Popular Culture : An Introduction

by Freccero, Carla

• ISBN13: 9780814726709
• ISBN10: 0814726704
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-08-01
• Publisher: New York University Press

Summary

From Madonna and drag queens to cyberpunk and webzines, popular culture constitutes a common and thereby critical part of our lives. Yet the study of popular culture has been condemned and praised, debated and ridiculed. InPopular Culture: An Introduction, Carla Freccero reveals why we study popular culture and how it is taught in the classroom.Blending music, science fiction, and film, Freccero shows us that an informed awareness of politics, race, and sexuality is essential to any understanding of popular culture. Freccero places rap music, theAlienTrilogy and Sandra Cisneros in the context of postcolonialism, identity politics, and technoculture to show students how they can draw on their already existing literacies and on the cultures they know in order to think critically.Complete with a glossary of useful terms, a sample syllabus and extensive bibliography, this book istheconcise introduction to the study of popular culture.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments1Popular Culture: An Introduction2Cultural Studies, Popular Culture, and PedagogyA.Overview and BackgroundB.Serial Killers and the Question of Representation3Sexual SubculturesA.The Body and the StateB.Queer SubculturesC.Madonna's Popular BodiesD.Truth or Dare4Identity Politics and PostcolonialityA.Race and Identity PoliticsB.Postcoloniality, Imperialism, Third World:Background and ContextC.Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis5Multiculturalism's MigrationsA.Diasporic Identities and Sandra CisnerosB.Do the Right ThingC.Rap, Rock, ResistanceD.Sound and Story6TechnoculturesA.Technocultures and PostmodernismB.William Gibson's NeuromancerC.The Cultural Politics of the Alien FilmsAppendix: Sample SyllabusNotesGlossaryFilmographyDiscographyBibliographyIndexAbout the Author

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Popular Culture: An Introduction	1	(12)
Cultural Studies, Popular Culture, and Pedagogy	13	(20)
Overview and Background	13	(10)
Serial Killers and the Question of Representation	23	(10)
Sexual Subcultures	33	(26)
The Body and the State	33	(7)
Queer Subcultures	40	(6)
Madonna's Popular Bodies	46	(5)
Truth or Dare	51	(8)
Identity Politics and Postcoloniality	59	(18)
Race and Identity Politics	59	(7)
Postcoloniality, Imperialism, Third World: Background and Context	66	(6)
Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis	72	(5)
Multiculturalism's Migrations	77	(22)
Diasporic Identities and Sandra Cisneros	77	(4)
Do the Right Thing	81	(7)
Rap, Rock, Resistance	88	(3)
Sound and Story	91	(8)
Technocultures	99	(32)
Technocultures and Postmodernism	99	(4)
William Gibson's Neuromancer	103	(8)
The Cultural Politics of the Alien Films	111	(20)
Appendix: Sample Syllabus	131	(4)
Notes	135	(14)
Glossary	149	(24)
Filmography	173	(2)
Discography	175	(2)
Bibliography	177	(16)
Index	193	(9)
About the Author	202