This paper proposes that popular culture has the potential to be progressive, opening the possibility for social change and the motivation to drive it. Based on a hermeneutic analysis of twelve popular culture cases, a processual theory of transformation is constructed. Processual theories embrace and emphasize a dynamic temporal sequence where one conceptual category sets the stage for the next. They are useful in helping to explain how complex social processes unfold over time. The processual theory presented in this paper is based on four concepts: contradictions, emotions, progressive literacy, and praxis. This theory is useful to the TCR movement in three ways: first, the theory is descriptive, helping TCR researchers understand how society changes over time; second, the theory is prescriptive, enabling TCR researchers to think about potential social change strategies; and finally, the process used in this research serves as a paradigmatic frame for theory development in TCR.