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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did Woody Allen make desirable in the 1970s?

2. What is the first thing Klosterman asks Riley about in their Chapter 8 interview?

3. At the beginning of Chapter 6, Klosterman says he never wants hear someone say soccer is what again?

4. What Joel album does Klosterman insist was a universally loved?

5. Which major cultural figure does Klosterman say made it easier for men like him to get women?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Klosterman connect porn and the rise of the internet in Chapter 9?

2. Why did Puck and Pedro transcend The Real World frame?

3. What is the essential difference between a Laker philosophy and a Celtic philosophy?

4. What does Klosterman hate about Spike Lee films?

5. What possible pitfalls could the release of Chinese Democracy cause for Paradise City?

6. According to Klosterman, how did The Real World create modern youth culture?

7. What is fake love?

8. Why is Sim Chuck rejected in love?

9. Describe the gig at the end of Chapter 5.

10. What is the value of celebrity nudity sites on the net?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Klosterman uses popular culture to explain the drives and attitudes of Generation X'ers. Write a three-part essay about Klosterman's conception of Generation X:

Part 1) Why did the movies of John Cusack render love a virtual impossibility for Generation X? What false expectations did the movies of the 1980s and '90s create, and how has Klosterman repeatedly been foiled by them?

Part 2) What is Generation X's obsession with coolness, according to Klosterman? Discuss how his generation was conditioned at a young age to desire coolness as an ideal? How did cereal ads play a role in this indoctrination? What is the nature of cool to Gen X?

Part 3) Discuss how Gen X feels an unbreakable bond with Luke Skywalker. What in the original Star Wars films typifies the worldview of this generation? What role does failure and struggle play in this kinship?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout Sex Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Chuck Klosterman discusses the idea of coolness in American society. What does Klosterman think of the pursuit of coolness? What are the essential elements of cool? Does he think coolness is a worthwhile goal to pursue? Cite specific examples from the book to argue Klosterman's position.

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay about the personality that Klosterman creates for himself through his writing. What does he look for in friendship and romance? What cultural mores does he value? What angers the author about his own generation? Use the intra-chapter musings throughout the book to corroborate your thesis in the essay.

(see the answer keys)

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