When Law Goes Pop

by Sherwin, Richard K.

• ISBN13: 9780226752914
• ISBN10: 0226752917
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-06-28
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

The past few decades have seen the legal system entering American popular culture like never before, from the media blitzes surrounding high-profile trials to the countless television programs in which judges rule on everyday disputes. What, if anything, does this mean for the legal system itself? According to Richard K. Sherwin, it is a dangerous development--one that threatens to turn law into spectacle, undermining public confidence as legal style and logic begin to resemble advertising and public relations. "Sherwin offers insightful, intriguing analyses of movies and other cultural products. His examination of legal discourse and popular culture will inform, enlighten, and even entertain."--William Halton, The Law and Politics Book Review "[Sherwin's] knowledge of how media culture affects the courtroom is valuable, as is his rigorous examination. Can we prevent America's legal system from going 'pop'--losing its legitimacy by becoming just another part of popular culture? Given America's courtroom obsession . . . it's about time someone did some explaining."--Julie Scelfo, Brill's Content "[A] brilliant analysis of the jury system in our media-saturated age. . . . [D]iscerning readers will see a truly integrative intelligence at work, proposing possible solutions rather than simply bemoaning problems."--Publishers Weekly

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction: Law in the Age of Images	3	(12)
Screening Reality: The Vanishing Line between Law and Popular Culture	15	(26)
Legal Storytelling: Culture's Tools for Making Meaning	41	(32)
The Law of Desire: Cultural History and the Notorious Case	73	(34)
The Postmodern Challenge: A Case Study	107	(34)
The Jurisprudence of Appearances: Law as Commodity	141	(30)
When Law Goes Pop: Strange Forces, Trauma, and Catharsis	171	(34)
Law's Need for Enchantment: Perils and Possibilities	205	(30)
Conclusion: Redrawing the Line between Belief and Suspicion	235	(30)
Notes	265	(40)
Index	305