Description
Book SynopsisGossip Girl: A Critical Understanding provides a critical analysis of The CW's hit teen television drama Gossip Girl. Lori Bindig analyzes episodes as a set of media texts that blur the boundaries between hegemonic and counter-hegemonic content. Using political economy, textual and audience analyses, Bindig dissects how the show presents ideological content in regard to gender, race, class, sexuality, and consumerism, ultimately unearthing potential ramifications of Gossip Girl and other popular media texts. In addition, Bindig examines the expansive fan community and its engagement with the show through online forums and YouTube. Gossip Girl: A Critical Understanding will appeal to scholars of media, audience studies, and popular culture.
Trade ReviewBindig insightfully shows how media conglomerates’ and advertisers’ concerted efforts to narrowly define demographics is primarily based on a recognition of the increase in both the American youth population’s spending power...coupled with their influence on household purchases.... Strongest of all, her exploration of how Gossip Girl dissolves the difference between the constructs of race and class...rightfully takes the show to task and seriously challenges the myth and legacy of the so-called ‘American Dream’. * Critical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies *
Lori Bindig has written a book that elegantly and seamlessly demonstrates how media scholars can integrate a political economy approach with a cultural analysis of how texts both produce and reproduce hegemonic (and in some cases counter-hegemonic) ideologies of gender, race, and class. Gossip Girl: A Critical Understanding introduces students to a nuanced and sophisticated understanding of media theory while at the same time deftly applying key concepts to interrogate how the show was produced and consumed within a complex set of economic and cultural contexts. -- Gail Dines, Wheelock College
Bindig’s analysis provides an engaging model of a critical cultural studies approach to a television series, ideal for classroom use. With detailed analysis of Gossip Girl’s six seasons, careful dissection of its place within the media industries, and thoughtful consideration of its fans’ investment in the show, Bindig delivers a thorough picture of the impact of this popular series. -- Elana Levine, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
With a sophisticated theoretical view and sound methodological approach, this book has much to teach us about the power and influence of contemporary television. Comprehensive in its analysis of Gossip Girl, it is also a delightful read. These pages are full of insights that connect the program to everyday life, and help scholars and students alike understand that such an exceptional work of critical media studies can illuminate the world we live in. -- Robin Andersen, Fordham University
Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: From Page to Screen: The Political Economy of Gossip Girl Chapter 3: “Without You, I’m Nothing”: Representations of Gender on Gossip Girl Chapter 4: “We Are What You Aspire To”: Race and Class on Gossip Girl Chapter 5: She Gets Dumped and He Gets Girls: Sexuality on Gossip Girl Chapter 6: “Whoever said money doesn’t buy happiness didn’t know where to shop”: Gossip Girl and Consumerism Chapter 7: I Seriously Started Crying: Audience Analysis and Gossip Girl Appendix A: Brief Synopses of the Six Seasons of Gossip Girl Appendix B: Methodology
