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Title: Shows About Nothing: Nihilism in Popular Culture from The Exorcist to Seinfeld by Thomas S. Hibbs ISBN: 1-890626-35-X Publisher: Spence Publishing Company Pub. Date: 15 December, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: An eye-opening expose of our Nihilistic culture
Comment: 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 issues of Good and Evil, ultimately indicating our collective agreement that there is little meaning in either term; instead we are subjected to coincidences and the capricious desires of a dark God who often makes lilfe one great comedy of the absurd. Hibbs shows the link between a movie like Pulp Fiction and Seinfeld, two sides of the same nihilistic coin.
The reader is left wondering where we will go next, once evil is merely and banal as goodness, and God is relegated to a being conspiring to make us unhappy and evil is always just around the corner.
At times Hibbs writes in a way that does not make his point clear. It is not always obvious if he approves of the film or movie he is discussing; on the other hand, perhaps his very ambiguity is indicative of the very problem we face.
What is remarkable is that Hibbs cannot contain his clearly Christian perspective. It is refreshing to see a Christian write a thoroughly engaging and scholarly analysis of where our culture is at. With the death of God comes comic meaninglessness and quests for meanings that ultimately have no end. He convinces us that we may indeed be Nietsche's last men.
Rating: 4
Summary: A philosophical perspective on movies & TV
Comment: 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: 5
Summary: Much Ado About "Nothing"
Comment: 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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Title: Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing by William Irwin ISBN: 0812694090 Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company Pub. Date: 01 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Monsters from the Id: The Rise of Horror in Fiction and Film by E. Michael Jones ISBN: 1890626066 Publisher: Spence Publishing Company Pub. Date: 01 May, 2000 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: How the News Makes Us Dumb: The Death of Wisdom in an Information Society by C. John Sommerville, John C. Sommerville ISBN: 0830822038 Publisher: InterVarsity Press Pub. Date: 01 March, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Diversity: The Invention of A Concept by Peter Wood ISBN: 1893554627 Publisher: Encounter Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 2002 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: What We Can't Not Know: A Guide by J. Budziszewski ISBN: 189062649X Publisher: Spence Publishing Company Pub. Date: 01 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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