Bad, Or, the Dumbing of America

This book is a lethal weapon. With deadly wit and a nose for fakery, Fussell ( Class ) takes aim at things promoted as highly desirable that are, in fact, phony, vacant, stupid, boring or subadult. He defines such trumpery as ``bad,'' and finds examples of badness everywhere--in People magazine, pretentious language, ``New Age'' charlatans, show biz, ``socko-erotic'' poetry, all advertising, Edward Kennedy, George Bush, the Vietnam War and music like Ravel's Bolero, for starters. The acid mini-essays are arranged in A-to-Z format, followed by Fussell's diagnosis of badness as a misguided quest for the illusion of distinction and value in a rootless America progressively sinking into stupidity and ignorance. This delightfully wicked satire will produce many red faces. (Nov.)