Introduction

Various events that have occurred in the past have shown that the ruling class the ability to make their consumers conform to their interest by use of popular culture. Among the elements that can be used in showcasing this aspect includes the Vietnam War and the Full Metal Jacket movie. The concepts that are going to be used in this analysis include Anderson’s imagined community, the theory of memory and forgetting and necropolitics.

The cultural work, in this case, is the popular culture. This entails perspectives, phenomena, attitudes and ideas that are ingrained in people’s way of thinking. These are the things that people believe in with regards to certain occurrences. On most occasions, popular culture is often influenced by mass media, as it entails a collection of ideas that revolve around people in their everyday lives.

Body

Anderson’s imagined community theory shows how communities are usually constructed in a social manner. This is a perception that is usually created in order to entice people to feel like part of the group. The opening scene of the Full Metal Jacket depicts this aspect clearly. When the new group of U.S Marine Corps is formed, and they attend their basic training, they meet Senior Sergeant Hartman. Hartman tries to show the recruits how they are now part of a community, and they ought to serve in a manner that shows they belong. He tries to shows aspects of equality by reiterating on how he does not discriminate on people regardless of who they are. This is a similar concept with the Vietnam War. People from the South and North Vietnam were made to believe in the community that they belonged to and hence had to view the others as being outsiders (Yancey 37). The popular culture that individuals involved with the army are supposed to be hardened and always take orders without questioning triggered the Marines in Full Metal Jacket and Soldiers involved in the Vietnam war to have a sense of belonging in their teams. This is something that their superiors were using to control them.

When it comes to the theory of memory and forgetting, the two instances can be used to showcase this aspect. In the opening scene of the Full Metal Jacket, the new Marine recruits are being given a glimpse of how their lives will change as they adapt to their new roles. There are things that they were expected to abandon in order to adopt some new culture. This is the same thing that was happening in the Vietnam War.  The soldiers in this war had to adjust their thoughts and view their enemies for who they were. This made them get in the mood for the war, and this aspect was the reason for the many lost lives as the parties involved fought mercilessly. The ruling class had put them in a state of mind that would help to serve their interests.

The concept of necropolitics, on the other hand, enables the social class to use political and social power in dictating the people that may die. In the case of the Vietnam War, the South Vietnamese was under instructions to kill people from North Vietnam and any other communist allies. North Vietnamese also came with similar sentiments as they had the target of killing the people from South Vietnam and any other anti-communist ally. The armies involved here were acting upon the orders of their superiors. Their superiors determined who they were supposed to kill, and they executed the orders without questioning. The popular culture that is usually associated with the army is that of taking orders without questioning at all times. People in the lower ranks are expected to do what their superiors want at all times, and failure is usually met with negative consequences.

Conclusion

The ruling class usually has the ability to influence consumers to conform to their interests. This aspect is usually influenced by the popular culture that is pertinent to a particular group of people. There are those perceptions and ideas that people believe they are supposed to abide with at all times. The analysis has provided varied examples from the movie Full Metal Jacket and the Vietnam War to showcase this point. A good example is how and individual in the army is usually expected to take and heed orders coming from their superiors.

Works Cited

Anderson, Benedict. “Imagined Community”. Reflections On The Origin And Spread Of Nationalism, 1991.

Yancey, Diane. The Vietnam War. 1st ed., San Diego, CA, Greenhaven Press, 2001.

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