- How has the academic reception of popular genres changes over time and what might the value be of studying them?
In the field of literature, popular genres such as science fiction, fantasy, and comics were not considered categories of literary worth. For a long period of time, literary convention consisted of theatrical drama, prose literature and poetry that appealed to academics and such niche audiences. Literary convention followed or consisted a set of rules and criteria to which ideal compositions adhered.
Over time, the introduction of novel forms of literature, more modern canon such as comics, fantasy, and science fiction were initially considered trivial and not worth being categorised as literary works, as their basics of composition did not consist of dimensions of complexity that is observed in conventional literature. Fortunately, with time and its gradual increase in acceptance from a growing audience normalised its literary components, such as two dimensional plot structures, multi-modal elements such as visuals and audio embedded, and its constant improvement due to technological innovations in terms of cinematography and visual effects. The aspect of such popular genres that portray fictitious realms is what led critics to categorise such productions apart from conventional literature and deem them as trivial. Plot structures are generally inspired of ancient mythology and stereotypical characterisation.
Although it may not adhere to factors of realism, modern productions have crafted plot structures around contemporary issues to address them on screen and raise awareness. With the increase from television screens to modern media platforms such as Netflix, such productions are now widely accessible. Popular genres is also recognised as academic courses in various universities, and explores them in different perspectives in terms of craft and cater to audience perception. Studying popular genres can allow people to understand, accept new concepts, and break free from predispositions about societies and marginalised groups that popular genres attempt to highlight.
Pop Genres 2020 