Pop Culture Archives - The Observer

an animation of a soccer player kicking a ball into a net

The Best Football Isn’t American

July 31, 2020

I’m going to try to convince the American sports fan to give the most popular sport on the planet a chance.

a graphic of someone getting boo'd on a stage

Silenced or Shouted Down?

July 31, 2020

Once again people are sounding the alarm that free speech is being lost in the ravenous jaws of “cancel culture.” Once again, they’re wrong.

Stop Making Offensive Jokes About Coronavirus

April 1, 2020

If you log onto any one of your social media accounts these days, it is likely you will come across someone's attempt to joke about the effects of the coronavirus — but where do we draw the line?

TikTok, beloved of many a teen, has come under scrutiny for its ties to China and its lax data privacy policies.

In Defense of TikTok

December 23, 2019

TikTok might pose some data dangers, but it forms a community of people who inspire laughter and love.

Drag group toes the line between respectfully parodying and disrespecting the Catholic Church

Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence: Appropriate or Appropriation?

April 30, 2019

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence often parody sacred religious rituals in an offensive manner.

Left: the writer at 16. Right: Asa Butterfield, 22, masquerading as a 16-year-old in

Free the Pimple: Puberty Chic Going Through Changes

February 19, 2019

Being American and going through puberty is a unique tradition of ours. The depiction of high school life on screens big and small is perhaps an equally American tradition. But has America been crushing on puberty chic too hard?

Every year, only one movie can stand supreme at the Academy Awards. This year, will it be Black Panther?

Black Panther Will Win Best Picture

February 19, 2019

It is also not an inconceivable notion that, after having so much controversy surrounding the Oscars’ fairness towards the race of nominees, it might just be a much-needed shot in the arm of the Academy if they let a film as black as “Black Panther” take home the biggest win of the night.