Personally, I just think 50 shades of grey is the most mediocre book. The authors catalog of adjectives are shorter than my tiny legs. It’s popularity is due to its excellent PR firm behind it and its clever unassuming covers, but 2 pages in I was sick of another coming of age/bondage/heartbreaking book, and who needs another one?

T.O.P POP!

Recently in conjunction with essay theory work I began looking into ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ a book that has evidently caused quite a sensation within the public and literary worlds. Reaching 10.5 million sales it is clear that the book along with the two following parts reached epic levels of success, the closest competition being 2 million in sales, a somewhat smaller figure. However if I were to go onto Amazon arguably the largest retailer for books in today’s market, judging by hard copy and Kindle sales, there is very little positive comment to be found, the books being more often sneered at due to criticised awful writing. I found this very interesting in relation to POP CULTURE as this initial explosion and boom in sales resembles the  explosive nature of POP CULTURE that initial boom of sales, interest and hook to the mass market. what I also found interesting…

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What interests me is the fact that vogue provides a constant supply what is ‘current’ and of interest and the reference of pop art shows its relevance in society. The way in which pop art is very visual this transcends easily into magazines, I believe that because of its nature pop art will continue to be reference time and time again.

lynnesearl

 This is a photograph of Rita Ora, a singer, who was featured in Vogues Pop Issue.

Ora could have been interviewed for any of their issues, yet as she is wearing bright lime green nail varnish, bright red lipstick against a black and white top – now she just looks a like a symbol of pop art, of course, which i believe, she is not.

I think pop art is a part of popular culture, it has become something we can all have access too, now we can also become a symbol of pop with a dash of bright make up combined with black and white clothing. The fact that Vogue has a ‘pop issue’ shows how pop art has become something for the mass market.

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Pop culture/’celebs’/drivel

Pop culture/’celebs’/drivel

Like many 21year old girls I am partial to a constant supply of updates from people I have never seen with my own eyes. I have been drip fed these people’s lives I feel that I have got to a point that I need to know if “Rihanna needs Mary J Blidge’s help”. For this to be now classified as pop culture I find interesting. Many of these celebs are I fact singers/artists yet the majority of publisity that is produced is about their lives not in fact the music. In the case of the Rihanna article I find it interesting that Mary can help because she has experience with the trails and tribulations of an artists life-and in all respect for Mary she is getting on a bit, which suggests this infatuation which artists lives has been circulating for a lengthy period. 

 

Exhibition at Chelsea Arts space

T.O.P POP!

 

 

Red, White and Blue explores relationships, influences, and appropriations in political, pop and punk imagery. Critically positioned in the context of this Jubilee and Olympic year, the exhibition reflects upon corresponding historical moments: the 1951 Festival of Britain, the birth of punk and the Silver Jubilee. Picking up where our last show, DOME, left off Red, White and Bluelooks again at how the recently re-emerging themes of austerity, legacy, and national identity have resonated across the last half century, both in the UK and internationally.

Red, White and Blue combines film, photography, graphics and contemporary art to expand the relationship between pop and punk culture, politics and place, reflecting back upon the past as well as examining the present. Whilst ideas of Britannia and Britishness permeate this exhibition, the show includes international perspectives of place and political defiance from Sao Paulo, Sarajevo, New York, and Ljubljana.

The…

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POP(ular songs in)Culture

When looking at songs in relation to popular culture, immediately I think of songs that have appealed to me, and if they appealed to me, especially a song that had its height of “popularity” decades ago, it must to some people be recognized as a form of “pop culture”. For me it was Led Zepplin’s version of ‘Babe i’m gonna leave you’.

It all began around 5 years ago, awkwardly protesting that my break up from my first boyfriend really did matter (*gag*), in my pathetic pubity ridden state i googled something along the lines of top 100 break up songs, which led me to this. However, even after i thankfully got over my “heartbreak” i still loved this song. Which leads me to my point, songs like this which have a huge relatability factor, which seems to filter through generations, and maintain this ‘popularity’.

The power and emotion in this version of the song, seems to have propelled this song into the chart success. Although it is not the original version of the song, Led Zepplin picked this song for their first album. Showing that even without the composition of this version the original lyrics appealed to a band like led zepplin so much so, they ‘adopted’ it.

Even with this songs success, it can be argued it was not nearly one of led zepplin’s most chart successful song, but as long as there is someone who hears a song like this, there is a chance it will strike a chord with another pathetic 15 year girl or boy who will forever liken this song and continue to play it until their friends take their speakers away. (Well taste is personal.) But non the less this song evokes popularity even if it is not just documented in sales, but in affection.

When does POP become Popular culture?

Pop(ular) Culture Elective

“Wild Thing” – The First Punk Rock Song? (Interview)

An Anatomy of a Pop Song?

Writer Chip Taylor, Producer Larry Page and Troggs Bassist Pete Staples on the ‘Sexy’ Classic

NOVEMBER 2012 BY FRANK MASTROPOLO

Monterey Pop, one of the earliest rock festivals, launched 45 years ago in 1967 during the “Summer of Love.”

Two years before Woodstock, 50,000 people gathered at California’s Monterey County Fairgrounds for 3 days of music by headliners like the Who, Jefferson Airplane and Otis Redding.  But the most electrifying set came from Jimi Hendrix, who was introduced by Brian Jones as “the most exciting guitar player I’ve ever heard.”

Hendrix ended his set with a virtuoso cover of Wild Thing, the #1 hit by British Invasion group the Troggs.  It was classic Hendrix, as he alternately played his guitar with his teeth or behind his back.  To close, Hendrix knelt before his guitar, drenched…

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Supporting team opinions from POP(ular) culture elective

T.O.P POP!

 A brief look at potential metaphorical links between the anatomy and popular culture, in hope to explore and add to this resulting in  finding a new way of describing Popular Culture. 

Embryo – A new trend or idea… initial life in an idea.

Brain – Internet servers supplying ways of social networking.

Nervous System – Sparks of new ideas, impulse or sharing information.

Skin- A housing system, the term popular culture as it forms a collective… what is popular culture…

Skeleton- The frame work and support system holding popular culture together.

Eyes – Absorbing the Popular Culture around us.

Mouth – Taste- Globalisation of Western foods on the world. Chains like MacDonald’s, multi million pound industry.

Ear – The connections of popular culture, passage of information on what is popular.

Hands and fingers – The processing of new popular culture, the input force.

Feet – The movement and changing of what is…

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Simple

From the last session, we came onto discussing the word “simple” in relation to popular culture. When i look at simplicity in popular culture. I try and look at the immediate idea, the starting point, before it gets thrust forward into “popular culture’s” viewing platform. What i find interesting in popular culture that takes a very simple format is landscape paintings. A very obvious concept, yet still and always has a great endearment for. The image posted is that of David Hockney’s. This is still a very popular painting, However when it boils down to it, its still a very simple concept.

The effects of media

This video backs up the idea that popular culture in society is just examples from cherry picked from modern culture that (in his opinion lead to a immoral and one sided society), but my point is that art, fashion, tv, etc are just gathered into what is deemed most ‘popular’ and distributed as so. Feeding this continuous need for ‘popular culture’ as we know have become accustomed to.

Introduction to pop art