This article addresses the call to ‘act now’ in response to climate change, in a context where ‘end-thinking’ appears dominant in popular culture and climate activism. Building on literature from Geography and International Relations, I develop an argument against the linear, globalised accounts of a homogenous future present in some of these calls, and argue for a focus on the affective and everyday register, and how people go about making their lives viable. In making this argument, I draw philosophical insights from a performance work by artist Sonia Hughes called, ‘I am from Reykjavik’. In this work, Hughes builds a hut over the course of seven hours, to ask how, as a Black woman, she makes herself feel at home. Drawing inspiration from the ‘slow time’ of this building project, and by bringing work on environmental politics into conversation with affect theories, the article presents the concept of Fast slow. This concept, first developed to describe an architectural process by Lovett et al., captures a sense of impatience for change, with hesitation and ambivalence in terms of how we act for a better future. Overall, the article argues against the linear and depersonalised ideas about time and society prevalent in some elements of climate activism, and joins others who are calling for a deeper consideration of how we imagine the climate crisis. Thinking change and the future in a different register is important to avoid the climate crisis becoming weaponized as part of a polarized, populist politics.

All fluff and no substance? The 'problem' of care in popular narratives, the cozy mystery and Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club.

It has been over five years since the COVID pandemic. Dr Elizabeth Kealy-Morris from Manchester Fashion Institute has been such an inspiration for me to keep going as a scholar. When I was completely wiped out and felt that my days of writing were over, she revitalized me. As a teacher and scholar who has recently moved into a research role, Elizabeth is a dynamo and to say that she is motivational is an understatement. Elizabeth is senior lecturer in dress and belonging at Manchester Fashion Institute. I appreciate her very much for all she has done for Fashion, Style & Popular Culture ( FSPC ) as well as for me as an individual. She has made my job as an editor so much easier! Thank you, Elizabeth – we love this issue!

This essay presents a distinctive vision of the contemporary world, according to which the idea of water flow is conceptually homologous to observable social processes. Using allusions to popular culture, literature, and internet phenomena, the author consistently develops the water metaphor, revealing the unity of social processes of different scales—personal, group, and societal—through the analysis of individual experiences. Such subjectivity of perspective allows highlighting objecthood, the subjugation of individual existence to historical events, and demonstrating the comprehensiveness of war as the strongest factor in the metamorphosis of contemporary Ukraine, which provides the basis for the author's definition of war. The concept of metamorphosis is also subject to critical consideration in a series of related concepts, such as transformation, revolution, and change. The shifts in the perception of time, space and boundaries associated with the Russian-Ukrainian war are set within the global landscape of similar processes in social communication related to digitalisation and the impact of the digital media environment on the everyday life of any modern person. At the same time, the idea of the war experiences universality in different eras is accompanied by the thesis about the uniqueness of the social whole today's transformations, the cause of which is proclaimed to be the rejection of structure by the modernity fundamental non-structurality and by the worldview it generates. This deepens the consequences of war, leading to a breakdown of the sociality foundations – exchange, norms, boundaries between the social and the antisocial, and so on. The essay concludes with a quote from Karel Čapek's classic novel War with the Newts, in which, as we know, humanity gradually loses to another, better-adapted species of living beings and faces the prospect of losing all its civilisational achievements, its place as the dominant species, and the familiar face of the planet itself.

The document examines the profound connection between Hindu mythology and Indian art, highlighting how mythology has consistently inspired creativity over the ages. It portrays mythology as a mirror of human aspirations, trepidations, principles, and ethical direction, initially conveyed through oral storytelling and subsequently codified in sacred texts.Hindu mythology is depicted as an extensive and communal tradition rather than the vision of an individual prophet, classified into six primary categories: Shrutis, Smritis, Epics, Puranas, Agamas, and Darshanas. Within this framework, the Ramayana and Mahabharata emerge as the most significant epics, greatly influencing Indian spiritual thought, culture, and artistic endeavors.The Ramayana, written by Maharishi Valmiki, recounts the saga of Lord Rama as a model ruler and a paragon of virtue. In addition to the central story, it features multiple sub-narratives that enhance its philosophical and moral richness.The Mahabharata, compiled by Vedavyasa, is a far more extensive epic focused on the clash between the Pandavas and Kauravas, with Lord Krishna serving as its philosophical essence. It encompasses intricate narratives that explore themes of ethics, responsibilities, devotion, and the human condition, making it one of the most intricate literary masterpieces globally.The document emphasizes the extensive representation of scenes from both epics in Indian art forms, including temple sculptures, murals, miniature paintings, and manuscripts found in regions like Ellora, Mahabalipuram, Hampi, Rajasthan, Kerala, and Mysore. These artistic depictions played a crucial role in making the epics accessible to both educated and uneducated audiences. It further addresses the significance of miniature painting traditions—such as those from the Rajasthani, Mughal, and Pahari schools—in depicting epic stories. The patronage from royal figures, notably Rana Jagat Singh and Mughal emperor Akbar, was instrumental in maintaining and disseminating these visual art forms.Additionally, the study investigates how contemporary Indian artists—including Raja Ravi Varma, Nandalal Bose, M.F. Husain, Jamini Roy, Ganesh Pyne, among others—have reinterpreted the epics through modern styles, personal symbolism, and current perspectives, ensuring the narratives remain pertinent in evolving cultural contexts.Ultimately, the document highlights the role of cultural festivals, workshops, and national events like Gita Jayanti, Ramayana Melas, and Mahabharata workshops in fostering ongoing interest in epic traditions. In conclusion, it asserts that the Ramayana and Mahabharata have greatly impacted not only Indian painting but also literature, music, dance, theatre, cinema, and popular culture, continuously influencing Indian identity and artistic expression.

In the theoretical context of the post-Hall era, the core challenge facing popular culture studies lies in understanding the modes of existence of the subject within increasingly fragmented and technologically mediated cultural practices, following the suspension of the ontological connection between the symbolic and the real. While Hall’s “Gramscian turn” successfully established the image of an actively decoding public, it also rendered the philosophical grounding and political efficacy of subjectivity uncertain by transforming the ontological question into a terrain of struggle. After Hall, theorists such as Lauren Berlant, Henry Jenkins, and Rosi Braidotti, through concepts like affective attachment, participatory culture, and nomadic becoming, collectively advanced the shift in the subject paradigm from a stable, bounded entity toward an immanent, relational, and dynamic process of becoming. The philosophical foundation of this series of theoretical transformations can be summarized as a “generative movement”, wherein the identity of the subject no longer stems from a priori essence but resides within the dynamic trajectories formed by cultural practices and affective attunements. This paradigm renews the approach to defending subjectivity by redefining reflection and critique as differential practices internal to the generative process, thereby offering new theoretical pathways for conceptualizing resistance and openness under conditions of flux.

This study explores the evolution of emotionality across small-group dynamics during an additional language (L+) classroom discussion at a Japanese university. Founded in analysis of a videorecording of Japanese students’ interactions in their L+ English, it examines the ways in which emotional togetherness arises through the actions of four learners. By employing a unique multimodal (pictorial) transcription and a narrative interpretation, the study evocatively captures how verbal and embodied cues collaboratively facilitate the emotional resonance of the group. The authors identify three primary mechanisms underpinning this shared emotionality: (1) the shift from English to the students’ native (i.e. Japanese) conversational style, marked by shorter, mutually-elaborative turns and increased aizuchi (backchanneling); (2) the instantiation of mutual transportable identities in the form of shared knowledge of popular culture, and; (3) the role of laughter in both expressing and confirming shared emotionality. While these factors appear to play a key role in the emergent outcome, the study clearly supports the need for more contextualized, dynamic research into the localized emergence and functions of group emotionality in additional language learning.

ABSTRACT This study examines expressions of queerness, sexuality, and resistance in Afrobeats through a multimodal analysis of three significant contemporary songs; Angel Maxine’s ‘Wo Fie’ (2021), Teni’s ‘YBGFA’ (2023), and Amaarae’s ‘Co-Star’ (2023). Building on the foundational scholarship of Queer African Studies, the study conceptualizes the framework of African Queer Expressive Strategies, demonstrating how African artists employ music and visual representation as dynamic platforms for critiquing societal norms, asserting queer visibility, and celebrating non-normative identities within African contexts. In critically reading Angel Maxine’s deployment of direct political activism and critique of institutional homophobia and cultural hypocrisy in Ghana; Amaarae’s navigation of queerness through symbolic aesthetics, sensual metaphors, and unapologetic eroticism; and Teni’s articulation of defiant self-affirmation that confronts restrictive gender expectations through introspective lyrics and nuanced symbolism, the article contends that queer presence in African popular music is articulated through overlapping registers of overt confrontation, aesthetic transfiguration, and strategic opacity. Consequently, it posits multiplicity as a key modality of queer expression and highlights the importance of intersectional, culturally grounded frameworks that both decentre Western queer epistemologies, while recognizing the critical role of popular culture in theorizing and resisting normative regimes of gender and sexuality.

ABSTRACT This article examines conspiratorial accounts of health, nutrition, and wellness in Turkey, arguing that they are best understood not as marginal or stigmatized forms of knowledge, but as culturally embedded and nationally resonant modes of interpretation circulating within popular media. Drawing on a thematic analysis of popular books, newspaper columns, television programs, and YouTube content produced between 2018 and 2025, the article challenges analytical models that insufficiently capture the specificity of the Turkish context. In Turkey, conspiratorial claims about health and nutrition are not confined to the periphery but occupy visible and often authoritative positions in popular culture. These claims draw on nationalist, religious, scientific, and pseudo-scientific registers, mobilizing familiar cultural symbols and metaphors to legitimize alternative forms of knowledge. By foregrounding popular culture and nationally grounded frameworks, the article contributes to broader debates on conspiracy theories and knowledge production beyond approaches centred on marginalization and epistemic exclusion.

Abstract The study aimed to analyse the pragmatic features of compliments and praise in different text genres with an emphasis on their functions and perception in interpersonal and social communication. Qualitative analysis, including a comparative study of texts of classical and contemporary literature, cinema and mass culture, as well as official speeches, were used in the study. The data were systematised and summarised to identify the key characteristics and functions of compliments and praise in each genre, as well as their dependence on cultural and social factors. The results of the study demonstrated that compliments and praise perform important social functions, adapting to the peculiarities of the genre and cultural context. Compliments were typically used to express support, strengthen interpersonal relationships and create a positive atmosphere, especially in informal texts and popular culture. In fiction, the compliments were complex and multilayered, which expanded the emotional component and revealed the peculiarities of character interaction. Praise, on the contrary, was more common in formal texts and served as an expression of respect and recognition of merit, emphasising the status and importance of the individual in society. The practical significance of the results lies in their potential for developing teaching materials to enhance pragmatic competence, particularly for English as a foreign language learners.

ABSTRACT Prior rhetorical research suggests that humans grapple with death through media, popular culture, and interactions with technology. This essay details a rhetorical cogitation on mortality and existence surrounding a popular and long-running mobile game’s “sunset,” or end, through examining online media articles reporting on The Simpsons Tapped Out (TSTO) mobile game sunsetting process. As human life becomes increasingly technology-mediated, and research expands in this area, how relationships between humans and technology are represented rhetorically warrants attention. This essay offers a twofold loss framing of the game that goes beyond a technology-based object to reflect a place and a companion. Language on mortality and existence appears when digital content, including the game and the curated and potentially purchased content within it, is lost. As previous rhetorical research suggests that humans seek to circumvent death via technology, this essay broadens that rhetorical understanding to include the loss of digital content.

This research looks at the presentation of Qur’anic symbols and verses in For revenge’s dark music lyrics which we connect to Qur’ianic exegesis and the base of Islamic theology which we look at through the eyes of contextual theology and civil religion. We used a descriptive qualitative approach which for primary data included from Qur’anic verses and exegesis which relate to the lyrics, for secondary data we looked to books, journals and reports which support. Data collection was done through literature review, analyzed via content analysis and we used triangulation for validation. We found out that While For revenge has a very sad dark theme, their lyrics do present Qur’anic symbols which play into theological values like qadar, sabr, ikhlas and the transience of the world. Also we see that the choice of words, metaphors and emotional tone which the artists use in fact tell a story which allows for the religious messages to be received by the audience, without them being put forth in a didactic way. What is new in this study is we report that dark music though very far in look and feel from religious music -- does in fact put forth Qur’anic messages through symbol play and the audience’s aesthetic experience. These results open up the field of Qur’anic exegesis and Islamic theology to popular culture and also we see how sacred texts interact with what may be considered non traditional media in the digital age.

Abstract Background Female emotional disorders are both a mental health issue and a socio-cultural symptom. As a carrier of popular culture, film and television have a profound impact on public cognition, but their presentation often oscillates between objectivity and exaggeration, debunking and stereotyping, and solidifying prejudice. Therefore, analyzing the gender norms and power relations behind its audiovisual presentation has important academic and practical significance. Methods The study adopts a multi-method design that combines qualitative and quantitative methods. By purposive sampling, 30 film and television works with female emotional disorders as the core from 2010 to 2023 were selected as samples. Firstly, conduct a detailed reading and narrative analysis of the text, deconstructing character settings, symptom presentation, and disease attribution. Subsequently, a coding manual was established to systematically code dimensions such as barrier types, social attribution, and stigmatization tendencies. Finally, quantitative statistics were conducted using SPSS software for frequency analysis and chi-square test to reveal the distribution patterns and correlations between different narrative elements. Results The experiment quantified the specific patterns and significant deviations in the visual representation of female emotional disorders, and the test results are shown in Table 1. As shown in Table 1, there is a significant deviation and pattern tendency in the presentation of female emotional disorders in film and television. Depression has the highest frequency of presentation (43.3%), followed by PTSD (26.7%). Only 36.7% of works attribute obstacles to systemic gender pressure. The narrative ending is highly inclined towards "individualized resolution": 63.3% of works set "complete healing" or "romantic redemption" endings, and only 16.7% accept long-term coexistence. The chi-square test showed that the type of disorder was significantly correlated with social attribution (χ2 = 8.92, p<.05), and PTSD was more likely to be associated with structural factors, but the overall narrative was still dominated by individualized rescue plans. Discussion Research has confirmed that there is a contradiction in the presentation of film and television: although attention has increased, storytelling is still constrained by traditional concepts, which may lead to the neglect of social structural factors and reinforce stereotypes about patients. Future creation needs to seek a more balanced narrative between individual experience and social criticism.

This study investigates the evolving dynamics of parasocial interaction within local BTS fan communities in Indonesia. Their engagement extended beyond merely drawing motivation from idols, reflecting instead their participation in broader social collectives. Employing a digital ethnographic approach, the research explores how parasocial interaction—traditionally conceptualized as a one-sided, imaginary relationship between fans and celebrities—transforms into a complex social mechanism that fosters community solidarity. The findings highlight three key insights: (1) Parasocial interaction not only serves as a basis for emotional attachment between fans and idols but also functions as a catalyst for reciprocal social relationships within the fandom; (2) Rather than being purely individual, parasocial engagement becomes communal, with solidarity constructed through collaborative practices, symbolic exchange, and ongoing negotiation of meaning; and (3) The communities formed through these dynamics exhibit a distinctive cohesiveness, wherein parasocial bonds with idols strengthen offline social networks among fans. This study thus contributes to sociological discourse on media and digital communities, while reaffirming the significance of fandom studies in understanding the cultural transformations of contemporary popular culture.

Since its initial release in 2019, the c-drama Chén Qíng Lìng (陈情令 / The Untamed) has resonated well-beyond its intended Chinese audience. Current research has delved into the series evolution and dissemination from a variety of angles, such as translation, queer studies, and intercultural reception. The present study aims to contribute to this growing work of research by conducting an exploratory study of emerging themes among the Spanish-speaking fandom. Considering the size and diversity of this community, as well as the increasing dissemination of Chinese popular culture as a form of soft power, the intersection of both themes presents itself as a site ripe for academic discourse. To better understand how fans engage and respond to The Untamed , web scraping tools were first used to download comments from WeTV's Spanish YouTube channel and conduct a systematic qualitative analysis of their content. The main emergent themes then formed the basis for a questionnaire which guided twelve semi-structured in-depth interviews with Latin American fans of the series and a professional translator. Findings indicate a diverse international community eagerly engaging (often for the first time) with Chinese fantasy, notwithstanding language barriers and cultural (dis)connections. Streaming platform access and translation quality emerged as significant themes, along with a range of personal tactics to overcome initial confusion with the material, and diverging stances on queer content representation. These observations align the consumption of Chinese dramas by Spanish-speaking fans with the notion of pop cosmopolitanism as a viable path to encourage global consciousness.

Enhancing sensitivity to the climate crisis requires the early introduction of sustainable consumption habits within the family. This study examines the influence of mothers’ sustainable consumption practices on children’s environmental awareness. Data obtained through in-depth interviews were analyzed using the descriptive analysis. During the interview, mothers were asked questions regarding environmental awareness, non-essential purchasing, saving, reusability, and their children's sustainable consumption behaviors. The findings reveal that mothers act as role models in behaviors such as recycling, energy conservation, and water saving; however, they face challenges in fully practicing sustainable consumption due to economic constraints and a lack of information. While environmental activities organized in private schools are found to be supportive in raising awareness among children, the consumerist influence of popular culture and advertising weakens families’ efforts. The study highlights the importance of economically accessible products, media literacy education, robust recycling infrastructure, and family-oriented environmental activities in promoting sustainable consumption. In conclusion, mothers’ role modeling plays a key role in the dissemination of sustainability awareness within the family. This critical role of mothers contributes not only to the enhancement of environmental awareness but also to the upbringing of future generations who are more environmentally conscious.

This research presents a multimodal analysis of 189 infertility GIFs collected from the subreddit r/trollingforababy over a 12-month period. Drawing on symbolic interactionism and Bakhtinian concepts, the analysis examines how users repurpose popular culture imagery to narrate infertility struggles on digital platforms. Three major themes emerged: temporal disjuncture and the symbolic weight of waiting, dialogic resistance and carnivalesque inversion of infertility social scripts, and the grotesque medicalized body and the politics of visibility. Across the three themes, GIFs emerge as symbolic performances that enable users to negotiate stigma, build collective meaning, and resist dominant reproductive ideologies, positioning infertility as not only a medical and social condition but also a communicative site where meaning, identity, and agency are contested.

ABSTRACT Openness of mind reflected verbally, has been defined as an ideal within the concepts of “free association” and the “fundamental rule” and their treatment consequences, such as the impact on emotional growth. The slippery vicissitudes of being “open” or “closed” are also considered. Being “open” in one sense, may necessitate being closed in another. Examples are drawn from a beginning analysand; a supervisory situation for analysis in an impasse; and the concepts applied to popular cultures, in an evolution from benign stasis toward destruction in the character of Walt, in Breaking Bad (Netflix). The context of a judgment of “openness” turns out to be crucial. It takes something more from an inner template of object relations to affect the benign influences of “open-mindedness.” One has to say, ultimately. “Open to what?”

Japanese popular culture, such as anime, manga, cosplay, and J-Pop music, has become part of the daily lives of Indonesian students along with the development of technology and digital media. The consumption of Japanese popular culture not only serves as a form of entertainment but also influences aspects of social interaction, identity formation, and how to express oneself in social environments. This study aims to analyze the influence of Japanese popular culture consumption on the social lives of students. Writers used a qualitative method with literature study techniques. Data were obtained through searching and analyzing various previous scientific journal articles on relevant topics published in the last ten years. The results of the study indicate that consumption of Japanese popular culture has various impacts on the social lives of students. On the one hand, Japanese popular culture can broaden cultural horizons, strengthen social interactions through communities and fandoms, and increase interest in learning the Japanese language and culture. On the other hand, there is the potential for negative impacts on consumers, such as consumptive behavior, excessive fanaticism, and a tendency to limit social interactions outside of specific interest groups. Therefore, critical awareness and a selective attitude are needed in consuming Japanese popular culture so that the received influence is positive and does not neglect local social and cultural values.

This research examines the lyrics of Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR album through Michael Riffaterre’s semiotic framework and Anna Freud’s defense mechanisms, complemented by Vaillant’s hierarchy. The research aims to identify both literal and connotative meanings by applying heuristic and hermeneutic readings, while also uncovering the unconscious emotions represented through figurative devices such as metaphor, irony, imagery, symbolism, and rhetorical expressions. Furthermore, the study explores the defense mechanisms reflected in the lyrics as psychological responses to emotional experiences such as heartbreak, jealousy, denial, and loss of self-worth. The findings indicate that the lyrics in SOUR employ intricate figurative language that functions as an expressive medium for emotional complexity and demonstrate the presence of defense mechanisms across immature, neurotic, and mature levels. These results show that popular music lyrics can serve as a rich academic object for linguistic and psychological inquiry, contributing to the advancement of literary studies, semiotics, and psychological criticism within the landscape of contemporary popular culture.