Popular Culture

The Ages of Wonder Woman

Call Number: NC1764.3 W6 A74 2014

Created in 1941 by the psychologist William Marston, Wonder Woman would go on to have one of the longest continuous runs of published comic book adventures in the history of the industry. More than 70 years after her debut, Wonder Woman remains a popular culture icon. Throughout the intervening years many comic book creators have had a hand in guiding her story, resulting in different interpretations of the Amazon Princess. In this collection of new essays, each examines a specific period or storyline from Wonder Woman comic books and analyzes that story in regard to contemporary issues in American society.

A History of Video Games in 64 Objects

Call Number: GV1469.3 H57 2018

This book draws on the unique collections of The Strong Museum in Rochester, New York, to chronicle the evolution of video games, from Pong to first-person shooters, told through the stories of dozens of objects essential to the field's creation and development. Drawing on the World Video Game Hall of Fame's unmatched collection of video game artifacts, this fascinating history offers an expansive look at the development of one of the most popular and influential activities of the modern world: video gaming.

The Birth of Korean Cool

Call Number: DS923.23 H66 2014

Euny Hong was a witness to the most accelerated part of South Korea's economic development, during which time it leapfrogged from third-world military dictatorship to first-world liberal democracy on the cutting edge of global technology.She recounts how South Korea vaulted itself into the twenty-first century, becoming a global leader in business, technology, education, and pop culture. Featuring lively, in-depth reporting and numerous interviews with Koreans working in all areas of government and society, The Birth of Korean Cool reveals how a really uncool country became cool, and how a nation that once banned miniskirts, long hair on men, and rock 'n' roll could come to mass produce boy bands, soap operas, and the world's most important smart phone.

Reading the Romance

Call Number: E-book

Originally published in 1984, Reading the Romance challenges popular (and often demeaning) myths about why romantic fiction, one of publishing's most lucrative categories, captivates millions of women readers. Among those who have disparaged romance reading are feminists, literary critics, and theorists of mass culture. They claim that romances enforce the woman reader's dependence on men and acceptance of the repressive ideology purveyed by popular culture. Radway questions such claims, arguing that critical attention "must shift from the text itself, taken in isolation, to the complex social event of reading."

Star Trek Fans and Costume Art

Call Number: PN1992.8 S74 J67 1996

A gamut of reasons can be listed for why Trekkers costume themselves. For some it is a public way of demonstrating affection for Gene Roddenberry's creation. For some dressing as a Klingon expresses empowerment for women. For others it is escapism or pure fun. Such alien garb and motivations for wearing it are explored here in this fascinating book that connects expressions of contemporary folk art, folklore, and popular culture.

McLuhan's Wake

Call Number: Video AA M3495 M34 [DVD]

Illuminates McLuhan's Laws of Media through archival footage of McLuhan speaking and teaching, family photographs, original animation and digital effects.

The Persuaders

Call Number: Video D P477 [DVD]

PBS Frontline documentary. Examines the "persuasion industries" of advertising and public relations. Shows how marketers have developed new ways of integrating their message into the fabric of our lives. Explores how the culture of marketing has come to shape the way Americans understand the world and themselves and how the techniques of the persuasion industries have migrated to politics.

The Celluloid Closet

Call Number: Video D C44 [DVD]

Based on the book of the same name. Praised by the Chicago Tribune as "an impressive study" and written with incisive wit and searing perception--the definitive, highly acclaimed landmark work on the portrayal of homosexuality in film.

Dreamworlds 3: desire, sex & power in music video

Call Number: Video D D7426 [DVD]

Game over: gender, race & violence in video games

Call Number: streaming