Pop Off: Is It Okay to Play in Difficult Times?

Sometimes we hear “it’s not the time for that” when it comes to play or diving into pop culture in difficult times. When times are hard, we might feel guilty about doing things that seem frivolous. But Haeny and Nathan are here to push back on the idea that there’s something wrong with playing—or when we don’t perform the “right” kind of “serious” response—when we deal with challenges, loss and grief.

Check out the zine Haeny mentions in the episode here.

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Our music is selections from Leafeaters by Podington Bear, Licensed under CC (BY-NC) 3.0.

Pop and Play is produced by the Digital Futures Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. 

The views expressed in this episode are solely those of the speaker to whom they are attributed. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, administration, staff or Trustees either of Teachers College or of Columbia University.