Modern Religion: The Worship of the Grateful Dead
In the modern
world, many have begun to discuss the ways in which mankind has lost touch with
its spiritual, religious side and has instead turned to the mindless worlds of
technology, sports, and pop music as a means of preoccupation. While popular culture phenomena may
lack the rich histories, specific beliefs, and formal global recognition of "traditional" religion, it ultimately provides exactly what mankind searches
for in its pursuit of religious practice: community and identity. From cult
films, to sports teams, to music festivals, popular culture has created
multiple vehicles with which modern day individuals can identify, and thus has created exclusive communities of followers who, in pursuit
of their fandom, have come to embody religious like behavior.
My uncle, a self
professed “dead head,” swells with enthusiasm when asked to retell the tales of his summer pilgrimage across America following the band's tour. Whenever he sees the band’s
iconic symbol of the dancing bear on a stranger’s t-shirt or a bumper sticker,
he strikes up a conversation with the other individual, and the two share
laughter, stories, and enthusiastic analysis of their favorite
songs, concerts, and Grateful Dead experiences. The band’s music has seemingly
united him with a larger community of followers throughout the world, all of
whom feel deeply connected to one another through a mutual love, following, and
“worship” of the band.
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