Pulp Fiction and the Culture of Violence

Exploring the intersection of entertainment, politics, and pedagogy, Henry Giroux analyzes some recent films as popular cultural texts, arguing that the cinematic violence and racist stereotypes portrayed are inextricably linked to what has been called the rising culture of violence in the United States. Offering a schematic definition of different representations of violence in film, particularly focusing on what he refers to as the "hyper-real" violence of Pulp Fiction, Giroux challenges educators to engage critically the pedagogical and political implications of popular culture with students and others.