Ayanna Sisson

Professor Jamey Dunham

English 1201

23 June 2019

Working Bibliography

Mueller, Walt. “5 Truths about Pop Culture.” CPYU, 24 July 2014, cpyu.org/resource/5-truths-

about-pop-culture/.

This article, 5 Truths about Pop Culture, presented by the Center for Parent/Youth

Understanding (CPYU), written by Walt Mueller, discusses the truths behind pop culture. The

five truths discussed are that pop culture is market driven, fluid, pervasive, entertaining, and

unifying. Pop culture bases itself on the demand of people they can best profit from. The article

states that children are currently the most targeted as they have the most purchasing influence out

of all age groups. Influencing them to have brand loyalties and spending behavior is much easier

the younger they are. In order to maintain their attention this article also states that pop culture is

forced to reshape itself in order to best fit the market and what people want. Because pop culture

is constantly evolving to fit the present trends, it’s everywhere and almost impossible to stay

away from. The constant entertainment and influence that it has had on society is undeniable.

The author wrote this article to explain what pop culture really is and how it’s been

around for so long. The audience of this article would be any age group as pop culture is present

in almost everyone’s lives from a young age. This article was written recently so the information
is updated, but the author talks about how pop culture evolves throughout the years. Walt

Mueller is a writer who has made many articles and podcasts for the CPYU. I know this author is

credible due to his many works having accurate information, as the research he has done is

credible and recent.

This information will be very useful for my research paper as I can discuss how and why

pop culture evolves throughout the years and has been a part of society for so long. I can also use

the information on how social media is so pervasive and entertaining, leading to teens becoming

addicted to following trends and letting pop culture influence their lives.

“Pop Culture: An Overview.” Philosophy Now: a Magazine of Ideas, Nov. 2004,

philosophynow.org/issues/64/Pop_Culture_An_Overview.

Philosophy Now, shares an overview of Pop Culture, with the author, Tim Delaney. This

writing describes what pop culture is and all of its aspects. The writing talks about what pop

culture is, examples of pop culture, folk and high culture, the formation of popular culture, and

its sources. Popular culture has many different aspects that define it as a form of expressions

that are widely accepted and used within a culture. Meaning the culture appeals to people

because of what it has to offer. The different examples of pop culture given within the article

are different genres like music, writing, sports, entertainment, television, advertisement, and

much more. Folk culture is discussed as the traditional way of things, normally a much simpler

lifestyle. High culture is defined as belonging to the social elite like the theatre or the upper-

class citizen. Sources for outlets of social media is also discussed. Things like the news media
and scholarly publications are professional entities that give the public correct scientific or

factual information.

The writers purpose for this article is to inform the audience of what pop culture is and

what is has to offer to the world. This article helps others understand what popular culture is

and the different forms of culture including folk and high. The audience for this piece would

include anyone of any age who is curious of the topic discussed, mainly teenagers and adults.

Because this article was written recently, the definition of pop culture is sculpted to fit the

modern day popular culture.

The writer, Tim Delaney, is a sociology professor at the State University of New York. He

is a member of the Popular Culture Association and the American Culture Association. Because

of his background and the sources, he used throughout the article I found this piece very

credible. The information given was recent and backed by other sources as well. Because it is

credible I can use the information for my research paper. I will use this writing to describe what

pop culture is and the different types of culture as well.

Sanger-Katz, Margot, and Aaron E. Carroll. “The ‘Euphoria’ Teenagers Are Wild. But Most

Real Teenagers Are Tame.” The ‘Euphoria’ Teenagers Are Wild. But Most Real

Teenagers Are Tame., 23 June 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/upshot/euphoria-

hbo-teens-sex-drugs.html.

The New York Times article, The ‘Euphoria’ Teenagers Are Wild. But Most Real

Teenagers Are Tame”, written my Margot Sanger-Katz and Aaron E. Carroll, discusses how the

show Euphoria showcases teenagers in a false way. In the article, it talks about Teenage dramas

dramaticising teenage hood, as the years go on adolescents actually become more and more

responsible. The show still has the characters go through similar things current teens go through

like suicide rates rising and other mental health diagnoses, but there are also things like sex and

hard drug use that is very different from the series to real life.

The author’s purpose of writing this article is to explain how some pop culture aspects

may be wrong. Many movies or television shows make certain thing seem much worse fo =r

heightened entertainment. The audience of this piece would be directed towards adolescents.

Many young people may watch shows like ‘euphoria’ and believe that they are different from

other teenagers because they start to compare themselves, which is simply wrong. The source

used within the article is recent, which means there are still television shows and movies that still

showcase things incorrectly.

The author Margot Sanger-Katz is a domestic correspondent and dedicates her writing

towards health care. She was previously a reporter at National Journal and The Concord Monitor

and editor at Legal Affairs and the Yale Alumni Magazine. Aaron E. Carroll is a professor of

pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine and the Regenstrief Institute. He also blogs
about health research and makes videos at Healthcare Triage. Because of their qualifications and

the sources used leads me to believe that it is credible. The information is recent and backed by

other credible sources making this article reliable. I will use this credible information for my

research paper in order to show how pop culture can display incorrect things, therefore

manipulating teens.

Schwab, Abby. Personal Interview. 25 June. 2019

Abby Schwab, 17-year-old high school girl from Springboro Ohio. Interview in person,

June 25, 2019. Abby Schwab discusses how pop culture has affected her personal and social life.

In the interview I asked questions like, “How would you define pop culture”, “How has pop

culture effected your life as a teenager”, “Do you think pop culture has anything to do with who

you have become to this day”, and many other questions related to the topic. Abby stated that

pop culture has definitely effected who she is to this day. She discussed how seeing things like

fashion, sports, and TV shows made her view those categories in a different way. She also

blames social media for her low-self-esteem, as she says the media has forced her to believe she

must look a certain way in order to be accepted.

The purpose of this interview was to get information about pop culture from an actual

person who experiences it daily. The audience targeted would be kids around the same age as

Abby, 17. This interview took place recently, therefor her experience with the media is very

different from someone ten or twenty years ago. I know this interviewee is credible as she is a

real teenager who experiences the pressures of popular culture daily, and owns social media

accounts and other online subscriptions.

 I will be able to use this interview in my research paper as actual evidence to how pop

culture effects teenagers. Having this information will help me prove the points of other sources

as her opinions and real-life experiences ae similar to the ones described online.

“Money for Nothing: Behind the Business of Pop Music.” Performance by Thurston Moore,

Money for Nothing: Behind the Business of Pop Music (2001), Library VHS Rips, 13

Dec. 2015, Money for Nothing: Behind the Business of Pop Music (2001).

In the performance by Thurston Moore, Money for nothing: Behind the Business of Pop

Music, it shows the reality of pop stars lives. In this video, It shows the unfair treatment of pop

stars, and the harsh labor famous stars are forced to do, due to the contracts signed

beforehand. This video also addresses different factors like ticket distribution being controlled

by only a few tickets selling companies, and how record companies aren’t just looking for artists

but spokes people to maximize profits.

The writers purpose of this video was to let the audience, mostly teens and adults, see

into the reality of pop stars. The video states that many people believe fame is a wonderful fun

experience, when in reality it’s a lot of hard work and unfair treatment. This video does take

place a few years back so some of the information may be outdated to the present day, but I

can use this to describe how the pop music has evolved throughout the years.

The author, Thurston Moore, is an interviewer for the Library VHS Rips. I found him and

the video credible due to the number of other sources used to back his information, as he

interviewed Chuck D, a pioneer and hip-hop legend, independent artist Ani DiFranco, and many
others. I will be able to use this source in my research article as insight to the world behind pop

culture, and the ones who influence the common person. Having information about the behind

the scenes will be very beneficial in getting all perspectives.

Talks, TEDx, director. Why Pop Culture?: Alexandre O. Philippe at TEDxMileHigh.

Performance by Alexandre O. Philippe, YouTube, YouTube, 15 July 2013,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_3UYncNwz4.

In this TED talk, Why Pop Culture? Alexander O. Philippe discusses the role popular

culture has on expressing our values to the community. Alexander discusses how pop culture can

change how we view things. He also discusses how there are many things like politics and

religious beliefs that divide us, but pop culture is what brings us together in harmony. The effects

of popular culture are enormous and can bring other cultures of individuals together through

universal language.

The writers purpose of his presentation is to explain how pop culture is more than just

some movies or trends, but are things that can change our lives forever. Alexander expresses to

the audience the benefits of pop culture and how it helps bring different groups of people

together. The audience would be anyone who takes part in pop culture. This presentation was

targeted towards those who may feel negativity towards the subject or not fully understand it’s

effects. Because this presentation was performed recently in front of adults there were references

that they would understand and that were relatable to the present day.

The speaker, Alexander O. Phillippe is a director and writer for many different movies. I

know this author Is credible as anyone who has a presentation on the TED Talk has reliable
information. His presentation had valid points backed by sources and his own personal

experiences. This video will be very helpful in my research paper as I can use it to discusee how

impactful things like funny videos, music, movies, and much more are on the world.

Tramel, Audrey. “The Effects of Pop Culture on Teenagers.” LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group,

www.livestrong.com/article/524468-the-effects-of-pop-culture-on-teenagers/.

Livestrong.com presented the article, The Effects of Pop Culture on Teenagers, by

Audrey Tramel, that discusses the different factors of modern pup culture and how they are

influencing teenagers. Within this article the main points include how media changes how teens

define themselves, the promotion of violence, imitation of pop stars, the promotion of

sexuality, body image, and social experiences.

This article discusses how every teenager’s maturation depends on their self-definition

and body image. The author states that pop culture influences personal choices and effects

teen confidence. Body image is also a huge factor when it comes to the beginning of puberty.

This article mentions how things like celebrities on social media may cause a teen to compare

themselves leading to a negative self-view. The author also talks about pop culture promoting

violence and sexuality. A lot of social media portrays teenagers as big participants of sexual acts

and violent or reckless behavior, which teenagers tend to copy and incorporate into their life

style. The target audience of this article would be teens or parents as the information given are

about how pop culture affects teens and their life.

 The writers purpose of this article was to express how social media can actually effect

how teens view themselves and the world around them, shaping who they become as they

grow older. The author, Audrey Tramel, has been writing many academic and professional

journals since 2006, focusing on issues that affect adolescents, with an M.D. and a Master of

Public Health. Because of her qualifications and references to other credible sources makes this

article reliable to use for my research paper. The information within the writing will help me

further answer my research question about pop culture and its effect on the youth. This article

will allow me to talk about the specific effects pop culture has on adolescence, as it is based on

modern day pop culture.