Only Entertainment

by Richard Dyer

Only Entertainment explores entertainment as entertainment , asking how and whether an emphasis on the primacy of pleasure sets it apart from other forms of art.Dyer focuses on the genres most associated with entertainment, from musicals to action movies, disco to porn. He examines the nature of entertainment in movies such as The Sound of Music and Speed , and argues that entertainment is part of a 'common sense' which is always historically and culturally constructed.This new edition of Only Entertainment features a revised introduction and five new chapters on topics from serial killer movies to Elizabeth Taylor. In the final chapter Dyer asks whether entertainment as we know it is on the wane.

Genres: Cultural Studies, Film, Nonfiction

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of essays by film scholar Richard Dyer are all specifically about entertainment as a concept, or are about entertainers and entertainment products such as movies, pin-up posters and disco. I've read and re-read the chapters on how entertainment is constructed and deconstructed as a concept because I find it a fascinating and under-researched area of cultural studies. The other chapters are great supporting case studies. The book can feel a little scattered at times, because these essays and articles have been collected from over Dyer's career and were originally published in a variety of different journals. However, the introduction and the last chapter on the waning of entertainment (added for the second edition, I believe) help underline the themes and tie the book together.

[beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

had to read to write an essay but it was ok