Eyes Wide Open

by Romanowski, William D.

• ISBN13: 9781587432019
• ISBN10: 1587432013
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-02-01
• Publisher: Brazos Pr

Summary

Grounded in Christian principles, this accessible and engaging book offers an informed and fascinating approach to popular culture. William D. Romanowski provides affectionate yet astute analysis of familiar, well-loved movies and television characters from Indiana Jones to Homer Simpson, and he speaks with historical depth and expertise on films from Casablanca to Crash and music from Bruce Springsteen to U2. Romanowski's confessional approach affirms a role for popular culture in faithful living. Practical, analytical approaches to content, meaning, and artistic style offer the tools to participate responsibly and imaginatively in popular cultural activities. An engaging read, this new edition introduces students and thoughtful readers to popular culture--one of the most influential forces in contemporary society.

Author Biography

William D. Romanowski (PhD, Bowling Green State University) is professor of communication arts and sciences at Calvin College and is a widely respected speaker on subjects dealing with American culture and the entertainment industry. He is the author of Pop Culture Wars: Religion and the Role of Entertainment in American Life, coauthor of Risky Business: Rock in Film, and contributor to Dancing in the Dark: Youth, Popular Culture, and the Electronic Media.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Revised and Expanded Edition	p. 9
Introduction	p. 13
State of the Art: Worldly Amusements No More	p. 27
The Smoke Goes Upwards: Faith and Culture	p. 43
Terms of the Trade: Studying Popular Art and Culture	p. 57
Close Encounters of the High, Low, and Divine Kind: Reimagining the Popular Arts	p. 75
Mapping Reality: Popular Art and Culture	p. 89
Measuring Christian Distinction: Moral, Ideological, and Theological Approaches	p. 105
Popular Art as Art: Marking the Aesthetic	p. 125
Part 3
Cultural Landscape: Toward a Christian Framework	p. 141
The American Melodramatic Way: Individualism, Religion, and Materialism	p. 163
The Message in the Bottle: Love, Sex, and Gender Stereotypes	p. 185
A History of Violence: Charting the Terrain	p. 207
Conclusion	p. 223
A Matrix for Analysis	p. 231
Relevant Readings	p. 237
Notes	p. 243
Index	p. 263
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