We here at Shmoop love us some pop culture, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson is filled with it. From bands to books to musicals to miniseries, this story has it all. But our authors don't just drop in a casual reference to some art form to show off their street cred. Nope, usually the piece that's highlighted adds something to the story and creates another fun layer for us to think about. See? Who says pop culture can't be educational? Not us, that's for sure.
Questions About Arts and Culture
- How does Will's favorite Neutral Milk Hotel song—"Holland, 1945"—help us to understand him a little better?
- will watches TV, but seems pretty bored by the predictability of it. What does this tell us about his character?
- Why do you think so many people try out for, and come to see, Hold Me Closer? Do they want to see if Tiny will have a great show? Or if he'll fail? Something else completely? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
Chew on This
Will Grayson has a love for the arts and pop culture, while will grayson cynically rejects most of the books, music, and movies that he comes across. In both cases, their relationships to pop culture reveal something important about their characters.
Tiny's musical shows that it's the creation of works of art—not just their consumption—that's important to our authors.