Introduction: Popular Signs Summary and Analysis

The book begins with a discussion of September 11, 2001 and how everybody was saying that nothing would ever be the same as the events of that infamous morning were reported. The Emmy Awards show was postponed and the Latin Grammy Awards show was cancelled. The NFL even rescheduled its weekend games, something that it didn't even do after the Kennedy assassination. However, America didn't desert its popular culture. In fact, it very quickly returned in the following months, as sports events, concerts and other forms of entertainment took place.

"That America returned so quickly to its popular culture, indeed relied upon it to help cope with the disaster, is itself a sign of just how important that culture is to us and how enduring. Far from being a mere frivolity that we could easily do without, our popular...