Popular culture never seemed particularly interesting or important to me. It wasn't that I wasn't aware of it, but I didn't think it influenced the world so much and encompassed such a wide variety of things (sports, logos, etc.). However, once class started I did gain an appreciation of popular culture. Although I might not like or agree with some aspects of popular culture I do enjoy analyzing it.
The Rising of Popular Culture: A Historiographical Sketch provided a brief but concise overview of the rise and study of popular culture through the twentieth century. Robert G. Toll's section on minstrel shows provided a fresh look at a form of contemporary entertainment. He described the "racist appeal and its role in shaping white audience members' misunderstandings of black life" (The Rising of Popular Culture: A Historiographical Sketch 12). Toll showed how a form of entertainment popular among the masses could shape their misconceptions of a group of people and reinforce values already present in their society. It was interesting to learn that there were even black actors taking part in minstrel shows.
I particularly enjoyed near the end of the reading where David Suisman described the paradoxical nature of the music industry. The music industry "could not create a market... without the active approval and participation of consumers." (The Rising of Popular Culture: A Historiographical Sketch 13) I agree with his conclusion as popular culture can be created and contributed to by the general public. Without the public's participation popular culture would wane and might return to the traditional definition of "culture" (the classical literature and arts).
