Mosh the Polls: Youth Voters, Popular Culture, and Democratic Engagement

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

This timely, highly readable edited collection undertakes an interdisciplinary analysis of the innovative ways in which both the political process and the entertainment industry appeal to voters under the age of 30 and how the intended audience receives these endeavors. Along the way, contributors shed light on the state of the modern American political system and its relationship to entertainment and popular culture. By integrating academic investigations with a 'real-world' point of view, the essays in this collection present information in an engaging, accessible manner that will show readers how the articulation of youth culture has influenced the political engagement of young voters.

Reviews

Do tv shows like The Daily Show and online phenomena like The Obama Girl dumb down political conversations, or do they invite young adults to join the discussion Exploring several developments at the intersection of politics and entertainment, this lively book provides great fodder for debating this topic, and college students especially will find it a compelling read. -- Lynn Schofield Clark, author of From Angels to Aliens: Teenagers, the Media, and the Supernatural
As young citizens demonstrate a renewed engagement with the political world, the need for scholarly investigations into the popular avenues through which such engagements are encouraged and facilitated couldnt be greater. Kelso and Cogan move us beyond debates of legitimacy for such pop cultural forums, and instead provide an assemblage of thoughtful scholars who smartly interrogate the myriad mediated means through which young people encounter politics. Students will enjoy this book because it takes them, their media, and their politics seriously. -- Jeffrey P. Jones, author of Entertaining Politics: New Political Television and Civic Culture
An intriguing and insightful journey through the emerging forms of civic discourse. Well grounded in recent scholarship on political communication. . . .This volume provides an excellent starting point for informed discussion and future research. Highly recommended. * Choice Reviews *
Popular culture and political culture are all too often segregated and compartmentalized, when in fact they are altogether interdependent, and at times uniquely synergistic. Kelso and Cogan bridge a longstanding chasm in the scholarly literature with this groundbreaking anthology. -- Lance A. Strate, President of the Media Ecology Association

Author Bio

Brian Cogan is associate professor in the Department of Communication Arts at Molloy College.

Tony Kelso is associate professor of mass communication at Iona College.