Popular Culture (eBook)

Marcel Danesi is professor of anthropology, semiotics, and communication theory at the University of Toronto. He is the author of several books, including the Concise Dictionary of Popular Culture.

Preface1 What Is Pop Culture?Defining Pop CultureOrigins and SpreadThe Medieval EntertainmentsCarnivals and CircusesThe Role of OperaPop Culture, Material Culture, and TechnologyFeatures of Pop CultureStudying Pop Culture2 Explaining Pop CultureCommunications ModelsCritical TheoriesPsychological and Sociological TheoriesSemiotic ApproachesTransgression TheoriesThe Nature of PopularityPopularity in the Age of the Internet3 The Business of Pop CultureThe Market for Pop CultureThe Pop Culture IndustryFad Culture Celebrity CultureNano-CelebritiesA Model4 Popular Print CultureBooksNewspapersMagazinesComicsThe News Media and the Nature of Representation5 Radio CultureRadio BroadcastingRadio GenresThe Radio StageThe Importance of Radio in Pop Culture HistoryRadio and the Evolution of Contemporary Society and Politics6 Pop MusicThe Advent of Pop MusicSocial ChangeDissentPop Music in the Internet AgeMusic and the “Republic”: Plato’s View Revisited in the Internet Age7 Cinema and VideoMotion PicturesPostmodernismThe BlockbusterVideo CultureCinema in the Internet AgeThe Age of “Netflix”8 TelevisionTelevision BroadcastingThe Comedic and the RealTelevision as a Social TextEffectsTV in the Internet AgeReality TV and the Evolution of “Pop Politics”9 Advertising and BrandingAdvertisingAd CultureBrandingAdvertising in the Internet Age10 Pop LanguageDefining Pop LanguageSlang Spelling Style TextspeakThe Language of Emoji11 Online Pop CultureBack to McLuhanThe Online StageSocial Media MemesYouTubeThe Virtual Marketplace for Pop Culture12 Forever PopThe Show Must Go OnPop Culture SpreadPop Culture in the Global VillageWill Pop Culture Survive?Exercises and Discussion QuestionsGlossaryReferences and Further Reading