Reading YouTube: The Critical Viewers Guide

By Anandam P. Kavoori

Book Overview

How does one make sense of YouTube? There is no reliable sample of videos on YouTube; no easily identifiable way to determine its dominant themes; no way to evaluate quality or impact; no seminal literature. Through genre analysis and digital media criticism, this book presents an accessible, yet critical introduction to «reading» YouTube. The book identifies certain videos by genre - from The Phenom and The Short to The Morph and The Experiment - and provides a thumbnail textual analysis of the videos - from celebrity culture to identity politics - that make up each of these genres. Each one starts with a brief summary/background followed by a theoretically informed mapping of the key issues. Designed primarily for classroom use, the book develops a conceptual language for students to use as they engage with the complex, interactive texts of YouTube and digital culture more generally.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1433109794
• ISBN13: 9781433109799
• Release Date: June 2011
• Publisher: Peter Lang Inc., International Academic Publi
• Length: 195 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.8" x 8.7"