The 1990s

(Hardback)

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Description

The last decade of the millennium was, in many ways, the most diverse and fascinating in the history of American culture. Alternative subcultures gained unprecedented exposure, manifest in such phenomena as grunge music, gansta rap, hip-hop fashion, raves, extreme sports, and the art of Robert Mapplethorpe and Andres Serrano. Twin Peaks, The X-Files, and The Phantom Menace brought science fiction to the mainstream. Bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam spread the Seattle rock scene across America. And even coffeehouse culture went mainstream with the proliferation of the Starbucks chain. Ethnic minorities, youth culture, and homosexual society all achieved larger roles in shaping the American identity. Meanwhile, corporate America pressed onward in its never-ending search for high ratings, giant profits, and more bang for its buck. The twelve narrative chapters in this book depict the United States as brought to you by Generation Xa culture busting out in new and unforeseen ways. The volume also includes chapter bibliographies, a timeline, cost comparisons, and lists of suggested further reading.

Reviews

"Greenwood's Daily Life through History series has become a staple resource in many high-school, public, and academic libraries. American Popular Culture through History is recommended for the same libraries and should be equally well received."

Author Bio

Marc Oxoby received his BA from San Jose State University and now lives in Reno, Nevada, where he is a doctoral candidate in the University of Nevada, Reno English Department. He has worked as a disc jockey and as the editor of the small-press literary journal CRiME CLUb. He currently teaches English and Humanities classes at UNR. A regular contributor to the scholarly journal Film and History, he has also written for several other periodicals, as well as for The St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture and The International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers.