The Prime-Time Presidency: The West Wing and U.S. Nationalism (Paperback)

~ (Author), Shawn J. Parry-Giles (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Contrasting strong women and multiculturalism with portrayals of a heroic white male leading the nation into battle, The Prime-Time Presidency explores the NBC drama The West Wing, paying particular attention to its role in promoting cultural meaning about the presidency and U.S. nationalism. Based in a careful, detailed analysis of the "first term" of The West Wing's President Josiah Bartlett, this criticism highlights the ways the text negotiates powerful tensions and complex ambiguities at the base of U.S. national identity--particularly the role of gender, race, and militarism in the construction of U.S. nationalism. Unlike scattered and disparate collections of essays, Trevor Parry-Giles and Shawn J. Parry-Giles offer a sustained, ideologically driven criticism of The West Wing. The Prime-time Presidency presents a detailed critique of the program rooted in presidential history, an appreciation of television's power as a source of political meaning, and television's contribution to the articulation of U.S. national identity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (March 13, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252073126
• ISBN-13: 978-0252073120
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #864,771 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There should be more books like this..., October 3, 2006

By	J. PORTER - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The West Wing (TWW)is my favourite television series so I was delighted that this academic book had been written about it. For me (a newcomer to Political/Social/Culture theory) the book served as a nice introduction to these, as an interesting look at the role of/perception of the president in the US and as a pleasant reminder of some of the many excellent episode s of TWW.

The one thing that must be emphasised is that this is an academic book. Episodes are "texts" and the word 'reify' is used on (nearly) every page. If the words "mimetic verisimilitude" send you running for a dictionary you'll be fine as most of the book is much easier to read; if they terrify you perhaps this isn't a good choice; if you know roughly what they mean then it will be an easy read.

I am skeptical of some of the interpretation of the episodes - but generally am of this sort of work. I certainly don't think it is as clear cut as the authors suggest in many instances and other episodes frequently contradict or at least balance some of the observations. But it really is an excellent book which most WW fans or student of the many disciplines covered should buy (if only to learn about TWW).