MUST-501 Lessons

Welcome back to Muggle Studies! I’m glad to see so many smiling faces. I do hope the break between years was nice and relaxing for all of you! I got to spend time catching up with family and friends, as well as attending a few small conferences related to my previous career in International Aid. I even went to some Muggle baseball games! I won’t share who I cheer for, as I don’t want to start a debate about whose team is better (even though mine definitely is).

But enough about me. I know you are all anxious to get started with the topics we’re going to cover this year, so perhaps we should just dig in! Being that it’s Year Five, I sincerely hope I don’t need to discuss classroom guidelines anymore, but do continue to keep in mind that I strongly value creativity and personal thoughts, and I abhor plagiarism.

Now that the serious stuff is out of the way, let’s begin. This year we are going to look at pop culture. Here is a brief outline of what to expect - and yes, it is brief. I can’t give away all of my secrets right on the first day!

Year Five Outline:

As you can see, we will have a very busy year. I hope you’ll enjoy our discussions, and be able to express that creative spirit in some of your assignments this year. I look forward to reading everyone’s thoughts on pop culture and what it means to Muggles - and to YOU! 

What is Pop Culture?

So, what exactly is ‘pop culture’? The challenge with defining something like pop culture is that it means something different to each person. It literally means ‘popular culture’ - so what is popular culture in Scotland is very different than popular culture in Brazil. There are, however, pop culture icons, trends, or music that are beloved globally. We will explore a couple of these towards the end of the lesson.

But again, what exactly is pop culture? It’s not just materialistic things; it includes attitudes and perspectives that Muggles have towards what is or should be popular. Does that sound confusing? It probably does, because it honestly is. How does something become popular? Why do some things become popular while others fade into obscurity? In recent years, pop culture has been heavily influenced by what Muggles call ‘mass media’ - television, radio, magazines, etc. What becomes popular is often what is heavily advertised to the public, not necessarily what is the best in any category. Thus, the bigger the advertising budget, the bigger the impact of the product or service, and the more likely it is to become ‘popular.’

The term ‘popular culture’ first appeared around the 19th century. Considering what I just mentioned about mass media, it may be a bit surprising that the term appeared a few hundred years ago when mass media, as we know it today, didn’t yet exist. That being said, it was typically associated with the lower class rather than the upper class of citizens. Thus, ‘popular culture’ was looked down upon by the more educated people. We know that this shouldn’t have been the case, but we cannot change history, can we? No, we don’t need to ask Professor Becker if we can change History. No, please… I said no.

Moving on, the term was shortened to ‘pop culture’ in the 1950s, and now generally refers to something that has mass appeal, rather than simply something that is popular. What’s the difference? Right, Miss D. Something can be popular without having appeal to a broad audience. For example, many of you in this room know and love Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes and their products, which makes it popular in and around Scotland, but do their products have mass appeal? No. They should, but they aren’t global phenomenons just yet.

What are some other examples of what falls into pop culture? You got a hint when I went over what to expect this year. Yes, pop culture includes things such as style of dress, food, music, and art. Essentially, anything that you say, do, or consume, can be influenced by pop culture. From what you choose to eat for breakfast to how you say hello to your friends - all based on pop culture. You may not even realize that you are being influenced!

What is popular is still subject to the rise and fall of demands and the introduction of new things to replace the old. No, I’m not going to launch into a lesson on economics; just ensure you understand that what is popular now won’t always remain that way. Let’s use your broomsticks as an example. For those of you who play Quidditch, aren’t you always looking to have the newest, fastest, best broomstick around? There generally is a reason for that - you need to ensure you have the best so that your team will win. For those that do not play Quidditch, our broomstick desires are less swayed by things like speed, but we may still be influenced by the newness of the broomsticks, or even the price. A higher price means it’s a better product, right? Not always! Sometimes, when an item gets very popular, demand goes up and so do the prices, while the manufacturers do not produce any more of the product, thus creating a false sense of desirability. If something is scarce and expensive, that means it must be good, right?

Pop Icons

Now that we’ve discussed what pop culture is, and how it influences Muggles, let’s take a few minutes to talk about pop culture icons and how they endure through the years. It’s easy for a celebrity or a trend to appear, become popular, then fade away just as quickly, only to be recalled during “Things We Miss from the 90’s” lists that Muggles are so fond of. How, then, do we have pop icons that have endured for more than fifty years?

First, let’s look at Marilyn Monroe.

Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) was a Muggle actress and model throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. Since her death in 1962 at the age of 36, Marilyn has become a pop icon to many around the world, particularly Muggle women in North America.  

Marilyn Monroe was a blonde bombshell, standing 5’4” tall, and was seen as ditzy - though she was anything but. Married three times, many thought she was either to be pitied or idolized - there didn’t seem to be any middle ground.

Despite this fame, and her continued status as a pop icon, Marilyn wasn’t always the beautiful lady that the world knew. She was raised in foster homes, and was originally a brunette, until she began modelling in 1945. This is when she dyed her hair its signature platinum blonde, and in 1946 Marilyn Monroe was ‘born.’ She rose to stardom in films such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), The Seven Year Itch (1955), and Some Like it Hot (1959).

It is theorized that Marilyn’s legacy lives on due to her death at such a young age - she was still in the height of her stardom, though it had begun to wane, when she committed suicide. She had struggled with depression and perfectionism for most of her life, and eventually succumbed to her ‘inner demons.’

Even Elton John was touched by Marilyn and her life - and her legacy. Many will recall a later version of this song that Elton John did when Princess Diana died in 1997. The original version, from 1973, was an homage to Norma Jeane… and is simply beautiful. Enjoy.

Candle in the Wind - Elton John

James Dean

James Dean is a mysterious figure, whose name leaves the lips in a hushed whisper. Who was James Dean? Why does his name solicit awe and adoration?

James Dean was seen as the ultimate ‘cool guy’ - in the early 1950s, he was the leather jacket-clad young man, proffering a cigarette and oozing magnetism. Despite only appearing in three films where he was credited, his raw appeal drove young women to the cinema. Unfortunately, only one of his films, East of Eden, was released during his lifetime, as James died on October 5, 1955, at 24 years old. Rebel Without a Cause was released just 22 days after his death, with Giant following in 1956. He was the first actor to be nominated for an Academy Award after his death, which happened twice; first, for East of Eden, then for Giant.

What exactly is it, though, that causes Muggles to be obsessed with James Dean to this day? Is it his tragic death at such an early age, just when his star was on the rise? Was it because he was seen as the stereotypical ‘bad boy,’ which made young women want to date him, and made young men want to be him? Due to his early death, he has become almost a myth to Muggles. He never grew up, never had a decline in his career, and was seen as a rebellious personality after the harsh time of World War II. He remains mysterious, and that holds appeal for Muggles.

East of Eden (1955)

Madonna

Madonna. What can one say about Madonna? One of the key reasons that she’s seen as a pop icon is her irrefutable ability to reinvent herself and continue to appeal to broad audiences. Her nickname is the “Queen of Pop”! She has been called one of the greatest women in music, as well as one of the most influential female recording artists of all time.

Madonna is well known and well-loved around the world, and has reached beyond just music. She has published several books, appeared in several films (including Dick Tracy and Evita, which we discussed last year), and has dabbled in fashion design. She also founded entertainment label Maverick, which includes Maverick Films and Maverick Records. She has since left the label, but the foundation she laid remains.

Madonna’s career is so varied and so long-reaching, we could spend many lessons just on her alone. However, the key thing I want to cover is just how much she has influenced popular culture. She paved the way for female musical artists, especially solo artists, and has been credited by many as their inspiration. Without her lack of fear, women in music may not be where they are now. She didn’t seem to care about how her music would be received - she simply made music that she wanted to make.

I cannot say, however, that she has not been mired in controversy; in fact, she has had plenty, including protests of her concerts, films, and book releases, as well as boycotts of her music. To me, that a pop icon can elicit such emotion from individuals, whether positive or negative, really says something about their influence. In particular, the music video for the song Like a Prayer received significant backlash; it contained many symbols from Catholicism, and actually caused the Vatican to outright condemn it! Even Pepsi, who had a large sponsorship contract with Madonna, fell victim to the controversy surrounding the video, as well as the boycotts of their products, and they ended up cancelling the contract.

Hardly a Muggle today can say they’ve never heard of Madonna. Even if one isn’t a fan of her music, plenty of Muggles came to know her with her role in Evita, which many credit as being the one thing that truly cemented her pop icon status.

If you’re interested, below is the official video for Like a Prayer.

And that brings us to the end of our first lesson of Year Five! I do hope you enjoyed this peek into pop culture. There is one assignment for you to complete. See you next class!

Photos: Harper's Bazaar,  Men's Style, India Today