How Pop Culture is like Religion

Pop Culture and Religion 

        Pop culture and religion are similar in several ways. Specifically in how they utilize ritual over belief. In the readings this week, it was discussed how religious communities can sometimes place action before belief. I believe this is also paralleled in pop culture. People often get so ingrained in their actions that the motivation behind these actions oftentimes becomes secondary. The framework of tradition becomes so integral to how we construct our lives, and perhaps even our identity, that the reasons for these traditions can be deemphasized. In religion, this is particularly evident with how people celebrate major holidays like Christmas. Many people today emphasize the tradition of Christmas but not so much why they are celebrating it. This may also be due to the fact that Christmas has become very secular in todays culture, however, it still stands that a majority of individuals are more focused on the small traditions surrounding this holiday. In a sense, these traditions have taken on their own meanings. These meanings may still be connected to the larger belief that created them but they may also have developed a unique meaning of their own. The emphasis of action over belief can also be found in pop culture - like in sporting events. At these type of events, certain rituals and superstitions are acted out much like they are during religious events. They still exist to serve a larger belief, however, to some they can be more important. A big game may not be as exciting or significant if certain crowd rituals don't happen or someone forgets to act out a certain superstition. Although the overarching beliefs that drive large institutions like religion are certainly significant, the smaller rituals that serve them can sometimes be more important. It may be because it's easier for individuals to latch onto something they understand rather than confront the overwhelming questions faith presents. However, there are many possible explanations for why this happens.