ISBN: 9780814796290
Editorial: New
Autor: McLeod, Kembrew
Año de edición: 2014
N° Páginas: 364
Tipo de pasta: Pasta dura
Descripción: Biografía del autor Kembrew McLeod is a writer, filmmaker, and Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa, and occasional prankster. He is the author of Creative License, Cutting Across Media, Owning Culture, and the award-winning Freedom of Expression(R). McLeod's writing has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Village Voice, and Rolling Stone. From BenjaminFranklin's newspaper hoax that faked the death of his rival to Abbie Hoffman'sattempt to levitate the Pentagon, pranksters, hoaxers, and con artists have causedconfusion, disorder, and laughter in Western society for centuries. Profilingthe most notorious mischief makers from the 1600s to the present day, Prankstersexplores how "pranks" are part of a long tradition of speaking truth to powerand social critique. Invoking such historical and contemporary figures as P.T. Barnum, Jonathan Swift, WITCH, The Yes Men, and Stephen Colbert, Kembrew McLeod showshow staged spectacles that balance the serious and humorous can spark importantpublic conversations. In some instances, tricksters have incited social change(and unfortunate prank blowback) by manipulating various forms of media, fromnewspapers to YouTube. For example, in the 1960s, self-proclaimed "professionalhoaxer" Alan Abel lampooned America's hypocritical sexual mores by usingconservative rhetoric to fool the news media into covering a satirical organizationthat advocated clothing naked animals. In the 1990s, Sub Pop Recordsthen-receptionist Megan Jasper satirized the commodification of alternativemusic culture by pranking the New YorkTimes into reporting on her fake lexicon of "grunge speak." Throughout thisbook, McLeod shows how pranks interrupt the daily flow of approved informationand news, using humor to underscore larger, pointed truths. Written in an accessible, story-driven style, Prankstersreveals how mischief makers have left their shocking, entertaining, andeducational mark on modern political and social life. Críticas A spellbinder of a book, Prankstersattempts to weave together a slew of seemingly unrelated individuals, anecdotes, and themes[I]t cuts a swath along a wide range of academic disciplines, making it relevant to scholars of popular culture, sociology, media studies, and the history of the book.-- "Journal of Popular Culture"An occasional prankster himself, McLeod (communication studies, Univ. of Iowa;Creative License) uses sly humor to explore the ways in which public opinion has been and can be manipulated by some unlikely deceptions. With looks at Rosicrucians, secret societies, spiritualists, conspiracies, John Birchers, Merry Pranksters, and a vast array of printed and broadcast hoaxes, McLeod weaves a tale of fantasies that sparked social commentaries and persisted for years or sometimes centuries. The author concludes with a description of his participation in a number of pranks and his perspective about his success and failure communicating his message....Verdict: Students of media or publishing history in the West will appreciate the comprehensive survey of untruths and their enduring legacy-- "Library Journal, Barbara Ferrara, Chesterfield Cty. P.L., VA"From Jonathan Swift's 'A Modest Proposal' to the modern 'hacktivists' of anonymous 'spoofing' corporations and governments, McLeod, the man who actually trademarked the phrase 'Freedom of Expression, ' examines hoaxes, pranks, and successful feats of trickery that inspire widespread public amazement and reinforce the need to critically assess miraculous stories or occurrences. He shares thoughtful insights into both lighthearted hoaxes like the Feejee mermaid and well-known darker pranks, such as the 17th century Illuminati conspiracy created by a college student or the 1980s 'Satanic Panic.' Benjamin Franklin (who borrowed liberally from Swift) and P.T. Barnum are notable, famous tricksters, but McLeod's description of the lonely, blind phone-phreakers who
- Idioma: Inglés
- Autor: McLeod, Kembrew
- Editorial: New
- N° Paginas: 364
- Tipo de pasta: Pasta dura
- Envío: Desde EE.UU.
