Is There a Shared Culture Anymore?

[LibraryLady]

In the 50s and 60s there was a shared culture that just about everybody in the Western World knew. There were mass-circulation magazines like "Life' and 'Look'. There were television shows like 'Toast of the Town' hosted by Ed Sullivan. These were things that most people read or watched.

Every Sunday night we tuned into the Ed Sullivan's show. It was a formulaic thing. You'd get a popular singer and a comedian. There would be a circus act with dogs, ponies or jugglers. There would be a bit of 'high culture' from an opera singer, a bit of ballet or a concert pianist. Not everybody liked everything on 'Toast of the Town' but we were exposed to it all and learned about it.

This is a problem I see with the Internet. It is true that the Internet allows us to explore cultures other than our own. As posters here know, that's a good thing. It also makes it possible to communicate with people all over the world who share narrow views and and never talk with anyone who doesn't think the same way..

[Rapscallion]

I don't think it's just the Internet. Cable television has brought many channels for specific interests into most houses, effectively segregating people.

Rapscallion

[Nurian]

It is ironic, isn't it? We have the capacity to expand our world but that same capacity allows us to narrow it. I could find all the works of Shakespeare, listen to music by Beethoven, but usually, I see people writing "t415 5|-|1& 1Z t3|-| 80|\/|8!!!eventy!!".
I suppose all we can do is look after ourselves. Doesn't say much for the rest of humanity, though.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

It's also the sheer volume of music, books, movies, radio stations, TV shows and so on that makes it hard for one single entity to capitvate a large audience as before.

I was just thinking today the era of the culturally transcending personality is nearing an end.

[ArcticChicken]

While the internet does allow people to connect only with their own narrow minded groups, it is also a shared culture that transcends the computer.

Ask yourself this: do you know anyone who doesn't know what a LOLCat is?

[Nurian]

I did. Then I "educated" him.

[AdminAssistant]

Well, there is probably a debate on how well that 'shared' culture actually represented the world - and that this abundance is more accurate since it reflects such a wide diversity of cultures.

We were just discussing multi-culturalism and tribalism in class today..hm.