The Time of Our Lives—Dirty Dancing and Popular Culture

In 1987, who would've guessed the teen coming-of-age musical Dirty Dancing would become the subject of academic analysis? Editors Tzioumakis (media and communications, University of Liverpool) and Lincoln (media studies, Liverpool John Moores University) gather interdisciplinary contributors who seek to understand the reasons behind the film's continued popularity, looking especially at issues of identity politics. An intro looks at the film's unique combination of mainstream and independent production, narrative, stylistic, and political elements, which made it the first example of Indie-wood cinema, 10 years ahead of its time. The rest of the essays explored subjects such as Dirty Dancing and feminism, anachronistic music in the film, and Dirty Dancing as Reagan-era cinema. Even though this b&w photo-illustrated work is written by and for academics, it's also accessible to general readers and fans of the film. Annotation c2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Yannis Tzioumakis is senior lecturer in communication and media at the University of Liverpool. He is the author and editor of five books, most recently Hollywood's Indies: Classics Divisions, Specialty Labels and the American Film Market, and co-editor of the American Indies book series.

Sian Lincoln is senior lecturer in media studies at Liverpool John Moores University. She has recently published her first book, Youth Culture and Private Space, and is working on her second, Rethinking Youth Cultures: A Critical Introduction.