Is Pop History Real History?

I am putting together a panel for the undergraduate portion of the 2012 biennial meeting of the Conference on Faith and History (Oct 3-6, Gordon College) and I am hoping that it will be appeal to student historians. If I had a dime for every time a student began a comment in one of my classes with, “I was watching the History Channel/Discovery Channel/National Geographic Channel this week and …”, I’d be a wealthy man. Whether we like or not, popular history – anything from “Ancient Aliens” to “Pawn Stars,” to “Dooms-Day Preppers” – is standard fare for lots of people … and OK … I admit that I really like these shows too! But the fact remains that there are qualitative differences between this type or history and more traditional work. How should scholars, or even budding scholars, respond? Are we too good for the History Channel? Or can we use these forms of popular history to spark the imagination and examine particular aspects of our generation? These are some of the issues I would like this panel to address – in a fun and engaging way that will appeal especially to students. If you or someone you know might be a good person to participate in this panel, let me know!