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Media Studies
See Also: Media Studies > Backlist; Film
> Criticism, Theory & History.
Action Chicks
New Images of Tough Women in Popular Culture
Sherrie A. Inness
Buffy, Xena, Lara Croft, La Femme Nikita: the women of pop culture are center
stage and tougher than ever. Action Chicks is a groundbreaking collection
highlighting the heroines who fascinate us. What can they tell us about
how popular culture depicts women? Do the characters escape traditional
gender role expectations? Or do they adhere to sexual, racial, ethnic,
and class stereotypes? The essays in Action Chicks provide a new look
at these
icons and their relationship to the popular media machine. This is a
thought-provoking anthology that is bound to change how we think about
gender and toughness. Softcover, 293 pp. $27.95.
Fresh Lipstick: Redressing Fashion and Feminism
Linda M. Scott
A pointed attack on feminism's requisite sense of style (or lack thereof)
Fresh Lipstick argues that wearing high heels and using hair curlers
does not deny you the right to seek advancement, empowerment, and equality.
Marching
through 150 years of American dress history, Scott rips down feminism's
favorite positions on fashion, and asserts that judging someone on her
fashion choices is as detrimental to advancement as judgements based
on race, nationality,
or social class. Illuminating and provocative, Fresh Lipstick will fascinate
anyone with an interest in fashion and feminism. Hardcover, 356 pp. $35.95.
The Future of Media: Resistance and Reform in the 21st Century
Robert McChesney, Russell Newman & Ben Scott
With the American political landscape dominated by the influence of big
business, the timing of The Future of Media could hardly be more
precipitous. Endlessly pressured by lobbyists payrolled by corporate
broadcasters, Congress
is poised to reopen the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which will reshape
every facet of our media as we know it for decades to come. From
cutting edge analysis to blueprints for action, this anthology presents
a diverse
collection of voices from today's growing media reform movement.
Softcover, 376 pp. $26.50.
Savage Pastimes
A Cultural History of Violent Entertainment
Harold Schechter
Does violent entertainment corrupt the young, turning them into numb zombies
-- or worse, criminals? In this cogent, thoroughly researched book,
American pop-culture expert Harold Schechter argues that exactly
the opposite is
true: a basic human need is given an outlet through violent images
in popular media. From the depictions of crime in Victorian "penny
dreadfuls," to
the graphically violent video games of today, Savage Pastimes offers
a rich, eye-opening brief history that will make you rethink your
assumptions about what we watch and how it affects us all. Hardcover,
192 pp. $35.95.
Don't Eat This Book: Fast Food and the Supersizing of America
Morgan Spurlock
In this, his first book, Morgan Spurlock -- producer, director, and star
of Super Size Me -- looks at why fast food is tasty, cheap, and ultimately
seductive, and suggests what Americans can do to turn the rising tide
of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Supplemented by the opinions
of various
experts -- from surgeons general and kids, to lawmakers and marketing
gurus -- this witty but deeply serious book will appeal to anyone interested
in
our country's health, our children's, and our own. Hardcover, 308 pp.
$31.00.
Media and Society: Critical Perspectives
Graeme Burton
This major introductory text provides a wide-ranging perspective on the
media. Written by an experienced author and lecturer, it covers the
core theory and discussion points surrounding the media and its relationship
to society. Chapters cover the major topics that students are likely
to
encounter in their studies, including: advertising, approaches to
film, soap operas, women's magazines, media and violence, news, globalization,
sports, popular music, and new technology. Hardcover, 378 pp.
$143.95.
Quality Popular Television
Mark Jancovich & James Lyons
This anthology of essays examines the new catagory of 'cult' television
and the reasons for its emergence. Looking at shows as diverse as Ally
McBeal, The Sopranos, Martial Law, Buffy, Lois
and Clark, Star
Trek: The
Next Generation, and The X-Files, this book identifies the particular
qualities necessary for success and how they relate to issues such
as the economics
of network scheduling, the growth of the internet and contemporary
debates about television audiences. Softcover, 204 pp. $30.95.
Blockbusters and Trade Wars
Popular Culture in a Globalized World
Peter S. Grant & Chris Wood
This is the first book to investigate where and how cultural products
are created, why they are so different from manufactured goods and why they
must be treated differently. Focusing on the market dynamics that drive
ever-greater audiences to "blockbuster" films, TV programs, books
and recording artists, the authors consider how international trade law
can endanger diversity while examining how freedom of expression and
cultural diversity are inextricably linked. Softcover, 454 pp. $29.95.
Marshall McLuhan: Understanding Me
Stephanie McLuhan & David Staines
This extraordinary collection brings together twenty of Marshall McLuhan's previously
unpublished lectures and interviews -- the spoken words of a surprisingly accessible
theorist and seer of the modern age. He comes across as outrageous, funny, perplexing,
stimulating, and provocative. McLuhan will never seem quite the same again. Softcover,
317 pp. $22.99.
Mediated
Thomas de Zengotita
From Princess Diana's funeral to the prospect of mass terror,
from oral sex in the Oval Office to cowboy politics in distant
lands, from high school cliques to marital therapy, from hip-hop
nation to climbing Mt. Everest,
from blogs to reality TV to the Weather Channel, Mediated is
a sophisticated and satirical tour of every department of our media-saturated
society. Hardcover, 291 pp. $30.95.
Big Brother International: Formats, Critics & Publics
Ernest Mathijs & Janet Jones
The television show Big Brother (remarkable for its multinational incarnations)
is one of the key cultural phenomena to mark the move into the
twenty-first century. Both scandal and commercial hit, it has revolutionized
television
practice, changing the status of live multimedia events and challenging
cultural theory. Media scholars from around the world have collaborated
to compose this integrated view on Big Brother.
Softcover, 261 pp. $34.95.
Contemporary World Television
John Sinclair & Graeme Turner
What is happening in the area of world television today? With
intense commercialisation and ever more open national markets, with
technological convergence and the concentration of ownership, the
international television landscape is changing at a bewildering pace
and in a host of different ways. This anthology presents a unique
overview of the questions that matter most in the world of contemporary
television. Softcover, 131 pp. $37.95.
The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power
Joel Bakan
In this brilliantly argued account of the corporation's pathological
pursuit of power, eminent law professor and legal theorist Joel Bakan
contends that the corporation is created by law to function much like
a psychopathic personality whose destructive behavior, if left unchecked,
leads to scandal and ruin. Backed by extensive research, The Corporation draws
on in-depth interviews with such wide-ranging figures as CEO Hank MacKinnell
of Pfizer, Nobel Prize-winner Milton Friedman, and business guru Peter
Drucker. Softcover, 228 pp. $24.00.
That's the Joint: The Hip Hop Studies Reader
Murray Forman & Mark Anthony Neal
This book brings together the best-known and most influencial writings on rap
and hip-hop from its beginnings to today. Spanning 25 years of scholarship, criticism,
and journalism, this unprecedented anthology showcases the evolution and continuing
influence of one of the most creative and contested elements of global popular
culture
since its advent in the late 1970's. Softcover, 628 pp. $49.95.
Sex Sells! The Media's Journey from Repression to Obsession
Rodger Streitmatter
From repression to obsession, Sex Sells! illuminates how
the media's sexual mores have changed during the last five decades.
Not only does the author examine the broad range of genres that have
reflected this libidinous journey, but he also shows how the media
have played a leading role in propelling the Sexual Revolution. Hardcover,
283 pp. $36.95.
Teaching Media in the English Curriculum
Andrew Hart & Alun Hicks
Teaching Media in English Curriculum investigates the forms and puposes of
media studies at the high school level, observing lessons and analysing how they
work. This book will enable teachers to plan for changing curricular needs by
drawing on the experience of other successful English teachers. Softcover, 258
pp. $29.95.
Mass Media in a Mass Society: Myth and Reality
Richard Hoggart
Richard Hoggart, famous for his writings on literature, education, and the means
of communication, has written a new work in which he looks at the ways in which
mass communication in the 21st century both encourages and hinders a greater
understanding
of the modern world. Hardcover, 214 pp. $29.95.
Beyond the Image Machine: A History of Visual Technologies
David Tomas
Through a series of illustrated studies that range from sixteenth-century painting
to late-twentieth century head-mounted displays, David Tomas gives a fascinating
and original account of the relationship between visual technology, human sensory
perception and identity. This stimulating argument for an alternative history
of scientific and technological imaging systems will serve as a rich source of
ideas and inspiration for further research into the history of visual technologies.
Softcover,
231 pp. $36.50.
Televising War: From Vietnam to Iraq
Andrew Hoskins
Andrew Hoskins provides a thought-provoking critical account
of the unique relationship between the media and conflict. He reveals
the influence the media has on the public's perception of the war,
from the televisual 'losing' of the Vietnam War, to the satellite-driven
footage of from the Gulf in 1991, and finally to the 24-hour coverage
by journalists
of the recent Iraq War. Softcover, 148 pp. $36.50.
The Cambridge Companion to Postmodernism
Steven Connor
Although frequently used, "postmodernism" is one of the
most elusive and oft-debated terms in cultural theory. This anthology
of essays offers a survey of the various intellectuals arenas in which
postmodernism has come to exist, and situates its relevence in this,
the 21st century. Accessible and comprehensive, this Cambridge Companion is
essential reading for students and teachers, from a range of disciplines,
who are interested in postmoderism in all of its incarnations. Softcover,
237 pp. $35.95.
In Praise of Slow: How a Worldwide Movement is Challenging the Cult
of Speed
Carol Honore
In Praise of Slow traces the history of our increasingly breathless relationship
with time, and tackles the consequences and conundrum of living in this accelerated
culture of our own creation. Realizing the price we pay for unrelenting speed,
people all over the world are reclaiming their time, slowing down the pace, and
living happier,
healthier, and more productive lives. Hardcover, 310 pp. $36.00.
Why Arnold Matters: The Rise of a Cultural Icon
Michael Blitz & Louise Krasniewicz
Not only does he head the largest state economy in the United States, but after
thirty years in the public eye and reaping billions in box office sales, Arnold
Schwarzenegger is a cultural icon without parallel. This thought-provoking and
imaginative new book examines American life at the beginning of the 21st century
through the veil of Arnold's
all-pervasive presence. Hardcover, 302 pp. $28.95.
Teen TV; Genre, Consumption and Identity
Glyn Davis & Kay Dickenson
This is the first anthology dedicated to a broad range of television programmes
produced for and watched by teenagers. With extensive coverage of shows such
as Dawson's
Creek, Roswell, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Australia's Heartbreak
High, the book examines how these dramas construct and reaffirm distinct
versions
of 'youth'. Teen TV is a fascinating survey of the different forms teen
television takes and the multitude of ways in which it is produced and used.
Softcover, 197
pp. $37.95.
Loving
Big Brother: Performance, Privacy, and Surveillance Space
John E. McGrath
Constant scrutiny by surveillance cameras is usually seen as, at best, a necessary
invasion of privacy and, at worst, an infringement of human rights. But in this
radical new account of the uses of surveillance in art, performance and popular
culture, John E. McGrath sets out a surprising alternative: a world where we
have much to
gain from the experience of being watched. Softcover, 246 pp. $36.95.
Forever
Young: The 'Teen-Aging' of Modern Culture
Marcel Danesi
Marcel Danesi, author of Cool, takes on the 'forever young
syndrome' to show how ideas of childhood, adolescence, and juvenilization
are at risk of changing Western and moral social behaviour, marring
the bounderies between youthfulness and adulthood, and creating a 'Dorian
Gray' generation -- born of a vacuous and devalued consumer society.
Softcover, 139 pp. $21.95.
The Rise of the Creative Class
Richard Florida
The Creative Class now comprises more than thirty percent of the entire workforce.
The choices these people make have had a huge economic impact, and in the future
they will determine how the workplace is organized, what companies will prosper
or go bankrupt, and even which cities will thrive or wither. A provocative new
way to think about why we live as we do today, and where we might be headed.
Softcover,
434 pp. $24.95.
Appropriating Blackness
Performance and the Politics of Authenticity
E. Patrick Johnson
Performance artist and scholar E. Patrick Johnson's provocative
study examines how blackness is appropriated and performed -- towards
widely diverging ends -- both within and outside African American culture.
A scholarly and lucidly argued text, Appropriating Blackness offers
compelling insight into the complex theories of race, sexuality, and
culture. Softcover, 365 pp. $34.95.
Matters of Gravity: Special Effects and Supermen in the 20th Century
Scott Bukatman
The headlong rush, the rapid montage, the soaring superhero, the plunging roller
coaster -- Matters of Gravity focuses on the experience of technological
spectacle in American popular culture over the past century. Particular attenion
is paid to theme parks, cyberspace, cinematic special effects, superhero comics,
and Hollywood
musicals. Softcover, 279 pp. $34.95.
Cold War, Cool Medium: Television, McCarthyism, and American
Thomas Doherty
Conventional wisdom holds that television was a coconspirator in
the repressions of Cold War America, that it was a facilitator to the
blacklist and handmaiden to McCarthyism. On the contrary, Thomas Doherty
argues, in his provocative new book Cold War, Cool Medium, that
through the influence of television, America actually became a more
open and tolerant place. Hardcover, 305 pp. $41.95.
It's Not the Media: The Truth About Pop Culture's Influence on Children
Karen Sternheimer
Are school shootings the result of violent video games? Do sex-laden movies lead
to promiscuity? Can Goth music create alienation? Repeatedly we are told the
answer to these and similar questions is a resounding yes; but is this the right
answer? This book presents a compelling argument that fear of social change,
and what it means to be a kid in today's media-saturated climate, lies at the
heart of our media-bashing
culture. Hardcover, 272 pp. $40.00.
Searching for Michael Jackson's Nose and other Preoccupations of Our
Celebrity-Mad
Culture
Scott Feschuk
Among the many scandalous revelations about the twisted seductions of television, Searching
for Michael Jackson's Nose provides shocking evidence that reality television
is tame compared to the reality of television. Scott Feschuk's send-up of our
obsession with celebrities is a witty and irreverent assault on audio/visual
mass media. Softcover, 228 pp. $24.99.
Entertaining Lesbians
Celebrity, Sexuality, and Self-Invention
Martha Gever
In recent years celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres, k.d. lang, Rosie
O'Donnell, and Melissa Etheridge have made for a strong lesbian presence
in popular culture; however, this was not always the case. In this
original and provocative chronicle of lesbian celebrities of the 20th
century, Martha Gever takes a groundbreaking look at the risk and rewards
of being not just out of the closet, but out in the public eye. Softcover,
236 pp. $28.95.
Hidden Agendas
How Journalists Influence the News
Lydia Miljan and Barry Cooper
Hidden Agendas is a no-holds-barred expose of how reporters' opinions shape
the information that we consider news. Using data gathered from interviews with
over 800 Canadians and some 270 journalists, this book makes the controversial
argument that journalists, more so than media owners, are the architects of news,
engineering not only its drama but also its ideological thrust. Softcover, 212
pp. $24.95.
Recycled Culture in Contemporary Art and Film
Vera Dika
The reuse of images, plots, and genres from film history has become
prominent in contemporary culture. In this study, Vera Dika explores
this phenomenon from a broad range of critical perspectives, examining
works of art and film that resists the pull of the past. Films discussed
include: Badlands, Apocalypse Now, The Shootist, American
Grafitti, The Conformist, and others. Softcover, 241 pp.
$35.95.
Obsession: Celebrities and their Stalkers
David Harvey
Because celebrities are constantly in the media spotlight, they are particularly
susceptible to stalker attacks. This informative book uncovers some of the most
shocking stalking cases of recent times, including those involving Jodie Foster,
Brad Pitt,
John Lennon, Steven Spielberg, and Madonna. Softcover, 258 pp. $19.95.
How Canadians Communicate
David Taras, Fritz Pannekoek and Maria Bakardjieva
Within a uniquely Canadian context, this book considers new media communications
in Aboriginal communities, the changing role of the state in cultural institutions,
the conglomeratization of the media, and the vulnerability of Canadian identity
in
the face of American and global communications. How Canadians Communicate presents
the most current perspectives on communication in a rapidly changing world of
technology and communication. Softcover, 332 pp. $34.95.
Digital Expressions
Media Literacy and English Language Arts
Roberta F. Hammett/Barrie R. C. Barrell
Digital Expressions brings together the views of a number of teachers, teacher
educators, and scholars, all with an interest in exploring how digital media, among
others, can be incorporated into the classroom in interesting, exciting and educationally
meaningful ways. Softcover 228 pp. $28.95.
James Dean Died Here
The Locations of America's Pop Culture Landmarks
Chris Epting
This book takes you on an anecdotal journey across North America to the exact locations
where the most significant events in American pop culture took place. Featuring hundreds
of photographs, this encyclopedic look at famous and infamous pop culture landmarks,
is an amazing portrait of the bizarre, shocking weird and wonderful moments that
have come to define America. Softcover 310 pp. $25.95.
Killing Monsters
Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence
Gerald Jones
Children choose their heroes more carefully than we think. From Pokemon to Eminem,
pop culture icons are not simply commercial pied pipers who practice mass hypnosis
on our youth. Indeed, even the most violent games and TV shows can help children
conquer fears and develop a bold sense of self, argues Gerald Jones, author of this
lively and persuasive paean to the power of pop culture. Softcover 261 pp. $23.00.
Prime Time Animation
Television Animation and American Culture
Carol A. Stabile/Mark Harrison
In this collection of wide-ranging essays pertaining to prime time animation, the
contributors explore a series of key issues and questions. The first half of the
book is devoted to historical perspectives, while the second half focuses on specific
case studies of shows such as, The Simpsons, South Park, The Powerpuff
Girls. Softcover 254 pp. $34.95.
Shooting People
Adventures in Reality TV
Sam Brenton/Reuben Cohen
Shooting People examines the emergence of "reality TV", its relation
to documentary and its place within a globalised TV industry. A timely and elucidating
account of one of contemporary television's most ubiquitous genres. Hardcover 184
pp. $31.00.
Killing Monsters: Why Children Need Fantasy, Super Heroes, and Make-Believe Violence
Gerald Jones
Children choose their heroes more carefully than we think. From Pokemon to Eminem,
pop culture icons are not simply commercial pied pipers who practice mass hypnosis
on our youth. Indeed, even the most violent games and TV shows can help children
conquer fears and develop a bold sense of self, argues Gerald Jones, author of this
lively and persuasive paean to the power of pop culture. Softcover, 261 pp. $23.00.
Stupid White Men
Michael Moore
Filmmaker, television personality, author, and all-round provocateur Michael Moore
turns his critical attention and high-powered wit onto the state of the nation in
the new century in Stupid White Men. Amoung his targets are George W. Bush, corporate
America, and collective apathy. This audio version of the #1 New York Times Bestseller,
is read by Arte Johnson. Cassette, $54.00; CD, $77.00.
Scanning Television
Second Edition
Neil Anderson, Kathleen Tyner and John J. Pungente
Scanning Television is a thought-provoking collection of 51 short videos produced
for the teaching of media literacy studies. A stimulating classroom resource, this
set also includes 4 copies of a teacher's guide to aid in the integration of Scanning
Television into any curriculum. Cassette tapes. $374.99.
Media Unlimited
Todd Gitlin
From video games to elevator music, from action movies to reality shows, we live
in a world of relentless sensation, instant transition, and nonstop stimulus. Media
Unlimited takes a remarkable and original look at our media-glutted, speed-addicted
world, and reveal the unending stream of manufactured images images and sounds as
a perverse culmination of western hopes for freedom. Softcover, 260 pp. $18.95.
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