Encyclopedia of Politics, the Media, and Popular Culture

(Hardback)

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Description

Whether it's television, radio, concerts, live appearances by comedians, Internet websites, or even the political party conventions themselves, the mixing of politics and popular culture is frequently on display. The Encyclopedia of Politics, the Media, and Popular Culture examines the people, major events, media, and controversies in eight thematic chapters and over 150 entries to provide an invaluable resource for any student, scholar, or everyday political junkie needing a comprehensive introduction to the subject. On a typical weeknight in the United States, millions shun the traditional evening network news broadcasts and, instead, later grab their remotes to turn to Comedy Central to catch up on the political happenings of the day, delivered by the comedian Jon Stewart on the faux news program, The Daily Show. Immediately afterwards, they might stay tuned to The Colbert Report for another dosage of hilarious, fake news that, to them, comes across more honestly than the serious version they could watch on CNN. Whether it's television, radio, concerts, live appearances by comedians, Internet websites, or even the political party conventions themselves, the mixing of politics and popular culture is frequently on display. The Encyclopedia of Politics, the Media, and Popular Culture provides in-depth coverage of these fascinating, and often surprising intersections in both historical and contemporary culture. This highly readable and entertaining encyclopedia provides a sweeping survey of the historic and ongoing interplay between politics, the media, and popular culture in eight thought-provoking chapters. The volume is enhanced with the inclusion of over 150 entries to help students and researchers easily locate more in-depth information on topics ranging from political scandals to YouTube.

Reviews

For academic libraries that support programs in political science, popular culture, or media studies, this will be a valuable addition to their reference collections. * ARBAonline *
Cogan (communication arts, Molloy Coll.) and Kelso (mass communications, Iona Coll.) have penned an engaging and well-researched book about the intersection of politics, media, and popular culture. . . . This volume fully succeeds in providing students with a better understanding of how politics infiltrates popular culture. A solid addition to academic library collections. * Library Journal *
Eight in-depth essays. . .provide concise history and objective analyses that will be useful for reports. . . . The browsing opportunities alone are worth the purchase price, but students will be particularly grateful for articles on outlets such as CNN and NPR, media portrayals of the recent presidents, various figures in entertainment who are or were politically active (Chris Rock, John Lennon), TV shows, and such concepts as 'Apple Pie (as symbol). * School Library Journal *
Media in this country has helped shaped culture, which has affected politics, which in turn has influenced how those same media behave. The inter-relatedness of these societal elements is distinctive. Part I of this book is thematically organized by chapter examining these relationships from both a historical and contemporary perspective. Part II presented alphabetically arranged entries for people, programs, and events related to these subjects. The book succeeds at being a handy reference work, or just a fun volume to peruse. * Reference & Research Book News *
Targeted to undergraduates, this work would support cross-disciplinary classes. Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and general readers. * Choice *
This highly-readable encyclopedia provides in-depth coverage of popular culture's effect on politics. Recommended. * Library Media Connection *
This book is an interesting and engaging mlange which handily accomplishes what it sets out to do Enjoyable to just thumb through, it is recommended for both academic and public library reference collections, as it will appeal to a variety of audiences. * Reference Reviews *

Author Bio

Brian Cogan is a writer and professor who has written extensively on music and popular culture as well as music criticism. Tony Kelso is associate professor in the Department of Mass Communication at Iona College, New Rochelle, NY.