The pop culture conveyer belt: How Judge Judy, Dr.Phil, Oprah and Don Draper grow us up

What this episode covers

Pop culture is much maligned. But human beings have always told simple stories, stories that show us who we are, how to act, and all of the places we can go. For the vast majority of our history these stories were told around the fire. Today they are told in the glow of many billions of screens, our access points to a worldwide mediaverse that is telling every story, and connecting everybody with everybody. In this final podcast of the spring season Jeff looks at how contemporary pop culture provides a developmental menu of fables that we can access according to what it is we need to learn. Judge Judy shows us how to shut up and pay attention. Dr.Phil provides practical psychotherapy for millions. Oprah Winfrey expands our identity into world-centric, even spiritual dimensions. And sophisticated serial dramas like the Sopranos, Breaking Bad and Mad Men (which recently completed its six year run) provide morality tales as complex and powerful as classic literature. New research out of the University of Southern California reveals that Americans consume media, both digital and traditional, for over fifteen hours per person per day. Waste of time? Much of it perhaps, but oh what a window we have our world and each other.

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