Peter Templeton - Böcker

This study of Kevin Smith’s debut film breaks new ground by exploring how Clerks sits at the intersection of political and cultural trends relevant to alternative youth cultures in the early 1990s.Clerks (1994) was born of and appeals to a specific youth subculture, with the multimedia ‘View Askewniverse’ developing out of the film’s initial release. Drawing on existing texts and movements such as Richard Linklater’s Slacker (1991), Douglas Coupland’s novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture and alternative rock subcultures that had developed during and since the 1980s, the film presents a comedic take on working as a young person in 1990s America in a manner that was praised for its authenticity. Filmed on a miniscule budget, the roughness of the film’s aesthetic, combined with a hard rock soundtrack comprised of mostly independent bands, convinced many that it could speak for young Americans, much more than polished, corporate Hollywood productions. The book situates the film within this wider cultural movement and cultural zeitgeist and explores the role of working-class youth and employment in the years following Reaganomics and its consequences, as well as providing insight into the film’s presentation of consumption and of its representation of masculinity and sexuality.Clear, concise and comprehensive, the book is ideal for students, scholars and those with an interest in youth cinema, American independent film, Cult Film, Subcultures and Counterculture, as well as both Film and American Studies more broadly.

Violence from Slavery to #BlackLivesMatter brings together perspectives on violence and its representation in African American history from slavery to the present moment. Contributors explore how violence, signifying both an instrument of the white majority’s power and a modality of black resistance, has been understood and articulated in primary materials that range from slave narrative through "lynching plays" and Richard Wright’s fiction to contemporary activist poetry, and from photography of African American suffering through Blaxploitation cinema and Spike Lee’s films to rap lyrics and performances. Diverse both in their period coverage and their choice of medium for discussion, the 11 essays are unified by a shared concern to unpack violence’s multiple meanings for black America. Underlying the collection, too, is not only the desire to memorialize past moments of black American suffering and resistance, but, in politically timely fashion, to explore their connections to our current conjuncture.

Violence from Slavery to #BlackLivesMatter brings together perspectives on violence and its representation in African American history from slavery to the present moment. Contributors explore how violence, signifying both an instrument of the white majority’s power and a modality of black resistance, has been understood and articulated in primary materials that range from slave narrative through "lynching plays" and Richard Wright’s fiction to contemporary activist poetry, and from photography of African American suffering through Blaxploitation cinema and Spike Lee’s films to rap lyrics and performances. Diverse both in their period coverage and their choice of medium for discussion, the 11 essays are unified by a shared concern to unpack violence’s multiple meanings for black America. Underlying the collection, too, is not only the desire to memorialize past moments of black American suffering and resistance, but, in politically timely fashion, to explore their connections to our current conjuncture.

This study of Kevin Smith’s debut film breaks new ground by exploring how Clerks sits at the intersection of political and cultural trends relevant to alternative youth cultures in the early 1990s.Clerks (1994) was born of and appeals to a specific youth subculture, with the multimedia ‘View Askewniverse’ developing out of the film’s initial release. Drawing on existing texts and movements such as Richard Linklater’s Slacker (1991), Douglas Coupland’s novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture and alternative rock subcultures that had developed during and since the 1980s, the film presents a comedic take on working as a young person in 1990s America in a manner that was praised for its authenticity. Filmed on a miniscule budget, the roughness of the film’s aesthetic, combined with a hard rock soundtrack comprised of mostly independent bands, convinced many that it could speak for young Americans, much more than polished, corporate Hollywood productions. The book situates the film within this wider cultural movement and cultural zeitgeist and explores the role of working-class youth and employment in the years following Reaganomics and its consequences, as well as providing insight into the film’s presentation of consumption and of its representation of masculinity and sexuality.Clear, concise and comprehensive, the book is ideal for students, scholars and those with an interest in youth cinema, American independent film, Cult Film, Subcultures and Counterculture, as well as both Film and American Studies more broadly.

Now in its fifth edition, American Cultural Studies continues to offer a critical introduction to key concepts, topics and methods in the study of United States culture, exploring subjects that include the city, ethnicity and immigration, religion, youth, and gender and sexuality.The fifth edition has been comprehensively revised to take account of developments in American culture during the past decade. Arguments are supported by close readings of cultural materials that range from novels to paintings, films to political speeches and TV shows to regional cuisines. Updated case studies introduce each chapter, with examples including Moonlight, The Great Gatsby and the songs and videos of Lady Gaga. This book also offers a new chapter on class; extended discussion of gender and sexuality, including masculinities and trans culture; and increased coverage of sports in American culture, including baseball, wrestling and American football. To further engage contemporary readers, this edition provides up-to-date further reading suggestions for each chapter and considers the place of American cultural studies in the current moment.Of particular interest to undergraduate readers, this book is panoramic in its coverage of the field and is a core text for studying American culture.Instructor and student resources for this book include an interactive timeline of cultural and historical events, additional discussion questions and activities for each topic, and suggestions for further reading and online resources for each chapter.

Now in its fifth edition, American Cultural Studies continues to offer a critical introduction to key concepts, topics and methods in the study of United States culture, exploring subjects that include the city, ethnicity and immigration, religion, youth, and gender and sexuality.The fifth edition has been comprehensively revised to take account of developments in American culture during the past decade. Arguments are supported by close readings of cultural materials that range from novels to paintings, films to political speeches and TV shows to regional cuisines. Updated case studies introduce each chapter, with examples including Moonlight, The Great Gatsby and the songs and videos of Lady Gaga. This book also offers a new chapter on class; extended discussion of gender and sexuality, including masculinities and trans culture; and increased coverage of sports in American culture, including baseball, wrestling and American football. To further engage contemporary readers, this edition provides up-to-date further reading suggestions for each chapter and considers the place of American cultural studies in the current moment.Of particular interest to undergraduate readers, this book is panoramic in its coverage of the field and is a core text for studying American culture.Instructor and student resources for this book include an interactive timeline of cultural and historical events, additional discussion questions and activities for each topic, and suggestions for further reading and online resources for each chapter.

In an era of buyouts by consortia and sovereign wealth funds, the relationship between football clubs and their fan communities has never been under such strain.Examining models of football club ownership and how they clash with fan ideals, Contradictions in Fan Culture and Club Ownership in Contemporary English Football considers the fan – or at least, some idealised, all-encompassing image of the fan – as the underlying foundation for the ideological structures of football. Grounded in discussions of class, chapters tackle the dynamic by which football organisations, as global businesses, often operate in ways contrary to the perceived ‘essence’ or values of the sports club at the heart of their operation. Providing insight into different notions of football club ownership, specifically the Public Limited Company (PLC), the billionaire’s ‘plaything,’ the sportswashing project, the ‘remodel’ and asset stripping, the authors raise significant issues and dilemmas faced by football club fandoms. Does the unifying entity that holds a significant place in the hearts and minds of individuals and communities even exist anymore?Showcasing a robust conceptual model primed for use in future studies, this work offers a close analysis of the culture of the fast-moving football club ownership world, football fandom and consumption, and what it might mean for the future of the sport.