Popstar
According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the word “popular” means “suitable to the majority: as adapted to or indicative of the understanding and taste of the majority”. That’s cool. On the other hand, the word “pop” refers to “the popular culture disseminated through the mass media”, in the same source. That’s cool as well. Hmm, don’t you think there’s a problem?
If we accept that “pop” is diffused by the mass media, and accept that “popular” is what is demanded and approved by the majority; is it the case that pop is being made popular by the majority, or by the mass media? They just look like chicken and eggs to me.
One thing that is clear, is no one likes the popular culture. What? Isn’t that true? I know it’s true, at least in theory. Ask anyone on campus for instance, they’re gonna tell you that the media stinks, paparazzi TV shows stink, Popstars stink, arabesque stinks, prime time News giving place to the animal world stinks. I can not believe that you watch nothing but Discovery and CNN, guys but, it’s okay. Watching those programs is not a crime compared to the crime of broadcasting them.
So, who is the initiator of this “sinful, disliked” pop here? If it’s the public, how can people blame the mass media for showing stupid stuff? What the media does is just to reflect public interest in this manner. You could say they want to increase ratings by broadcasting things that the majority wants to watch. Their argument is safe and famous: “people want to see it”. Do we actually want to see it, or do we just accept that we get nothing more, I’m not sure.
If you say “no”, it’s the mass media who initiates pop, not the people; why doesn’t anyone stand up against the media mogals and fight for what is valuable for themselves? Could it be that when the means of the mass media is taken away from them, they lose much of their values? I would not object to that. If no one likes it, or is responsible for it, how could it exist, any ideas? Many say “pop” is the “heroin” of the public, I do not agree. It’s that “pop” is based less, on personal choice.
Key words: majority of apathy, and the media of cheapness. Don’t worry about catching up with what’s popular folks; pop’s not moving anywhere else than somewhere in between these two poles.

Efe Peker (POLS/IV)