Review by Choice Review
In less able editorial hands, this collection of essays about the encroachment of pornographic conventions into US entertainment and fashion could have been dated by a focus on trendy styles likely to fade away, such as low-rise jeans and bare midriffs. However, Hall and Bishop have created a work that addresses much broader concerns than whether eight-year-old girls should dress like adult women in equally adult industries. The pieces they have selected discuss the increasing sexualization of culture in the US from different angles, including the marketing of sexy dress, the proliferation of reality television, and the problem of library Internet access to porn. Some of the scholars are critical, examining the ways in which sexuality can be used to demean women or to shift attention away from more important political issues. Others dismiss the idea that popular culture can be responsible for making people do things they wouldn't otherwise have considered. Taken as a whole, the book presents an interesting array of opinions on the impact of mass media on behavior, without succumbing to incomprehensible cultural studies jargon. Summing Up: Recommended. All academic levels/libraries. R. A. Standish San Joaquin Delta College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
