The Vuvuzela (Pop Culture Artifact)

Forget Football.....Lets Celebrate

Not all of us may remember the winner of the FIFA World Cup in 2010, but surely we all remember The VUVUZELA. For the short time the world cup was on, this horn was the most talked about thing in the world. It made awful noise yet every household in knew back home had at least one. My nieces and nephews had two each.  This is a popular culture artifact.

The sound from a vuvuzela is hardly music to the ears, it sounds like a big bumble bee stuck in a tiny space. However, during the world cup vuvuzelas were the coolest thing around. They gave people the sense of being part of something big, blowing the vuvuzela while cheering for your favorite country gave people the sense that they were one. Africans blew vuvuzelas with a sense of pride, to welcome the world to a colorful, cheerful, untied Africa. Some blew it just to make noise. And while this phenomenon thrived, businesses took advantage and sold this artifact to many people. They also used the sound  used this sound to advertise their products.

 Just like any culture, popular culture is relevant to specific people at a specific time. You will not find vuvuzelas at a baseball game or the superbowl. Many American kids did not buy vuvuzelas and blow them in the streets. They were to Africa a very popular item. They were also to the world, the most talked about thing. Not everyone liked them, not everyone appreciated them, but they were the hottest thing in 2010. While this horn's popularity ended with the world cup, it is something that will always be remembered.