Each chapter is a separate essay written by a different expert in the field, each with his own specialty or interest in different aspects of pop culture. The book discusses, among other things, how TV news affects us and why we react to it differently from how we interpret news reported in other media; merchandising of liscensed characters seen on TV; and asks the question: is advertising based on pop culture, or is pop culture derived from advertising?
What I found really neat is that, because this book was written in 1986, some of the examples mentioned are grossly outdated. The chapter on merchandising talks about Strawberry Shortcake, the Care Bears, and the Transformers, all of which are in vogue once again, after 20 years! Technology has evolved since then; the authors foretell that "by 1990, just about all households will own a VCR."
What I found really neat is that, because this book was written in 1986, some of the examples mentioned are grossly outdated. The chapter on merchandising talks about Strawberry Shortcake, the Care Bears, and the Transformers, all of which are in vogue once again, after 20 years! Technology has evolved since then; the authors foretell that "by 1990, just about all households will own a VCR."
