Audiobook11 hours
The Power of Sports: Media and Spectacle in American Culture
Written by Michael Serazio
Narrated by Kyle Tait
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
()
About this audiobook
In an increasingly secular, fragmented, and distracted culture, nothing brings Americans together quite like sports. On Sundays in September, more families worship at the altar of the NFL than at any church. This appeal, which cuts across all demographic and ideological lines, makes sports perhaps the last unifying mass ritual of our era, with huge numbers of people all focused on the same thing at the same moment. That timeless, live quality makes sports very powerful, and very lucrative. And the media spectacle around them is only getting bigger, brighter, and noisier.
More importantly, sports are sold as an oasis of community to a nation deeply divided: They are escapist, apolitical, the only tie that binds. In fact, precisely because they appear allegedly "above politics," sports are able to smuggle potent messages about inequality, patriotism, labor, and race to massive audiences. And as the wider culture works through shifting gender roles and masculine power, those anxieties are also found in the experiences of female sports journalists, athletes, and fans, and through the coverage of violence by and against male bodies. Sports, rather than being the one thing everyone can agree on, perfectly encapsulate the roiling tensions of modern American life.
More importantly, sports are sold as an oasis of community to a nation deeply divided: They are escapist, apolitical, the only tie that binds. In fact, precisely because they appear allegedly "above politics," sports are able to smuggle potent messages about inequality, patriotism, labor, and race to massive audiences. And as the wider culture works through shifting gender roles and masculine power, those anxieties are also found in the experiences of female sports journalists, athletes, and fans, and through the coverage of violence by and against male bodies. Sports, rather than being the one thing everyone can agree on, perfectly encapsulate the roiling tensions of modern American life.
Related to The Power of Sports
Related audiobooks
Rockin' in the Ivory Tower: Rock Music on Campus in the Sixties Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Age of Football: Soccer and the 21st Century Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Game of Edges: The Analytics Revolution and the Future of Professional Sports Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5GameDay: The Untold Story of College Football Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ball is Round: A Global History of Soccer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When the News Broke: Chicago 1968 and the Polarizing of America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWithout Helmets or Shoulder Pads: The American Way of Death in Football Conditioning Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Book of Esports: The Definitive Guide to Competitive Video Games Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5From Hang Time to Prime Time: Business, Entertainment, and the Birth of the Modern-Day NBA Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mastering the Metal: The Evolution of Eddie Bravo Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Club: How the English Premier League Became the Wildest, Richest, Most Disruptive Force in Sports Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mallparks: Baseball Stadiums and the Culture of Consumption Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRingmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fans Have More Friends Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBaseball Rebels: The Players, People, and Social Movements That Shook Up the Game and Changed America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDemocracy Unmoored: Populism and the Corruption of Popular Sovereignty Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTaking a Knee, Taking a Stand: African American Athletes and the Fight for Social Justice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Upheaval Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThem: Why We Hate Each Other--and How to Heal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5976-1313: How Sports Phone Launched Careers and Broke New Ground Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPivots, Blockers, and Jammers: The History of Roller Derby Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5All In: How we build a country that works Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOur Patchwork Nation: The Surprising Truth about the "Real" America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5We Promised You a Great Main Event: An Unauthorized WWE History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5From 1960 to 2060 The History Of The Internet, Bits and Bobs, and Beyond Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsForty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hope of Nations: Standing Strong in a Post-Truth, Post-Christian World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Messi vs. Ronaldo: One Rivalry, Two GOATs, and the Era That Remade the World's Game Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Sports & Recreation For You
How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cactus Jack: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Leadership, Excellence, and Decision-Making Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sixty-One: Life Lessons from Papa, On and Off the Court Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Path Lit By Lightning Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/580/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster by Training Slower Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Getting to Neutral: How to Conquer Negativity and Thrive in a Chaotic World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter and Self-Preservation Anywhere Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mental Toughness Training For Young Athletes - Parent's Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5It Takes What It Takes: How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike's Elite Running Team Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Read Nature: An Expert's Guide to Discovering the Outdoors You've Never Noticed Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A River Runs Through It Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Religion of Sports: Navigating the Trials of Life through the Games we Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pivots, Blockers, and Jammers: The History of Roller Derby Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Tyrus: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hagakure: The Secret Wisdom of the Samurai Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That is Revolutionizing Sports Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for The Power of Sports
Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
0 ratings0 reviews