Chicago 'L' - in Popular Culture

In Popular Culture

Movies and television shows use establishing shots to orient audiences to location. For media set in Chicago, the 'L' is a common feature because it is such a distinctive part of the city. Some of the more prominent films they identify as shooting on and around the 'L' include The Fugitive (1993), The Sting (1973), and The Blues Brothers (1980). Running Scared (1986) shows a car chase taking place on the 'L' tracks. The sounds of the 'L' are also distinctive and thus also used to establish location.

The 'L' is referenced in Lynda Hull's poem Black Mare, published in 1990 in her book Star Ledger. It also appears in the credit sequence for The Bob Newhart Show.

Read more about this topic:  Chicago 'L'

Famous quotes containing the words popular culture, popular and/or culture:

    Like other secret lovers, many speak mockingly about popular culture to conceal their passion for it.
    Mason Cooley (b. 1927)

    Both gossip and joking are intrinsically valuable activities. Both are essentially social activities that strengthen interpersonal bonds—we do not tell jokes and gossip to ourselves. As popular activities that evade social restrictions, they often refer to topics that are inaccessible to serious public discussion. Gossip and joking often appear together: when we gossip we usually tell jokes and when we are joking we often gossip as well.
    Aaron Ben-Ze’Ev, Israeli philosopher. “The Vindication of Gossip,” Good Gossip, University Press of Kansas (1994)

    Everyone in our culture wants to win a prize. Perhaps that is the grand lesson we have taken with us from kindergarten in the age of perversions of Dewey-style education: everyone gets a ribbon, and praise becomes a meaningless narcotic to soothe egoistic distemper.
    Gerald Early (b. 1952)