May 2001 English 115 - In today’s society, popular culture is often accused of having a negative effect on individuals. In Lee Ballinger’s “Rock and Rap Have Never Been Better” and Stephen King’s “Why We Crave Horror Movies,” the authors express their opinions on the inaccuracy of this statement. Both Ballinger and King believe that pop culture is something that is beneficial to society; however, they convey their ideas in different ways. Ballinger presents …showed first 75 words of 608 total…

…showed last 75 words of 608 total…was mistaken for a killer. These incidents, he claims, are not uncommon. In order to deal with the misunderstandings on others’ parts, Staples says that now when he has the urge to go out for a late night walk, he whistles classical music as a way of assuring others that he is not a dangerous man. His whistling, he concludes, allows others to see him for who he really is: a cultured and sensitive man.