Popular Culture as Intersectional and Intercultural Pedagogy

In an era where the feminist movement purports a narrative that embraces inclusivity and intersectionality as core tenets, Brandy Hadden cautions that there is more work yet to be done as the movement falls short of truly challenging white supremacy and the patriarchy on individual, organizational, and societal levels. While many events and campaigns explicitly state their intentions to "unite all women," Hadden argues that both conscious and unconscious biases often coalesce to produce a feminism that primarily centers and benefits white, cisgender women while failing to adequately support the already-marginalized women who are most at risk. Hadden contends that pop culture, and television in particular, can function as a tool for strengthening intercultural competence as it invites portrayals and perspectives of an Other into viewers' homes. By learning to approach pop culture through a framework of feminist rhetorical criticism, viewers can identify and adopt disrupting rhetoric that broadens communicative engagement with the Other, ultimately working toward normalizing a script of interculturally competent behavior that foregrounds an informed awareness of inclusivity.