We are doing a study in college, and I thought it would also be an ideal thread for discussion. The study is called "Pop Culture: Shaping and Reflecting Who We Are". This is a comprehensive program that will last throughout the academic calendar until the end of spring 2005. We haven't had a lot of time to get it underway, but so far what we have covered has been a lot of fun. It's crazy how much I forgot until I had to undertake the task of a long-term recollection process. This last week I remembered Captain Caveman out of the blue. Heh, that one made me very happy I just loved that little troglodyte!

It has been a lot of fun not only remembering the things that we experienced throughout our youth, but relating it to the psychological impact as well. I remember watching all those good vs. evil cartoons and always rooting for the good guy (well, except in the case of Wile E. Coyote...heh, I just thought he should get that bird before he became dreadfully malnourished and died). It seemed like such a small thing, until I realized it played a large part of prepping me for a lifetime of activities to do what I could to improve the human condition for everyone. So many things that we see and do as we are growing up in a trendy civilization make impressions that will last forever when we may even interpret the simplest things like cartoons as being momentary and useless. Even the teenage years filled with tites and legwarmers, boxers and nikes, men's dress shirts and penny loafers, etc. gave me an energy boost and sense of independence and choice.

Of course, we are still being shaped by events today. My boyfriend and I had the opportunity to see Bill Cosby this weekend, and it was great! We looked up information prior to the show for the pop culture discussion, and I learned things that made me look up to that man even more than I already did. He has a Doctorate in Education, and a Bachelor's degree in another field that I forget right now. He has won numerous awards and is a composer, writer, director, actor, guest speaker, etc. He has also worked diligently to bridge a racial gap that once existed but is waning heavily today.

Even though many people may not be in favor of the war, it's bringing us together and making some of us more patriotic; and with it being an election year, I am finding the political debates to be entertaining. I think I'll go watch The Return of The King now.

To be honest with ya, the coyote DID get the bird at the last episode, and then let him go.

Besides, Thundercats, Transformers, and G.I.Joe would kick Captain Caveman's butt...

So I guess you could say my favorite cartoons shaped me in a competive way.

P.S. Does anybody else remember the old Dungeons and Dragons cartoon?

cartoons and other pop culture can have a very negative effect on you growing up. things arent always as they seem, ideas can be manipulativly expresses into your subconcious. when an idea is pounded into your head everytime you watch television u will think its true. take the show friends for example, i have never been able to sit through an entire episode of that. the entire show is revolved around the demoralizing of each others character. you take a shot at me i take a shot at you kinda thing. respect is substituted with humorous conjecture of each others misdeeds, absolutly sickening. imo. there are influences that are not all so bad. take a look at ninja turtles, a massive assault on the youth of america to spread the popularaty of pizza. the result sky rocketing pizza sales, implanting ideals into the culture is a genius marketing ploy.

That's an interesting take, however, I can hardly agree that the ninja turtles have increased the popularity of pizza more than it already was. As far as friends ribbing one another goes, most of the people I know do that on a regular basis anyway. It's a subtle and humorous way of pointing out silly things that we do everyday that can be changed or improved without sounding cruelly condescending or removed and heartless.

One might also say that the writers of the ninja turtles were making fun of the craziness of compulsion or gluttony. It was the main silly characteristic that the turtles possessed who were otherwise out fighting crime the ninja way ).

"most of the people I know do that on a regular basis anyway."

that is because of corperate controled media brainwashing. your whole life you have been subjected to this form of media, which has one goal in mind. depravasion of intelegence to the masses. a population with the inability to question is a population easily controlled. take a look around, everywhere you go all people do is consume and argue. popculture is nothing more then a corperate pop distraction from the wealthy elite and dare i say..."illuminate" the real issues at hand fueled by the shadow govt agenda have one thing in mind, conforminty, compliance, and ignorance of the general masses. we go about our cookie cutter lifes, with little knowlegde our military industrial complex is step by step tighting their grip on the forefront of power. substance and quality is on the back burner to cooperate motive. for your sake love, deny ignorance




and then theres always that scenario that i have completely lost my mind well you can decide

[edit on 1-10-2004 by sturod84]

I am supposed to be a part of this new culture (being 19)... but no... I am a non-conformist when it comes to adapting to liberalism. I can barely stand to watch tv! I have to watch Boomerang or TV-Land to get the GOOD programming. Give me the good shows like Green Acres, Hogan's Heroes, Bonanza, Andy Griffith Show, yes, I even like to watch the Beverly Hillbillies, Jetsons, Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Three Stooges.. We don't even have any good actors any more. All our good ones died, or are on borrowed time right now. As far as I am concerned, our best actor was John Wayne, but our other good actors like Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart, are all of a bygone era. A few of the good ones are left, but are old enough they are either retired from working, or from old age... like James Arness, Don Knotts... Ok, i left a very big favorite comedian and actor out of this list... Red Skelton.

Maybe I am stuck in the past, but compared to today's programming, which is all senseless, mindless, immoral, without values, disgraceful, shameful, old shows are the best part of having a TV. I find myself watching Bloomberg and C-Span when the only thing on are "Reality" shows, and other mindless gobbley gook. Ok... maybe there is one good channel besides everything else... History Channel. But what do all the old shows and actors all have in common that today's tv culture doesnt? Morals, Values, and genuine humor. Sure, a lot of it could be silly, but that was part of it's character. Today's programming demonstrates that it is alright to be disrespectful to others. It is alright to be rough and tough. What is on tv now just makes me sick, therefore, i enjoy all the great reruns when i can catch them

Many people blame violence on TV as having a bad effect on todays youth... Well, look at me. I watched westerns growing up. I watched all kinds of movies growing up. But did the westerns turn me into someone who shoots people in the street for no reason? NO. Did video games turn me into a killer? NO. I have a perfectly clean record all the way through school, from birth til now, I have never done anything i shouldnt, which the people that do, blame on the things I watch and do. I played racing games... But I don't go wanting to wind my 2.8 liter V6 chevy blazer up to a 110 on the interstate... (anything over 70 i might blow my head cover anyways with how cheap chevy's are). IT all boils down to CHOICE. A wild lawbreaking punk can just as easily choose to be law abiding. Do or do not, there is no try. You are or you arent. You make the decision, there is no in between.

For anyone listening, i recommend you get ahold of "Coalition to Ban Coalitions"... by Hank Williams Jr. He expresses some just views on all this garbage going on about violence on tv and etc. That is really what we need, a Coalition to Ban Coalitions.

But yet, i can see why it does affect a lot of people. The only thing my sister would watch all her life were Stephen King movies... well, they started making her see things and make her go crazy, she just got out of the state hospital. SO tv does have an affect. But it is up to you to choose if it affects you or not.

Ok.. Time to get off my soapbox... you would think i was a politician or something

[edit on 4-10-2004 by Goldbaron357]

What about Monty Python. Thts good culture.

those monty pythons goof balls are a ripping good laugh!

welcome aboard goldbaron, there is a reason why todays popculture has little effect on us. this rare quality we have, called intellegence! we can see right through the down right retarded nature of the general programming. i am astonished to see there are people so content to sit and eat it up.

i enjoy 60 minutes, history channel, adult swim. my all time favorite show neon genisis evangelion. other then that im really into games i just got starwars battle front its pretty damn fun!

however, beware manipulative media and the subjective ideals being subconsiously implanted into your mind! they are everywhere!

[edit on 4-10-2004 by sturod84]