Overview

From pro wrestling and Pokémon to Vince McMahon and Jerry Springer, this look at the low culture of the late '90s reveals its profound impact and how it continues to affect our culture and society today. According to Benes, there are many lessons to learn from the year that low culture conquered the world. Talk shows and reality TV foreshadowed the way political movements grab power by capturing our attention. Pro wrestling mastered the art of ""kayfabe""--the agreement to treat something as real and genuine when it is not--before it spread throughout American society, as political contests, corporate public relations campaigns, and nonprofit fundraising schemes have become their own wrestling matches that require a suspension of disbelief. Beanie Babies and Pokémon demonstrate capitalism's resiliency as well as its vulnerabilities. Legal and technological victories obtained by early internet pornographers show how the things people are ashamed of have the ability to influence the world. Insane Clown Posse's creation of loyal Juggalos illustrates the way religious and political leaders are able to generate faithful followers by selling themselves as persecuted outsiders. And the controversy over video game violence reveals how every generation finds new scapegoats. 1999 is not just a nostalgic look at the past. It is also a window into our contentious present.

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Ross Benes is a journalist, market research analyst, and author. His writing has appeared in Esquire, the Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian magazine, and Entertainment Weekly. As an entertainment industry analyst, he's regularly cited as an expert source by the Los Angeles Times, NPR, and Bloomberg. His books include Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold and Turned On: A Mind-Blowing Investigation into How Sex Has Shaped Our World. Raised in Nebraska, Ross shares Juggalo love with his family in New York's Hudson Valley. Josh Innerst is an accomplished classical stage actor and AudioFile Earphones Award-winning audiobook narrator. He continues to pursue his craft in film/TV and is currently based in the Midwest with his family. When he's not onstage or on-set, he spends his days in the booth or out putzing in the garden.

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