Popular culture is more than simply leisure and entertainment. Considering that the current U.S. President achieved national fame through a reality TV show, it is important to take popular culture seriously. This course examines popular culture at the intersection of visual and material culture in twentieth-century America. We ask how objects or personalities become icons and how icons perpetuate American ideologies of class, race, and gender inseparable from the politics, economics and aesthetics of capitalism. In fact, popular culture constructs American identity both at home and abroad. Topics include TV, movies, cars, Disney, Barbie, etc., and they are explored through the design of sitcom interiors, film posters, theaters, packaging, souvenirs, and the like. We also investigate the impact of new materials of the 20th century such as plastic and aluminum. Social media in the 21st century has only increased and expanded the power of popular culture. Students research, write papers, and make presentations in concert with readings by diverse scholars of cultural theory, design studies, media, and art history. Thoughtful participation in class discussion is an essential part of the course.