Popular Culture: Production and Consumption (Blackwell Readers in Sociology) - Hardcover

"In putting together a reader on Hustler, football hooligans, hip-hop, soap operas, and Dolly Parton, Harrington and Bielby demonstrate excellent taste. If you find that statement improbable, you will expand your horizons by taking a look at the superb scholarship contained in this collection. If, on the other hand, you think it perfectly plausible, you will use this book anyway to teach your courses, to guide your research, and to deepen your understanding of the cultural seas in which we all swim." Wendy Griswold, Northwestern University "This book is a most welcome addition to the field of media studies. Harrington and Bielby have chosen wisely by including a range of historical and more contemporary pieces that explore the production-consumption nexus in fresh and innovative ways. Art, music, prime-time television, movies, sports, video games, urban landscapes, all of this and more, will lead students and scholars alike to think comparatively about popular culture." Ron Lembo, Amherst College

This is a rich collection of essays highlighting the complex relationship between cultural production and consumption using examples from music, television, magazines, sports, and advertising. Classic, contemporary, and newly commissioned articles examine the key themes and debates on popular culture by key scholars. Using a multitude of perspectives the book explores how culture is commodified and turned into profit, including a study of contemporary celebrity and fandom. In addition, issues of social and cultural diversity are addressed in readings that are accessible and provocative for both students and academics.