Contemporary Trends in Popular Culture

• Popular culture can be categorized into six major groups and classified according to its influence and impact.

Contemporary Trends

• Contemporary trends are current preferences occurring within the same time period.
• Anything existing or happening within the same period
  • Example: Andy Warhol and Lino Brocka were contemporary artists of the 1900s despite contrasting creative styles.
• Trend means a prevailing inclination, a general movement, or a current preference.
  • Example: Twitter keeps track of current trending topics using hashtags.
• Social media sites such as Tiktok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat are trends that became famous in the early 21st century and are contemporaries with each other.
• Friendster, Imeem, Multiply, Vine, and MySpace were all contemporaries despite their fame in the 21st century because they were distinct from the Facebook period.
• Popular culture can be classified based on its appeal.
• Flops (or Bombs) are popular culture icons that did not meet standards for success.
  • Examples: Sony Betamax, Apple Newton, Nintendo's VirtualBoy, the musical film Cats, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Disney's Mulan adaptation, and Emir.
• Fads are popular culture icons that gain a significant following but do not last long.
  • Examples: Original Justice League, Atkins and South Beach Diet, Flappy Bird, and Tamagotchi.
• Sleeper hits are popular culture icons that started weak but became famous over time.
  • Applicable in movies like I'm Drunk; I Love You, Ma' Rosa, and Four Sisters and a Wedding
• Cult following icons are appreciated by specific subcultures.
  • Examples: Invader Zim, The Big Lebowski, Star Wars, Mean Girls, and The Wizarding World.
  • Local Examples: AlDub, Guy and Pip, and KathNiel.
• Blockbuster materials are well-liked and leave a lasting impression.
  • Examples include national heroes, films like Titanic, My Amnesia Girl, and 3 Idiots, and books like Bata, Bata... Pa'no Ka Ginawa?, The Fault in Our Stars, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
• Parodies, samplings, and remixes are made by the people consuming the culture.
  • Parodies imitate or satirize something using the same form like Michael V's parody songs and "Weird" Al Yankovic's parodies.
  • Sampling reuses a particular song's portion in another recording. Some examples are Ava Max's Kings and Queens and Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise
  • Remixing combines two or more songs into one cohesive piece.

Enduring High and Folk Cultures

• Despite the changes in popular icons and scrutiny of masses, some parts of folk and high cultures endure.
• Icons are called classics and vary depending on the subculture.
• The Nut Cracker is a must-have ballet for dancers and is shared with the Christmas subculture.
• Lea Salonga is an icon of both popular and high cultures because of her diverse theater musical, play, and film performances.
  • Roles include Eponine in Les Misérables, Kim in Miss Saigon, voices of Disney Princesses, and Gail in Yellow Rose.
• Philippine folk culture includes instruments featured in the works of ASIN and in the 2013 Department of Tourism ad campaign.

Celebrities

• Celebrities are made, not born, and can be short-lived or enduring.
• Charles "Charlie" White Jr. (penguinz0 Cr1TiKaL) commented on Nicholas Perry (Nikocado Avocado)'s health, sparking conversation about health and body positivity.
• White appeared with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and T-Pain during the 2020 US Elections.
• A celebrity is in the state of being celebrated.
• Mass media gives fame.
• Possible celebrity categories:
  • Entertainment: Briliante Mendoza, Lualhati Bautista, Dingdong Dantes, Angel Locsin, Guillermo del Torro, Marilyn Monroe, and Selena Quintanilla.
  • Lifestyle: Ben Cab, Vera Wang, Jose Nepomuceno, Pablo “Boy” Logro,Erwan Heussaff, Gordon Ramsay, Tonipet Gaba, Roger Mooking, and Adam Richman.
  • Sports: Lee "Faker” Sang-hyeok, Clement "Puppey” Ivanov, Jinn Marrey "Palos” Lamatao, Kobe Bryant, Kiefer Ravena, Chris Tiu, Willy Wang, and Bea Binene.
  • News: Anderson Cooper, Henry Omaga-Diaz, Noli de Castro, Mike Enriquez, Kara David, Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, and Asiong Salonga.
  • Politics: Aung San Suu Kyi, Harry Roque, Ernesto “Che” Guevarra, Benigno Simeon "Noynoy” Aquino III, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong, Shinzo Abe, Vladimir Putin, Margaret Thatcher, and Kim Jong-Un.
  • Technology: Laina Morris ("Overly Attached Girlfriend"), Kyle Craven (“Bad Luck Brian"), Lloyd Café Cadena, Helen Payawal ("HelenOnFleek"), Tyler Oakley, Jimmy Donaldson ("MrBeast"), Gian Lois Concepcion ("GLOCO”), Mark Edward Fischbach (“Markiplier"), Sean William McLoughlin ("Jacksepticeye"), and Felix Arvid Ur Kjellberg ("PewDiePie").
• Singers perform vocal performances, such as Jasmine Trias, Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, KZ Tandingan, BTS, and Blackpink.
• Actors perform visual entertainment like stage and television shows, films, and web series.
  • Examples: Chris Pratt, Winston Duke, Lea Salonga, Eva Noblezada, Hugh Jackman, and Lee Young-Ae.
• Reality show participants join game shows and become famous, like Kim Chiu and Melisa “Melai” Cantiveros.
• TV presenters host events, including newscasters and MCs, like Mel Tiangco and Tim Yap.
• Athletes compete in sports, including eSports, such as Alvin Patrimonio and Danil “Dendi” Ishutin.
• Politicians run for government office, such as Rodrigo Duterte and Corazon Aquino.
• Persons-of-Interest become celebrities either through association or for infamy.
  • Celebrification is a trend where individuals become celebrities.
    • People become celebrities through association if they have existing connections or negative reputation, such as Charles Manson.
• People are idolized because they are seen as important, powerful, or famous.
• Most live vicariously through celebrities and gossip.
• Some are attracted to their idols' aesthetics, curiosity and affinity.
• Mass media keeps celebrities in the public eye.

Marketability and Industry for Popular Culture

• Businesses capitalize on popular culture for relevance in marketing.
• 28% of successful US businesses use popular culture in marketing.
  • Companies like Nike and Coca-Cola sell merchandise related to Stranger Things.
• Companies drive popular culture to capitalize on consumerism.
• Businesses grab the attention of younger consumers by using today's culture.
• Businesses are increasingly expected to be involved in addressing social issues.
• Businesses create popular culture to stay relevant and should be insightful to be authentic.
• Culturally-focused advertising performance varies based on the target audience and their environment.