Description

America is fascinated by violence--where it comes from in ourselves, how it spreads through society, what effect it has on younger generations, and how it looks, in all its chilling and sanguine detail. This arresting collection of essays examines numerous facets of violence in contemporary American culture, ranging across literature, film, philosophy, religion, fairy tales, video games, children's toys, photojournalism, and sports. Lively and jargon-free, Why We Watch is the first book to offer a careful look at why we are drawn to depictions of violence and why there is so large a market for violent entertainment. The distinguished contributors, hailing from fields such as anthropology, history, literary theory, psychology, communications, and film criticism, include Allen Guttmann, Vicki Goldberg, Maria Tatar, Joanne Cantor, J. Hoberman, Clark McCauley, Maurice Bloch, Dolf Zillmann, and the volume's editor, Jeffery Goldstein. Together, while acknowledging that violent imagery has saturated western cultures for millennia, they aim to define what is distinctive about America's contemporary culture of violence.

Clear, accessible and timely, this is a book for all concerned with the multiple points of access to violent representation in 1990s America.

Reviews

"This well-researched book offers insightful analyses and extensive references."--Booklist

"At long last we are finally 'fessing up to the obvious: the attraction of pretend violence is deep and broad. The first question we usually ask is how to wean Junior from consuming massive amounts of preposterous violence. However, that should be the last question. The first question is, and Why We Watch: The Attractions of Violent Entertainment boldly asks it: why are violent scenarios so alluring that their delivery and consumption is a major part of American (and international) popular culture? This stuff is not foisted on us; for a time in our lives, we--especially males--actively seek it out. We have pretended otherwise for long enough."--James Twitchell, University of Florida

"This is an extraordinarily rich and wide-ranging collection of essays on one of the most important--and controversial--subjects of the day. The book is both a trove of information and a consistently fascinating read. I found something provocative on virtually every page."--Harold Schechter, Queens College, City University of New York

"Why We Watch is a great read--something I never thought I would say about a scholarly edited volume. Goldstein and his colleagues provide the perfect antidote for the toxic political correctness that has poisoned the atmosphere of aggression studies, and of behavioral science generally. It's not what we'd prefer to be true that counts, but what is true, warts and all. The authors of these essays deserve our thanks for keeping that in view."--Melvin Konner, M.D., Ph.D., author of The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit and Why the Reckless Survive, and Other Secrets of Human Nature

Product Details

288 pages; 13 halftones & line illus.; 6-1/8 x 9-1/4; ISBN13: 978-0-19-511821-6ISBN10: 0-19-511821-9

About the Author(s)