Will's Kids -- Bailes

[David Andignac]

At 08:51 AM 5/21/96 EST, you wrote:
>Will's Kids -- Bailes
>
>Much of the modern American literature we have studied is chock full of
>references to commercial and pop culture.  Pynchon, in particular, along with
>David Foster Wallace, Mark Leyner, Robert Coover, and even Michael Chabon, have
>built their books out of these references like sculptors creating art from soft
>drink cans.  It is difficult to tell whether the authors delight in them or
>whether they are trying to overwhelm the reader in order to demonstrate how
>insensitive we have become.  Might part of their message be to "get over"
>commercialism, stop whining, and enjoy what you can about America because its
>the best weUve got?  Are they trying to build a unique American culture out of
>the references, one which everyone can relate to because everyone is a
consumer?
> Or, are the pop culture references merely hip, amusing evidence of The
>Post-modern Way?     
>	
>-- Elana Bailes
>
>
>
>I think the reason that Pynchon, Wallace and others refer to popular culture so
>much in their books is because when you're talking about a country so young as
>America is, they really don't have ancient myths and legends to fall back on,
>like, say England or France which is steeped in tradition. So, things like
>Elvis, James Dean, Kerouac, etc. are the myths and legends that they can work
>with. They are a part of popular mythology.
>
>bfn,
>JDL
>
It seems to me that all throughout the history of literature authors refer
to current cultural events and icons. For example, a reference to Greek
tragedies in Greek Comedies would be similar to quoting catch phrases from
movies or commercials within that era's culture. To us, obscure references
to to royal lineage etc. in, say, Shakespeare, may have been the equivalent
of referencing Hard Copy in comtemporary fiction.

Time and distance from the culture of origin of the "great works of
literature", I think cause us to either overlook some of these references or
render them obscure. 

Anyhow, I think the purpose of these reference on the surface-level, at
least is simply identity with the time period and culture in question. We
consider these references to by pop culture since we are not as a society
producing what would have in the past have been regarded as high culture.
The modern symphonies that people of today recognize are soundtracks to
popular movies.

Just a few thoughts,

David A.