Descriere: The face of entertainment has changed radically over the last decade--and dangerously so. Stars like Britney, Paris, Lindsay, Amy Winehouse--and their media enablers--have altered what we consider "normal" behavior. According to addiction specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky and business and entertainment expert Dr. S. Mark Young, a high proportion of celebrities suffer from traits associated with clinical narcissism--vanity, exhibitionism, entitlement, exploitativeness--and the rest of us, especially young people, are mirroring what we witness nightly on our TV and computer screens. A provocative, eye-opening study, The Mirror Effect sounds a timely warning, raising important questions about our changing culture--and provides insights for parents, young people, and anyone who wonders what the cult of celebrity is really doing to America.
Autori: Drew Pinsky, S. Mark Young | Editura: Harper Paperbacks | Anul aparitiei: 2010 | ISBN: 9780061582349 | Numar de pagini: 288 | Categorie: Pop
The Cult TV Book: From Star Trek to Dexter, New Approaches to TV Outside the Box
As evidenced by the recent proliferation of fan conventions, television show boxed sets, and collectible character figurines, cult TV shows have arguably become the most vital and interesting programming on television. The once-marginal genre manifests itself in a remarkable variety of programs, from the suburban mob drama The Sopranos to the beloved occult fantasy Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The Cult TV Book is a guide to this phenomenon, complete with lively and diverse analyses of the work that goes into conceiving and marketing a cult series, as well as numerous investigations that explore the unique cult appeal of individual programs. Leading scholars, journalists, and writers consider the many aspects of a show -- both script-based and visual -- that attract the kind of uncompromisingly loyal fan bases that we know as "Trekkies," for example, or, more recently, "Losties."The Cult TV Book sheds light on the heretofore under-examined science of addictive TV programming, pinpointing the complex arcs and intentionally inadequate explanations that keep viewers coming back for more. The contributors cover every corner of the cult map, all the while trying to define the elusive genre, ...
Matt Groening
The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family
It's hard to believe that the Simpsons have been around for more than a decade. Today, The Simpsons is the longest-running animated series of all time (dethroning The Flintstones in February 1997), and an intrinsic part of pop culture. The Simpsons Complete Guide to your Favourite Show is a celebration of this family's phenomenal decade. Arranged by season, the book covers each episode of the television show, with the special episodes (the annual Halloween show, "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" and "Krusty Gets Kancelled") receiving eyeball-busting two-page spreads. In addition, special sidebars are sprinkled throughout, showing: Simpsons firsts Bart's chalkboard lines Top Homerisms An Itchy & Scratchy filmography A Springfield timeline Things the audience may have missed Highlighting the best of every show, The Simpsons is the ultimate celebration of the cartoon family that has kept the world in stitches. It is the ultimate must-have for all Simpsons aficionados.
Judith Barad, Ed Robertson
For Trekkies everywhere, a fascinating look at the philosophy of Star Trek , from Kirk and Spock to Janeway and Seven of Nine For four decades, Star Trek has been the obsession of millions of fans. But real Trekkies know that the show is more than just riveting entertainment. Its complex moral dilemmas present a view of the future that holds important truths for us in the present. Drawing on episodes from all four Star Trek generations, this unique book explores the ethics of the series in relation to the theories of the world's great philosophers. Questions about good and evil, right and wrong, power and corruption are discussed in language that, is both readable and compelling as the authors show, how the program has evolved over the years to address society's changing values. For this century and beyond, The Ethics of "Star Trek" is an intriguing look at a brilliantly imagined-world and what it can teach us about how to live.