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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. At the beginning of Chapter 16, what does Klosterman say to those who hate the media?

2. What does Klosterman insist was born in the story of the Star Wars franchise?

3. Which of the following is not a frequent topic of conversation from Horace and his friends?

4. Why did many critics dislike the end of Reality Bites?

5. During what era did television unseat newspapers as the primary source of news. according to Klosterman?

Short Essay Questions

1. What annoys Horace and his friends about Chet the dog-lover?

2. How does a Dixie Chicks concert reveal a cultural shift to Chuck Klosterman?

3. Why do sports writers hate their work?

4. What is the value of lyrics in popular music?

5. How are some cereal icons representative of the pained desire for perfection and acceptance?

6. What is the essence of coolness, as described in Chapter 10?

7. What is the difference between Saved by the Bell and an important show?

8. What is the book Left Behind about?

9. Why does Klosterman posit that traveling forward in time is less fraught than traveling back?

10. How is Luke Skywalker's relationship with Darth Vader a familiar relationship to Gen X'ers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay about how Chuck Klosterman analyzes the goals and achievements of the internet through the prism of pornography. What was the promise of the internet at its inception? How does the popularity of certain types of porn indicate a desire for community and equality? How does this run contrary to internet professionals' opinions of internet porn?

Essay Topic 2

Chuck Klosterman's essays fall into the category of literary nonfiction, or new journalism. Most famously practiced by such writers as Norman Mailer, Joan Didion, and Truman Capote, this practice involves the journalist placing him or herself at the center of the story. Write an essay about three essays in which Klosterman plays a pivotal role in the reading of events. How is he an active player here? How does his presence affect the story? What does this alter about what else would have been a straightforward relating of events?

Essay Topic 3

Write an essay exploring the differences Klosterman delineates between soccer people and baseball people. What does each sport emphasize and value? Why is the author certain that soccer will never make inroads as a popular sport in America? How does his attitude toward sports cause him to be embattled as a little league coach?

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