The Death of Discourse

This book explores one of the most disturbing intellectual dilemmas of our time'that our beloved First Amendment is being exploited in the name of the dumbing of America. It is the first book to examine the popular culture of the First Amendment, specifically with reference to television, advertising, and pornography. Comparing the culture of popular discourse with traditional First Amendment ideals, the authors expose the vast gap between our speech practices and our speech principles. Is the tyranny of the trivialization of discourse a problem? In a dialogue-like way, the authors invite their readers to judge.The second edition preserves the first edition's mind-boggling and mirthful stories of America's mass media exploits. A new Foreword examines recent events - for example, the American mass commercial entertainment culture after September 11th - and a new and lengthy Afterword offers a "dialogue" with the book's readers and critics.Ronald K. L. Collins is the author of 'The Death of Discourse', published 2005 under ISBN 9781594600296 and ISBN 1594600295.