Saturday Morning Censors: Television Regulation Before the V-Chip (Console-Ing Passions)

Rating:
Summary: A must read for anyone serious about children and the media
Review: If you are interested in the topic of children and the media, this is an important book to read. You'll learn about the regulatory politics and tv production practices that gave rise to classic children's tv shows like Sesame Street, Strawberry Shortcake, and GI Joe--and that have continued to influence the content of children's tv in important (and often deeply problematic) ways. It is a serious read, but well written and compelling. I have used chapters from the book in classes I've taught (university level) on children and the media, and the discussions that have followed (about deregulation, commercialism, gender, cultural imperialism...) have been very lively. In many cases, students have continued to refer back to concepts raised in the book throughout the course.

Rating:
Summary: it's true, it's inspired.
Review: the previous reviewer decries the very thing that makes this book original.

instead of tackling the question of SHOULD there be censorship, she scholarly adresses HOW the censorship process worked on one volatile form of television.

and the book works.

Rating:
Summary: it's true, it's inspired.
Review: the previous reviewer decries the very thing that makes this book original.

instead of tackling the question of SHOULD there be censorship, she scholarly adresses HOW the censorship process worked on one volatile form of television.

and the book works.

Rating:
Summary: I'd rather be doing anything else...
Review: This book is entirely too complex to understand. It tends to jump from topic to topic without ever clearly explaining the various factions involved in regulating children's television content and programming. Hendershot succeeds in being both condescending and boring in her approach to the study of children's television.