Why bother with popular culture?

In this editorial, the editors introduce the 15.1 volume of The Australasian Journal of Popular Culture . The editors reflect on the vital role popular culture plays in understanding contemporary social, political and emotional life. They argue that while the field is sometimes dismissed as less ‘serious’ than other areas of inquiry, popular culture offers essential insight into how we process times marked by global conflict, economic precarity and ecological anxiety. The arts and humanities, the editors argue, are crucial sites for meaning-making, connection and resilience. The issue’s articles collectively illustrate the breadth and depth of this scholarship. The editors provide a summary of the eight articles, the book review and video game review included in the volume.