Language Ideology in the Discourse of Popular Culture

Abstract

Although there are a number of different ways to defi ne “popular culture,” Moody (2010) notes that there are three characteristics that appear to be common to most defi nitions: popular culture is usually associated with mass media (and especially “free” media like radio or television); popular culture is consumer-oriented in nature and frequently encourages consumers to become “fans” of performers, products, or genres; and popular culture—like most expressions of consumer culture—is increasingly characterized by globalization. Each of these characteristics of pop culture makes it an ideal place to explore language ideolo