Posted: December 8th, 2013

Essay #4 Prompt – Pop Music: Good or Bad?

Context: Music is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in today’s society. Whether it’s on iTunes, Pandora, Spotify, the radio, or even in the grocery store, people listen to music every day. Even music-themed television shows like Glee, The Voice, X Factor, and American Idol are seemingly everywhere. While pop culture is fun and entertaining, it also reflects and influences a culture. As we see in “Body Rituals of the Nacirema,” one can interpret the values and the beliefs of a culture based on the artifacts and activities of that culture. It is arguable that anthropologists 100 years from now will analyze the music that we listen to in order to make judgments regarding our society’s beliefs and values.

Prompt: For your essay, choose one American pop song from the following list. First, you will describe the song and what its message is. Second, you will argue whether or not the song has a positive or negative impact on society: