Idolized : music, media, and identity in American idol / Katherine Meizel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Meizel.

Contributor:

Katherine.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

American Idol (Television program).

Popular music--Competitions--United States.

Popular music.

Music--Social aspects--United States.

Music.

Television and music.

Popular culture--United States.

Popular culture.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (318 p.)

Edition:

1版.

Place of Publication:

Bloomington : Indiana University Press, c2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The hit television program American Idol provides a stage where the politics of national, regional, ethnic, and religious identity are performed for millions of viewers. Diversity is carefully highlighted and coached into a viable commodity by judges, argues Katherine Meizel, with contestants packaged into familiar portraits of American identities. Consumer choice, as expressed by audience voting, also shapes the course of the show -- negotiating ideas of democracy and opportunity closely associated with the American Dream. Through interviews with audience members and participants, and careful analyses of television broadcasts, commercial recordings, and print and online media, Meizel demonstrates that commercial music and the music industry are not simply forces to be criticized or resisted, but critical sites for redefining American culture.

Contents:

Facing reality : American idol as reality television

Facing the music

Win or lose : success and failure and the American dream

Idol worship : civil and sacral religion in American idol

Going places

Politics as usual

The United Nations of pop : global franchise and geopolitics.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0-253-00510-8

OCLC:

713809558