|
| Pranksters: Making Mischief in the Modern World
ISBN: 9780814764367
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / NYU Press
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter
Subjects: Practical jokes -- History; Hoaxes -- History; Impostors and imposture -- History; Subculture -- History;
From Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" to the modern "hacktivists" of anonymous "spoofing" corporations and governments, McLeod (Creative License), the man who actually trademarked the phrase "Freedom of Expression," examines hoaxes, pranks, and successful feats of trickery that inspire widespread public amazement and reinforce the need to critically assess miraculous stories or occurrences. He shares thoughtful insights into both lighthearted hoaxes like the Feejee mermaid and well-known darker pranks, such as the 17th century Illuminati conspiracy created by a college student, or the 1980s "Satanic Panic." Benjamin Franklin (who borrowed liberally from Swift) and P.T. Barnum are notable, famous tricksters, but McLeod's description of the lonely, blind phone-phreakers who created their own "electronic social net-work" in the 1960s speaks to the primary need for expression and connection commonly found among the perpetrators. McLeod entertains and engages readers with everything from Thomas Paine to T-Pain in this clever mix of historical figures' imaginative pranks and modern attempts to capture public attention. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
McLeod Kembrew :
Kembrew McLeod is a writer, filmmaker, and Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Iowa, and occasional prankster. He is the author of Creative License, Cutting Across Media, Owning Culture, and the award-winning Freedom of Expression®. McLeod's writing has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Village Voice, and Rolling Stone. |
