CHANGE.
Pop culture is inherently a force of normalization. It can normalize diversity for good, like how Sir Elton John’s music broke down stereotypes of homophobia. But it can also do the opposite and work the other way, such as 13 Reasons Why’s rationalization of suicide as a mechanism for revenge. Our goal at Pop da Palette is to take an active role as consumers of media in deconstructing that force and how it affects our everyday lives both at school and as global citizens. We want to use pop culture as a window to explore the nature of our own reality.
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Our Winter 2020 Theme: Change
2020 was a year of change. That’s more or less undeniable. Pop culture reflected that in many ways, from the closure of movie theaters to the numerous coronavirus shout-outs in music. This issue tackles topics from the growth of social media and Internet platforms as mediums of connectivity and justice to the lessons of unity we can take away from the sports and film industries. Our featured art represents change in both its abstract and concrete forms. In the past 12 months of turmoil and uncertainty, the one constant was change.
Senior Photo, 2019 (credit: Tamsin Nottage '20)
Senior Photo, 2020 (credit: David Li '21)