Globalization and American Popular Culture

Lane Crothers is professor in the Department of Politics and Government at Illinois State University and managing editor of the journal Populism. His books include Rage on the Right: The American Militia Movement from Ruby Ridge to Homeland Security, Second Edition.

In a deeply textured and solidly researched book, Lane Crothers identifies the connections among American popular culture, the global reach of the U.S. movie industry, and the ability of films and television to transmit images, often conflicting, of the values of American society. Moreover, there is circularity in the process because the context of American popular culture can shape the content of American popular culture in films and television programs. This is an important book that contributes much to our understanding of the reach of American popular culture and the processes that create it. A must-read!

• Acknowledgments 1 Globalization and American Popular Culture American Popular Culture and Global Politics Grasping Globalization Globalization’s Promise Challenges and Complications of the Global Era Globalization TodayUnderstanding Culture “American” Culture as a Case of Culture Popular Culture as a Case of Culture “American” Popular Culture Globalization, Cultural Change, and the “Problem” of American Popular Culture Plan of the Book Conclusion 2 “American” Popular Culture Building the American Audiovisual Popular Culture Industry Why Not Europe? The American Exception The Economic Context of the Making of American Audiovisual Popular Culture The Cultural Context of the Making of American Audiovisual Popular Culture How Movies, Music, and Television Became American How Popular Music Became American How Movies Became American How Television Became American American Popular Culture beyond Movies, Music, and Television A Brief Cultural History of Coca-Cola A Brief Cultural History of McDonald’s A Brief Cultural History of Blue Jeans Conclusion 3 American Popular Culture Goes Global The Corporate Makers of Global American Audiovisual Popular Culture Synergy and Integration in the American AV Popular Culture IndustryFranchising American Popular Culture 1Exploring the Global Scope of American Music, Movies, and Television American Movies Go Global American Music Goes Global American Television Goes Global Understanding the Global Scope of American Fast Food, Fashion, and Sports McDonald’s Goes Global Coca-Cola Goes Global The NFL Begins to Go Global Everything, Everywhere, All the Time Conclusion 4 American Popular Culture in the Digital Era The Digital Revolution and American Popular Culture American Popular Culture Goes Digital The American Popular Culture Ecosystem in the Digital Era Social Media and American Popular Culture Streaming and American Popular Culture Gaming and American Popular Culture Intellectual Property, Digital Piracy, and American Popular Culture in the Digital Age Conclusion 5 Global Responses to American Popular Culture Free Trade and American Popular Culture: A Global Debate The American Argument The Counter-American Argument Popular Culture in International Trade Agreements (1947–2020) GATT/WTO NAFTA/USMCA The Failure of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) American Popular Culture in France, Iran, and Finland France Iran Finland American Popular Culture and China The Dynamics of American Popular Culture in China I: The NBA The Dynamics of American Popular Culture in China II: Disney The Dynamics of American Popular Culture in China III: The Great Firewall of China Conclusion 6 American Popular Culture and the Future of Globalization Culture, Change, and Globalization Revisited The Future(s) of Globalization and American Popular Culture Path I: Populism and Anti-Americanism Path II: Building Walls, Defining Borders Path III: American Empire Path IV: Hybridity, Globalization, and American Popular Culture Conclusion Glossary Recommended Readings Index About the Author