culture

This episode we talk with Bryant Simon, author of the Summer 2010 Contexts culture review, Depression Chic — Shopping Our Way To Recovery. Topics include “inconspicuous conspicuous consumption”, the politics of depression in the 1930s and today, Simon’s book Everything but the Coffee: Learning about America from Starbucks, and what historians and sociologists can learn from one another.

Also, Sarah awards The Society Page of the Week to A Public Display of Emotion from Citings & Sightings.

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Elizabeth Wissinger, author of the Spring 2010 Contexts Culture Review, The Top Model Life, tells us how the modeling world fits into the sociological world through marxism, beauty, technology and the commodification of culture.

Also, the Society Page of the Week: Text Messaging Trends on Graphic Sociology.

Download Office Hours #3 now!

We are now Office Hours! Listen in for an explanation behind the name change. (If you’ve already subscribed to our old contexts.org RSS feed or in iTunes, don’t worry: you will still get the new episodes. As of right now we’re still listed as “Contexts Podcast” in iTunes, but we’re working on changing that.)

This episode features a discussion with Peter Conrad, author of the Spring 2010 Contexts book review, Pills and the Pursuit of Normalcy, which reviews Happy Pills and Normal At Any Cost. Arturo and Peter start off talking about these books, but the conversation turns into a fascinating, wide-ranging discussion of the medicalization of everything from happiness to height. Other books referenced include The Loss of Sadness and The Medicalization of Society.

Download Office Hours #1 now!

This episode we sit down with Walt Jacobs to discuss his Winter 2010 Contexts feature 30 Years of Black Presidents. During the interview, Walt and Sarah listen in on comic sketches by Richard Pryor and Dave Chapelle. If you prefer your audio/visual materials to include video as well as audio, you can watch the clips below!

But first, we have a discovery on segregation and crime presented by Arturo!

Download episode #32 now!

Videos in the Podcast

John Mayer skit from Tom on Vimeo.

Videos Discussed in the Article

Part two of David Grazian’s interview with Chuck Klosterman. This second half of the interview touches on goth day at Disney Land, irony and humor, self-awareness among celebrities, reality tv and how to entertain and inform at the same time.

Be sure to check out part one, too!

Download episode #29 now!

This episode is the first in a two part interview with journalist Chuck Klosterman. Contexts Culture Review Editor David Grazian met up with Klosterman in New York City for a wide-ranging discussion about music, celebrity, reality tv and humor. This first episode focuses on music, and the second episode will be posted here in a few days is available now & focuses on celebrity, irony and reality tv.

If you’re unfamiliar with Klosterman’s work, his books are a great place to start and include Fargo Rock City, Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, and Eating the Dinosaur.

Download episode #28 now!