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Of course, reality television is not the only popular art form meriting thoughtful consideration. The pop music, big budget films, primetime TV, and other mass media that we encounter on a daily basis play a significant and often underappreciated role in the constitution of our culture. This claim is by no means novel, but it bears repeating. It is sometimes difficult to maintain a thoughtful perspective on the pop culture of the present, especially when that culture contains vulgar language or unpleasant images. But we can only benefit from being more attentive to the media we consume and the ways in which we consume it. So please, watch “Jersey Shore” and come to the conference. You might learn something from a Guido after all.

Listen to a podcast with David Showalter.

The UChicago Conference on Jersey Shore Studies will be accepting paper proposals until August 1. To submit a paper for consideration, please send a 500 to 600 word abstract to David Showalter at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also follow the conference on Facebook and on Twitter.

David Showalter was born and raised in Stillwater, Oklahoma and is currently a fourth-year in the Tutorial Studies program at the University of Chicago. His academic interests include crime and punishment, popular culture, and 20th century philosophy.

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