High Theory/Low Culture

by Mikita Brottman

In High Theory/Low Culture , Brottman uses the tools of 'high' cultural theory to examine many areas of today's popular culture, including style magazines, sport, shopping, tabloid newspapers, horror movies and pornography. In doing so, she not only demonstrates the practical use of 'high' theory as it relates to our everyday world, but she also investigates the kinds of 'low' culture that are regularly dismissed by academic scholars. Through a close examination of these cultural forms, Brottman reveals how the kinds of popular culture that we usually take for granted are, in fact, far more complex and sophisticated than is normally assumed.

Genres: Nonfiction, Cultural

186 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Mikita Brottman (born 30 October 1966) is a British scholar, psychoanalyst, author and cultural critic known for her psychological readings of the dark and pathological elements of contemporary culture. She received a D.Phil in English Language and Literature from Oxford University, was a Visiting Professor of Comparative Literature at Indiana University, and was Chair of the program in Engaged Humanities with an emphasis in Depth Psychology at the Pacifica Graduate Institute from 2008 to 2010. She currently teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Brottman's articles and case studies have appeared in Film Quarterly, The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, New Literary History, and American Imago. She has written influentially on horror films, critical theory, reading, psychoanalysis, and the work of the American folklorist, Gershon Legman.

Brottman also writes for mainstream and counterculture journals and magazines. Her work has appeared in such diverse venues as The Los Angeles Times, The Huffington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Bad Subjects, The Fortean Times, Headpress, and Popmatters, where her column, "Sub Rosa", ran from January 2007 to July 2009. Her essays have also appeared in a number of books and anthologies.

She is the author of the cult film books Meat is Murder and Hollywood Hex, as well as books on psychoanalysis, critical theory and contemporary popular culture. Her most recent book, The Solitary Vice: Against Reading (Counterpoint, 2008) was selected as one of the Best Books of 2008 by Publishers Weekly, who said: "Sharp, whimsical and impassioned, Brottman's look at the pleasures and perils of compulsive reading is itself compulsively readable and will connect with any book lover."

Brottman's partner is the film critic David Sterritt.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall this was a pretty fun read, mainly because Brottman kept dropping scholarly names that I hadn't heard since finishing grad school. I'm always a fan of when theory can be applied to our culture, rather than just literature or other arts, so it was interesting to see the juxtaposition. Don't expect a barrel of laughs or a major page-turner, but there are some interesting theories and applications of critical theory to be found.

[Maxwell Foxman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read and great approach. Lots of holes in her theories, but generally exposes methodology for viewing popular culture

[Matt Sautman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great as an introduction to applying theory to pop culture, but also a bit dated for the modern reader. The value here lies more with it as a source for explanations of theories’ relevancies to specific kinds of pop culture texts, but I wouldn’t say these explanations are a substitute for reading the original texts. For example, some of the way Lacan is explained here does not match with how Lacan emerges in his own writing. Louise Tyson’s Critical Theory Today is a good companion text to prevent those kinds of misunderstandings.