EBOOK: Critical Theories of Mass Media: Then and Now

"This is a welcome critical corrective to complacent mainstream accounts of the media's cultural impact". Prof. Slavoj Zizek, International Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities at Birkbeck, University of London "A powerful and highly engaging re-assessment of past critical thinkers (including those not normally thought of as critical) in the light of today's mediascape". Jorge Reina Schement, Distinguished Professor of Communications, Penn State University With the exception of occasional moral panics about the coarsening of public discourse, and the impact of advertising and television violence upon children, mass media tend to be viewed as a largely neutral or benign part of contemporary life. Even when criticisms are voiced, the media chooses how and when to discuss its own inadequacies. More radical external critiques are often excluded and media theorists are frequently more optimistic than realistic about the negative aspects of mass culture. This book reassesses this situation in the light of both early and contemporary critical scholarship and explores the intimate relationship between the mass media and the dis-empowering nature of commodity culture. The authors cast a fresh perspective on contemporary mass culture by comparing past and present critiques. They: Outline the key criticisms of mass culture from past critical thinkers Reassess past critical thought in the changed circumstances of today Evaluate the significance of new critical thinkers for today's mass culture The book begins by introducing the critical insights from major theorists from the past - Walter Benjamin, Siegfried Kracauer, Theodor Adorno, Marshall McLuhan and Guy Debord. Paul Taylor and Jan Harris then apply these insights to recent provocative writers such as Jean Baudrillard and Slavoj Žižek, and discuss the links between such otherwise apparently unrelated contemporary events as the Iraqi Abu Ghraib controversy and the rise of reality television. Critical Theories of Mass Media is a key text for students of cultural studies, communications and media studies, and sociology. Annotation "This is a welcome critical corrective to complacent mainstream accounts of the media's cultural impact". Prof. Slavoj Zizek, International Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities at Birkbeck, University of London "A powerful and highly engaging re-assessment of past critical thinkers (including those not normally thought of as critical) in the light of today's mediascape". Jorge Reina Schement, Distinguished Professor of Communications, Penn State University With the exception of occasional moral panics about the coarsening of public discourse, and the impact of advertising and television violence upon children, mass media tend to be viewed as a largely neutral or benign part of contemporary life. Even when criticisms are voiced, the media chooses how and when to discuss its own inadequacies. More radical external critiques are often excluded and media theorists are frequently more optimistic than realistic about the negative aspects of mass culture. This book reassesses this situation in the light of both early and contemporary critical scholarship and explores the intimate relationship between the mass media and the dis-empowering nature of commodity culture. The authors cast a fresh perspective on contemporary mass culture by comparing past and present critiques. They: Outline the key criticisms of mass culture from past critical thinkers Reassess past critical thought in the changed circumstances of today Evaluate the significance of new critical thinkers for today's mass culture The book begins by introducing the critical insights from major theorists from the past - Walter Benjamin, Siegfried Kracauer, Theodor Adorno, Marshall McLuhan and Guy Debord. Paul Taylor and Jan Harris then apply these insights to recent provocative writers such as Jean Baudrillard and Slavoj Žižek, and discuss the links between such otherwise apparently unrelated contemporary events as the Iraqi Abu Ghraib controversy and the rise of reality television. Critical Theories of Mass Media is a key text for students of cultural studies, communications and media studies, and sociology With The Exception Of Occasional Moral Panics About The Coarsening Of Public Discourse, And The Impact Of Advertising And Television Violence Upon Children, Mass Media Tend To Be Viewed As A Largely Neutral Or Benign Part Of Contemporary Life. Even When Criticisms Are Voiced, The Media Chooses How And When To Discuss Its Own Inadequacies. More Radical External Critiques Are Often Excluded And Media Theorists Are Frequently More Optimistic Than Realistic About The Negative Aspects Of Mass Culture. This Book Reassesses This Situation In The Light Of Both Early And Contemporary Critical Scholarship And Explores The Intimate Relationship Between The Mass Media And The Disempowering Nature Of Commodity Culture. The Authors Cast A Fresh Perspective On Contemporary Mass Culture By Comparing Past And Present Critiques. The Book Begins By Introducing The Critical Insights From Major Theorists From The Past - Walter Benjamin, Siegfried Kracauer, Theodor Adorno, Marshall Mcluhan And Guy Debord. Paul Taylor And Jan Harris Then Apply These Insights To Recent Provocative Writers Such As Jean Baudrillard And Slavoj Zizek, And Discuss The Links Between Such Otherwise Apparently Unrelated Contemporary Events As The Iraqi Abu Ghraib Controversy And The Rise Of Reality Television. Critical Theories Of Mass Culture Is A Key Text For Students Of Cultural Studies, Communications And Media Studies, And Sociology.--jacket. Part I. Then. Walter Benjamin's 'work Of Art' Essay ; Siegfried Kracauer's Mass Ornament ; Theodor Adorno And The Culture Industry ; Marshall Mcluhan's Understanding Of The Media ; Guy Debord's Society Of The Spectacle -- Part Ii. Now. The Cult-ure Of Celebrity ; Banality Tv : The Democratization Of Celebrity ; The Politics Of Banality : The Ob-scene As The Mis-en-scène. Paul A. Taylor And Jan Li. Harris. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [215]-233) And Index. Front cover 1 Title page 2 Half title page 4 Copyright page 5 Dedication 6 Content page 8 Acknowledgements 10 Chapter outlines 12 Introduction:Cultural populism and critical theory 16 Part 1: Then 30 Chapter1: Walter Benjamin's Work of art essay 32 Chapter 2: Siegfried Kracauer's mass ornament 54 Chapter 3: Theodor Adorno and the culture industry 77 Chapter 4: Marshall McLuhan's understanding of the media 100 Chapter 5: Guy Debord's society of the spectacle 122 Part 2: Now 144 Introduction to part 2 146 Chapter 6: The culture of celebrity 148 Chaptera 7: Banality TV: the democratization of celebrity 170 Chapter 8: The politics of banality: the ob-scene as the mis-en-scene 192 Conclusion 213 Notes 230 Bibliography 238 Index 250 Back cover 262