Of P. T. Barnum's 'Financial Gain Over Honesty'

Reflection #1: Financial Gain over Honesty
This week's readings about P. T. Barnum and the rise of popular culture in the United States highlights how certain individuals have the ability to recognize that times are changing and as a result they attempted to be the first to capitalize on the new era. The readings showed how Barnum became very popular and started the phenomenon which would become known as popular culture, yet they also highlighted some of his negative traits such as greed and manipulation. This did not detract but their main theme of describing his success for historical impact, instead it limited their overall bias towards Barnum and created a more accurate account of the events. While the readings focused on Barnum's ambition and ability to create new opportunities for himself, they also made sure to mention some of his biggest misdeeds which …show more content…
In their book Buffalo Bill in Bologna, Robert Rydell and Rob Kroes argue that "the same forces that were generating the incorporation of the American economy were also generating the incorporation of American culture" (Rydell and Kroes, 16). The birth of popular culture corresponded to the growing US economy and country, it demonstrated how the country was transforming from a simple lifestyle whose main focus was survival, to a country where achieving luxury was possible and creating their own unique culture was a priority. The US was changing, it was becoming more advanced, yet this development also created a new culture where people appeared easily persuaded instead of thinking of themselves. Barnum's cunning abilities and publicity tactics allowed him to mislead the general public which demonstrated how the rise of popular culture created an increase in curious followers who prioritized entertainment over thinking