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Price: $204.76 Prices subject to change.
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 111
EAN: 9781890626358
ISBN: 189062635X
Label: Spence Publishing Company
Manufacturer: Spence Publishing Company
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 196
Publication Date: December 15, 2000
Publisher: Spence Publishing Company
Sales Rank: 321862
Studio: Spence Publishing Company
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
The portrayal of evil in film and television, frequently denounced as an attack on "family values" and an incitement to real-life violence, is more complicated and more disturbing than we realize. In a pointed challenge to both Hollywood and its critics, Professor Thomas Hibbs argues that the demonic anti-heroes and seductive comic evil of popular culture are not weapons in a conscious cultural assault but reactions to the apathy and conformity of American life.
While the movies of Frank Capra once celebrated the triumph of good over evil, George Bailey has given way to Hannibal Lecter, who through raw power and bold creativity lives "beyond good and evil." Professor Hibbs follows the trajectory of evil in American film and television, linking it to the spread of nihilism-a state of spiritual impoverishment and shrunken aspirations to which, both Tocqueville and Nietzsche warned, democracies are especially susceptible. The most recent product of Hollywood's fascination with evil is the comic nihilism of Seinfeld, in which the distinctively American pursuit of happiness is endlessly frustrated by dark forces beyond our understanding or control.
Professor Hibbs probes the themes and artistry of the landmark works of the cinematic quest for evil. A series of grisly films from The Exorcist to Cape Fear and Silence of the Lambs reveals a preoccupation with the power of evil. When evil ceases to terrify, it becomes banal, producing a comic view of the meaninglessness of life (Forrest Gump, Natural Born Killers, Titanic, The Simpsons). Seinfeld and Trainspotting represent nihilism's last stage, but not the last word, and Professor Hibbs considers how classical ideals-partially recovered in recent comedy (Pulp Fiction) and film noir (L.A. Confidential, Seven)-might point the way out of nihilism.
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
Thomas Hibbs reveals a new dimension to American popular culture with his book, Shows About Nothing. Many people are not going to know what nihilism is, or who Nietzsche was, but they can quote Seinfeld. Hibbs spends much time expanding this common thread, and examines the philosophical undertones of popular movies like Cape Fear and se7en. By doing so, he demonstrates that what the themes these movies teach us are either dangerously close to, and sometimes outright, nihilistic.
Before ... Read More
Rating: -
If you have any knowledge of modern philosophy you will probably find this book an engaging application of Nietzsche in pop culture. Otherwise you may have some trouble getting into it. I liked it well enough but I have read better (Neil Postman and Roger Scruton come to mind). The book will become dated as the examples used pass away into the forgotten archives of memory. But for now it does the trick.
I agree with the theory that influential philosophy (such as Nietzsche) eventually trickles ... Read More
Rating: -
Nihilism comes in many forms, a natural result of the democratic liberalism that our culture has enshrined in its desire for individual self-actualization. Such is the assessment of Thomas Hibbs in "Shows About Nothing". In his inimitably prescient perspective, Hibbs sees this reflection of Nietschian thought especially predominant in the kind of entertainment that we watch.
In a particularly rigourous way, we are shown how seemingly disparate films or TV shows exhibit ways that we have approached ... Read More
Rating: -
Dr. Hibbs writes how Seinfeld and Trainspotting have anesthetized their viewers to the fundamental concepts of good and evil. Although most people understand and welcome the change, most viewers seem unaware how their beliefs have changed over time. Unfortunately, Dr. Hibbs spends few pages explaining how to escape the pervasive nihilism of Seinfeld. Albeit, Seinfeld is raucously funny Dr. Hibbs admits.
Rating:  -
This is a must read. Dr. Hibbs' message may not be what many people want to hear but it is something we ALL should hear. Without a doubt, the mediums of TV and film have a profound effect on Americans despite what some may say, and that thought alone is downright scary. For thought-provoking analysis, I would encourage you to read this book.
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