Advertising in Popular Culture: Fredric Brown's "Pi in the Sky"

Abstract

Abstract: Advertising in Popular Culture articles provide an in-depth discussion of how a text, such as a television show, film, or short story, represents and reflects on advertising's place in society and culture. In this article, a group of scholars talk about Fredric Brown's short story "Pi in the Sky," which appeared in the pulp magazine Thrilling Wonder Stories in early 1945. Panelists provide a close reading of the story, discussing many topics: the cultural, political, and social context during and after World War II; the media and publishing environment during and after World War II; how the story compares to other science fiction and literary representations of advertising; what the story says about advertising and science; an analysis of prominent characters in the story; representations of soap; what the story says about the tactics advertisers use to draw attention to products; the meanings and significance of the story's title; advice on how to use the story in the classroom; and advice for practitioners.