Pop Culture — Natured Vs Nurtured
Introduction
There is a big question in society if certain traits or morals that a human picks up on are formed by nature or nurture. For an idea or moral to be natural is saying that they were pre-wired with the idea; they were genetically made to think that way or believe something. For something to be nurtured it means that they were taught that idea. Whether or not it is from surrounding family members, the environment, social media, etc., they have developed the thought. Some external sources are influencing you to form your opinion. One’s opinions and views on music and pop culture are nurtured opinions rather than natural ones.
One of the external sources influencing people is music artists’ public relations management. In the “Expedia of Business and Finance,” it is emphasized that PR professionals help complex, pluralistic societies make decisions more effectively and equally. They have a goal to push information out in hopes to sway one’s opinion in a way that benefits them. Think about your favorite music artist, what makes them special apart from their voice? Artists all have a certain sound, either through their voice, lyrics, or style. Let’s use Justin Beiber as an example. His main demographic is young women. He has developed this demographic by having good looks and songs that are aimed at young women. His looks and age can easily sway any other demographic to stray away from his music but draw in his targeted group. The Justin Bieber bibliography walks us through how he originally became famous while in Canada. He released his second album Never Say Never: The Remixes. This album was a huge success and greatly widened his demographic. “Why?” one may ask, The album consisted of his same songs but with features like Rascal Flatts and Chris Brown. By having a variety of different artists on this album, he is also pulling an audience from their demographic.
Another statement from “Expedia of Business and Finance” is that PR professionals implement campaigns to bring attention to one mission or objective while encouraging two-way communication between the parties associated. Think about this in more of a pop-culture sense. Nowadays, YouTubers are like movie stars, the new generation of A-listers. They are sent PR packages from many different brands in hopes of a post or any sort of advertisement. Though it is not a written agreement, when the brand sends free items, it is opening up a form of communication between the brand and the influencer. It is in hopes of getting the brand out there to get more attention. The two statements are external ways that music and pop culture influence people.
Now there is direct proof that external sources are always trying to sway the views and opinions of people. In The New York Times, an article was written about Facebook and how they were misleading the investors by lying about problems and certain situations. Facebook also advertises to the average person all the time. Some have noticed that you could be talking to someone about how poorly made your umbrella is and next thing you know you are seeing ads for umbrellas that claim will change your life? It is all a tactic to draw consumers in and sway their opinions and feelings. We see external sources trying to influence our opinions all the time on a variety of different things. Whether it’s a political matter, music, or even what is going to be eaten for dinner tonight, you are constantly being influenced in one direction or another. Views and morals on music and pop culture will always be nurtured opinions rather than natural ones.
“Nurturing” Playlist
“That should be me” by Justin Bieber ft. Rascal Flatts
I have chosen this video because I feel like it shows a lot about how connecting with different artists can really broaden the demographic that the music reaches. Justin Bieber did this a lot right after he really started to get some fame behind him. If he had showcased himself and nobody else, that would have hurt his demographic by keeping it to the people that already liked his style of music. In combining two styles, it really showcased what music can bring together.
“STAY” by Justin Bieber ft. The Kid Leroy
I picked this video as I believe it showcases how two artists with completely different styles can come together and make a music video about a relatable topic. The topic at hand in this music video is relationships, trying to show that it can be tough at times but to work through it. I think it greatly helps having two very individual artists on the same song. It shows that you’re never the only one having the issues.
“Broadway Girls” by Lil Durk ft. Morgan Wallen
This song to me is the highlight of what music is about. These two come from very different pasts and home lives, while they both come together to make this song. While I don’t think this song projects worry about a specific problem, I think the picture shown is that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what you look like. Two great artists can make one song even better than one great artist can. I think nowadays, too many artists are worried about keeping this “gang” life persona rather than letting their creativity go to work.
“Gimme the Loot” by The Notorious B.I.G
I chose this song as my last, because I believe it shows a lot about how a hip pop song can really affect the community. This song raised some tensions in the streets with some of the lyrics he was saying. In almost every other line, he was promoting violence in some sort of way. I would have to think this affects the community and the people listening in some manner. He talks about going up and down the street and robbing people, no matter if they are pregnant, hurt, etc.
Last Thoughts
I do believe that the public can be strongly swayed by the media and what they see around them. You might ask, how does this relate to hip pop? My answer is to ask you to think about your everyday life. What you do is greatly influenced by the people around you. If you were raised in a country-style life, very outdoorsy, hunting, etc., you might be more influenced to listen to country music as that is what most people in that lifestyle would listen to. On the other hand, if you were born and raised in a religious home, you might listen to more Christian music or religious music — some that might be praised by your religion or the people you surround yourself with. For example, where I was born and raised, I did listen to my country music, but as I moved more into the city, I started to grow a love for hip pop and rap. That experience is what motivated me to think that the type of music we listen to is controlled by the media we see and the people we surround ourselves with. I think many things can be done to improve people’s views and show them there are many more options in the music industry. As individuals and communities, we need to try and not limit people in what they might like or be interested in. I know in many cases, people might feel like they can’t listen to hard rock music if the people around them hate it, or any genre of music that others might not be interested in. In my day-to-day life, I strive to explore and discover new types of music that I may not have listened to before.
- “Justin Bieber.” Gale Biography Online Collection, Gale, 2022. Gale In Context: Biography, link.gale.com/apps/doc/K1650006836/BIC?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-BIC&xid=b85e131c. Accessed 1 Oct. 2022.
- Kang, Cecilia. “Facebook Faces a Public Relations Crisis. What about a Legal One?” EKathimerini.com, 27 Oct. 2022, https://www.ekathimerini.com/nytimes/1170583/facebook-faces-a-public-relations-crisis-what-about-a-legal-one/.
- Moreno, Megan A, et al. “The Facebook Influence Model: A Concept Mapping Approach.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., July 2013, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3715786/.
- “Public Relations.” Encyclopedia of Business and Finance, 4th ed., vol. 2, Macmillan Reference USA, 2022, pp. 691–693. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX8301700275/GVRL?u=mcc_chandler&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=cc8dca17. Accessed 21 Sept. 2022.
