Skip to main content

Progress in Popular Culture


In one sense, everything was normal at the gasoline pump the other day. It is no longer unusual for a loudspeaker to blare out advertisements at you, usually for a car wash or junk food. You can't blame the ad-world for making progress in this direction. After all, television viewers mute out the commercials, and internet eye-ballers use Ad-Block.

But there was something new today. My ears were regaled with a country-western version of rap music. This was a new cultural low for me. A radio listener probably doesn't consider this news at  all.

I've lived too long. Maybe I should be dead by now. Lately I have been contrasting the popular culture of my childhood with that of today. Will an old person always prefer the past because they are "conservative" and narrow-minded? Actually, it is young people who are narrow-minded -- they only know one side of the question. 

Comments

Ed said…
I guess I am more fortunate that I knew. Since I bought my Class C I have listened to the radio only when driving from camp to camp and then rarely because I never can find a station.

There is also the problem with my impaired hearing which does not help. It seems that hick-hop or rural rap came on the scene about the time that I stopped listening to the radio so I have missed that cultural degradation.

What the rock-a-billys did to Country and Western was bad enough, I do not need to hear any hick-hop or rural rap. Blue Grass and Gospel seem to have retained their heritage but "Country" has gone 'pop' and I think "Western" died with the Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers.
XXXXX said…
I hardly know what is playing on radio stations blaring in public places because I'm not really listening.
As far as preferring the culture of your youth? I don't think you prefer everything about this culture based on various opinions you have expressed here. The culture of your youth didn't encourage one to think for himself/herself, you know. It was pretty darn homogeneous and that is all it really accepted. If you fell out of this narrow band, you paid. We were all pretty brainwashed, pretty straight and narrow, and, especially for you, who doesn't like to be "politically correct", I think you are better off right where you are.

Anonymous said…
George, I left you a comment back in the Turning Election Ugliness, etc post. Would you mind jogging back and looking at it and contact me if you would care to?

Chris
Anonymous said…
When we are young, we feel older than our true age. When we are older, typically we feel younger than our real age.
The trip from young to old is in an age-relative comfort zone. Through life it is difficult to break out of one’s comfort zone. It’s even harder when we reach 60+. With fewer years left, we want to relish them in our comfort zone which often includes memories, experiences and possessions from "the good old days".

Chris
XXXXX said…
Hi Chris. Perhaps KB wouldn't mind an answer here. I've been reading and listening to Bart D. Ehrman. He started out as an Ecumenical Christian but the more he studied and researched, the more he began to change his mind. He has a book and DVD about the historical Jesus and many other related topics as well. It is all for everyone to decide for himself/herself. (He is on youtube too.)

George
XXXXX said…
You know, KB, you have a tendency to always romanticize the past. And since your reading habits are always related to events from the past or long-dead philosophers who are writing about the past, you keep on getting thrust into the past and always tending to see it as better than it ever was.
For if it was so great, the people back then wouldn't have worked so hard to change it.
Guilty as charged. Then again...

Contrast black musical entertainers of the past, like Lena Horne or Nat King Cole, with the knuckle-dragging stars of rap music.
Anonymous said…
Thanks, George. I have heard of Bart Ehrman but not read his works. Thanks, kB for allowing George and me to chat.

Chris
Anonymous said…
Ya can bet the Neanderthals weren't overly thrilled with us smart ass Homo Sapiens changing everything for the worse!!!
John V said…
Culture is a symptom of a larger problem. I'm always amazed at how ignorant teenagers and college students are when asked basic questions about US history, the political positions of candidates they are supporting, geography, world events, personal finance, etc., etc. I always figured it was largely due to selective editing by the media. About six years ago I started asking every high school and college teacher I meet if the media segments were accurate. Literally 100% of the 80+ teachers I've talked to have said the same thing. Except for a very few students, the teachers claim that 16-23 year old people in this country are lazy and dumb as a box of rocks. This isn't a scientific survey, but US test scores vs the rest of the world show an ominous trend as well.
Anonymous said…
I remember being as dumb as a box of rocks until the internet came along and opened my eyes!!
John V said…
The 16-23 age group has had the Internet from birth. And yet, still lazy and dumb. Coincidence or cause?