Pop Art in Writing

Back in the 1960s, Andy Warhol started a trend of making consumer products the objects of his art. For Da Vinci, it was the Mona Lisa. For Warhol it was Marilyn Monroe. Or soup cans. Finding interest in cultural icons encouraged others to look more closely at those things, and so Pop Art was born.

Not very long after that, I started reading Stephen King. I read a review of one of his books — Salem’s Lot, I think — that said he was dating his work by referencing so many elements of 20th century life. Television shows, products, and so forth, nothing was beneath King’s notice. The fact that I remember this about 50 years later, should tell you what an impact that review had on me.

Over time, I’ve noticed that many modern writers, at least those who produce popular fiction, have followed King’s lead, and happily weave contemporary elements into their writing.

So, here’s the question that I pondered all those years ago: Should writers reference the detritus of the modern world in their work?

That’s a question each writer must answer for him- or herself. My thought is, well, it depends.

If you are writing a piece of contemporary fiction and it takes place in a modern city, it would probably be strange to ignore all those elements of the modern world that fill our lives. Of course, if your work tends towards the more pastoral aspect of life, you may well avoid the commercial without any problem. Still, it can be very unsettling to read a book with no concept of when it is set. Of course, you don’t have to rely on product placement to establish the period. The language used, especially slang, can accomplish the same thing, as can dialogue about current affairs.

Although I’ve never had the opportunity to ask him, I suspect that one of the reasons King resorts to recognising products is because if you want the reader to suspect disbelief and accept that creatures like vampires are wandering around, it helps to ground the story in the real and the known. Your favourite cola can can help you to accomplish that.

With all that in mind, the question now becomes, how much is too much? As with so much to do with writing, the answer is, It largely depends on you, the writer.

You don’t have to include elements of modern life in your writing, but if you do decide to go in that direction, then I would suggest you take it easy, at least until you feel comfortable with it. You can have a character hum a certain song or talk about their favourite TV programme or whatever they’re streaming. Or you could mention the specific car they’re driving. All these things will firmly set your story in the 21st century, if that is your aim. The book I am reading currently mentions a type of video camera, not only by name but by model. That’s pretty specific and will tell the knowledgeable reader a lot about both the period and the character.

Speaking of characters, as with everything else in writing, they should be your guide. If you have a protagonist who knows nothing about cars, then their being able to identify the exact model that the robbers were using as their getaway car is going to feel off. Unless, of course, they add that their brother has the exact same car. How characters react to various aspects of modern life can reveal a lot about them. Say they hate rap but love Mozart, and you’ve revealed a lot about them. They don’t watch TV, but they’re addicted to a specific YouTube channel, and we know even more.

My one piece of advice would be that you avoid just dumping in a product for the sake of it. We’ve seen this happen so often in various films (think cars and James Bond, for instance), that it has become something of a joke. But use the right item and establish the character’s strong reaction to it, either love or hate, and you’ve told us a lot. Just remember, less is more.

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