Abstract
We laugh and the world laughs with us; at least some people in the world laugh with us. Others weep—those who are the butt of the joke. We clap along with the beat of a popular tune on FM radio. It makes us feel happy, excited, uplifted... but at whose expense? Perhaps at the expense of those groups maligned in the lyrics. We feel a surge of solidarity and self-esteem in response to the ravings of a bigoted, charismatic politician... but somebody suffers—usually the innocent people on whom all our personal problems are blamed. Hatred has become an integral part of American mass culture, finding expression in its art, music, politics, and humor.
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Notes
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Ibid.
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© 1993 Jack Levin and Jack McDevitt
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Levin, J., McDevitt, J. (1993). Hatred Is Hip. In: Hate Crimes. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6108-2_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6108-2_3
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