First Advisor
Stewart, Connie K.
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Document Type
Thesis
Date Created
8-2017
Department
College of Performing and Visual Arts, Art and Design, Art and Design Student Work
Abstract
This thesis focuses on the contemporary human condition associated with the consumption of current entertainment media. Sampling on modes of thought from anthropological, biological, psychological, sociological, and biographical points of view I sought to define what it means to be uniquely human. Furthermore, I sought to compare and contrast contemporary human interactions as described through research studies associated with tabloid news sources, and the entertainment industry. The results of this study were then articulated through four works of art that visually describe that which was found amongst a variety of resources. They describe the rise and fall of the careers of three pop culture icons: Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, and Amy Winehouse. Each career ended tragically perhaps due to the current climate that encourages self-destructive behavior through media sources that keep our celebrities in the public eye. This study finds that public support, through consumption of such media sources, further perpetuates a media culture that functions to erode the moral fabric of our society today.
Keywords
Art; Pop culture
Extent
63 pages
Local Identifiers
SteeleThesis_2017
Rights Statement
Copyright is held by the author.
Recommended Citation
Steele, Thomas, "How Did We Get Here? An Inquiry into Pop Culture, Pop Culture Icons, and America's Support of the Degradation of Humanity Through Mass Media Consumption" (2017). Master's Theses. 49.
https://digscholarship.unco.edu/theses/49