1.0The Texas Observerhttps://www.texasobserver.orgSteven G. Kellmanhttps://www.texasobserver.org/author/steven-g-kellman/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="R717uMZzit"><a href="https://www.texasobserver.org/673-when-popular-culture-was-populist/">When Popular Culture Was Populist</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.texasobserver.org/673-when-popular-culture-was-populist/embed/#?secret=R717uMZzit" width="600" height="338" title="“When Popular Culture Was Populist” — The Texas Observer" data-secret="R717uMZzit" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(!(t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),n=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=0;o<n.length;o++)n[o].style.display="none";for(o=0;o<i.length;o++)if(r=i[o],e.source!==r.contentWindow);else{if(r.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message){if(1e3<(s=parseInt(t.value,10)))s=1e3;else if(~~s<200)s=200;r.height=s}if("link"===t.message)if(s=l.createElement("a"),a=l.createElement("a"),s.href=r.getAttribute("src"),a.href=t.value,a.host===s.host)if(l.activeElement===r)c.top.location.href=t.value}}},e)c.addEventListener("message",c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",t,!1),c.addEventListener("load",t,!1);function t(){if(o);else{o=!0;for(var e,t,r,s=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 10"),a=!!navigator.userAgent.match(/Trident.*rv:11\./),i=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),n=0;n<i.length;n++){if(!(r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); </script> Opiate or incendiary? Have American movies–and popular culture in general–served to enforce the status quo by diverting attention and energies from the nation’s imperfections and injustices? The frivolous musicals and frothy comedies of the 1930s offer ample evidence that, in response to an economic cataclysm that might have led to anarchy or insurrection, Hollywood helped […]https://www.texasobserver.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/about-the-texas-observer.jpg740402