Pop Culture: Everything I Ever Needed To Know I Learnt From... [Thurs, 1st Period]

[thefearwasreal]

There was a strong smell off coffee in the classroom this morning, but only Oz had a mug, because he kind of liked to mess with people like that.

"Greetings and salutations," he said once the last student had entered, tossing a small blue ball from hand to hand. "I'm Oz, but you may call me Oz, and welcome to Pop Culture. For those of you unsure what exactly that means, the name is a big hint, it's all the elements of cultural expression which are widespread, which have mass appeal, which fall on the 'wrong' side of the high/low art divide. Reality television, blockbuster movies, video games. It's the stuff that in the normal run of things you aren't going to be taught about in schools, because what can you learn from watching television?"

Oz paused, and bounced the ball off a wall for effect. "More than you think. But we'll get to that later. First, it's time for more introductions, I want your name, your class, and your favourite guilty pleasure when it comes to entertainment either from here or back home, no one will judge you for it. For example, I have a soft spot for artwork of cephalopods done in the style of the old masters."

If he didn't sound very ashamed about that, well, that would require him to actually feel shame, and the giant octopus painting hanging in his office behind his desk put paid to that idea.

He tossed the ball at the nearest student. "You first, and remember, no judging."

Comments

Sign In - Pop Culture [01]

[thefearwasreal]

Like you're popular!

Re: Sign In - Pop Culture [01]

[genesishero]

Evan Sabahnur

Re: Sign In - Pop Culture [01]

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar

Listen to Oz - Pop Culture [01]

[thefearwasreal]

Realise that this class might involve less watching movies than you thought...

Re: Listen to Oz - Pop Culture [01]

[genesishero]

Evan was fidgeting in his seat through the lecture, mostly because he wasn't sure that anything he liked really counted as a guilty pleasure... did it?

... Well, he didn't feel terribly guilty about any of it.

Re: Listen to Oz - Pop Culture [01]

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

This was one class that Sholeh had chosen for herself (rather than at her sister's urgings) and she was very excited about it. What better way to learn about a society than by what it considered interesting and popular.

And...maybe...by learning about it, she'd be able to talk to more people? That would be exciting.

And a little scary.

But also exciting.

Re: Listen to Oz - Pop Culture [01]

[reven8e.livejournal.com]

Emily believed in using everything she could to fulfill her goals. Even pop culture would do.

So she was politely listening on her seat.

Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[thefearwasreal]

Name, class, favourite guilty pleasure.

Feel free to comment on other people's choices, but remember to only judge silently.

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"Umm, hi," Sholeh said, giving the class a wave. "My name is Sholeh. I'm a sophomore, and my guilty pleasure is magazines with glamorous people in them. I just like looking at how pretty they are."

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[thefearwasreal]

"Let's face it, it's not like anyone reads thoses things for the articles," Oz said. "And it's something we'll all be looking at in a couple of weeks, so you have a step up on the rest of the class."

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[reven8e.livejournal.com]

"Hey," at least there was a familiar face around. Well, kind of familiar. "I do that too." She actually did, although Emily looked at them with a mix of hate and disgust. But it was similar enough right?

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[dressedinblood]

"Hi, I'm Anna," Anna said, "I'm a junior, and I don't...um." She'd spent fifty-plus years locked in a house with no entertainment. This felt like a trick question. "I like hockey?" And there was going to be hockey again! It was very exciting.

Yeah, she really needed to start paying more attention to modern entertainment.

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[reven8e.livejournal.com]

"I'm Emily Thorne, Junior, and..."

And she liked to get into barfights and pick cute yet questionable bad guys after drinking far too much for someone her age. That or plotting bloody revenge on certain people. Oh, there was also touring different juvies and mental institutions. Gee, she had so much to pick from.

"And I guess that once I start spending I really can't stop?" Lame.

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

"Surreal, junior, I like weapons."

Collecting, using, caring for... Surreal wasn't picky, and she didn't seem to feel too guilty about it, either.

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[genesishero]

"I'm Evan Sabahnur," Evan greeted, smiling warmly at his classmates. "I'm in my freshman year, and I guess for a guilty pleasure... I like classic country music. Old Hank Williams songs and things like that."

Was that a guilty pleasure? Maybe he should have said something sports related, instead? He had no idea!

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[ultron_junior]

"Hey, I'm Victor," Victor said with a little wave. "Junior. I guess my big guilty pleasure is superhero comic books."

He knew the books were both horribly written a lot of the time and barely true at all, but he'd never been able to totally give them up.

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[pursuedthestars]

"Jim Kirk, junior," he said, tossing those out like clockwork by now. This was the week for introductions, of course. "Favorite guilty pleasure?"

Jim fell quiet and shrugged for few seconds. "Dunno. Do cartoons count?"

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[abitlowkey]

"I am Loki of Asgard, a sophomore of this school," he said easily. "And I quite enjoy the wonders of 4chan. Though I do not understand the lure of the You Laugh, You Lose thread."

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[suitably_heroic]

"Atton Rand," Atton said, kicking back, "Junior. And I think probably everything I watch on your TV counts."

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[notalender]

Ah, introduction time. At least Arietty had had a break from shouting about herself yesterday.

She stood up at the edge of her desk with her tiny paper megaphone. "Arietty Clock!" she said. "I'm a Freshman, and I like romantic comedies."

So did a lot of borrowers, actually, but her dad thought they were rubbish.

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[nomelancholy.livejournal.com]

"Ulrik of Denmark," Ulrik introduced himself. "I don't feel particularly guilty or ashamed regarding anything that brings me enjoyment, but I suppose of those things, my appreciation of Wendy the Werewolf Stalker is probably one of the most frivolous."

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[notagoose]

"Shane Gooseman," Goose said, "I'm a junior and I guess my favourite guilty pleasure is that I like soap operas,"

Re: Introductions - Pop Culture [01]

[seeshowyoudie.livejournal.com]

"Miriam Black, senior, porn." She may have said the last very emphatically simply for the shock value.

Talk to Oz - Pop Culture [01]

[thefearwasreal]

He's interested in what you have to say.

OOC - Pop Culture [01]

[thefearwasreal]

Oz is looking for a minion or two, so if anyone is interested drop a (screened) comment here before next week's class.