So you may be wondering why the heck am I wasting my time with this research. I don’t really blame you. It takes a huge nerd to enjoy thinking about this stuff in their free time. But then again, you’re reading my blog… ;)
I mentioned in my last post that one of my passions in research is looking at how pop culture icons reflect and impact current culture. And why is that you may ask? First and foremost, I was a theatre student in my youth. Script analysis was (and still is) my favorite part of theatre.
A (Very) Brief History of Theatre
The performing arts by nature are inherently charged with commentary on current culture and politics. Theatre began as a part of religious celebrations in Ancient Greece. One I consider most notable was called “Lysistrata” about how women tried to end the Peloponnesian War by withholding sex from their men. It commented both on the ongoing war as well as gender dynamics in Greek society. It’s a pretty hilarious read if you’re game.
Classical Theatre was stamped out for a time in the West by the Church (cir. 660 CE) and then ironically revived by the Church around 900 CE in the form of miracle and mystery plays that taught the important stories of the Bible during a time when most of the common population was illiterate. The politics of the corresponding eras (i.e. the fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of the Holy Roman Empire, etc) hugely impacted the history of the art.
Attitudes About Entertainment
You’ll find the most popular performance pieces of our time have some sort of reflection of contemporary events. Even the philosophical study of aesthetics is an active study of understanding how people respond to the arts.
We as consumers of entertainment pick up many attitudes and beliefs passively through that consumption. My previous post on female representation in the Star Wars movies hits on this. That’s why I find it so important to encourage people to be actively aware of what they are watching.
This doesn’t mean you have to stop liking something of course (I still love Luke, I still cried at the end of The Last Jedi). But even just taking that moment to realize “hey, that’s kind of weird that the twin of the most powerful Jedi bloodline doesn’t get badass powers too” impacts how we view the world around us.
Because of my background in the arts and psychology, I always want to better understand how the arts impacts us both in negative and positive ways. I want to show others how important that impact is. It affects us and our choices. Great examples of this include:
Star Trek: Increased public interest in science and physics as well as impacted huge advances in technology including cell phones and computers. Uhura actress Nichelle Nichols assisted in recruiting women and African-Americans into the NASA astronaut program including most famously Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigations: Created the “CSI Effect” which really deserves way more discussion on it impacted courtrooms. It also increased student interest and educational programs for STEM careers.
Pop culture creates real life effects. That is why it is so important for those who create arts to be mindful of what they are creating and aware that it makes an impact. This is not to say everything needs to be politically charged, but we as the consumers can affect what gets made. And we can learn from what we take in.
So that’s why I do this. I believe in personal responsibility of both creators and consumers. And I want to encourage more people to be active in how they view the world around them. I hope you’ll join me in doing so.
