and the Kennedy Assassination (both which have also been turned into pop cultureal phenominans themselves). 

Something I find even more interesting is pre-1900 pop culture.  Stephen Foster, The Cristy Minstrils, Mark Twain, etc etc etc.  Pop Culture can tell you how a society functioned. 

I'm very interested in history, and as far as pop culture I'm most interested in the era between WWII and 1970--in other words--the era before I was born, so while I myself wasn't very impressed with the 80's (since I lived them) I guess I could understand where some of or younger members might be fascinated with that decade. What I find most interesting about pop culture is, quite simply, things that are no longer around.
    You know what I'd check out if I could travel through time? Pop culture from the Roman Empire. Ancient Rome and the modern U.S. are similar in many ways, and I often wonder what the young people in Rome did for entertainment--in particular, what kind of music they listened to. We are fortunate in this era of history that we have the ability to record images and sounds for future posterity. The Romans didn't have that, and I wonder what kinds of fads and music and fashion trends they had back then that have been long lost in antiquity. What kinds of Roman bands were playing in their clubs while the teenyboppers were getting drunk on wine? Did they have their own version of rock and roll? Was there a Roman Elvis, or Beatles, or even a Britney Spears?

you guys would like this website:

http://www.x-entertainment.com/



pop culture fascinates me...its kind of like a time capsule of the past...this is what people enjoyed, people liked, people beleived.  It goes hand-in-hand with history.  When we think about what represents a time period, what do we think about?  Normally its some pop culture piece.  The 60s?  The Beatles, Hippies, Woodstock, Rolling Stones...those are all just as likely and as acceptable answers as historical responces like Vietnam and the Kennedy Assassination (both which have also been turned into pop cultureal phenominans themselves). 

Something I find even more interesting is pre-1900 pop culture.  Stephen Foster, The Cristy Minstrils, Mark Twain, etc etc etc.  Pop Culture can tell you how a society functioned. 


I think Pop Culture began in the 1860s, but didn't really become totally mainstream until the late 1950s.

I think Pop Culture began in the 1860s, but didn't really become totally mainstream until the late 1950s.


what do you mean by mainstream?

There was pleny of pop culture before the 50s.  Look at the Harlem Reneassaince (how ever its spelt), or the Swing craze.  All the different dances of the early part of the century (Charleston, Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, etc), the movies, the music, the art, the golden age of comics, the ficional novel craze in the 20s and 30s, animation, things people created for fun during the Depression, Monopoly...hell, even speak easys were part of pop culture.  And propaganda posters...those are fun.  Rotton.com has a nice collection of pre-1950 pop culture.