How Greek Mythology has Shaped Today's Society and Pop Culture Greek Mythology is defined as a “body of stories concerning the gods, heroes, and rituals of the ancient Greeks” (Adkins). It is a collection of infamous stories that we can see in today’s society on numerous occasions and platforms. There are an abundance of examples of Greek Mythology in today’s pop culture that if we are made aware of, it will show us just how much of an impact Greek Myth and Culture has had on our lives. To begin, it is my opinion that one could strongly argue that Greek Myth has had an impact on some people’s lives since birth. This is through a child’s name. For instance the baby boy name “Troy” was at its most popular in the 1960s and 70s which for anyone who is even remotely familiar with Greek Myth, you will know that the city of Troy is where the infamous Trojan War took place (Oh Baby Names). I would also argue that Greek Myth has strongly influenced a person’s childhood as well. This is because of how Disney has portrayed some stories originating from Greek Myth. We can see this in the movie “Hercules” (Adkins). Everyone has seen it and everyone loves it, the story of how Hercules must battle various titans to be declared worthy of being a God once again with the cartoon pulling numerous examples from the original Greek Myth itself. All of this shows just how much influence that Greek Mythology has on our lives, starting when we are little children. Another example of Greek Myth in our society and pop culture, that might not be so obvious, is that of many luxury brands. One in particular that immediately catches the eye and reminds a consumer of Greek Mythology is Versace. This is because the emblem of the entire brand that can be seen on most of its fashion is the head of Medusa. While many will recognize her name and what she looks like with her iconic snakes for hair, she was not always like that. The once beautiful Medusa was cursed by Athena, goddess of war, for having an affair with Poseidon, god of the sea (Regula). Versace’s iconic Medusa logo was said to be chosen because both the brand and Medusa herself shared a sense of misfortune. “The Versace family is no stranger to tragedy and triumph, making the mythic Medusa a fitting choice” (Layne). After learning of the backstory or Versace’s logo and different instances in which Greek culture has affected our childhood, it is abundantly clear that Greek Mythology has a deep rooted influence on the way we experience and interpret society and pop culture today. |