I don't think there is a firm dividing line between "pop culture," and,
well, the rest of our culture. The Great Myths consist of a vast soup
of old historical stories; fairy tales; religious myths; cultural
dreams/goals; and modern novels, films, and TV shows. It's not like
"late-night TV" versus "solid academic historical research." The reason
a lot of "pop culture" resonates with people is that it consciously or
unconsciously draws from, or has evolved from, established mythic
elements. And I don't think it's like, we should give up, or even can
give up, the Great Myths the way kids give up playing with dolls because
they're too old. You just need to recognize them for what they are, and
also recognize that they may be partly true, that they may contain
actual historical facts.
Fran
Lavolta Press
http://www.lavoltapress.com
Shane & Sheridan wrote:
Here is another different take on the subject:
I think what periods of history that have been chosen by North Americans to
re-create have been heavily influenced by movies, popular fiction and
television.
To make a long post short, we start with what we know, then expand as we
learn. What drew us to these groups in the first place was a very idealized
romantic notion of 'history', whatever we had seen up to that point we got
from Pop culture. Now we know better. :-)
Sheridan
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