Description
Popular culture is increasingly seeping beyond its representational importance to affect and effect everyday life in profound ways. At one level, it is increasingly serving as a space in which political communities and activities unfold. Some of these spaces can offer a more empowering and optimistic possibility for our politics, yet others suggest a darker and more exclusionary and disturbing form of politics. Popular culture can also act as a precursor and perhaps model of political possibility. The papers in this panel explore the intersection of popular culture and political narratives through various mediums, including video games, memes, television, and film, offering insights from multiple national contexts. Together, these papers offer a multifaceted examination of how cultural artifacts and narratives shape and reflect broader political and social dynamics, from local communities to global identities.
