Abstract
Popular media represent outlets for shaping and informing public perception of institutions and institutional actors found in our society. Community colleges and their students have been featured in a number of fictional works. This paper provides an analysis of the portrayal of community college students in the fictional works of novels, short stories, television programs, and motion pictures. Through this analysis, the authors highlight significant lessons that can be learned from increased understanding of fictional portrayals of community colleges and their students and applied to both community college practice and continued research.