Ask Lemmy

I would argue that Rainman (1988) being a lot of people's first introduction to autism propped up the autistic savant trope

Hackers (1995) did not reflect reality at all, and entirely made up a look, sound and feel of hacker culture for the film. Tech press largely panned it as rediculous, unrealistic and innaccurate, but hacker culture actually morphed into something close to what was depicted in that film because it's honestly way cooler and way better than what the actual hacker culture was at the time

Others have already pointed out really good examples like Upton Sinclair's book The Jungle which spawned a lot of food safety laws, or Wargames (1983) basically prompting the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

Edit to add: I also remembered another very influenctial author at the turn of the century was Henry George who wrote a now under-discussed book called Progress and Poverty which is widely credited for triggering the beginning of the Progressive Era

In a similar vein, Charles Darwin's [On the Origin of Species])https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Origin_of_Species) basically kicked off the entire field of biology with the scientific theory of evolution

The 95 Thesen by Martin Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation. That's an impact that cannot be understated.

Surprised the Crying Indian American TV ad isn't in here. I have a giggle when I see someone on here outraged that they saw someone toss trash out their car window. That was SOP until the Crying Indian. I can't think of a PSA in my lifetime that made such a dramatic impact.

While not a piece of media exactly, reporting on the Tylenol Murders changed packaging almost overnight. Used to be you could pull anything off the shelf, open it and close it, no one would be the wiser. I remember as a kid suddenly encountering all the things suddenly having tamper-proof packaging. It was truly wild to my young brain.

It doesn't get brought up much anymore, but Roots.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roots_(1977_miniseries)

Torah, Bible, and Quran, unfortunately.

Jennifer Lopez’s green Versace dress was the reason Google Images was created:

From Hell (2001) popularized drinking absinthe, and twisted the traditional way of drinking it. (The sugar is not traditionally set alight). Not 100% sure of this, might be that Moulin Rouge which was released around the same time also had an impact.

Janet Jackson's nipple slip was a major contributor to the creation of YouTube.

The Jungle was a book about the meat packing industry in 1906. It detailed horrific treatment of the animals and disgusting unsanitary treatment of the meat products.

It led to public outrage and caused the Meat Inspection Act to be passed in the same year. That Act laid the foundation for modern health inspections in food facilities.

I think this is more interesting limiting it to fictional pieces or work, as many of the non-fiction examples were written to have a real world impact.

Also one I didn't see was The China Syndrome. If you're unfamiliar it was a drama about a nuclear incident, but happened to release just days before the Three Mile Incident. Meaning it was a one-two punch to the nuclear industry and something people point to about nuclear energy stalling in the US.

Ronnie James Dio and his devil horns hand gesture. It became a symbol for rock and metal music, but people often use it as well for other meanings too.

Here in Québec, there is a song by Gilles Vigneault that somehow became what we use to sing happy birthday to someone. Beautiful song, great guy who, at around 95 years old , had his music removed from Spotify because they gave millions to Joe Rogan.

The Avesta, we've been telling stories about the duality of the universe, good and evil, ever since. Apparently can't get enough of that shit.

Some of the all-time most influential include:

1. Capital - Karl Marx

The masterwork of Karl Marx, and one of the most widely cited economic books in history. Capital was a direct influence on much of the developments of the 20th and 21st centuries.

2. Manifesto of the Communist Party - Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

While not as theoretically deep and important as Capital, the manifesto isn't more broadly known for no reason. As a work of agitation and propaganda, the manifesto was a major force for spreading communist ideas.

3. What is to be Done? - Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov "Lenin"

This is the work that cemented Lenin as a critical organizer in the Russian labor movement, amidst all of the many socialist thinkers at the time. Lenin gave an analysis of the various movements at the time, such as Economism, and put forth the necessity of an All-Russian newspaper to connect the working masses from local struggles to the entire struggle.

4. Imperialism, the Current Highest Stage of Capitalism - Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov "Lenin"

This is perhaps Lenin's most relevant work today, and has guided how communists view the evolution of capitalism since the time of Marx and Engels. Lenin didn't merely say "imperialism bad," he analyzed a concrete material process that capitalism necessarily evolves into, a stage in capitalism that has lasted to today.

5. The State and Revolution - Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov "Lenin"

Also critically important from Lenin, where he took a firm stance against the social democratic line of reformism and instead restored Marxism's revolutionary aspect. Using the works of Marx and Engels, Lenin analyzed the class character of states, and elaborated on the economic basis of the withering of the state.

6. Marxism and the National Question - Iosif Dzhugashvili "Stalin"

This is the work that put Stalin on the map in the Marxist movement, period. As an ethnic Georgian, Stalin was a national minority in the Russian Empire. This work was so influential that it shifted Lenin's opinion on the national question, and caused Trotsky to suspect that Stalin never wrote it to begin with because of how high quality it was, with Stalin not writing much in the way of new theory since.

7. Report on an Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan - Mao Zedong

This is where Mao made the case for a peasant revolution in China. Prior to Mao, many communists lacked a belief in the peasantry as a primary engine of revolution, merely believing the peasantry could be supportive of the proletariat but not the primary engine.

Whether you agree with these works or not, what cannot be denied is the sheer influence of these works, and the cascading impact they have had on the struggles of today. They shaped the 20th century and are still shaping the 21st.