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Pop Culture; Is There A Line?

One of the more aggravating occurrences in the media has to be the "host's" need to conform if not to propagate pop culture.  There is no doubt that pop culture has its place in society and rightfully so.  It is part of what defines every generation and with the hope that it will further the human experience.  While this may be debatable, there is no doubt that the effects of pop culture on each generation is carried forward as each culture ages.  Perhaps the case to be held up for this is the Baby Boomer.  This generation in particular established a very strong sense of social responsibility; something that has carried through.  Of course the next generation took the opposite stance in the pursuit of materialism.  Those effects are juxtaposed to the social responsibilities and the source of much stress in our western civilization today.

The baby boomers were highly motivated in furthering human rights for women and minorities including the Gay and Lesbian communities.  Their tolerance and insistence on doing the right thing led to changes in legislation and human rights.  This very same fight is today being waged by the transgender community.  Unfortunately it is not getting the support needed from the greater population.

Each generation can be identified in pop culture through its symbols.  These symbols are often seen in music, art, literature, visual media and believe it or not; comics.  Perhaps the "Archie" comics are the best example at reflecting societal views over the decades.  Perhaps the greatest single influence though is the music scene.  It is often viewed as the trendsetter.

One can see the effects of musical celebrities on culture in fashion and lifestyle for each generation.  It is impossible to miss the effects Elvis Presley had, then the Beatles, Donna Summer, etc as we progress through time.  Today, there seems to be a greater emphasis on androgyny but that too has been challenged if not shattered by some artists such as Madonna, Cher and more recently Lady Ga-Ga among others.  All are extremely talented artists and their influences are unmistakable.  However, it is critically important to understand that their stage persona and their real lives are quite different.  The stage presence is pop culture.  Unfortunately, the outrageous costuming and presentations are being taken seriously by some of the youth of today.  It is not uncommon to see pre teens dressed provocatively; sometimes to the point of being lewd by any social standard.

This brings us to the media personalities who promote this pop culture.  They need to understand there is a line no matter how blurred between acceptable commentary and prejudicial commentary.  I have challenged local radio personalities about their negative comments toward transpeople.  Even though these people felt they were being "cool" in promoting the pop culture, they were doing so at the expense of the trans population.  This is totally unacceptable.  No person or group of people can be slandered to any degree without infringing on their human rights.  The radio stations dont seem to get it as my complaints have apparently fallen on deaf ears despite assurances of management that it was unintentional and not a part of their corporate policy.

In this writer's mind, it then leads me to question just how these stations are policing their on air personalities.  Is it through negative feedback?  If so one can only assume they dont care about who they offend as long as the advertisers stick around.  Personally, I will not patronize the advertisers on these stations.  I am also urging others in and associated with the transgender community to follow suit.  The LGBT community is much larger than most people recognize.

The next step is to challenge them legally through the Ontario Human Rights Commission.  Perhaps then they will listen and actually get a clue that there is a line on pop culture and they are responsible for ensuring it isn't crossed.

Kimberley.