Rocky Horror & Cultural Currency

Went to the 4th annual Rocky Horror shindig at the Polk Theatre in Lakeland, Fla., last night. It's the third time I've went and, typically, it was, uhm, interesting. Let me start off by saying that I don't recommend everyone go; this event is not for everyone. So, I'm not advocating, I'm just saying that it's something I do.

A few summers ago I did some research on a Rocky Horror cast in St. Pete, Interchangeable Parts. They were/are easily the best live cast I've seen (including casts in Santa Monica, Calif., Raleigh, N.C., and Tampa). The whole phenomena just strikes me as interesting and I marvel at the planning and dedication of these folks. Here's a quick documentary, which, by the way has some bad language and a bit of copyrighted song on it:

For those who haven't seen it since the '70s, or have never seen it, the whole thing works on (at least) three different levels. There's the movie itself. Then, there is a cast, who acts out the movie in front of the movie. Lastly, there is the audience, which yells at the cast/movie at certain times. This form of interaction, when first taking it in, is mass confusion. It's hard to hear the movie because everyone is yelling, and sometimes you don't know whether to pay attention to the movie or cast or try to pick up the audience participation lines. And don't get me started on the time warp.

But, somehow, through the confusion, it works. It takes work, too. You begin to pick up a rhythm and pace, and you begin to pick up the slang. And, sometimes, by the end of it, you're glad it's over, but you kind of want to do it again.

At least that's how I felt. I told myself I was doing research (and I was), but I also found myself buying the movie and looking online at audience participation patterns. It became a badge of honor when I was able to say the audience participation lines at the right time. And though I never personally did it, I talked with people who added new lines ... and they spoke as if it was a highlight of their lives. It probably wasn't as high as graduating college or getting married or having a first baby (all of which the people at the show did), but it was still a highlight.

This sense of knowledge has a name. It's called cultural currency. People who have specialized knowledge, especially for popular culture, hold it. Generally, this knowledge isn't held in high esteem by the culture at large, but within the sub-group that those people are involved, it is highly regarded. It's a term that sociol researcher Pierre Bourdieu coined in the 1980s and it's been a backbone of fan and sub-culture research for over 20 years. Now you know. You're probably walking around with a mind full of cultural currency you aren't even using. Cultural currency is what keeps shows like Best Week Ever and The Soup and even The Daily Show in existence.

But, basically, it's just an academic term I like to use to make myself feel better about knowing when and what to yell at Brad and Janet.