Affectivity and the Popular

Why does popular culture move us so deeply? Whether we weep, belly-laugh, tremble in awe, or recoil in disgust, popular culture shapes the ways we feel. Bringing together multidisciplinary and bilingual contributions from emerging scholars, this collection explores how emotions are constructed, circulated, and mobilized across a wide range of pop-cultural media. From cinema to cookbooks, music to live performance, the contributors examine how popular culture both shapes and reflects contemporary discourses of identity, politics, and (un)belonging. Combining scholarly rigour with accessible materials, this volume offers fresh perspectives on the emotional power of popular culture and its significance in everyday life.