Category: Popularity

In our fourth week of Entertainment History since 1945, we have decided to cover a topic which personally a favorite subject of mine called ‘Beatlemania’. The term Beatlemania was described to be showing a segment of idolization by commonly many young female enthusiasts towards the popular English pop group called ‘The Beatles’ on whenever they had their concert performance and band travels back in the 1960s. First of all, the Beatles’ fame began in the United Kingdom first throughout 1963 with their classical singles such as ‘Please Please Me’, “’From Me to You’ and ‘She Loves You’. However, the United States rarely had the opportunity to get to listen to their music which to the point even people in America did not know the existence of the Beatles at all. Until Marsha Albert appeared and promoted their songs in America, it changed the band’s career life forever with a tremendous rate of popularity around the world.

It all started in the very beginning, when there was a 15-year-old American girl named Marsha Albert from Silver Springs, Maryland, and was born in 1948. She was at her home watching her television shows one time and as she turned onto the CBS Evening News channel that was broadcasted back in December 10th, 1963, it was the very moment where she first witnessed and listened to the Beatles’ music being featured in it. After listening to it, she was completely stars trucked by the band especially when they were performing one of their latest hit singles called ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’. Marsha was so infatuated by their music to the point that she purchased a copy of the song from a British Airways flight attendant as due to an unfortunate reason that the United States had not released the single yet. Subsequently, she was irritated that America’s songs did not have a music as great as the Beatles, hence why she wrote a letter and proposed the band’s music to the well-known DJ Carroll James at Washington DC’s WWDC network. James noticed the passion from Marsha’s proposal and invited her to his show and play the copy of the Beatles’ record on December 17th, 1963. From that day onwards, the popularity of the Beatles in the United States has risen up to the point that every radio station was constantly requested to play their songs and made the band’s American label, Capitol Records, to rush release their music weeks earlier than scheduled. In addition, the Beatles also managed to be featured and performed in one of America’s best television debuts called ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ a few months later in February, 1964 with approximately being viewed by seventy-three million people. With other information we have found and agreed on was when historian Martin Lewis once told USA Today back in 2004 that he believed the Beatles would not have had this great impact if it was not by the help from Marsha Albert, and therefore she earned the right to be the one who opened the floodgates and started Beatlemania.

Beatlemania was such a huge impact that it was first noticed when the Beatles arrived at JFK International Airport in New York on February 7, 1964, and the Beatles arrival in America was considered to be a boost to morale for not just Beatlemaniacs, but also the citizens due to after the assassination of President Kennedy a year earlier. Moreover, Beatlemania was also the reason that made the Beatles to be the first musicians to perform their concert at a large outdoor stadium at New York’s Shea Stadium in 1965 and that was because the event managed to attract with an amount of 55,000 audiences and sold out their tickets within only 17 minutes. Therefore, marking it as the largest of any live concerts that the Beatles has ever performed.

However, no musicians are perfect as there were still many controversies about the Beatles has brought upon such as the time when many Japanese citizens rejecting the band to perform in their country due to the reason believing that their music would negatively influence their younger generations. Additionally, the controversy when one of the Beatles’ performers, John Lennon stated their music to be more popular than Jesus and caused many Christians to burn their albums into ashes. But despite all of these disputations, the Beatles will forever live up to be the world’s most well-known music band of all time and Beatlemania will always be remembered as one of the largest movements that no other musicians could achieve back in the 1960s.

Vietnam is one of the countries that I want to visit someday. The reason I started to be interested in Vietnam why I had made Vietnamese friend at KIFL. She is very kind and hardworking. Originally, I was interested in world culture from a young age, so I often hear Vietnam’s lifestyle, food, language and so on from her. For this reason, I started to search and make a plan about travel to Vietnam.

According to travel site of Japan, Vietnam is becoming popular as one of the travel destination of Japanese in recent years. Especially, popular among young people like a student and women. In fact, Vietnam has recorded 92,000 Japanese emigrants by country and region updated in November 2019. This number is large amount next to Thailand in the Southeast Asian market. As a reason for this popularity, there are four main reasons.

First reason is the proximity of Japan. Flight time from Japan to Vietnam is approximately 5~6 hours by direct flight and equation time of Japan is only -2 hours. I think that easy to go distance is attractive for Japanese who difficult to take long holidays. Second reason is the cheap price. Prices of Vietnam are about one third of Japan. For example, the price of a cup of coffee of Vietnam is about in Japanese yen approximately 70 yen, while that of Japan is no matter how cheap, it costs about 250~300 yen. Tourist can be retained cheap travel costs, and stay at 5-star rank hotel that It’s hard to stay in other countries like a Europe. Third, relatively good security. Usually, possessing guns of general publics are prohibited in Vietnam alike Japan, so there are almost no terrorism or firing incidents. But pickpocket and snatchers occur more frequently than in Japan. Four reason, Vietnam’s moving experience is very cheap. For example, taxi first ride price of Vietnam is about 60 yen, but Japan is about 400 yen, so traveler is easy to move multiple cities by low costs.

Through the research, I think that Vietnam’s culture is attracting Japanese. The first attraction is historical colonial architecture. There are many French colonial buildings in Vietnam. This reason is that Vietnam was dominated by France. In 1858, France started attack and occupied Vietnam together with Spain on the pretense of Catholic missionary protection. And in 1859, France also had power over South Vietnam and based in Saigon (now: Ho Chi Minh). In 1882, France dominated Hanoi and the Nguyen dynasty was approved protection treaty by France. From this year France started colonial rule of Vietnam in real earnest. So, these two cities, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, have a lot of colonial architectures. Particularly, Ho Chi Minh, this city is my friend’s hometown, which is said to be ‘Paris of the Orient’, and many European-style buildings built in 19th century to 20th century are kept remain. I think the cityscape with a fusion of Asian style and Western style architecture that you can’t see in Japan is very interesting for Japanese.

Second, I introduce Vietnam’s food stall culture. Food stall is one of the Vietnam’s cultures. Most Vietnamese eat breakfast at food stall. This factor is many Vietnamese families work together and should get up early, so not cook much at home in the morning specially. Also, there is a food stall everywhere because it’s root as culture. So, eating at food stall is more familiar than buying at convenience store for Vietnamese.

Thirdly, it is a unique culture characteristic of a particular country. It is midday nap. Generally, there is a nap habit in Vietnam. Usually, in Japan, a nap time is given only to kindergarten children. On the other hand, school and office also have a nap time, just like kindergarten, in Vietnam. This reason is that Vietnam’s morning is very early. In Japan, most store’s open time is 9:00~10:00 at the earliest, but in Vietnam, food stall opens 6:00 in morning, and office hour starts from 8:00 a.m. You can see many people who sleep on a hammock if you go out town at around noon. The scene will very unfamiliar for Japanese, but I think this culture is so efficient and should be adopted at Japanese company or school.

The last is Vietnam’s food. Vietnam is famous for coffee, and known for the world’s second largest coffee exporter next to Brazil. Actually, Vietnam accounts for about 20% of global coffee production. All most of Vietnamese are drinking coffee once a day. This coffee culture is rooted from influence of French governance, so there are lots of coffee shop from local cafes to modern and stylish cafes. You have many choices. What’s more, Vietnam’s style coffee is different from Japanese style. Vietnam style coffee added condensed milk instead of usual milk, so sweeter than Japanese coffee.

In conclusion, everyone may discover new findings and can expand their knowledge through a travel and interact with local people.

Introduction

A universal and complex phenomenon, popularity has long attracted human civilization’s attention. This attraction spans age, culture, and context and is sometimes characterized as the state of being liked, appreciated, or sought after by a significant percentage of people.

It’s a notion prevalent in classrooms, social media, political settings, and even the entertainment industry.

The desire for popularity may significantly influence people’s lives, affecting their self-esteem, interactions, and decisions. It may be a source of belonging and validation for some people, while stress, conformity, and even losing one’s identity can result for others.

Definition of Popularity

The degree to which something or someone is loved, appreciated, or preferred by a sizable group of people is included in the broad idea of popularity. It is a gauge of widespread acceptance or acknowledgment that may be used to assess a variety of facets of life, including people, things, concepts, and trends.

Popularity in the context of people often refers to how much a person is admired, revered, or desired within a social or cultural group. It shows itself in educational environments when students are deemed popular because of their charisma, interpersonal abilities, or physical characteristics.

Similarly, celebrities and prominent figures in entertainment and politics are oftentimes assessed based on how well-liked they are by the general people.

Popularity for goods and trends denotes the extensive acceptance and desire for a specific item or idea. It frequently determines consumer preferences and market trends.

Types

Popularity is a complicated and diverse notion that takes many different shapes in numerous spheres of life. It encompasses more than just liking or admiring someone; it may be divided into several sorts, each with specific traits and ramifications. The following are some prominent popularity categories:

Social

This is likely the most noticeable type of it. Famous people are widely loved, revered, and frequently sought after as friends or partners. They often have a magnetic personality, good social skills, and the capacity to connect with people easily.

Celebrity

Celebrities in the entertainment and media industries become well-known due to their skills, successes, or exposure to the general public. Their fame regularly spreads beyond their social circles and might result in broad adulation.

Online

A new type has evolved with the introduction of social media and digital platforms. Online influencers and content producers have the potential to gather sizable followings and rise to prominence. The number of followers, likes, comments, and shares they get on their online content is a barometer of their popularity.

Intellectual

People can become well-known for their intellectual acumen and domain experience in academic and professional contexts. Popularity of this kind is typically accompanied by respect and appreciation for one’s abilities and accomplishments.

Trends

Trends, whether in fashion, music, or lifestyle, have the potential to become extremely popular. People embrace directions to blend in with or remain relevant among their peer groups. Popularity within a trend is often ephemeral since trends shift and develop quickly.

Association

Some people become well-known only by hanging around with notable people or organizations. It depends on closeness to famous individuals and is sometimes called “riding someone’s coattails.”

Local

Popularity may be limited to a particular location. Even if they are not well recognized nationally or internationally, a person may be well-liked in their local community, town, or city.

Anti-Popularity

Not all types of acceptance are a good thing. Some persons get notoriety due to their involvement in scandal or infamy. Even if they could attract attention, it sometimes comes with criticism or dishonor.

Leadership

Leaders may become liked because of their talent for motivating and steering others. Popularity as a leader is regularly linked to trust and the conviction that they can lead their followers to success.

It is a specific group of enthusiasts or professionals that may make someone or something popular in niche groups or specialist areas. Although it may not be known outside of the niche community, niche popularity is highly prized.

Consequences

Popularity has several adverse effects that can substantially influence individuals and society, although it is typically sought after. These advantageous and disadvantageous results underline the complexity of popularity in varied circumstances. The following are some of the main effects of popularity:

Positive Self-esteem

It may increase a person’s sense of self-worth and positivity. A good self-image can result from receiving praise and approval from others, which can boost confidence and a sense of community.

Opportunities

Popular people often have access to greater possibilities for personal development, career advancement, and social connections. Due to their more extensive network and reputation, doors could be opened for them more easily.

Popularity may confer someone with a considerable amount of social influence. They are influential in developing attitudes and trends because their beliefs and deeds can influence others’ choices and actions.

Improved Social Life

Celebrities typically have a busy and dynamic social life. They receive invitations to social gatherings and activities regularly, which may result in rewarding and varied experiences.

Leadership Roles

Popularity may provide doors for positions of authority in both social situations and corporations. Famous people are ofttimes viewed as capable leaders who unite and motivate others.

Validation and Acknowledgment

Being popular offers peers and society significant validation and acknowledgment. This acknowledgment can bring about feelings of success and emotional contentment.

Popularity, however, can sometimes have drawbacks:

Pressure to Uphold Image

Being popular frequently carries the burden of upholding a particular reputation or image. As people try to live up to these standards, the strain might be too much and cause stress, anxiety, or even identity crises.

Pressure to Maintain Image

Popularity may occasionally lead to shallow or transactional relationships, in which people engage with or befriend well-known persons for their benefit rather than out of genuine affection.

Isolation and Loneliness

Ironically, some liked people may feel alone or isolated. They could struggle to form genuine, deep connections and doubt the sincerity of their interactions.

Envy and Resentment

People who feel left out or overshadowed by famous people may experience envy and resentment. Interpersonal disputes and a hostile social atmosphere may result from this.

Privacy Invasion

As the public’s interest in the private lives of famous or well-known people grows, it can undermine personal privacy. This privacy invasion may be upsetting and emotionally demanding.

Vulnerability to Criticism

Famous people are typically the target of harsh criticism and severe scrutiny. Unfavorable public perception or criticism might seriously impact their mental and emotional health.

Shifting Popularity

People may face swings in their popularity over time since popularity is only sometimes stable. This could be difficult, particularly if one loses popularity after being in the spotlight.