In 2019, I was driving in the car with Justin, and we heard “Fantastic Voyage” by
Coolio on the radio. I started pointing out elements of the song that represent various
elements of criminological theory, and it led to an interesting discussion. From
there, I realized how my own love of the discipline is pervasive even in my personal
life, and I wanted to share the idea. I thought it would be both fun and beneficial for
students to understand how criminologists can apply these theories to films, television,
music, and more, even when those artifacts are not overtly related to criminal
justice or criminology. It is easy to point out criminal justice issues or criminological
theories at work in Law & Order or Criminal Minds, but less so when watching
The Bachelor or playing Super Mario Brothers.