There are many accepted practices in modern society. In keeping with our consumer spirit, some of these involve buying and selling. Throughout the year, American buyers follow the general trend of purchasing and discarding new items. Each season brings with it a new wave of products to be bought, used once, and dumped.

The Christmas season has it's own set of decorations to be wasted. In addition, shoppers find gifts for their friends. These combined cause consumers to start shopping early, looking for deals and trying to beat the crowds. Christmas shopping, in order not to interfere with Thanksgiving, starts the day after. Decorations, sales, and music all transition the same day, throwing the country into the holidays with all it's advertising might.

Since 1924, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has marked the transition. Sellers took note, and began advertising specific sales starting the day after Thanksgiving. As more people came for the sales, more sales were introduced. As the cycle continued, both sides kept stepping up the excitement. Stores opened early, and stayed open later. Customers came in larger numbers than ever, still arriving before stores open to get a place in line. Police officers in Philadelphia started used the term “Black Friday” when complaining about the pedestrian and vehicle traffic that clogged the city every year.

The scale of sales continued to increase over time, as did all aspects of the economy. Black Friday sales this year totaled over ten billion dollars. Larger crowds led, in some cases, to disturbances. In 2008, a man was killed by stampeding shoppers. This is an extreme example, but highlights the problem. While it is expected that larger crowds will cause some trouble, it is unfortunate that people focus on consumerism to the detriment of life.

Popular Culture Icons

An icon in popular culture is something or someone that is valued so much as to be almost worshiped. Many icons exist in our society, representing to the people the different desires of their followers. Icons are not inherently good or evil, but become that which the public seeks. When people become icons, the process of it often changes them. People become whatever they must to achieve their goals, and those who become icons often rely on publicity.

One example of this is Oprah Winfrey. She is idolized by her fans, and almost everyone knows her name. When I think of Oprah, I picture acts of charity for the sake publicity. Another example is Arnold Schwarzenegger. His popularity in the film industry earned him the recognition required to become Governor of California. I can't help but think of all he has lost in an effort to maintain an appealing body. He also has changed his path from publicity seeking to influencing politics, for better or worse. Bill Gates, starting from a small investment, went on to create Microsoft. He is one of the richest men alive, and represents to me the victory of greed over care of fellow man.

The obscene popularity of many celebrity icons leads to a huge impact on society, enabling them to affect consumer economy, the stock market, and even major religions. Whatever they do, they will be followed by thousands. If Michael Jordan buys a pair of shoes, it can mean immediate success for the brand. Icons, valued by people by definition, have an enormous impact on the people who value them.

Video Games

Many people spend hours a day seated mere feet from a video screen. They are known for living in filth, wasting away or getting fat as they fail to perform even the slightest physical task. Who in his right mind would waste his life living out fantasies in a video game? Based on the long success of video games, most people would.

At midnight on November 10th, at the Olympia mall, there were at least one hundred people in line waiting to pick up reserved copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Young and old, people from many cultures and walks of life were there. They all shared an impatience to experience the new game, to the extent that they could not wait until morning. Any one of these people could explain that games are an important part of their lives.

Video games have many benefits. While the concerned mother may only see her son wasting away on the couch, there is more at work than meets the eye. The attention required to play engages the brain, and the controller necessitates hand-eye coordination. Even if there are not explicit puzzles, the problem solving abilities develop as players find ways to overcome difficult challenges. A child who does not know her letters will rapidly learn A, B, X, and Y on a controller. Older people have often found that mental faculties diminish with disuse, but video gaming can keep them sharp for years.

Though it may appear that people are playing alone, they often interact with either virtual personalities programmed to act like people, or actual people via computer networks. The interaction with others develops social skills that can apply to real life as well. The physical requirements of gaming, even on systems that require movement, are far behind those of daily life. The body adaptation to lack of physical activity often results in the appearance of poor health. Students, pilots, and drivers are susceptible to this problem as well.

Any activity, if adopted to the exclusion of all other activities, will have a detrimental affect on the body. Most people play games only when it fits into their busy lives. There are some extremists, but most people treat video games as they would any other form of entertainment. It is just another way to have fun.

The Culture of the People

In today's post industrial society, the basic needs for sustaining life are easily met. This leaves plenty of time for education, music, and art. Many people instead use this time watching television, playing video games, or trying to stay fashionable. There are those among the cultural elite who view this as a waste of time. The common people, however, find their entertainment here rather than staring at obscure paintings or listening to music they do not understand. The culture of high class or highly educated people fits their interests, as the culture of mainstream society fits mainstream interests.

Popular culture encompasses everything that the majority of the people find appealing. There are many fads which come and go, from the Beatles, to acid, to evening gowns. The general life cycle of a popular culture item starts with a new trend or idea, which develops a large following. The idea continues, affecting consumer and business practices, until it has become widely accepted. The trend ends as people move on to another idea, all but forgetting about their previous delights. The inherent waste in discarding yesterday's hot products disheartens me. I am disinterested in most of popular culture, but I recognize the importance of understanding it.

Good business practices require attention to customers. Consumer buying trends vary, dictating as they do the nature of products. Product lines have a life cycle equal to that of the trends they target. Signs of change, vitally important to business, must be detected prior to the inevitable shift in public opinion. An understanding of the philosophy, thought process, and culture of the people is imperative to predicting market fluctuations.

Many parts of popular culture affect our daily lives. The food we eat, the water we drink, and all the products we buy are influenced by and marketed for popularity. One example is the show Wicked. It was attended by millions worldwide, gaining fans with every showing. There are many references to Wicked in other media, making it even more well known. While there are many examples of popular culture, I selected Wicked for it's refinement. Anyone can appreciate sophisticated culture, but popular culture often lacks this quality. This is an example of popular culture that elevates the audience to higher thought, improving the overall quality of the world.