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Whether it is #BlackLivesMatter and #OscarsSoWhite today, or whether it was All in the Family and Ms. Magazine in the past, America’s identity crises have always insinuated themselves into every aspect of our daily lives. And as politics grows more fractured and divisive, these difficult conversations have often found a more reasonable and humane airing in popular entertainment. Last year 1.32 billion movie tickets were sold in N. America, and the average American adult spent about half their leisure time in any given week sitting in front of their TV screen. What are the responsibilities and opportunities for the gigantic industries of pop culture when it comes to confronting our national identity crises?
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