Fabricating the Absolute Fake: America in Contemporary Pop CultureThe pageantry of Oprah Winfrey’s daytime talk show, the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola empire, Michael Jackson’s turn from the King of Pop into an iconic global recluse: American “pop” culture—and the contemporary films, television programs, and cultural objects that determine it—dominates the rest of the world through its hegemonic presence. Does that make everyone a hybridized American or do these elements find mediation within the other cultures that consume them? Fabricating the Absolute Fake applies elements of postmodern theory—Jean Baudrillard’s hyperreality and Umberto Eco’s “absolute fake”, among others—to this globally mediated American pop culture in order to examine both the phenomena itself and its appropriation in the Netherlands, as evidenced by diverse cultural icons like the Elvis-inspired crooner Lee Towers, the Moroccan-Dutch white rapper Ali B, musical tributes to an assassinated politician, and the Dutch reality soap opera scene. A fascinating exploration of how global cultures struggle to create their own “America” within a post–September 11 media culture, Fabricating the Absolute Fake reflects on what it might mean to truly take part in American popular culture. “A brilliant, thoroughly enjoyable work of cultural critique. . . . Jaap Kooijman takes seemingly exhausted concepts like “Americanization” and turns them on their head.”—Anne McCarthy, New York University |
From inside the book
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Page 16
... multicultural society, the special “Dutch Dream” issue of the glossy magazine LINDA , and Dutch hit movies like ... multiculturalism. My choice to focus exclusively on contemporary Dutch pop culture does not imply that the Netherlands is ...
... multicultural society, the special “Dutch Dream” issue of the glossy magazine LINDA , and Dutch hit movies like ... multiculturalism. My choice to focus exclusively on contemporary Dutch pop culture does not imply that the Netherlands is ...
Page 23
... on the contrary , is a true celebration of American multiculturalism . Old and young , male and female , black and white , all are included with their specific musical genres, ranging from soul, country, and gospel, to WE ARE THE WORLD 23.
... on the contrary , is a true celebration of American multiculturalism . Old and young , male and female , black and white , all are included with their specific musical genres, ranging from soul, country, and gospel, to WE ARE THE WORLD 23.
Page 24
... multicultural world that promises a happy ending to an African tragedy, which is emphasized by the fact that USA for Africa is the product of a collec- tive effort, uniting a group of multiethnic artists, rather than the project of one ...
... multicultural world that promises a happy ending to an African tragedy, which is emphasized by the fact that USA for Africa is the product of a collec- tive effort, uniting a group of multiethnic artists, rather than the project of one ...
Page 26
... multicultural- ism by featuring multiethnic pop stars ranging from music legends such as Ray Charles and Bob Dylan to ( at that time ) young pop singers such as James Ingram and Huey Lewis . However , two American stars stand out , both ...
... multicultural- ism by featuring multiethnic pop stars ranging from music legends such as Ray Charles and Bob Dylan to ( at that time ) young pop singers such as James Ingram and Huey Lewis . However , two American stars stand out , both ...
Page 31
... multicultural America and that his star myth transcended racial categories . Four months later , on September 19 , President Reagan referred to Bruce Springsteen at a Reagan - Bush presidential elections campaign rally in New Jersey ...
... multicultural America and that his star myth transcended racial categories . Four months later , on September 19 , President Reagan referred to Bruce Springsteen at a Reagan - Bush presidential elections campaign rally in New Jersey ...
Other editions - View all
Fabricating the Absolute Fake: America in Contemporary Pop Culture Jaap Kooijman No preview available - 2013 |
Fabricating the absolute fake: America in contemporary pop culture Jaap Kooijman No preview available - 2014 |
Common terms and phrases
Absolute Fake Adam Curry African-American Ally McBeal Ameri American Dream American flag American pop culture Amsterdam audience broadcast Bruce Springsteen celebrities close-up Coca-Cola commercial Dixie Chicks Dutch Dutch national Dutch pop culture editors emphasizes episode essay ethnic European Cinema explicit fictional film Frans & Baas genre conventions Gulf Gulf War hip-hop Hollywood hyper-Americanness hyperreality imagined America imagined community Iraq Jarhead Jean Baudrillard karaoke Americanism Katja Lange Frans Lee Towers Linda London Michael Jackson military Moroccan Moroccan-Dutch movie multicultural music video nation-state USA national identity Netherlands Oprah Winfrey Show Patricia Paay patriotism perceived Pim Fortuyn political pop song pop stars pop-cultural artifacts popular present President rapper rhetoric Rob Kroes Routledge Shouf Shouf Habibi singing star image star myth Star-Spangled Banner suggesting Super Bowl performance talk show terrorist Theo van Gogh Three Kings tion translated University Press USA for Africa viewers West Wing white Dutch Whitney Houston World York