Media Virus! : Hidden Agendas in Popular Culture

the Most Virulent Viruses Today Are Composed Of Information. In This Information-driven Age, The Easiest Way To Manipulate The Culture Is Through The Media. A Hip And Caustically Humorous Mcluhan For The '90s, Culture Watcher Douglas Rushkoff Now Offers A Fascinating Expose Of Media Manipulation In Today's Age Of Instant Information. publishers Weekly this Provocative Title Suggests The Author Will Follow The Familiar Route Of Explaining How Popular Culture Manipulates Its Audience Into Complacency. On The Contrary, Rushkoff (the Genx Reader) Asserts That Media ``viruses'' Empower Audiences Both To Become More Actively Engaged With The Media And To Challenge The Status Quo. Viruses, E.g., Rap Song ``cop Killer'' And The Videotape Of The Rodney King Beating, Are Controversial, Compelling Images Or Ideas That Allow Countercultural Politics To Infiltrate Mainstream Media. The Hidden Agendas Rushkoff Explores Here Are Thus Subversive Ones. His Readings Of Various Media Outlets, Such As Tv Shows Like The Simpsons And Ren And Stimpy, As Launchpads For Antiestablishment Messages About Alternative Lifestyles, Are Smart And Interesting. But His Conclusions About The Revolutionary Potential Of Media Viruses Are Not Always Substantiated By His Analyses, And His Use Of Techno-jargon Makes His Arguments Often Difficult To Follow. Author Tour. (oct.) Finally, there is a way to understand the bizarre relationship we Americans have with our information technology: the media is alive. Welcome to the "datasphere," also known as the late twentieth century. Here, good news, bad news, any news, travels in the blink of an eye. And not just news, but information: ideas, images, and icons; fads, fashions, and fantasies; truths, lies, and propaganda. While cable television, fiber-optic telecommunications, satellite dishes, computer modems, camcorders, fax machines, and videocassettes form the crisscrossed arteries of a vast "information superhighway," we must ask ourselves: What sort of messages are these brave new medias carrying into our culture? Bold, daring, and provocative, Media Virus! examines the intricate ways in which popular media both manipulates and is manipulated by those who know how to tap into its power. And it considers - with something between amusement and mild alarm - the ever-widening ripple effect of the successful "media virus.". As culture critic for our wild times, Douglas Rushkoff shows that where there's a wavelength, there's a way to "infect" those on it - from the subtly, but intentionally, subversive signals broadcast by shows like "The Simpsons," to the odd serendipity of a classic New York-style sex 'n' family values scandal (a la Woody and Mia) exploited by the Republicans during their convention. What does it all mean? Unless you've been living in a cave that isn't cable-ready, you're already infected with the media virus. But don't worry, it won't make you sick. It will make you think.... "Bold, daring, and provocative, Media Virus! examines the intricate ways in which popular media both manipulate and are manipulated by those who know how to tap into their power. Douglas Rushkoff shows that where there's a wavelength, there's a way to "infect" those on it - from the subtly, but intentionally, subversive signals broadcast by shows like "The Simpsons," to the O.J. media frenzy surrounding the Nicole Brown Simpson murder case, chase, and trial. What does it all mean? Unless you've been living in a cave that isn't cable-ready, you're already infected with the media virus. But don't worry, it won't make you sick. It will make you think ..."--Jacket Bold, daring, and provocative. Media Virus! examines the intricate ways in which popular media both manipulate and are manipulated by those who know how to tap into their power. Douglas Rushkoff shows that where there's a wavelength, ther's a way to "infect" those on it - from the subtly, but intentionally, subversive signals broadcast by shows like "The Simpsons", to the O.J. media frenzy surrounding the Nicole Brown Simpson murder case, chase, and trial. What does it all mean? Unless you've been living in a cave that isn't cable-ready, wou're already infected with the media virus. But don't worry, it won't make you sick. It will make you think .. The datasphere TV forums Presidential campaigning Kids TV The MTV revolution Alternative media Tactical media The net Pranks Meta-media.