Voting Rocks

It is easy to say that important political topics are not covered by the media adequately nor represented accurately in pop culture. For example, South Park can take a topic, such as the Occupy Movement, and mock it until it is remnants of what the true nature is. Another example is the unequal coverage of presidential candidates, thus making few more salient to consumers, increasing their likelihood of being voted for. However, I think it is important to point out just how impactive pop culture can be in the political world.

An example is the "Rock the Vote" campaign that began in 1990. In 1992, Rock the Vote had helped increase the youth vote in the presidential election by 20%! One of their main strategies to attract young voters is by celebrity advocacy. It's not surprising that the youth gives a lot of respect and attention to well known artists and actors, who in turn have influence over young voters. Not only does Rock the Vote promote voting in elections, but it also educates the youth on topics such as health care and environmental issues.

Even though pop culture is low culture, in that it covers topics that are trivial and fleeting, it is proven to have positive impact in the political arena on the youth of today.