Reflection #4

               When I first think of pop culture, I think of different kinds of music, movies and celebrities.  Then, I start think of money.  Isn’t pop culture just a nice way of saying profit?  When it comes to high and low culture, I think the high culture (ballet, literature, etc.) focuses more on talent and purpose more than being financially successful.  On the other hand, I think low culture is the opposite.  Low culture consists of video games and music, things that don’t having a true purpose behind it.  Low culture focuses the attention on the profit made from the product. 

                Below I posted a video of Blake Mycoskie, the founder of the shoe company TOMS.  It’s more of a business perspective on the company but I think it shows positive and negative qualities of pop culture.  A few positives, for every shoe they sell they give one pair to a child in need.  First and foremost, this is a great cause for giving back, but it also gives America a good reputation by giving back to other cultures across the world.  Another positive is they connect with these other cultures to design different items to sell, like jewelry and other accessories.  A negative, the company is actually taking away local markets.  By TOMS coming in and giving a free pair of shoes to children in need, the surrounding markets are briefly defeated.  The founder has also been questioned about his sincerity for giving back based on his material goods.  Although this private company seems to have other cultures best interests in mind, behind the scenes are they truly passionate about helping kids or are they in it for the profit side?