How is pop culture like religion?

Religion is a set of beliefs shared by a group of people that often instills a sense of community and identity. Members of the same religion band together through traditions and similar values. Like religion, pop culture can be characterized by many of these traits. Throughout our society, groups are formed because of common ideologies and rituals. These groups can be centered around films, such as Star Wars, or music, such as The Beatles.

The Beatles, one of the most iconic bands in history, developed a cult-like following after their formation in the 1960s. Because of their fans, The Beatles became more than a musical group; their concerts became a religious experience. People from hundreds of miles away would travel to witness their concerts and undergo, what some would call, a transcendent experience.

Comparably, Muslims travel from all over the world to attend the Hajj; the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. While seemingly very different, both experiences transmit a spiritual feeling to its visitors. Pop culture has become a new religion with similar purpose and meaning.

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?displaypage=output.cfm&file_id=5435