Popular Culture is Everywhere!

Tooning In: Essays on Popular Culture and Education
Chapters 1-3

“In a society increasingly fragmented by debate, misunderstanding, and lack of consensus, perhaps popular culture remains one of the few arenas that provide a forum for common understanding, dialogue, and communication” (1). I think about the experiences and histories my students bring to class, and they are so varied. Most have found comfort within their own circles, and they are wary of those who are different. They can be reluctant to work with those they perceive as different, and the danger is continuing to live through a narrow perspective. I do think that popular culture is the common ground from which connections can be built.
I found it interesting to consider the approaches to using popular culture that were discussed in chapter 2. I can think of lessons that probably fall into each of the three approaches. After reading the first scene from Romeo and Juliet, for example, I have shown students the prologue and opening scenes from both the 1968 and 1996 versions. My intentions are two-fold. One is to show them how directors can be using the same text as a foundation for their creations, but their interpretations can be dramatically different. In the 1996 version, viewers hear Shakespearean text while watching modern images that show a city in chaos and two young lovers in danger. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6S6IJWilpx4 (Just an aside, did you notice the product placement?) My second reason for showing the scene is to pique their engagement as we begin our Shakespearean journey. More congruent with the second approach, I do have students analyze song lyrics during our poetry unit (hopefully the pleasure isn’t removed though). I think I have the most room for growth in the third area, examining popular culture through several lenses. We touched in this in the media literacy class I taught; students looked for patterns in the way certain groups were portrayed in sit-coms or dramas, but I’d really like to use this more in my English classroom.
I wish I had a clever transition from the above thoughts to MTV and Disney, but none come to mind. Both definitely shape my students’ perception of themselves and their world. I was surprised that White and Walker focused only on the music video aspect of MTV. In fact, I even checked the copyright date-2008. Yet so much is left untouched. It is overwhelming to think about the impact of MTV’s “reality” shows. “The Hills”, “Sweet 16”, “16 and Pregnant” are certainly showing kids what their lives ought to look like. Images of parties and hook-ups flood the screen while the lack of responsibility and problem-solving is overlooked in favor of the glamour and freedom. I’d love to read more about the influence of such shows on kids. Any ideas? I’m sure the same has been said in generations past . . . I found it fascinating that Disney endures criticism from both conservative and liberal perspectives, and this could be an interesting opportunity to present to kids. However, this makes me think about how we choose the popular culture we bring into the classroom. Kids my be excited and eager to explore, but parents may not. What is the balance? Is it a balance that ought to be considered? Just last week, for example, many objected to children hearing from our president. I wonder how many “alternative assignments” teachers would need to prepare when integrating popular culture into the classroom.
I do agree that “it is not enough to merely understand and analyze the information presented, students should also be empowered to effect change” (35). And I hope we have opportunities to explore this.