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<p>Acknowledgments ix</p> <p>Introduction: Philosophy and the Popular Arts 1</p> <p><b>Section I The Philosophy of Mass Art 7</b></p> <p>1 The Ontology of Mass Art 9</p> <p>2 Modernity and the Plasticity of Perception 29</p> <p>3 The Ties that Bind: Characters, the Emotions, and Popular Fictions 40</p> <p>4 Character, Social Information, and the Challenge of Psychology 64</p> <p><b>Section II The Philosophy of Motion Pictures 83</b></p> <p>5 Movies, the Moral Emotions, and Sympathy 85</p> <p>6 The Problem with Movie Stars 106</p> <p>7 Cinematic Narrative 122</p> <p>8 Cinematic Narration 133</p> <p>9 Psychoanalysis and the Horror Film 145</p> <p><b>Section III Philosophy and Popular Film 159</b></p> <p>10 Philosophical Insight, Emotion, and Popular Fiction: The Case of Sunset Boulevard 161</p> <p>11 Vertigo and the Pathologies of Romantic Love 183</p> <p>12 What Mr Creosote Knows about Laughter 194</p> <p>13 Memento and the Phenomenology of Comprehending Motion Picture Narration 203</p> <p><b>Section IV Philosophy and Popular TV 221</b></p> <p>14 Tales of Dread in The Twilight Zone: A Contribution to Narratology 223</p> <p>15 Sympathy for Soprano 234</p> <p>16 Consuming Passion: Sex and the City 247</p> <p><b>Section V Philosophy on Broadway 267</b></p> <p>17 Art and Friendship 269</p> <p>18 Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman, or The Justification of Literature 276</p> <p><b>Section VI Philosophy across Popular Culture 289</b></p> <p>19 The Fear of Fear Itself: The Philosophy of Halloween 291</p> <p>20 The Grotesque Today: Preliminary Notes toward a Taxonomy 302</p> <p>21 Andy Kaufman and the Philosophy of Interpretation 324</p> <p>Index 348</p>

<p>“The combination of his well-deserved reputation with the subject matter will ensure that the volume has a widespread appeal, from academic philosophers to students of popular culture and the consumers of mass art.”  (<i>British Journal of Aesthetics</i>, 1 September 2015)</p> <p> </p>

<p><b>Noël Carroll</b> is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the CUNY Graduate Center. A former journalist, screenwriter, and President of the American Society for Aesthetics, Carroll is the author of 16 books, including <i>Art in Three Dimensions</i> (2010), <i>On Criticism</i> (2009), <i>The Philosophy of Motion Pictures</i> (Blackwell, 2008), <i>Beyond Aesthetics</i> (2001), <i>A Philosophy of Mass Art</i> (1999), and <i>Interpreting the Moving Image</i> (1998).</p>

<i>Minerva’s Night Out</i> showcases noted philosopher and motion picture and media theorist Noël Carroll addressing the philosophical aspects of popular films and pop culture in thought-provoking essays at the intersection of the popular and the profound. Ranging across the philosophy of Halloween to psychoanalysis and the horror film, from <i>Vertigo</i> and the pathologies of romantic love to Andy Kaufman and the philosophies of interpretation, Carroll delivers the insight, wit, and serious engagement for which he’s known. At once accessible and intellectually stimulating, <i>Minerva’s Night Out</i> plumbs the depths beneath the surface of motion pictures and popular culture.

<p>“Noël Carroll is America’s greatest philosopher of popular art, and <i>Minerva’s Night Out</i> is the definitive collection of his work on the subject. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the interpretation of popular culture.”</p> <p><b>—</b>William Irwin, General Editor of <i>The</i> <i>Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series</i></p> <p>“What is astonishing here is not just the versatility, but the interpretive power, Carroll's ability to find philosophical themes in subjects ranging from Yasmina Reza to Hitchcock to Halloween.” </p> <p>—Joan Acocella of <i>The New Yorker</i></p> <p>“In these probing, subtle, and entertaining reflections on cinema, television, and theatre, Noël Carroll once more proves himself our foremost philosopher of popular art.”</p> <p>—David Bordwell, University of Wisconsin-Madison<br /> <br /> <br /> "Noël Carroll's omnivorous interest in all the arts—fine, popular, mass—always undergirded by sturdy philosophical analysis is on display in this excellent collection. I'm glad to recommend it."</p> <p>—Ted Cohen, University of Chicago</p>

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