Popular Occulture
Sometimes when I watch videos on Youtube, I get sucked into the “blackhole of Youtube” — a phrase I use to describe the experience of blacking out while browsing Youtube and finding yourself watching some extremely irrelevant, obscure, usually creepy video you never intended to find. For example, a simple visit to the Youtube VEVO channel somehow lead me to watch a video on Katy Perry as an Illuminati puppet.
Illuminati conspiracy theories seem to be tied to many celebrities, in the sense that there are some who believe that these celebrities have gained their wealth and power through joining secret societies (or selling their soul to the devil, however you want to describe it). As in the Katy Perry video linked above, some may search for or interpret occult symbols in certain celebrities to prove the existence of the Illuminati. In the broader sense, many of these occult symbols are actually found in many items of popular culture. Does this reflect a fascination with the occult by popular culture? Take these examples:
Popular clothing brand UNIF uses occult imagery playfully, with witty phrases like “witch u know about crafts,” or by making the Chanel logo into a pentagram. This plays into the idea that symbols of the occult, which involves movements like paganism or witchcraft, can emerge into popular culture through fashion trends.
How about Nicki Minaj’s exorcism-themed performance? The use of demonic possession for entertainment may highlight popular culture’s fascination with the occult.
The popular television series American Horror Story also shows this fascination, with the entertaining and somewhat glamourized portrayal of witches and witchcraft. For example, the stereotypical image of the witch is made fashionable — they wear these large, black wide brimmed fedoras, and black high heels. There is also people levitating, images of the pentagram, and a minotaur, a mythological beast.
*Warning: Explicit Lyrics
The music video Yung Rapunxel by Azealia Banks is explicitly occult themed, as seen in references to the all seeing eye and notions of liberation and wisdom. There are also many occult symbols, such as owls, crescent moons, yin yang, and the bull. Is it possible that this video was made to exaggerate the rumours of Illuminati status?
As seen in these examples, the occult is something that is featured often in popular culture, but why is this the case? First off, what is the occult? The occult is an umbrella term for traditions that involve supernatural or mystical beliefs. For example, witchcraft, spiritualism, satanism, magic, or astrology can be seen as occult traditions.
Marcello Truzzi notes that Western society may be experiencing a revival of the occult and supernatural, where many businesses are profiting off of selling all things mystical or occult (e.g., occult-themed books, increase in Ouija board sales) (Truzzi, 16). This increase in fascination with the occult also seems to be most prominent in youth (Truzzi, 18). This might be reflected in the examples shown above, as these music videos, shows, and performances are also targeted to youth. In other words, popular culture may be using occult imagery to target the increasing interest of the occult by youth.
Truzzi also notes that in terms of the occult, the main areas of interest in youth are astrology, witchcraft or satanism, extra-sensory perception, and Eastern religious thought (Truzzi, 18). This is also seen in the above examples: witchcraft in American Horror Story, the idea of Satanic possession in Nicki Minaj’s performance, or the use of the yin yang (a symbol largely associated with the East) in Banks’ music video.
It can also be argued that the appeal of the occult may be in the way it challenges authority, norms, and values. It also represents mystery, magic, and creativity (Galbreath, 631). This may also relate to ideas of youth and religion, as in a fascination with the occult could be seen as a rebellion from authority. For example, traditions like Satanism often use symbols that are modifications of Christian symbols (the devil, inverted cross, etc). In this sense, an interest in the occult may be a way to separate one’s self from traditional, religious beliefs. In addition, because the occult goes against norms and often involves mystery and magic, it cannot be explained by science. In this sense, the occult may also be appealing as it is not under the authority of logic or science. Therefore, the fascination with the occult by popular culture may be due to this appeal. Furthermore, the occult may be commodified as a way to capitalize on this growing interest in the occult by Western youth.
Works Cited
Galbreath, Robert. “Introduction: The Occult Today.” The Journal of Popular Culture 5.3 (1971): 629–34.
Truzzi, Marcello. “The Occult Revival as Popular Culture: Some Random Observations on the Old and the Nouveau Witch.” The Sociological Quarterly 13.1 (1972): 16–36.
