Here are some categories to start you thinking about topics. There are obviously many other topics and approaches — many more beyond this small list. (Keep in mind, most of these topics could be written from a contemporary perspective OR as a reflection/description of that particular element of popular culture in the past.) And lots of ways to dice 'em up.
This list is by no means exhaustive or encyclopedic. Just some topics we brainstormed. (Actually, Kathy did pretty much all of the brainstorming; I did the posting and the "making pretty.")
- Accessories, Purses, Jewelry, Designer Wear
- Advertising, Commercials, Slogans, Logos, Promotions, Giveaways
- Alcohol, Beer, Wineries, Liquor, Drinking Culture, Alcoholism
- Amusement Parks
- Animation and Anime
- Archaeology
- Architecture, Design & Decorating
- Art, Galleries, Exhibits, High & Low, Drawing, Painting Sculpture Architecture, Design and Decorating
- Auctions, Flea Markets, Garage Sales, Artifacts
- Automobiles, Vehicles, Trucking, and Locomotives
- Baby Boomers, Hippies, Generation X, Millennials, Me Generation, Greatest Generation
- Beauty
- Bicycles, Scooters, Motorcycles
- Body Image and Body Art, Piercings, Fat Shaming
- Buildings, Monuments
- Camping, Hiking
- Candy, Chocolates, Sweets, Treats, Desserts
- Carnivals, Festivals, Field Days, Renaissance Fair, Re-enactments, Parades, Rides, Mid-Way
- Casinos, Adult Entertainment, Prostitution, Strip Shows
- Celebrity, Hollywood, Red Carpet, Disney in Culture
- Cemeteries, Grave Art, History of Death, Memorials, Funeral Services
- Children's Literature
- Cigarettes, Cigars, electronic cigarettes
- Circus, 3-Ring, Mystique, Animal Performances, Death-Defying Acts, Clowns
- Cities around the world
- Clubs, Groups, Affiliations, Associations
- Coffee Shops, restaurants, diners, ice cream parlors, wineries
- Collectibles
- Comics, Cartoons, Children's Characters
- Commercialism and Online Shopping
- Communication and Digital Culture
- Computers, Technology, Silicon Valley
- Corporations, Wall Street, Economy, Business, Money, Credit, and Office Cultures
- Crafts, Sewing, Knitting, Decoupage and more
- Crime and Punishment, Prison, Reform
- Cults
- Customs, Rituals, Routines
- Dance — all kinds
- Decades ('50s, '60s, '70s, etc.)
- Diet and Weight Obsession
- Different Cultures around the World
- Disasters, Apocalypses, Disease and Catastrophes
- Diversity and Multiculturism
- Drink
- Drugs, Pharmaceuticals and Narcotics
- Ecology and Environment, Green Living, Recycling
- Education, Policies, Changes, Old School, Parochial School, Private, Public, Elementary, Testing, High School life, Teachers, Extra-curricular, College, Graduate, Subject Matter, Studies, Partying, Dorm Life, On-Line, Trends, New Math
- Elderly, Retirement, AARP, Sex Life,
- Entertaining, Parties, Events, Openings, Parades
- Exercise, Jogging, Yoga, Jazzercise, Swimming, TV & DVD workouts, health clubs, Fitness
- Fairy Tales and Fables
- Fan Culture, Comicon
- Fashion, Costuming and Haute Couture
- Festivals and Fairs
- Fiction
- Film and Television
- Fishing, Hunting
- Folklore
- Food and Cooking, Restaurants, Fast Food, Organic, Supermarkets
- Games — all kinds, Outdoor, Board Games, Children's Games, Card Games, Memory, Performance, Word Games
- Fundraising, Good Works, Service-Oriented Society
- Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies
- Gender Studies
- Graffiti, Street Art
- Hair, Nails, Cosmetics, Hair trimming and Sculpting,
- History, Study of,
- Hip-Hop, Punk, Goth, Rock 'n' Roll, etc.
- Hobbies, Recreation, Extracurricular Activities
- Hollywood
- Horoscopes and Tarot
- Horror Literature
- Housing, real estate, Neighborhoods
- Humor & Comedy
- Identity Issues and Cultural Stereotypes
- Illness, Sickness, Hospitals, Healthcare
- Internet and Social Media
- Jewelry, Adornments
- Law, Order, and Judicial System
- Leadership and Power
- Libraries, Archives, and Museums
- Literature
- Love and Romance, Dating Practices
- Magazines — all kinds
- Manufacturing, Products, Sales
- Mascots
- Media and Journalism, News & Gonzojournalism, Tabloids, Paparazzi
- Medicine, Doctors, Nurses, Changes, Ethics, Patients, Hospitals, Emergencies, Holistic, Trends, Costs
- Men and Women
- Mental Health and Wellness
- Mini-Golf, Laser Tag, Billiards
- Movies — all kinds of film, stars, children's, rating system, documentaries, shorts, blockbusters, crime, romantic-comedy, informational, sci fi, news reel, domestic, foreign, animated, 3-D, action, thriller, sports, film noir, western, film critics, Oscars, student and amateur film-making, human triumph over adversity, road movie, buddy movie, chick-flick, skin, war and more
- Music — all kinds, instrumental, vocal, recorded, live, concerts, performances, ethnic, related music fashion and subculture, awards, albums, technology, fashion, and related trends
- Mystery Novels
- Mythology
- Nationalism, Provincialism, Local Pride, Patriotism
- National Parks, Local parks, Beaches, Nature
- Nutrition and Vitamins
- Occult
- Olympics
- Outdoor Spaces, Landscaping
- Parenthood and family
- Performances, Magicians, Comedians, Performance Artists, Slam Poetry, Singers, Dancers
- Pets and Animals
- Philosophy
- Poetry
- Politics — all elements
- Pornography
- Poverty, The Have-Nots, Homeless, Effects of Famine, Effects of Crime, Effects of Crash
- Princesses, Princes, Royalty, Royal Weddings
- Profanity
- Protests, Picketing, and Riots
- Psychology
- Radio and Audio
- Religions and Beliefs
- Recreation, Hot Air Balloons, Roller Coasters, Thrill Rides, Boating, Surfing, Skiing,
- Sensory Living, All Senses, Taste, Touch, Smell, Hearing, Sight
- Sex, Sexuality, Sexual Appeals
- Science
- Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Shoes
- Significant Moments
- Soap Opera and Serialized Storytelling
- Social Media — all kinds
- Social Movements
- Sports, Sporting Events, Amateur Sports, Betting, Fantasy Football, Professional Sports, Athletics, Individual Sports, Team Sports,
- Stage Performances
- Style and Identity
- Subculture Life
- Superheroes and Villians
- Supernatural and Spiritualism
- Teens
- Television — all kinds of programming, news, special-coverage on-going, all-news, talk shows, daytime, prime time, late night, news magazines, investigative, reality self-improvement, reality competition, scripted, drama, cop show, cartoons, after-school special, mini series, quiz show, game show, home improvement, sit-com, made-for-TV-movies, cable programming, cooking demonstrations, home shopping, musical specials, comedy shows, satire, weather reporting, debate, round-table, public access, local coverage, closed circuit
- The Road, The Home, The Night Life, The Job, The City, The Family, The Times, The Weather, The Relationship, The Friendship, The Parents, The Ticket, The Search, The Answer
- Theater, Musical, Broadway, Drama, School plays
- Toys, Dolls, Puppetry
- Travel and Tourism, Vacations, RVs
- Trends, Fads
- Unions, Groups,
- Urban Life
- Video Gaming and Arcades
- Visual Culture
- War and Peace, Military, Politics, Terrorism, Threats — Real and Imagined
- Wealth
- Witches, Vampires, Zombies
- WWW, Web Pages, Blogs, Shopping, Industry, Scamming
- Young Adults, Adults, Middle Aged, 50 is the new 40, 25 is the new 50
- Youth, Children, Babies, Tweens, Growing Up, Bullying, Challenges, Triumphs, Joys, Fads