Based on the argument that (contrary to critical opinion) the musicians in the various bands associated with Bosstown Sound were indeed talented, cohesive individuals and that the bands' lack of renown was partially a result of ill-treatment by record companies and the press, this paper traces the development of the Bosstown Sound from its…

Popular French has many means of expressing admiration, but the burgeoning of expressions does not necessarily indicate a deepening of appreciation or judgment. (Author/MSE)

Asserts that music videos, rooted in mass marketing culture, are reshaping the language of advertising, affecting the flow of information. Raises question about the society that creates and receives music videos. (MS)

Points out a great preference for Western-style rock music among young people (ages 14-25) in East Germany despite social, political, and cultural differences, suggesting the global nature of music as communication. (PD)

More than 50 percent of Brazil's population is under age 18 and subjected to a kind of homogenization by the cultural industry, with radio and television dominating the diffusion of music. (PD)

Suggests that selected films reflecting the diversity of the Afro-American experience in the US be used, along with selected readings, to teach twentieth-century Afro-American history to college students. Also outlines ways to manage a subsequent discussion hour. (CJM)

Draws on articles in this special issue to find implications for educators of developments in popular culture, cultural globalization, and electronic images. Addresses questions concerning the reproduction of culture, identity, and community within contemporary educational debates. (Contains 48 references.) (Author/SK)

Presents an interview with Slavoj Zizek. Notes that what makes Slavoj Zizek so exhilarating to read (and to listen to) is the overwhelming range of subjects - both popular and technical - at his command. Discusses many of his works including books on philosophy and psychoanalytic theory, books and articles on popular culture, and newspaper…

Explores how Edmund Burke's discourse on the sublime helps illuminate attacks on the vulgarization of culture (as typified by Allan Bloom), both for the presumedly "vulgar" reader and for the champions of high culture. (MG)

Describes cultural studies as a framework for analysis and critique, not a political agenda. Shows how the author has used cultural studies as a way to get his students to write intelligent, reflective papers about topics that interest them. (SR)

The term globalization has come into popular use in many areas of discourse. For the most part, it refers to the development of global financial markets, the growth of transnational corporations, and their increasing domination over national and local economies. As the authors use the term in this article, the meaning and significance of…

In this article, the author offers his perspective that underlies the plot lines and character developments in various super-hero serials produced by Marvel Comic Books. Stan Lee, the creator of this giant comic books company, the original writers and artists, and their successors at Marvel Comics have given readers a vision of human reality that…

In the popular media, American cultural, educational, and political life is portrayed as ideologically split down the middle. The split is often framed in terms of opposites by using the ideas and labels addressed by the author in this paper--traditional versus nontraditional, experiment versus the status quo, diversity versus homogeneity, change…

While analyzing humor is difficult, Henri Bergson's concept of comedy (a person acting like a machine) outlined in the classic essay, "Le Rire," in 1900, is probably too narrow a definition. Science fiction film, a genre which has evolved since the publication of Bergson's essay, has also speculated about man and society, often to…

A disturbing trend is developing in higher education which may jeopardize the quality and importance of the classical tradition in education. This trend is exemplified by demands that the liberal arts be made relevant and comprehensible to the student and that they be related in some way to the search for a good job. The great classical…