Review of You Are What You Watch

You Are What You Watch: How Movies and TV Affect Everything, by Walter Hickey

You Are What You Watch cover

You Are What You Watch is mostly an interesting, entertaining book. I always found it disjointed and problematic in some ways. Hickey jumps around from one topic to another without connecting the dots. Some of the data and charts he shares are extremely complex and not really related to the book’s stated theme.

The book was not what I expected. Based on the title, I was ready for a cultural critique of popular culture, warning us how the media insidiously influences us.

Hickey does present a case for how the media affects us, but his attitude remains cheerful and upbeat, even when he’s describing things like how the US military works with Hollywood for propaganda purposes.

What About the Internet?

Despite the title, Hickey covers more than just movies and TV. Several chapters deal with other influences, such as books and games. At the same time, he barely acknowledges the influence of social media and online content in general.

Hickey is so enamored with movies and TV that he consistently downplays how much digital culture has displaced traditional media. He’s certainly aware of the internet and social media, but he still talks mostly of movies and old school…