Is this Hangover Worth it? A Commentary on Societies Lubricant.

Cocktail parties, football games, restaurants, and even the odd high school dance without society’s ultimate social lubricant, would be stiff and awkward occasions. Luckily, we have a substance that is relatively safe and readily available, that lowers inhibitions and helps one forget the stress of daily life. This object has been present within society from events such as Jesus Christ’s last supper to Obama’s inauguration. It is a ritual that transcends class barriers, from the upper class to the poorest individual. This class indicator is and always has been a dominant theme in popular culture. Alcohol has proved its tenacity through the ages; a prominent example of this is prohibition. This object contains the ability to adapt to any social experience for it can take many different forms.

Alcohol is an integral part of popular culture simply because its consumption is so widespread. It appears constantly in various mediums such as music, television, movies, as well as advertisements on the radio. In music, artists use lyrical references to certain types of alcohol or drinking in general such as in LMFAO’s hit song “Shots,” in which they state, “We love Petron, we love Ciroq.” This presents a message of affluence or “hipness.”

Slogans and marketing initiatives of increasing alcohol consumption become quickly diffused into popular culture. An example of this is the beer company, Dos Equis “most interesting man in the world,”(a campaign that became a viral sensation overnight, and is now common knowledge among most Western drinkers). All demographics and classes of people use alcohol. It is a dominant theme in popular culture, as it is a distinct class indicator. Alcohol is advertised in a variety of prices. The more expensive the alcohol one consumes, the more “classy” an individual is viewed as. This substance is used by society as it brings together the most isolated of people, but one must be wary of it, as its overuse has the ability to alienate an individual in any culture. It is used and is seen as a traditional substance in many, if not all, cultures today.