Parasocial Politics offers scholars and students of media audiences a well-rounded collection of original research studies from a variety of different methodological perspectives. It avoids the stale debates about audience autonomy by focusing on the phenomenology of audience activity—the ways in which audiences leverage their media experiences to help navigate their social and political world. This collection makes a valuable contribution to the field of audience studies and popular culture by skillfully linking audience interpretations of popular media to forms of political, racial, and religious identity.

John Sullivan, Muhlenberg College

Jason Zenor has compiled an impressive and very timely collection of studies packed with ideas about the potential for entertainment—and entertainers—to influence political opinion. Each chapter offers insight into the ways we understand and communicate political meanings that are embedded in the media products we consume. This book will, I hope, inspire many more research projects on this important topic.

Patricia Phalen, George Washington University