An accessible survey of the latest thought on popular culture--now revised, rewritten, and expanded throughout. Using case studies to illustrate the range of theories and methods that can be used to study contemporary popular culture, this book covers such topics as television, fiction, film, newspapers and magazines, popular music, and consumption (fan culture and shopping). For this new edition, examples have been updated, photographs have been added, and a greater emphasis has been placed on identity and consumption. Also included are new sections on television audiences, hermeneutics and reception theory, and globalization.