Description
Book SynopsisAt a time when crises of morality, beliefs, value systems, and personal worth dominate both public and private spheres, Oprah's emergence as a cultural form - the Oprah persona - becomes clearer, as she successfully reiterates some of our pressing moral questions. This book looks at Oprah's method and her message.
Trade ReviewWe should commend Illouz in her willingness to blaze a new, and certainly untested path in anthropological writing. -- Seth Jacobs Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute Outstanding... its author digs deeper into her subject matter than any other researcher yet to address Oprah. -- David W. Park Journal of Communication
Table of Contents1. Introduction: Oprah Winfrey and the Sociology of Culture 2. The Success of a Self-Failed Woman 3. Everyday Life as the Uncanny: The Oprah Winfrey Show as a New Cultural Genre 4. Pain and Circuses 5. The Hypertext of Identity 6. Suffering and Self-Help as Global Forms of Identity 7. The Sources and Resources of The Oprah Winfrey Show 8. Toward an Impure Critique of Popular Culture 9. Conclusion: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Television Notes Bibliography Index
