ABSTRACT
The proliferation of new theoretical discourses first took the form of theory fever, in which each new, or newly discovered, theoretical discourse produced feverish excitement, as if a new theory virus totally took over and possessed its host. Then the proliferating theory fever took on the form of theory wars between the competing theoretical discourses. Such perspectives enlarge the field of media/cultural studies and political struggle, expanding, for instance, the concept of ideology critique to include dimensions of race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, and other factors, as well as class. These oppositional political discourses also infuse media/cultural studies with political passion and intensity, breathing new life into its projects. Furthermore, media/cultural studies examines the effects of media cultural texts, the ways that audiences appropriate and use media culture, and the ways that media images, figures, and discourses function within the culture.
