The Decline of Pop Culture
Do you remember your childhood? Do you remember the movies you watched? The music you listened to? And the experiences you took part in? It had a certain feeling to it that impacted the way we thought and felt in other aspects of our lives.
I was born in the mid 90’s, so I had a fair share of classic cultural pieces in my life as a kid. The Disney Renaissance Era, Nickelodeon, the boy band takeover, and so on. All these things had such a hold on my time as child and even more so, on boarder societies pop culture references.
Once a vibrant and ever-evolving reflection of societal trends, I believe pop culture is showing signs of decline in recent years. A landscape that once thrived on innovation and rapid change now appears to be faltering under the weight of the “one size fits all” approach and a lack of genuine creativity.
One of the primary factors contributing to the decline of pop culture is the increasing dominance of commercial interests over artistic creativity. Capitalism, in my opinion, is a great system for society. Being able to monetize a creative work is an incredible task for media brands, but it seems like almost every piece of media ends up being a sales pitch. In an era where profit often takes precedence over originality, the entertainment industry is churning out formulaic content that prioritizes marketability over innovation. Yes, back in the day we all knew that there would be a new SpongeBob toy being marketed, but the show didn’t necessarily lead into that product sale cycle. Pieces of media were still being creatively constructed before product monetization. This new way of producing content, has led to a saturation of repetitive themes and recycled ideas, diluting the once-distinctive flavor of pop culture.
But what about a newer way of consuming media? Social media. The rise of social media has made it incredibly easy to turn everyday ideas into smash hits in the metrics of the entertainment world. As someone who has spent a career in the entertainment industry since the age of 14, social media was and is the new frontier of creative work. While social media has and will continue to do wonders on the entertainment space, it has also played a role in homogenizing pop culture. Platforms can quickly turn viral trends into oversaturated clichés. In the pursuit of likes and shares creators tend to mimic successful formulas rather than exploring unique and boundary-pushing concepts, fostering a culture of conformity. Many fail to innovate and be trend setters themselves in fear of losing traction and growth. This has also been maximized by the rise of instant gratification culture. With attention spans shrinking, creators are pressured to produce easily digestible content that can be consumed rapidly. The emphasis on utilizing quick creative works instead of well-crafted pieces results in a shallower and more transient pop culture experience.
Within bigger entertainment media works, the idea of nostalgia and remakes is being used as a tool to try and rekindle some of that old school pop culture fandom. While tapping into fond memories can be a powerful tool, an overreliance on recycling past successes stifles the emergence of new, groundbreaking ideas. Try and think of movie quote that you can say to someone else that they will instantly get? Outside of maybe “Hey Barbie!” from the recent Greta Gerwig film (which is pulling the nostalgia of Barbie from decades prior), I argue that it will probably be from a movie not from a too recent past. As audiences are bombarded with familiar narratives, the cultural landscape becomes stagnant and lacks the vitality that once defined it.
The decline of pop culture is a multifaceted issue that encompasses commercialization, social media dynamics, attention span challenges, and the reliance on nostalgia. In order for the entertainment world to address these issues requires a collective effort from creators, consumers, and industry stakeholders to prioritize originality and depth. “Thinking outside the box” is more important now, in my opinion, than ever before in the media world. Developing ideas outside the mainstream thus creating and shaping the popular culture of today. As media companies and creators alike go forward in their creative works, it’s essential to strive for a renaissance that embraces innovation and authenticity, ensuring that this vital aspect of our society continues to evolve and inspire.
