Popular culture, or ‘pop culture’, is defined as, “forms of cultural expressions that circulate in mainstream culture”; “consumed by the masses rather than elites”; and, is “generally accessible to all in a society.” (Bracewell) Popular culture, also referred to as media culture, is a part of commercial culture – it is driven largely by commercial interests (Bracewell). Pop culture is a conveyer of cultural values and ideologies and is recognized as “a powerful agent of socialization.” (Bracewell) This is especially true in noting the patriarchal male gaze typical of Western culture films and television, portraying gender roles and ideologies in media as a reflection of the cultural status-quo. To exemplify this idea, here is a clip from I Love Lucy - a popular television show from the 1950s - showing the main character, Lucy, comically dissatisfied with her life as a "domesticated housewife."

For any consumer of mass media, it can be recognized that women are often vilified, sexualized, dominated, or ignored in media portrayal. This has been of concern to feminism since the second wave (Butler and Paisley 92) Outlets of pop culture associated with first wave feminism include political cartoons, theatre productions, early cinema, music, and in the later portion of the era, radio (Bracewell). During the second wave, pop culture circulated primarily through movies, television, and popular music (Bracewell). Despite overwhelming marginalization in media representation, feminist icons are visible throughout mainstream pop culture. Feminism is recognized in pop culture icons such as 1970s televisions’ Mary Tyler Moore or Wonder Woman; the gender fluid performances of Patti Smith or Annie Lennox in the 1980s; and, in celebrity feminist activists such as Emma Watson (Bracewell).