Politics and Popular Culture
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Throughout this class we have studied the impact of politics and mass culture. In considering the impact on one another, there are three different models commonly used. First, popular culture may be used as a medium to impact our political world. For example, one may argue that an increase in television shows featuring homosexual characters, like Ellen or Will and Grace, has increased liberal views accepting homosexuality. Another model for the influence of politics and mass culture is that our political life is measured by our popular culture. Using the same example of homosexuality, it may be argued that increasingly liberal views have perpetuated the use of gay characters on television shows, illustrating societal thought. The final model of mass culture and politics suggests that there is a symbiotic relationship between the two. While popular culture is affecting the political world, the political world is affecting popular culture. Although any of these models are feasible, it is impossible to distinguish the exact relationship between popular culture and politics except to accept that there is a direct correlation.
The influences of popular culture on politics and vice-versa are particularly important due to the impact of pop culture and the media...