As I read the chapter in ReVisions entitled Learning Through New Eyes: Rethinking Media, Popular Culture and Art Education, I found myself continuously nodding and thinking things like, “yes, of course,” and “well, obviously.” In other words, the different points advocating the importance of analyzing and discussing popular culture in the classroom seemed to me, like preaching to the choir. Then, I questioned, “do I feel this is obviously important because I personally love working with pop culture?Or is it because I belong to a generation where pop culture is so blatantly dominant and I can’t imagine it any other way?” I agree that we have a responsibility to teach through pop culture, and I do realize that not everyone feels the same way. I think THIS is what blows my mind– the idea that anybody (especially an educator) thinks they can avoid or disregard the behemoth that is pop culture. It’s hard to put myself in the shoes of an educator that is not endlessly fascinated by this subject, and does not inject their curriculum with relevant visual culture based material. It’s even harder for me to think about educators who might have to play “catch up” in a way to “convince” themselves to integrate pop culture to their methodology. I definitely cannot say I “like” the majority of what happens in the media, but I think that’s what makes me so fascinated and enthusiastic to work with it in my personal art and curriculum planning. To put my response to this article in one word that is both completely appropriate and ironic, I’d have to say, “DUH!”
