Lessons From Popular Culture

The profile on history professor Jeffrey Ogbar and the story about the new film studies minor demonstrate there are varied lessons to be learned from taking a critical look at popular culture.

UConn has always served as a forum for an array of contemporary figures to provide both formal and informal lessons for its students. In the 1960s, outspoken folk musicians such as The Weavers and Peter, Paul & Mary performed on campus and political activists such as Jerry Rubin and the cartoonist Al Capp (of Li'l Abner fame) delivered their points of view. More recently, author and historian David McCullough and forensics expert Henry Lee have visited UConn to discuss topical issues of the day, while blues musician Susan Tedeschi, and hip-hop artist 50 Cent provided entertainment on campus.

The short distance between the Homer Babbidge Library — with its 2.5 million volumes of books and 3 million units of microtext — to the Harry A. Gampel Pavilion, where the hip-hop artist Ludacris performed, the Huskies celebrated two national championships and graduates received their degrees during Commencement, is a reminder of how UConn provides a unique environment for simultaneously embracing the past, reflecting the present and looking toward the future.

Films and music are particularly helpful in presenting new ways to think about what is going on in society and the world. They can provide insight into national cultures as well as a look inside subcultures that ultimately may influence society as a whole.

It was not coincidental that among the first reflections on the tragic events on Sept. 11, 2001, were songs by folk and pop musicians and visual documentaries.

When MTV first aired in 1980, film and music were joined in a way that reflected the early days of rock 'n' roll. Madonna became the new Elvis — influencing attitude and dress and spurring on the rebellious nature of youth. Both musicians were of their time and spoke to their generation. Today they and other pop culture icons can be the subject of college classes, thesis papers and exhibitions in museums.

Whether it is a concert at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, an exhibition at The William Benton Museum of Art, an address by a visiting dignitary at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center, or a classroom lecture, UConn continues to reflect the words of the music writer David Fricke: "Respect The Elders. Embrace The New. Encourage The Impractical and Improbable, Without Bias."