Bøger af David Marc

This volume focuses on the relationship between the rise of the multi-media environment-television and electronic media-and the decline of the humanities in academia, the changing role of print literacy, and the disintegration of historical consciousness. David Marc is as mad as hell about some things, and he's not going to take it any longer. He finds that most university humanities programs remain top-heavy with embittered careerists who would rather deny the evidence than admit that, with the rise and popular acceptance of mass media, their most cherished interests, their techniques, and skills have become archaic. New students are treated as if they read and write as often, and for the same purposes, as their counterparts before the rise of the television camera, telephone, and communications satellite. Professors get paid. Students receive diplomas. And yet, humanities courses are the joke of the campus. In analyzing the decline of the humanities on college campuses, Marc covers a wide range of issues, including political correctness, the growing tolerance of academic cheating, and institutionalized grade inflation.

When people think of the "Arab world", they tend to think "Jews and Arabs". This is totally wrong (and for those people who should actually know better, it is totally racist). This is the main reason why I wrote this booklet - to create awareness that in fact, most of this "Arab world", i.e. the member countries of the Arab League aside from those on the Arabian peninsula, has been for many centuries, and is at present, Arab-occupied and, -colonized, territory, inhabited by a kaleidoscope of minority, indigenous, non-Arab, peoples, some of whom are even mentioned in the Bible. In addition to the occupation, many of these peoples often suffer from severe persecution from Arabs as well, regardless of whether they are Christian or Muslim. But I should emphasize though, that this is not an anti-Arab work. Legitimate criticism of Arabs does not make one anti-Arab. Indeed, there are many Arabs who fully realize that they live on other people's lands and would be willing to be productive members of that society should the indigenous peoples of these lands liberate themselves from the occupation - an occupation that first began in the early 7th century during the lifetime of the Prophet Mohammed.

Television is the most maligned of the modern media. Critics and even viewers casually call it the "boob tube" or the "idiot box" or even "bubble gum for the eyes". But in the hands of certain individuals it can become a creative canvas, a dramatic art that opens a distinctive window on our culture. There is a growing argument--an auteur theory--that despite all the commercial constraints, the television producer is capable of using TV as a medium of personal expression. Prime Time, Prime Movers is an entertaining and informative guide to the major creators of televisual art who have emerged over the past forty-five years. From dominant performers such as Jackie Gleason and Carol Burnett to powerhouse producers such as Norman Lear and Steven Bochco, it reviews the stories and styles of the most important architects of the airwaves. Milton Berle brought a "hellzapoppin'" vaudeville aesthetic to TV. Gleason used it as an autobiographical medium. Red Skelton was the classic clown from the heartland. Paul Henning, who created, wrote, and produced The Beverly Hillbillies, was himself a kid from Missouri who grew up to become a millionaire in Los Angeles. Norman Lear modeled Archie Bunker after his own cantankerous father. Steven Bochco productions, such as Hill Street Blues and L.A. Law, made TV watching respectable for yuppies. Authors David Marc and Robert J. Thompson are the most outspoken proponents of the auteur argument. Covering a broad spectrum of TV programming formats, from old-time variety shows to sitcoms, from action/adventure shows to documentaries, from gameshows to soap operas, they challenge the tastes and interests of television viewers--a group roughly equivalent to theAmerican population at large.

Integrating three major concerns - television as an industry, a technology, and an art - this book is a basic primer on the complex, and often overlooked story of television and its impact on American life. It also includes interview segments with industry insiders, pictures, and sidebars to illustrate important figures, trends, and events.