Political Scandal and American Pop Culture [electronic resource] : Sex, Power, and Cover-Ups /
Twombly, Jim.author.
This book provides a newer definition of political scandal and applies it in a way to remove "ordinary corruption" from the discussion. It then defines pop culture and examines how scandal and pop culture interact. The discussion addresses the question: when does a scandal actually enter into our pop culture. The mechanisms or vehicles by which this occurs include editorial cartoons, Broadway shows, music, movies, television, and more. The first chapter lays out the two main definitions and gives a bit of historical background to the discussion that follows. Chapters 2 through 8 deal with scandals from Watergate to the Trump Administration and from presidents to members of Congress and governors. Chapter 9 ties all of the previous discussion together and makes an assessment of the contemporary state of scandal and pop culture. This book works well as a supplement in a course on American Government, in American Studies, and is aimed at a wide range of readers from college freshmen to more advanced scholars and political junkies.
1. Introduction and Definitions -- 2. Watergate and its Legacy -- 3. Koreagate, Abscam, and Iran-Contra -- 4. From Monkey Business to Monicagate: Hijinks on the High Seas, Whitewater, a Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy, and the Rise of FOXNews -- 5. Governors Gone Wild: Buying Sex, Selling Senate Seats, And Hiking the Appalachian Trail -- 6. What's in the Water on Capitol Hill? -- 7. Clinton Scandals - 21st Century Version, but not Bill -- 8. Drinking from the Firehose: Trump, Social Media, and Late Night Comedy -- 9. A Conclusion. .
This book provides a newer definition of political scandal and applies it in a way to remove "ordinary corruption" from the discussion. It then defines pop culture and examines how scandal and pop culture interact. The discussion addresses the question: when does a scandal actually enter into our pop culture. The mechanisms or vehicles by which this occurs include editorial cartoons, Broadway shows, music, movies, television, and more. The first chapter lays out the two main definitions and gives a bit of historical background to the discussion that follows. Chapters 2 through 8 deal with scandals from Watergate to the Trump Administration and from presidents to members of Congress and governors. Chapter 9 ties all of the previous discussion together and makes an assessment of the contemporary state of scandal and pop culture. This book works well as a supplement in a course on American Government, in American Studies, and is aimed at a wide range of readers from college freshmen to more advanced scholars and political junkies.
United States-Politics and government.
World politics.
Popular Culture.
Communication.
United States-Study and teaching.
US Politics.
Political History.
Popular Culture .
Media and Communication.
American Culture.