For Shame

Just a generation ago, outrageous Americans like Joey Buttafucco and O.J. Simpson would have been scorned. Talk-show host would gave been viewed with suspicion. Self-help books, the recovery movement, and grade inflation didn't exist.

Today, celebrity is its own reward, and every American has the right to an A and high self-esteem. Much to the joy of Madison Avenue ad agencies and the tabloid press, there is no stigma attached to bad behavior--as long as the perpetrator truly repent, of course. As all Americans have asked themselves at one point or another: What's wrong with this picture?

Now, James B. Twitchell, critically acclaimed author of Adcult and Carnival Culture, offers a fascinating and original look at shame, and shamlessness in American culture, taking to task everyone from conservative hypocrites to bleeding-heart liberals. Whether or not your agree that shame is building block of a healthy society, you'll find this a provocative and addictive read--and you just may decide to reexamine "the social good of feeling bad."