“Pop Culture Studies Turns 25”

“Pop Culture Studies Turns 25” David Jacobson

Jacobson notes that Ray Brown might look more radical if he had” one of those Einstein quantum ‘fros’” (para.1). What is a “fro”? Why would this indicate a radical person? Why does Jacobson choose Einstein as his example?

The author uses the word aesthetics several times in this piece. What are aesthetics? What does Jack Santino mean when he says that Browne’s popular culture program has a “socio-aesthetic approach” (para. 8)?

In paragraph 25, Jacobson refers to the “oxymoronic clang of the professorial and the popular.” What is an oxymoron? How well does the term apply here? Why?

Explain this odd relationship between the media and popular culture. In what ways does this odd relationship benefit both?

What did critics cite as their objections to a conference on the history of roller coasters? Why might these same objections be leveled at all popular culture studies? Finally, what do you think about the critics argument?

As Michael Marsden notes, “Culture changes but it doesn’t disappear. It’s like energy that just seeks another form” (para. 33). In what was does popular culture simply change forms to adapt to a new time and generation?

In “Pop Culture Studies Turns 25,” Jacobson quotes Stanford Pinsker, who argues that the study of pop culture is “dumbing down curricula for the mass markets” (para. 34). In “Schlock Waves Felt across U.S. Campuses,” Wee reveals that one attraction of pop culture studies is that such classes bring in students and thus bring in tuition money. Do you think economics is a driving factor behind the study of popular culture? If this is true, why is it significant?

Jacobson points questions those critics who “rip” popular culture scholars for daring to emphasize “highbrow” works of art like Shakespeare’s plays in favor of close analysis of “unworthy,” lowbrow topics like video gaming, vampire fanaticism, or the influence of Rowling and her Harry Potter. • What does he mean by the term “highbrow”? • Could OCHSA be accused of creating a highbrow student population because of how the arts are instructed?

Christo’s Environmental ArtJacobson refers to the pop cultures studies program at BGSU as being “like and intellectual Christo project.” Why does he choose this simile? How effective is it?

Christo and Jeanne-Claude • Although their work is visually impressive and often controversial as a result of its scale, the artists have repeatedly denied that their projects contain any deeper meaning than their immediate aesthetic. The purpose of their art, they contend, is simply to create works of art or joy and beauty and to create new ways of seeing familiar landscapes. Art critic David Bourdon has described Christo's wrappings as a "revelation through concealment."[1] To his critics Christo replies, "I am an artist, and I have to have courage ... Do you know that I don't have any artworks that exist? They all go away when they're finished. Only the preparatory drawings, and collages are left, giving my works an almost legendary character. I think it takes much greater courage to create things to be gone than to create things that will remain."[2]

The Umbrellas - Japan-USA, 1984-91& The Reichstag, 1995 • The plan was to have yellow umbrellas set up in California and blue umbrellas in Japan at the same time. In total, 3 million people saw the umbrellas, each measuring 6 meters in height and 8.66 meters in diameter. The umbrellas became a huge tourist attraction, finding use as everything from picnic spots to wedding altars. Two people died: A woman, Lori Mathews, was killed when one of the umbrellas hit her because of a wind gust, and a man, Masaaki Nakamura, was electrocuted while removing umbrellas when he came under a high voltage power line. • After the project "The Umbrellas" Christo and Jeanne-Claude (Christo’s wife) concerned themselves, with wrapping the Reichstag in Berlin. More than 100,000 miles of fireproof polypropylene fabric, covered by an aluminum layer, and 15 km of rope were needed. The wrapping began on 17 June 1995 and was finished on 24 June. The spectacle was seen by five million visitors before the unveiling began on 7 July.

“Pop Culture Studies Turns 25”