Why We Love Sociopaths – A Guide To Late Capitalist Television

Author:   Adam Kotsko
Publisher:   Collective Ink
ISBN:  

9781780990910


Pages:   108
Publication Date:   27 April 2012
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
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Why We Love Sociopaths – A Guide To Late Capitalist Television


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Overview

Sociopaths are pervasive in contemporary television, from high-brow drama all the way down to cartoons - and of course the news as well. From the scheming Eric Cartman of South Park to the seductive imposter Don Draper of Mad Men, cold and ruthless characters captivate us, making us wish that we could be so effective and successful. Yet why should we admire characters who get ahead by being amoral and uncaring? In his follow-up to Awkwardness, Adam Kotsko argues that the popularity of the ruthless sociopath reflects our dissatisfaction with a failed social contract, showing that we believe that the world rewards the evil and uncaring rather than the good. By analyzing characters like the serial killer star of Dexter and the cynical Dr. House, Kotsko shows that the fantasy of the sociopath distracts us from our real problems - but that we still might benefit from being a little more sociopathic.

Full Product Details

Author:   Adam Kotsko
Publisher:   Collective Ink
Imprint:   John Hunt Publishing
Dimensions:   Width: 14.20cm , Height: 0.70cm , Length: 21.50cm
Weight:   0.142kg
ISBN:  

9781780990910


ISBN 10:   178099091
Pages:   108
Publication Date:   27 April 2012
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

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What is it about our society which makes sociopaths, i.e., the kind of ruthless individuals who make their own rules, so appealing? With his usual acuity, Adam Kotsko gives an analysis of contemporary TV shows (South Park, Mad Men, The Wire, etc.) to make the case that depictions of social disconnection are especially seductive at a time when our own society has become ever more destructive and amoral. Kotsko provokes us in suggesting how we might combine and reshape several features of the television sociopath, so that we might break the hold of the societal norms prevalent in late capitalism. (Lars Iye, Author of the novel Spurious)


Author Information

Adam Kotsko is Assistant Professor of Humanities at Shimer College, Chicago. He is the author of Zizek and Theology (2008), Politics of Redemption (2010), and Why We Love Sociopaths: A Guide to Late Capitalist Television (2012). He is the translator of Agamben's The Sacrament of Language (2010), The Highest Poverty (2013), Opus Dei (2013), Pilate and Jesus (forthcoming) and The Use of Bodies (forthcoming). He blogs at An und fur sich (itself.wordpress.com).

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