JAN. 18, 2005

POP CULTURE
Desire and decency: Do Americans really want cleaner TV?

IN THE NORTHEAST
• Michael Socolow is director of the journalism program at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. As an American Studies professor, he looks at the myths, values, symbols, institutions and behavior of the American people from the perspective of a journalist. Contact 781-736-2224, msocolow@brandeis.edu.
• Mark Silk is the director for the Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. He said the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" outraged such a large cross-section of Americans because the Super Bowl has become what he calls an exercise in American civil religion. However, he said the incident did not translate into any long-term change in attitude toward what's shown on television. Contact 860-297-2352, mark.silk@trincoll.edu.
• Michael C. Keith is a professor of communication at Boston College and a radio historian. He has commented on the infamous "wardrobe malfunction" and its aftermath. Contact 617-552-8837, michael.keith.1@bc.edu.

IN THE EAST
• Jolyon Girard is a professor of history and political science at Cabrini College in Radnor, Pa. He is an expert on American pop culture. Contact 610-902-8335, jolyon.p.girard@cabrini.edu.
• Dane S. Claussen is associate professor of journalism and mass communication at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pa., and author of the book Sex, Religion, Media (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002). Contact 412-392-3412, dclaussen@ppc.edu.
• Todd A. Gitlin is a professor of journalism and sociology at Columbia University in New York. He wrote the book The Twilight of Common Dreams: Why America Is Wracked by Culture Wars (Metropolitan Books/Henry Holt, 1996). Contact 212-854-8124, tg2058@columbia.edu.
• Paul Levinson is chairman of Fordham University's department of communication and media in New York. He has commented on what Americans find offensive on television and the effect that has on the First Amendment. Contact 718-817-4863, paullevinson@compuserve.com.

IN THE SOUTHEAST
• Kathleen S. Lowney is a professor of sociology at Valdosta State University in Georgia. She has written extensively on the Parents Television Council and the evolution of its work. Contact 229-333-5487, klowney@valdosta.edu.
• Marshall W. Fishwick is professor emeritus of interdisciplinary studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg. He has written on popular culture and religion, including the book Great Awakenings: Popular Religion and Popular Culture (Haworth Press, 1995). Contact 540-231-5033, mfishwic@vt.edu.
• Andrew M. Manis is assistant professor of American religious history at Macon State College in Georgia. He has written on Christian evangelicals and the culture wars, including the section "Protestants: From Denominational Controversialists to Culture Warriors" for the book Religion and Public Life in the Southern Crossroads Region: The Showdown States (AltaMira Press, 2004). Contact 478-471-5758, Amanis@mail.maconstate.edu.

IN THE SOUTH
• Mark Hulsether, associate professor of religious studies at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He wrote the forthcoming book Religion, Culture and Politics in Twentieth-Century North America (Edinburgh University Press). Contact 865-974-2182, mhulseth@utk.edu.
• John P. Ferré is a professor of communications at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. His focus is on media, religion and culture. Contact 502-852-6976, ferre@louisville.edu.

IN THE MIDWEST
• Pamela D. Couture is vice president for academic affairs and dean and professor of practical theology at the St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo. She co-wrote the book From Culture Wars to Common Ground: Religion and the American Family Debate (Westminster John Knox Press, 2000). Contact 816-245-4828, pcouture@spst.edu.
• Quentin J. Schultze is the Arthur H. DeKruyter Chair in Faith and Communication at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. He is an expert on religion and its role in popular American culture. Contact 616-526-6290 or through his web site.
• William D. Romanowski is a professor of communication arts and sciences at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. He wrote the book Pop Culture Wars: Religion and the Role of Entertainment in American Life (InterVarsity Press, 1996). Contact 616-526-8527, romw@calvin.edu.
• Michael L. Budde is a professor of political science at DePaul University in Chicago. He can comment on current moves by the FCC regarding indecent content on television. Contact 773-325-1974, mbudde@depaul.edu.
• Fred Kniss is an associate professor specializing in the sociology of religion at Loyola University in Chicago. He wrote the section "Cultures Wars (?): Remapping the Battleground" for the book Cultural Wars in American Politics: Critical Reviews of a Popular Myth (Aldine de Gruyter, 1997). Contact 773-508-3459, fkniss@luc.edu.
• Bruce D. Forbes is the chair of religious studies at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. He co-edited the book Religion and Popular Culture in America (University of California Press, 2000). Contact 712-274-5185, forbes@morningside.com.

IN THE SOUTHWEST
• Daniel A. Stout is associate professor of communications at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He is co-author of Religion and Popular Culture: Studies on the Interaction of Worldviews (Iowa State University Press, 2001). Contact 801-422-7551, daniel_stout@byu.edu.
• Barry G. Hankins is an associate professor of church-state studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He has written the book Uneasy in Babylon: Southern Baptist Conservatives and American Culture (University of Alabama Press, 2002). Contact 254-710-4667, Barry_Hankins@baylor.edu.
• Stewart M. Hoover is a professor of journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is an expert on religion and popular culture, most recently focusing on how many people use popular culture to make sense of life in a way religion once was used. Contact 303-492-4833, Stewart.Hoover@Colorado.edu.

IN THE WEST/NORTHWEST
• Linda Kintz is a professor of English at the University of Oregon in Eugene. She co-edited the book Media, Culture and the Religious Right (University of Minnesota Press, 1998). Contact 541-346-3911, lkintz@oregon.uoregon.edu.
• Joseph L. Price is a professor of religious studies at Whittier College in Whittier, Calif. He wrote the article "Religion and American Popular Culture" for the Journal of the American Academy of Religion (1996). He also has written about the Super Bowl as an American religious festival. Contact 562-907-4803, jprice@whittier.edu.