1. Ain’t it fun- Pop Culture Analysis
Ain’t It Fun- Pop Culture Analysis
Tianna Hope
Howard Community College
February 29, 2016

2. Ain’t it fun- Pop Culture Analysis
The co- culture that I will be discussing is the teenage/ young adult co- culture.
Historically, when people turned 18, they were considered an adult. At 18, they could (and used
to be forced to) enlist in the army, drink alcohol legally, and begin a family. In essence, when
someone turned 18 they had to become an adult very quickly. Today in the United States, youth
is honored. People view teenagers and young adults as having the whole world ahead of them,
and that these years are the best years. We are usually told that high school will be the best years
of our lives, so we better enjoy it while we can. However, being young isn’t positive and happy
all the time. Teenage years are usually when one tries to find their identity, future career, and
feels pressured to grow up quickly. Suddenly time moves a lot faster and responsibilities double.
The work that I chose to analyze and relate to my co- culture is Ain’t It Fun by Paramore. This
song portrays the stress and issues young people have to face when growing up and facing the
realities of life.
Ain’t It Fun is a song that sarcastically points out how the “real world” really is. One line
says “You’re not the big fish in the pond no more/ you are what they’re feeding on (Musixmatch,
2013).” At one point in life, high school was all we knew. Once we got out of that small world,
we quickly had to learn that things are not the same. Not everything is fair, and everyone:
parents, bosses, instructors, expect you to be independent and do everything on your own. Often
there is are no second chances. Another line says “Don’t go cryin’ to your mama, cuz you’re all
alone in the real world (Musixmatch, 2013).” This again implies that once your reach a certain
age you only have yourself to depend on. This song relates to my co- culture because it talks
about young people having to deal with the realities of life (SongMeanings, 2016).

3. Ain’t it fun- Pop Culture Analysis
The song portrays young people as a struggling group trying to make it in life. It
emphasizes that we used to have it easy when we were younger when the song says, “You see,
it’s easy to ignore trouble when you’re living in a bubble (Musixmatch, 2013).” It is especially
difficult to become independent when you are trying to build a sense of identity and uniqueness
(Adler, Rodman, & du Pre, 2015). This song can help young people realize that they aren’t the
only ones feeling alone in the world, and mostly everyone feels the same type of struggle. This
also gives young people a reality check by showing that eventually we all need to grow up and
get out of the small world we are/ were in. It can affect the audience’s self- concept because it
encourages them to step up to challenge in life despite it being difficult (Adler, Rodman, & du
Pre, 2015). It tells the audience that transition is a part of life that everyone must go through at
some point.
The song improves self- concept. It makes my co-culture aware that they cannot stay in
their small world forever. Eventually we need to face life ad deal with difficulties and become
independent individuals. Becoming independent is a part of life. Paramore decided to portray this
co- culture because the group is young themselves, and they may have realized that part of
growing up is going through difficulties and struggles, but facing reality is a necessary part of
living in the real world.
Ain’t It Fun confirms to young people that life is not easy, but even so, we still have to go
through it. We cannot stay in our small bubbles and hide from the real world forever. For
example, a “popular” girl in high school could have all the control and awe of her peers. She
could be the prettiest and smartest. However, once high school is over, no once will care who she
was or how popular she was. She will have to start over in a brand new environment and adjust

4. Ain’t it fun- Pop Culture Analysis
to becoming just a face in the crowd. Realizing that she has to grow up and adjust to this new life
will be the first step in growing up. A solution to help young people adjust to real life is to make
them realize that there are more things in life than what is happening in their point of view in
their world.

5. Ain’t it fun- Pop Culture Analysis
Works Cited
Adler, R. B., Rodman, G., & du Pre, A. (2015). Essential Communication. New York: Oxford
University Press.
Musixmatch. (2013). Paramore Lyics. Retrieved from AZ Lyrics:
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/paramore/aintitfun.html
SongMeanings. (2016). Paramore- Aint It Fun. Retrieved from Song Meanings:
http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107859454044/