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When it first appeared in 1964, Stuart Hall and Paddy Whannel's The Popular Arts opened up an almost unprecedented field of analysis and inquiry into contemporary popular culture. Counter to the prevailing views of the time, Hall and Whannel recognized popular culture's social importance and considered it worthy of serious study. In their analysis of everything from Westerns and the novels of Mickey Spillane, Ian Fleming, and Raymond Chandler to jazz, advertising, and the television industry, they were guided by the belief that studying popular culture demanded an ethical evaluation of the text and full attention to its properties. In so doing, they raised questions about the relation of culture to society and the politics of taste and judgment in ways that continue to shape cultural studies. Long out of print, this landmark text highlights the development of Hall's theoretical and methodological approach while adding a greater understanding of his work. This edition also includes a new introduction by Richard Dyer, who contextualizes The Popular Arts within the history of cultural studies and outlines its impact and enduring legacy.
List of contents
Introduction to 2018 Edition / Richard Dyer vii
Introduction 13
Part I: Definitions
1. The Media and Society 19
2. Minority Art, Folk Art, and Popular Art 45
3. Popular Art and Mass Culture 66
Part II. Topics for Study
4. Popular Forms and Popular Artists 89
5. Violence on the Screen 110
6. The Avenging Angels 142
7. Falling in Love 164
8. Fantasy and Romance 196
9. Friends and Neighbours 225
10. The Young Audience 269
11. The Big Bazaar 313
Part III. Social Themes
12. The Institutions 341
13. Mass Society: Critics and Defenders 364
Acknowledgments 385
Index 387
About the author
Stuart Hall and Paddy Whannel
Summary
First appearing in 1964, and long since out of print, Stuart Hall and Paddy Whannel’s landmark book The Popular Arts takes seriously the importance of studying popular culture, thereby opening up an almost unprecedented field of analysis of everything from film, pulp crime novels, and jazz to television and advertising.
