{"product_id":"acculturated-23-savvy-writers-find-hidden-virtue-in-reality-tv-chic-lit-video-games-and-other-pillars-of-pop-culture-9781599474045","title":"Acculturated: 23 Savvy Writers Find Hidden Virtue","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e Contemporary popular culture, from books to film to television to music to the deepest corners of the internet, has provoked much criticism, some of it well deserved. Yet, popular culture \u003ci\u003eis\u003c\/i\u003e culture for many Americans—particularly younger Americans. It is the only kind of cultural experience they seek and the currency in which they trade. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e In \u003ci\u003eAcculturated\u003c\/i\u003e, twenty-three thinkers examine the rituals, the myths, the tropes, the peculiar habits, the practices, and the neuroses of our modern era. Every culture finds a way for people to tell stories about themselves. We rely on these stories to teach us why we do the things we do, to test the limits of our experience, to reaffirm deeply felt truths about human nature, and to teach younger generations about vice and virtue, honor and shame, and a great deal more. A phenomenon like the current crop of reality television shows, for example, with their bevy of “real” housewives, super-size families, and toddler beauty-pageant candidates, seems an unlikely place to find truths about human nature or examples of virtue. And yet, on these shows, and in much else of what passes for popular culture these days, a surprising theme emerges: Move beyond the visual excess and hyperbole, and you will find the makings of classic morality tales. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e As the title suggests, readers will find in these pages “A-Culture Rated.” This lively roundtable of “raters” includes renowned cultural critics like Caitlin Flannigan and Chuck Colson and celebrated culture creators like the producers of the hit ABC comedy \u003ci\u003eModern Family\u003c\/i\u003e and the host of \u003ci\u003eTLC’s What Not to Wear\u003c\/i\u003e. Editors Christine Rosen and Naomi Schaefer Riley have tasked these contributors—both the critics and the insiders—with taking a step or two back from the unceasing din of popular culture so that they might better judge its value and its values and help readers think more deeply about the meaning of the narratives with which they are bombarded every waking minute. In doing so, the editors hope to foster a wide-reaching public conversation to help us think more clearly about our culture. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE\u003c\/b\u003e Judy Bachrach, Megan Basham, Mark Bauerlein, Pia Catton, Chuck Colson, Paul Corrigan, Caitlin Flanagan, Meghan Cox Gurdon, Margo Howard, Kay S. Hymowitz, Jonathan V. Last, Herb London, Stacy London, Rob Long, Megan McArdle, Wilfred M. McClay, Caitrin Nicol, Joe Queenan, Emily Esfahani Smith, Brad Walsh, and Tony Woodlief. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e“Acculturated\u003c\/i\u003e consists of essays in the best sense of the term—always readable and concise, often witty and entertaining, providing unconventional takes on their subjects and illuminating them with flashes of genuine insight. Covering a remarkable range of topics in contemporary pop culture, the essays offer a composite portrait of America today—with all its sublimities and absurdities. The authors may be critical of pop culture, but unlike many academics, they show that they are familiar with and have a feel for the phenomena in which they write.” —Paul A. Cantor, author of \u003ci\u003eGilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e “Sizing up and taking down the things we read, watch, and play, this all-star team of analysts provides a series of delights and surprises that will make you ponder the deep structures that inform our lives, even when we think we’re off-duty. As one essay puts it, ‘Style matters.’ Yes, and so does fun. —Kyle Smith, movie critic, \u003ci\u003eNew York Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e“Acculturated\u003c\/i\u003e is a collection of brief, sharp-eyed, complex—and in the best sense of that sadly overused and abused term, entertaining—accounts of present-day American sensibilities and daily lives. It could have been titled The Way We Live Now, and no one in the country will not experience the comfort of finding his habits and attitudes reflected in at least some, if not every last, of its pages.” —Midge Decter, author of \u003ci\u003eAn Old Wife’s Tale\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Any college-level collection strong in the cultural analysis will consider this a lively, insightful survey.​\" —\u003ci\u003eCalifornia Bookwatch\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \"Editors and authors Rosen and Riley compile 23 US writers and journalists' essays examining what popular culture teaches people about themselves and how society can reclaim popular culture to discuss concepts like virtue and character. They consider how reality TV, children’s and teen culture, Facebook, YouTube, video games, Lady Gaga, professional sports, blogs, cooking shows, celebrity chefs, and other pop culture forms teach people about how to behave and treat each other in relationships, including online dating and adultery, and how well those lessons are learned; how it reflects children’s experiences; how it has changed the way people spend their leisure time; and effects on self-improvement, such as in forgiveness and death and dying.\" —\u003ci\u003eBook News, Inc\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \"Editors and authors Rosen and Riley compile essays by 23 US writers and journalists who examine what popular culture has to teach people about themselves and how society can reclaim popular culture to discuss concepts like virtue and character.\" —\u003ci\u003eSciTech Book News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e Introduction \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Naomi Schaefer Riley and Christine Rosen \/ ix \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Part 1: Love in a Time of Reality TV \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 1. Sex, Lies, and YouTube\u003cbr\u003e Kay S. Hymowitz \/ 3 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 2. Monster Mashup: How Our Culture’s Heroes and Villains Have Traded Places\u003cbr\u003e Tony Woodlief \/ 15 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 3. Chick Lit and the Master\/Slave Dialectic\u003cbr\u003e Meghan Cox Gurdon \/ 23 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 4. Lonely Hearts Online: Why I’m Glad I Didn’t Meet My Husband on Match.com\u003cbr\u003e Megan Basham \/ 35 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 5. In My Humble Opinion: Why Americans Still Need Advice Columnists\u003cbr\u003e Margo Howard \/ 45 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 6. All the President’s Friends: The Challenge of Loyalty in Politics\u003cbr\u003e Pia Catton \/ 51 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Part 2: Smells Like Teen Spirit \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 7. An Unnatural Habitat: The Separate Lives of Adolescents\u003cbr\u003e Mark Bauerlein \/ 61 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 8. The Achievement Trap: How Overparenting Undermines Character\u003cbr\u003e Caitlin Flanagan \/ 69 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Part 3: At Your Leisure \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 9. Games People Play—Together\u003cbr\u003e Jonathan V. Last \/ 79 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 10. Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Why Pro Athletes Aren’t Heroes\u003cbr\u003e Joe Queenan \/ 89 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 11. Performance Art: The Faux Creativity of Lady Gaga\u003cbr\u003e Emily Esfahani Smith \/ 99 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 12. Project Runway: The Surprising Virtues of Style\u003cbr\u003e Herb London and Stacy London \/ 107 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 13. Back to Betty Crocker: Why Everyday Cooking Matters\u003cbr\u003e Megan McArdle \/ 113 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 14. In Search of the Next Great American Songbook\u003cbr\u003e Wilfred M. McClay \/ 121 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Part 4: Building a Better You \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 15. Controlling Our Bodies, Controlling Ourselves\u003cbr\u003e Daniel Akst \/ 133 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 16. Public Broadcasting: The Allure of Overexposure\u003cbr\u003e Rob Long \/ 141 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 17. Lessons for Life: The Virtues of Continuing Education\u003cbr\u003e Patrick Allitt \/ 149 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 18. Death Be Not Chic\u003cbr\u003e Judy Bachrach \/ 159 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 19. The American Dream, Twenty-Two Minutes at a Time\u003cbr\u003e Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh \/ 165 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 20. Utopian Virtues\u003cbr\u003e Caitrin Nicol \/ 171 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 21. Never Having to Say You’re Sorry: The Challenges of Forgiveness in an Age of Relativism\u003cbr\u003e Chuck Colson \/ 179 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Contributors \/ 189 \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Templeton Foundation Press,U.S.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51041583006039,"sku":"9781599474045","price":999.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781599474045.jpg?v=1750950879","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/acculturated-23-savvy-writers-find-hidden-virtue-in-reality-tv-chic-lit-video-games-and-other-pillars-of-pop-culture-9781599474045","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}