Think of a piece of music that has helped you through a trying or joyful time. You probably identify with the music—it speaks to you, gives voice to your emotions, or reminds you of something in your past. You may develop a personal relationship with a piece of music or a song, but you are not the only one listening to it. Its popularity brought the piece of music to your attention in the first place. You may not think about the lyrics or the catchy tune, or the fact that it is a popular song. You may not even understand the message the song or its lyrics are conveying.
To prepare for this Discussion, read this week’s Learning Resources. Select an example of popular culture: a song, film, or music video; fashion; episodic visual storytelling such as a TV show; a print or moving image advertisement; or a magazine or book. We will refer to this selection as your artifact.
· Explain why your chosen artifact is considered popular culture by addressing the following questions:
. How do you know it is popular?
. How did the artifact first come to your attention? How did you find it, or how did it find you?
. What is it about the artifact that interests you? What is your personal connection to the artifact? What about the artifact connects you to it?
. How was the artifact created? For example, if your artifact is a song, who is the songwriter? If a film, who was the writer or director?
Be sure to support your ideas by connecting them to the week’s Learning Resources or to something you have read, heard, seen, or experienced.