Beautiful Things in Popular Culture

by Alan McKee (editor)

This is an innovative book that addresses the question of how consumers make decisions about what is good and what is bad in popular culture.

Genres: Pop Culture, History, Cultural, Cultural Studies

248 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 2006

Reviews

[Andrea Toscani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being an anthology, I think the first thing to do is to post the summary:

Introduction by Alan McKee
1 Best Contemporary Mainstream Superhero Comics Writer: Brian Michael Bendis by Henry Jenkins
2 The Best Batman Story: The Dark Knight Returns by Will Brooker
3 The Best Serial Killer Novel: Red Dragon by Sue Turnbull
4 The Best Australian Romance Novelist: Emma Darcy by Glen Thomas
5 The Best Website For Men Who Have Sex With Men: cruisingforsex.com by Mark McLelland
6 The Best Basketball Player: Michael Jordan by Thomas McLaughlin
7 The Best Sneakers: The Nike Air Max Classic TW by Claire Gould
8 The Best Action Console Game: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas by John Banks
9 The Best Motorbike: The Ducati 916 Superbike by Margaret Henderson
10 The Best Propaganda: Humphrey Jennings,The Silent Village (1943) by John Hartley
11 TheBestVillain in Xena:WarriorPrincess:Alti by Sara Gwenllian Jones
12 The Best Pop Princess: Kylie Minogue by Marc Brennan
13 The Best Disco Record: Sharon Redd: “Never Give You Up” by Simon Frith
Conclusion by Alan McKee

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mainly read this for the essay on the awesomeness—I mean, the huge influence—that is Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns. Also the segment on Emma Darcy as Australia's greatest romance writer was fascinating given I know hardly anything about her, and never having read any of her prolific work.

The content is varied and diverse, and clearly each featured contributor is passionate about their subject, which is refreshing to read.