During my time here, I have been observing. I am at a point where I believe in the power of popular culture.

Oxford bibliographies defines that, “Popular culture is the set of practices, beliefs, and objects that embody the most broadly shared meanings of a social system.”

To make something “a thing”, bring it to popular culture and see it spread like a wildfire. To spread an idea, a thought, a theory, anything, popular culture is the best avenue. Popular culture has changed through years and it will keep on changing through years.

Popular culture’s habitat is that time’s mass communication medium. We are consumers and we always have been. It has gotten intense with time but being a consumer became a part of our society since we decided to be a society.

Consuming rewards us immediately and what helps us to get that reward is associated to a lowered defense state in our brain. Lowered defenses means more likely to be suggested and persuaded.

I have optimism that to make new progresses as human species, to learn and grow, to hone our intelligence, to start spread the new findings and research that can help us to do better than yesterday, popular culture can be an effective avenue.

Using popular culture to spread awareness, first thing is to understand the vocabulary used or I must say overused in the popular culture. Knowing the actual definition of these words and concepts will not only help us to use it in accordance to relevant context but also keep the credibility of those words.

Below are few words that are something to ponder upon subjectively, demonizing words is the fastest way to radicalize oneself, and I like to believe that we are much better than that.

Toxic masculinity : “a set of attitudes and ways of behaving stereotypically associated with or expected of men, regarded as having a negative impact on men and on society as a whole.” (Oxford Dictionary)

Feminism: “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.”(Oxford languages)

Male gaze : “the perspective of a notionally typical heterosexual man considered as embodied in the audience or intended audience for films and other visual media, characterized by a tendency to objectify or sexualize women.” (Oxford Dictionary)

Female gaze : “It is a feminist theory term representing the gaze of the female spectator, character or director of an artistic work, but more than the gender it is an issue of representing women as subjects having agency. ” (Wikipedia)

Internalized male gaze : “The internal male gaze is how women have absorbed all of this subconsciously to the point where it seems like as they go about their day, they need to perform for a nonexistent male audience. I would also say that this experience is not only to attract romantic interest but to, also, just seem cool in the eyes of a man.” (https://www.hercampus.com/school/fiu/blind-your-internal-male-gaze/)

Misogyny: “dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women.” (Google Dictionary)

Entitlement: “belief that one is deserving of or entitled to certain privileges.” (Merriam Webster)

Patriarchy: “a society in which the oldest male is the leader of the family, or a society controlled by men in which they use their power to their own advantage” (Cambridge Dictionary)

Privilege: “a right or benefit that is given to some people and not to others” (Merriam Webster)