Description
Book SynopsisThe second edition of Popular Culture in American History updates the text for a contemporary readership and explores academic developments in this area of study over the last decade. Its compact, classroom-friendly format makes it an ideal text for courses in media studies, popular culture, or American history.
Trade Review"This stunning collection of essays and sources is indispensable for the study of popular culture. Jim Cullen knows more about the subject than anyone, and this second edition gives us a sweeping vision of the making and meaning of American popular culture." -- Louis P. Masur, Rutgers University "This book is the place to start if you're fascinated by the history of popular culture in America. It's an enlightening exploration into what people read, watched, joked about, listened to, danced to, and imagined in America's past." -- Bruce Dorsey, Swarthmore College "Cullen's outstanding collection helps readers understand the significance of key cultural changes, ranging from the movies to the web. Groundbreaking essays as well as insight into how historians work make this a valuable volume." -- Lizabeth Cohen, author of A Consumers' Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America
Table of ContentsNotes on Contributors x
Preface and Acknowledgments to the Second Edition xii
Acknowledgments to the First Edition xv
Introduction: The Worldwide Web of Popular Culture 1
1 New News 11
Timeline 11
Introduction 12
Little Sheets of News and Varieties: The Penny Wonder in New York City by Isabelle Lehuu 13
Consider the Source: 33
Excerpt from “Great Astronomical Discoveries Recently Made,” from the Sun (Friday, August 28, 1835) 33
Suggested Further Reading 35
2 The World of the Stage 37
Timeline 37
Introduction 38
William Shakespeare in America by Lawrence Levine 39
Consider the Source: 59
Excerpt from Representative Men, by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1850) 60
Suggested Further Reading 66
3 The Racy Appeal of the Minstrel 67
Timeline 67
Introduction 68
The Blackface Lore Cycle by W. T. Lhamon, Jr. 71
Consider the Source: 86
Excerpts from Nineteenth-Century Minstrel Shows 86
Suggested Further Reading 88
4 Western Values 91
Timeline 91
Introduction 92
Women and the Language of Men by Jane Tompkins 94
Consider the Source: 109
First excerpt from The Virginian, by Owen Wister (1902) 110
Second excerpt from The Virginian, by Owen Wister (1902) 112
Suggested Further Reading 113
5 Moving Images 115
Timeline 115
Introduction 116
Nickel Madness by Robert Sklar 118
Consider the Source: 133
Excerpts from The Spirit of Youth, by Jane Addams (1909) 134
Suggested Further Reading 138
6 Waves of Selling 139
Timeline 139
Introduction 140
Arguments over Broadcast Advertising by Susan Smulyan 142
Consider the Source: 180
Excerpt from “Sponsoritis,” from Radio Revue magazine (1930) 180
Suggested Further Reading 181
7 The Firmament of Stardom 183
Timeline 183
Introduction 184
Fool’s Paradise: Frank Sinatra and the American Dream by Jim Cullen 186
Consider the Source: 211
“Why the Americans Are So Restless in the Midst of Their Prosperity,” from Volume 2 of Democracy in America, by Alexis de Tocqueville (1840) 211
Suggested Further Reading 215
8 Seeing Television 217
Timeline 217
Introduction 218
Reality Bites by Susan J. Douglas 220
Consider the Source: 237
Excerpts from After All, by Mary Tyler Moore (1995) 237
Suggested Further Reading 239
9 Rapping Hip-Hop 241
Timeline 241
Introduction 242
Just Keeping It Real by Tricia Rose 245
Consider the Source: 257
Excerpts from Ladies First, by Queen Latifah (1999) 257
Suggested Further Reading 259
10 Tangled Web 261
Timeline 261
Introduction 262
The Emperor’s New Modem by Lee Siegel 266
Consider the Source: 276
Excerpt from The Art of Democracy, by Jim Cullen (2002) 276
Suggested Further Reading 277
Source Credits 279
