"Good Guys Don't Wear Hats"

Joseph Tobin offers a fresh perspective on how children make sense of media representations of race, sex, violence, and class. By weaving such cutting-edge approaches as poststructuralism, performance theory, and critical theory into his analysis, he demonstrates how the meanings children give to media messages depend on the local contexts in which they live. Tobin challenges the convention that children are easily fooled by the media and suggests instead that they are capable of resistant interpretations of the movies and television they watch. Laced with the voices and perspectives of young children, who are wise, funny, and creative in their grasp of the media, this book is a must read for anyone who cares about the modern kid.

“This book is likely to attract a wide readership; those interested in popular culture, discourse analysis, the education of young children and those who are involved in teacher education will find this book an informative and enjoyable read.”

—Journal of Early Childhood Literacy

“This work effectively answers those who argue for simplistic causal connections between children’s media exposure and acts of violence and breaks new ground in the study of children’s responses to media.”
- Michael O’Loughlin, Hofstra University

“Joseph Tobin explodes the popular conception that children are passive dupes of an all-powerful media. He shows the ways in which children can resist, parody, and appropriate the images and narratives of film, using local experiences to interpret global texts.
- Thomas Newkirk, University of New Hampshire

“Tobin offers a provocative challenge to conventional views about the effects of the media on children. This is an engaging, thought-provoking study that should be read by all those with an interest in contemporary children’s culture.” - David Buckingham, University of London, England