Proceeding from the assumption that all manner of public communication in the United States is becoming increasingly coarse, this book argues that shared cultural notions of decency are being eroded by market logic-a decision making calculus based solely upon the aggregate preferences of self-interested individuals.

Contents
Introduction: Atlas Slouched
Chapter 1:  Noise, Fragmentation, and Absurdity in U.S. Public Communication
Chapter 2:  Coarseness in the Public Sphere
Chapter 3:  Coarseness in U.S. Politics
Chapter 4:  Coarseness and Reason
Chapter 5:  Art and Cultivated Vulgarity
Chapter 6:  Post-Denominational Christianity and Coarseness
Chapter 7:  Entertainment and the Entertainment Market-as-Democracy Meme
Conclusion:  Our Age of Cynicism
About the Authors
Index
 

Philip Dalton is assistant professor and chair of speech communication, rhetoric and performance studies at Hofstra University. He teaches courses in political communication, argumentation and debate, qualitative research methods and intercultural communication.
 
Eric Mark Kramer is professor of communication at the University of Oklahoma.  He is also affiliate faculty in the College of International Studies.