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Stay Tuned - by  Patrick Sullivan (Paperback) - 1 of 1

Stay Tuned - by Patrick Sullivan (Paperback)

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About this item

Highlights

  • Since the 1950s, television flooded the American soundscape with not just pictures but sounds, a constant aural stream infiltrating domestic life.
  • About the Author: PATRICK SULLIVAN is an assistant professor of performance and visual studies at Texas A&M University.
  • 154 Pages
  • Performing Arts, Television

Description



About the Book



In Stay Tuned, Patrick Sullivan treats network-era television sound as a formative texture of aesthetic life in postwar America. He analyzes television's iconic sounds, such as the laugh track and Hanna-Barbera Productions' sound effects, as formal interventions, which redefine what aesthetics is when form is mass-produced, commercial, and built for syndication.



Book Synopsis



Since the 1950s, television flooded the American soundscape with not just pictures but sounds, a constant aural stream infiltrating domestic life. In Stay Tuned, Patrick Sullivan treats network-era television sound not as background noise or auxiliary signal but as a formative texture of aesthetic life in postwar America. He theorizes how television's sonic forms--asynchronous audiovisuals, noises, affective rhythms, what he collectively terms "network aurality"--trouble traditional aesthetic theory. Stay Tuned takes up critiques of television sound and repurposes them as evidence of a deeper philosophical discomfort: Namely, that television sound does something to aesthetic categories that they weren't built to handle. From the laugh track to the cartoon "boinks," from noises to the jingle, Sullivan reads television sounds not as cultural detritus but as formal interventions--forcing a redefinition of what aesthetics means when form is mass-produced, commercial, and built for syndication. What emerges is not just a new theory and history of television sound but a reimagined account of aesthetic experience itself--expanded, recalibrated, and a little wacky.



Review Quotes




"Stay Tuned may promise to study sound seriously but I recommend you also read it to study Sullivan's writing. He is a scholarly writer that entertains--his writing is evocative, jazz-influenced, enticing. Come for the sound, stay for the style."

--Alison Peirse "author of Women Make Horror: Filmmaking, Feminism, Genre"

"With a catholic sensibility, deep knowledge of technology, and encyclopedic realm of reference, he traces television's penetration into our shared sonic lifeworlds and shows us how we have been affected, moved, swayed, and calibrated. This book will stimulate the next generation of research into TV sound."

--Amy Villarejo "professor, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television"



About the Author



PATRICK SULLIVAN is an assistant professor of performance and visual studies at Texas A&M University.

Dimensions (Overall): 9.0 Inches (H) x 6.0 Inches (W)
Weight: 1.0 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 154
Genre: Performing Arts
Sub-Genre: Television
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Theme: History & Criticism
Format: Paperback
Author: Patrick Sullivan
Language: English
Street Date: June 9, 2026
TCIN: 1009312689
UPC: 9781978842946
Item Number (DPCI): 247-52-5226
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details

Estimated ship dimensions: 1 inches length x 6 inches width x 9 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1 pounds
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Q: What writing style is Patrick Sullivan known for in his work?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 1 month ago
  • A: He is noted for his evocative and engaging writing style, blending scholarly insights with entertaining prose.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 1 month ago
    Ai generated

Q: What does 'network aurality' refer to in the book?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 1 month ago
  • A: Network aurality refers to how television's sonic forms disrupt conventional aesthetic theories with their unique complexities.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 1 month ago
    Ai generated

Q: What unique sound elements does Patrick Sullivan analyze in the book?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 1 month ago
  • A: He analyzes iconic sounds like laugh tracks and specific sound effects from Hanna-Barbera Productions.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 1 month ago
    Ai generated

Q: How does the author view television sound in cultural context?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 1 month ago
  • A: Sullivan views television sound as more than background noise; it's a formal intervention affecting aesthetic experiences.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 1 month ago
    Ai generated

Q: What critical themes does the book explore regarding television sound?

submitted by AI Shopping Assistant - 1 month ago
  • A: The book examines television sound as a significant aesthetic texture and its impact on traditional aesthetic theories.

    submitted byAI Shopping Assistant - 1 month ago
    Ai generated

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