Summary

The article that I read was called How art killed our culture, and is primarily focused on how the new age of consumerism that America entered after World War II led to the development of pop culture, which censors emotional depth. It explains in reference to the development of this new age that, “Abstract Expressionism had to die,” and that art was previously used as a tool to convey different perspectives of the world, but has now been seemingly dumbed down this level of higher thinking. The novel, cinema, and drama have all been, for the most part, untouched by the  ailment known as pop culture. In fact, the article states that modern day pop culture has become “so popularized that even intelligent people accept that reality television is a form of culture”. For these reasons, the modern world has lost the ability to ponder and methodize new thoughts that people such as Francis Bacon and Mark Rothko once achieved.

Response

Exploring this topic has enabled me to contemplate the effects of pop culture and consumerism on our society. I agree that, compared to eras such as the Renaissance and the Enlightenment, new ideologies and theories seem scarce. I am not entirely sure if the evolution of pop culture is what’s to blame, but I think that it is certainly a contributing factor to this decline in the arts. This post-war period has caused us to adapt a society that revolves around consumerism and the lack of ability to recognize “needs” versus “wants”. Pop art seems to have literally  painted a picture that money and mass-media is what is most important. The article implies that reality television is not a form of culture, however I surmise that, although it may not be as sophisticated as some former aspects of the arts that erupted in the past, it is nonetheless a part of our culture. I do not agree that it has “killed” the arts. In fact, it appears simply appears to be a new form of art. This drastic change in the arts is understandably difficult to accept and easily criticizable, but that does not mean that it is any less valuable to the development of our society than art in the past.

Pop Culture in Political Cartoons

This political cartoon is also criticizing pop culture and is implying that it negatively effects our society. Indeed, compared to how things used to be in America, pop culture seems to be full of scandals. Because of the incredible amount of influence that pop culture has on our society, in particular with young people who are still highly impressionable, it is quite alarming to think of what message the media is sending. While young people often accept these things as an absolute and believe that this is “just the way things are”, older people are more likely to criticize this major transformation of mass media, as illustrated in the picture.

Reflection

Considering both of the sources that I analyzed, my conclusion is that art has clearly and evidently changed from what is was in the past. Although it may not be all positive changes, it certainly has some high points. By adapting to our new lifestyle which is based on consumerism and widely dominated by the use of electronics,  mass media has become a major influential factor on peoples’ lives. The ability to keep people updated with current events and convey new ideas, just as artwork once did, is especially valuable. So in a way, pop culture replaced art rather than killed it.