Dislike-minded media, audiences, and the dynamics of taste

269 Pages·2021·2.404 MB·English

by  Jonathan Alan Gray

Dislike- Minded
Critical Cultural Communication
General Editors: Jonathan Gray, Aswin Punathambekar, Adrienne Shaw
Founding Editors: Sarah Banet- Weiser and Kent A. Ono
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and the Dynamics of Taste
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Dislike- Minded
Media, Audiences, and the
Dynamics of Taste
Jonathan Gray
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York
www.nyupress.org
© 2021 by New York University
All rights reserved
References to Internet websites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing. Neither the
author nor New York University Press is responsible for URLs that may have expired or
changed since the manuscript was prepared.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Gray, Jonathan (Jonathan Alan), author.
Title: Dislike-minded : media, audiences, and the dynamics of taste / Jonathan Gray.
Description: New York : New York University Press, [2021] | Series: Critical cultural
communication | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020051055 | ISBN 9781479809264 (hardback) | ISBN 9781479809981
(paperback) | ISBN 9781479810000 (ebook) | ISBN 9781479809998 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Mass media—Audiences. | Social media. | Likes and dislikes. | Aesthetics.
Classification: LCC P96.A83 G675 2021 | DDC 302.2301—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020051055
New York University Press books are printed on acid- free paper, and their binding materials
are chosen for strength and durability. We strive to use environmentally responsible suppli-
ers and materials to the greatest extent possible in publishing our books.
Manufactured in the United States of America
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Also available as an ebook
To Matthew Gray,
who taught me how to dislike.
Thanks, big brother.

Contents
Introduction: Media Studies: Click Dislike 1
1. The Audience for Dislike 27
2. What’s Wrong and What’s Missing 67
3. Fallen from Grace, or, When Sequels Attack 107
4. Performing Identity through Dislike 136
5. The Multiplicities of Dislike 176
Conclusion: The Rhythms of Dislike 213
Acknowledgments 223
Notes 227
References 239
Index 253
About the Author 259