The Power of Pop Culture
Uniting Communities Through Engagement and Advocacy
In a world where people are constantly searching for the next viral trend, popular movies, TV shows, and getting their news online, engaging the community in civic matters can be challenging.
While people’s attachment to entertainment can be seen as an obstacle to engagement, it could also be seen as an opportunity! Utilizing different entertainment outlets is a possible solution to bridging gaps in community and civic engagement. By using pop culture outlets in the worlds of music, sitcoms, movies, and social media, we can garner audience attention. After all, these are some of their favorite entertainment sources, why shouldn’t we leverage such platforms to spread civic messaging widely!
The Impact of Pop Culture
There is no doubt that pop culture is highly influential. From movies like Jordan Peele’s “Get Out”, highlighting racial issues, to songs like rapper Logic’s “1-800-273-8255”, spreading awareness on mental health, pop culture is able to tap into people’s emotions.
By using these emotional connections, we can reach audiences who may not be as interested in public works, civics, and community engagement.
Influencers and celebrities are another great example of this. Celebrities like rapper Cardi B can use their platform to spread awareness and engage communities. Cardi explained her activism to David Letterman on Netflix this way:
“I have used my platform even when I was a dancer. Because you might think that people are not looking, but they are…Hey, while you here and you’re checking my outfit and you're checking my music, check out what’s going on over here in this part of the world.”
Movies and TV Shows
Movies and TV shows often serve as social commentary for what is currently happening in society. A prime example of this is the Netflix original “One Day at a Time.”
The show addresses issues within the Latino community, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ struggles, and more. An unsuspecting viewer casually looking for a TV show to watch can start a show like this and be exposed to all these important topics. Sometimes, creative productions like this even serve as inspiration for otherwise dis-engaged individuals to get involved in their own communities and class struggles.
Another great example is the film “The Hate U Give,” which serves as a reflection of America’s police brutality issue. This film, and the book it was based on, not only educate wide audiences on the dilemma of police brutality in the United States, but does so while evoking strong emotions. Empathy, outrage, and a desire to see change can be turned into community action when people are presented with outlets for their passions.
Music
Music artists have been known to put deep meaning into their lyrics, so much so that certain songs have often acted as stimulants and soundtracks to social movements.
In the instance of Tupac’s “Changes”, he raps about the plight of being Black in America, the poverty cycle, the war on drugs, gun violence, and more. By putting such powerful social issues in his song, it once again, makes listeners empathize. This empathy can be fuel for engagement. When someone can understand and empathize with a problem, they are more likely to get involved.
Songs can also be used as a sort of soundtrack for a movement. Songs like Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar’s “Freedom” and Cynthia Erivo’s “Stand Up” are used to supplement movements for racial equality. These songs contain intense lyrics that cultivate emotional responses. Something as small as including these songs in the background of a video can motivate community members to pay attention and get involved.
Performing artists have even used tours as voter registration drives, and in 2023 Beyonce used her Renaissance World Tour to support students and entrepreneurs through the Bey Good Foundation to the tune of $2 Million.
Social Media
We have previously covered Leveraging Social Media in Community Engagement, but let's look into how that has actually been done.
A prime example is in the 2014 #ALSIceBucketChallenge. It was a viral trend where celebrities recorded themselves pouring a bucket of freezing cold ice water on their heads. They captioned videos with the hashtag “ALSIceBucket Challenge” and challenged other celebrities to participate in the trend.
At first glance, this may seem like a silly trend. But the truth is that it was a movement that spread awareness about the ALS disease and raised real money for treatment and research.
In addition to posting videos, celebrities donated money to the ALS Association. The association raised 115 million dollars in donations from this viral social media challenge alone! This is proof positive that social media trends are not to be dismissed and instead, should truthfully be considered powerful vehicles for social change and communal good.
Pop culture, engagement, and advocacy are all different aspects of communal living. Each one has it’s own power and offers dynamic ways to get people involved.
At Civility Localized, it is one of our goals to Engage Different, and we think utilizing pop culture is a great way to do that.
Let’s create more relatability, access, and connection. Let’s plug more people into civics, their own neighborhoods, and community advocacy with pop culture integrations.
If you want to know how your government organization can leverage pop culture trends to further your public engagement goals, reach out to us today.
