Culture is an everchanging and compelling concept and numerous factors influence it. Generations of people evolve symbiotically with the culture around them, with the two affect each other in more or less subtle ways. According to Wiest (2016), culture is a concoction of beliefs, values, norms, practices, and language. Unsurprisingly, mass media is one of the most powerful factors in culture-forming, appealing to and uniting and dividing billions of people. Whether they turn on the TV or the Internet, there are opinions, trends, and heaps of information. By identifying with the characters of a show, generations can be raised on similar values. Mass media with a certain reach and authority can become a tastemaker. Understanding Media and Culture (2016) shows tastemakers are practical tools because of their particularity, focus, and broad appeal. Almost monopolizing the media subsection, these phenomena play an incredibly significant role in creating cultural norms and forming generations.
For example, the cult conspiracy and science fiction show “The X-Files” increased young girls’ interest in STEM immensely, showing them by example what they were capable of doing. By becoming a tastemaker, the show revolutionized the representation of women in science on national television, starting a new era in scientific feminism. Although the show was primarily aimed at entertainment, its social and cultural impact went beyond all expectations.
Although it is more difficult to pinpoint the social and cultural factors in the present, while the consequences have not yet solidified, there are undoubtedly a few tastemakers in the American culture today. For example, there is an undeniable influential capacity that celebrities hold. By promoting certain views and discarding others, these people in the popular media affect millions of their fans and followers and change views and opinions on various subjects. Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to take a knee for the American anthem in 2016 (Jude, 2020) inspired a social movement that greatly impacted awareness of racial inequality worldwide. Similarly, hundreds of celebrities embrace or reject various views and perspectives every day, influencing the masses that follow and respect them.
References
Jude, A. (2020). How Colin Kaepernick inspired activism, awareness and Seattle athletes to speak out against racial injustice. The Seattle Times.
Understanding media and culture. (2016). The University of Minnesota Libraries.
Wiest, J. B. (2016). The role of mass media in the transmission of culture. Communication and Information Technologies Annual: [New] Media Cultures Studies in Media and Communications, 11, 203-219.