Synopsis
Indecent Liberties examines why Americans have a penchant for going to extremes in their arts, popular culture, politics, social movements, and other aspects of life. Robert Schmuhl considers historical examples (the hunting of the buffalo in the West, Prohibition, business ventures in the Gilded Age) but concentrates on contemporary subjects, including the emphasis on what shocks the audience as entertainment today, tensions among specific groups, the decline of private life, and the excesses of news media coverage in the O. J. Simpson and Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky stories.
Booknews
This book explores the dangers and consequences of carrying basic freedoms too far, a penchant Schmuhl (American studies, U. of Notre Dame), would have his readers believe is a particularly American problem. In this somewhat isolationist perspective which ignores the same issues in other countries, the author discusses both historical examples of extreme social movements, such as Prohibition, and contemporary issues, such as the decline of private life, and the excesses of news media coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial. In the process of exploring these examples, the book argues that seeking equilibrium should be a central goal for all Americans. No index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)