Parade of Pleasure

    (Derek Verschoyle Limited, 1954)

The author of this book calls it 'a study of popular iconographv in the U.S.A., with special reference to movies, comic-books, pin-up magazines, television, radio, jazz and murder mystery stories.' In his analysis of these forms of entertainment he is concerned with showing up certain disquieting trends in their content and direction, The overall tendency, he believes, is towards violence and sadism, and he points out that a very high proportion of the most popular kinds of entertainment is given up to themes of this nature. Within this general tendency, emphasis is laid on certain types of behavior which seem to reflect deeper trends in American life.

One of the most interesting sections of this surprising book is that devoted to American 'comic' fiction. Mr. Wagner points out that the enormous circulation of comic-books and papers gives them considerable influence on children and young people, and his description of typical characters and situations is both entertaining and alarming.

PARADE OF PLEASURE is the first full-length study of the dangers latent in popular culture,. The author resists the temptation to indict the worst elements of his subject as exclusively American, but his research was conducted in the U.S.A. and his case-histories are accordingly full-blooded. With wit and gusto he takes his readers on a conducted tour of the world of Superman, bosom-consciousness and Mickey Spillane, but this amusing work has serious implications and its light¬hearted, fast-moving surface conceals a deeply-felt anxiety. Mr. Wagner has made an extensive study of an original field, and we predict that his findings will come as a revelation, to all readers.
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