Popular Culture and Feminist Perspectives in M*A*S*H | by Kate Reiner
Photo credit: IMDb M*A*S*H (1972-1983) Sellnow (2018) defines popular culture as “those everyday objects, actions, and events that influence people to believe and behave in certain ways” (p. 3). As I think about how popular culture has influenced my values and perspectives, I can’t help but think of the popular, and arguably iconic, television series M*A*S*H. Whether you have watched it or not, M*A*S*H likely needs no introduction, nor does its infamous theme song . My husband often jokes about it being a song that signifies it’s time for bed (a throwback to its late-night air schedule). But for me, the iconic tune takes me back to fond memories of watching the show with my grandma and engaging in discussions about it while we enjoyed a pop, aka soda, and some fish n’ chips from our favorite local grease pit. I think my grandma always saw a little bit of herself in one of the show’s leading characters, Major Margaret Houlihan, and spoiler alert, my grandma was my first real-life ...