High School Musical is THE cultural text of our generation. It defines the word 'iconic'. It moves me in ways that no other media can. It deconstructs class, capitalism, gender, and sexuality. It is perhaps the truest gesamtkunstwerk; it betters all of its peers in every medium. It is opera; it is drama; it is ballet. It brings forth tears, laughter, self-expression and, dare I say it, self-actualisation. We watch HSM and we see ourselves. Also Ryan and Kelsi wear lots of hats and that's neat.
High School Musical depicts a microcosm of society in which the status quo is, over the course of three perfect films, summarily deconstructed and subverted, paying particular attention to heteronormativity and primarily capitalist kyriarchy. In this essay I will
