Television Culture

This modern classic of social history and media traces the precipitous decline of childhood in America today, and the corresponding threat to the notion of adulthood. Deftly marshaling a vast array of research, Neil Postman suggests that childhood is a recent invention. But now the division between child and adult is eroding under the barrage of television, which turns the adult secrets of sex and violence into entertainment and pitches news and advertising at the intellectual level of 10-year-olds.

In this eloquent and persuasive book, Neil Postman examines the deep and broad effects of television culture on the manner in which we conduct our public affairs, and how "entertainment values" have corrupted the very way we think. As politics, news, religion, education, and commerce are given less and less expression in the form of the printed word, they are rapidly being reshaped to suit the requirements of television.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In this explosive, wildly entertaining memoir, Spencer Pratt charts his rise and fall as America’s most notorious reality TV villain on The Hills—and how, from the ashes of the Pacific Palisades fires, he’s finally ready for his redemption arc. Spencer...

"Going into his "why," Perry's audiobook is a fascinating listen."- AudioFile This program is read by the author. A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK BY TIME, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, GOODREADS, USA TODAY, AND MORE! The beloved star of Friends takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with...

This comprehensive account of the meteoric rise of The Simpsons combines incisive pop culture criticism and interviews with the show’s creative team that take readers inside the making of an American phenomenon during its most influential decade, the 1990s. The Simpsons is an American...

This program is read by the author. "Kindhearted and approachable Winkler shines in his narration of his memoir commemorating 50 years of showbiz work...An engaging and endearing memoir by a genuine Hollywood treasure whose work spans generations."—Library Journal From Emmy-award winning actor...

Relive the golden age of television—when families gathered around the TV, theme songs became anthems, and sitcoms shaped our sense of humor, identity, and culture. In Classic 80s Television, you'll take a heartfelt trip back to one of the most iconic decades in entertainment history. From the beloved sitcoms that filled our homes with laughter to the groundbreaking dramas that pushed boundaries, this book explores the shows, characters, and cultural shifts that defined a generation. Whether you’re a lifelong fan of the Huxtables and Keatons, still quoting Cheers and Saved by the Bell, ...

In this bold and unapologetic celebrity memoir, comedian and sitcom icon Roseanne Barr delivers sharp political satire, behind-the-scenes television stories, and fearless cultural commentary on fame, feminism, class, and controversy. Roseanne Barr is a force of nature. From revolutionizing the...

A fascinating look at Hollywood’s most turbulent decade and the demise of the studio system—set against the boom of the post–World War II years, the Cold War, and the atomic age—and the movies that reflected the seismic shifts “The definitive book on 1950s Hollywood.” —Booklist...

In this "saucy and smart" memoir, a journalist uses pop culture as a lens to navigate her identity as a Black woman (Oprah Daily). Nichole Perkins takes readers on a rollicking trip through the last twenty years of music, media and the internet, exploring her experience with mental illness, her...

In this exceptional cultural history, Atlantic Senior Editor Ronald Brownstein—“one of America's best political journalists (The Economist)—tells the kaleidoscopic story of one monumental year that marked the city of Los Angeles’ creative peak, a glittering moment when popular culture...

Television shows have now eclipsed films as the premier form of visual narrative art of our time. This new book by one of our finest critics explains—historically, in depth, and with interviews with the celebrated creators themselves—how the art of must-see/binge-watch television evolved...

An InStyle 10 Books You Won't Be Able to Put Down This October SIX FRIENDS THAT BECAME A FAMILY. A TELEVISION SHOW THAT BECAME A PHENOMENON. Today, Friends is remembered as an icon of ’90s comedy and the Must See TV years. But when the series debuted in 1994, no one anticipated the sensation...

A funny and poignant memoir about how as a teenager, TV writer Rafael Agustin accidentally discovered he was undocumented—and how that revelation turned his life upside down. Growing up, Rafa’s parents didn't want him to feel different because, as his mom told him: "Dreams should not have...

Explore the history and cultural impact of a groundbreaking television show adored by old and new fans alike: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Over the course of its seven-year run, Buffy the Vampire Slayer cultivated a loyal fandom and featured a strong, complex female lead, at a time when such a...

It's a JENaissance! The New York Times bestselling author of Pretty in Plaid gets her culture on. Readers have followed Jen Lancaster through job loss, sucky city living, weight loss attempts, and 1980s nostalgia. Now Jen chronicles her efforts to achieve cultural enlightenment, with some...

Is The Wire better than Breaking Bad? Is Cheers better than Seinfeld? What's the best high school show ever made? Why did Moonlighting really fall apart? Was the Arrested Development Netflix season brilliant or terrible? For twenty years-since they shared a TV column at Tony Soprano's hometown...

Love it or hate it, television is a very revealing window into Japanese society. In this multi-faceted collection, Penn, a professional couch potato for a quarter century, looks at the first six decades of Japanese TV. Topics include: the ABC's of samurai dramas and the saga of Korean dramas in Japan, Juzo Itami's last TV documentary, the impact of March 11, 2011 on the TV world, Japanese-style reality shows and why so many Japanese comedians turn to politics. Three new chapters have been added to this updated, e-book edition of "The Couch Potato's Guide to Japan," a trusty guidebook for a ...

What do we see when we watch reality television? Sociologist and TV lover Danielle J. Lindemann takes a long, hard look in the “funhouse mirror” of this genre, from countless rose ceremonies on The Bachelor to the White House and more (so much more!). Beginning with the first episodes of The Real World, reality TV has not only remade our entertainment and cultural landscape—it also uniquely refracts our everyday experiences and social topography.

Rush Limbaugh is a way of life for over twelve million avid and devoted listeners. For three hours every day this comic conservative of the airwaves with “talent on loan from God”​​ entertains, provokes and persuades friend sand enemies alike in a no-holds-barred show that is one of the...