User:Jackyd101/Popular culture advice

In popular culture is a phrase that can attract scorn and derision across much of Wikipedia: it has come to symbolise the much parodied idea that Wikipedia articles on valid and important historical events and persons are overloaded with lists of crufty irrelevancies from television, film, music and other modern enterainment media. Although this is no longer a fair reflection of many of Wikipedia's historical articles, the question remains: what, if anything, from popular culture belongs in a Wikipedia article on an important historical subject?

Importance

On Wikipedia, "popular culture" is usually used a euphemisim for appearances by a subject in fiction, be it literature, film, myth and legend, music, television or satire. The arguments for and against the inclusion of popular culture references in articles are varied, but effectively boil down to a number of valid points presented from either point of view, which can include:

In favour of popular culture sections

Many visitors to Wikipedia will be drawn to these articles by their appearance in popular culture.
Representation in popular culture can affect the way a historical event is viewed or understood historiographically.
Appearances in popular culture can often be reliably sourced.
Readers may better relate with subjects if they can attach them to references in popular culture.

Against popular culture sections

The information presented is often frivolous or irrelevant.
The list format looks untidy and unprofessional.
The sources used in creating these sections, while complying with WP:RS, are generally less reliable than those used elsewhere in the article.
Popular culture references would usually had little effect on the subject at the time.
The constantly changing nature of popular culture means that the references to the subject can rapidly date.

As with most things in life, the solution to this problem lies somewhere in the middle: many if not most popular culture references are irrelevant to the subject and should not appear within their articles: for example, nobody really wants or needs to know in his article that the television show Family Guy mocked Ulysses S. Grant's alchoholism in a brief sketch. However there are occassions in which appearances in popular culture have a direct effect on the topic: Richard III of England's portrayal in the Shakespeare play of the same name has dramatically and directly affected the way that he and his defeat at the Battle of Bosworth Field have been remembered.

When considering whether or not to include popular culture information, it is important therefore to consider a number of general factors relating to the subject:

Did the subject's portrayal in popular culture, either in specific instances or in general, have a direct effect at the time?
Has the subject's portrayal in popular culture, either in specific instances or in general, had an effect on the way in which the subject has been remembered?
Do the mentions in popular culture through history chart any development or change in the way that the subject has been viewed?

Secondly it is important to consider the popular culture references themselves:

Is this reference likely to be a significant reason that people will visit the article: is it a novel by a highly notable author, a film or television series by a mainstream studio, a song by a prominent performer? Is it a major reason that the general public are aware of this person, thing or event (e.g. the film The Great Escape and the book it is based on are a major reason that people are aware of the actual Great Escape, covered in the article Stalag Luft III, and therefore could be covered in that article).
How central is this subject to the main plot of the popular culture reference? A cameo or minor appearance may not be worth mentioning, but if they are a significant character then the importance of the reference in relation to the article may rise.

If the reference falls into one of these categories, then it may well be worth including this information, particularly if reliable sources can be found comparing the various fictional appearances to the real subject or to one another. If you are unsure, then pose the question on the article's talk page or at Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history.

Presentation

Many "In popular culture" sections are lists, with no criteria for inclusion. They are messy, confusing and often irrelevant and can severely detract from an articles quality. However there are ways to include popular culture references without these drawbacks.

Always back up any information with reliable sources, preferably ones that make comparisons between the popular culture references and the factual subject and between different popular culture representations.
Remember that Wikipedia is best when it is well written. This means that rather than lists, the information should be presented in properly developed paragraphs, each following a distinct theme: i.e. one on appearances in literature, another on film et., or different paragraphs discussing different stages in historiographical development.
Don't name it "In popular culture" - it would be more accurate to include it in a broader "Legacy" section, since in a way it is addressing part of the legacy of the subject today. Otherwise it could be part of a summary at the end of the article, or if all else fails, it could be presented with a more scholarly name such as "Cultural depictions".
Make sure the section appears at the end of the article, so that a reader can understand the factual situation before dealing with the fictional one. Only include mentions of them in the lead if the information is truly significant to understand the article's subject.
The shorter and less detailed the article itself is, the more irrelevant the popular culture references will feel: they must be given their proper context, so that a reader can fully understand what their relevance is: Don't overload the article with popular culture references without provide a clear, detailed and well-sourced factual account first. If you have popular culture information about an article that isn't contextualised by the text then leave it on the talk page, with references, for future editors to consider.

The other important thing to consider is about what to include in the text itself. Avoid simple statement of fact, and search for reviews and commentary that compares the depiction of the subject, both to the historical fact and to other adaptations: quote or otherwise mention historians who may have advised on the depiction and include direct quotes relevant to the portrayal of the subject.

Sub-articles

For some historical subjects, their portrayal in popular culture is so varied and important that it may require its own sub-article to prevent the main article becoming swamped with information (see Cultural depictions of Alexander the Great). With these sub-articles it is important to follow the guidelines above about inclusion and paragraph structure: just because there is more space does not mean that the critera for inclusion should be decreased. However it should be noted that every article on Wikipedia is expected to stand up by itself. This means that the sub-article must include enough information to give the cultural depictions the context they need for a reader to clearly understand them.