Entertainment Economy

Michael J. Wolf's book, The Entertainment Economy: How Mega-Media Forces are Transforming Our Lives, was published six years ago but nevertheless offers timely insights into how the forces of American corporate entertainment are shaping our culture.

Main Points

The author points to the end of huge military spending at the conclusion of the Cold War, but those military-related industries were replaced by entertainment revenue for those cities. The author also mentions instances where the economy had fallen flat in a given area, and some form of entertainment was introduced which not only bolstered the sagging economy, but provided jobs and spread the power of corporate-created entertainment throughout the land.

Chapter Two: while American's watch their personal savings dip into the red ink zone (2.1% of earnings), they are spending (or were, in 1999 when the book was published) 8.4% on entertainment. Wolf writes that Americans are all about...
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