A History of Popular Culture: More of Everything, Faster and Brighter

This lively and informative survey provides a thematic global history of popular culture focusing on the period since the end of the Second World War. Raymond Betts considers the rapid diffusion and "hybridization" of popular culture as the result of three conditions of the world since the end of World War Two: instantaneous communications, widespread consumption in a market-based economy and the visualization of reality. Betts considers the dominance of American entertainment media and habits of consumption, assessing adaptation and negative reactions to this influence. The author surveys a wide range of topics, including the effects of global conflict, the effects of urbanization and the growth of sport as a commercial enterprise.