Drawing multiple comparisons between the works of the western canon and the products of contemporary consumer culture, this book argues that Jane Austen and Shakespeare bore the same relation to their contemporary audiences that SEINFELD and Cosmopolitan do to 20th-century audiences, and that great works of classic literature are best taught by comparing them to the great works of contemporary television, film, advertising, and journalism. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.