Vicki Abt
Vicki Abt | |
|---|---|
Abt during testimony in Amedure v. Jenny Jones Show, 1999 | |
| Born | Isleen Vicki Abt December 9, 1942 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 1, 2026 (aged 83) Lansdale, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Academic background | |
| Education | |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Sociology |
| Institutions | Pennsylvania State University |
Isleen Vicki Abt (December 9, 1942 – February 1, 2026) was an American sociologist. She was a professor of sociology and American studies at Pennsylvania State University's Abington College.[1] Her research primarily explored commerical gambling and talk shows, and their impacts on American society; Abt was a critic of both institutions.
Life and career
Abt was born on December 9, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. She was raised in Franklin Square, New York. Her father was the president of a metal-castings foundry and her mother was the office manger and bookkeeper. She graduated from H. Frank Carey High School and in 1963 received a BA in social science from Hofstra University. She received a master's from Penn State, and her PhD from Temple University.[1]
In 1985, Abt published The Business of Risk: Commercial Gambling in Mainstream America with James F. Smith and Eugene Martin Christiansen.[2] By 1994, Abt was a professor at Penn State, and continuing to study and comment on the negative effects of gambling.[3][4][5] She taught sociology and American studies.[5]
In 1994, she co-authored the article "The Shameless World of Phil, Sally and Oprah" in The Journal of Popular Culture. The article offered a critique of daytime talk shows, including Oprah Winfrey, Phil Donahue, and Sally Jessy Raphael. The piece caused Winfrey to reflect upon her style and change, stating that she wished to "disassociate ourselves from the 'trash pack'".[1] Later that year, she appeared on Winfey's talk show.[5] In 1997, she published the book Coming After Oprah: Cultural Fallout in the Age of the TV Talk Show with Leonard Mustazza.[6]
Personal life and death
Abt was from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.[7]
Abt died from respiratory failure at a hospital in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, on February 1, 2026, at the age of 83.[1]
Publications
Books
- Abt, Vicki; Smith, James F.; Christiansen, Eugene Martin (1988). The Business of Risk: Commercial Gambling in Mainstream America.[2]
- Abt, Vicki; Mustazza, Leonard (1997). Coming After Oprah: Cultural Fallout in the Age of the TV Talk Show. Bowling Green, OH: Popular Press. ISBN 0 87972 752 7.
Articles
- Abt, Vicki; McGurrin, Martin C.; Smith, James F. (January 1984). "Gambling: The misunderstood sport— a problem in social definition". Leisure Sciences. 6 (2): 205–220. doi:10.1080/01490408409513031. ISSN 0149-0400.
- Abt, Vicki; McGurrin, Martin C.; Smith, James F. (September 1, 1985). "Toward a synoptic model of gambling behavior". Journal of Gambling Behavior. 1 (2): 79–88. doi:10.1007/BF01019860. ISSN 1573-3602.
- Abt, Vicki; Smith, James F.; McGurrin, Martin C. (March 1, 1985). "Ritual, risk, and reward: A role analysis of race track and casino encounters". Journal of Gambling Behavior. 1 (1): 64–75. doi:10.1007/BF01019756. ISSN 1573-3602.
- Abt, Vicki; McGurrin, Martin C. (December 1, 1992). "Commercial gambling and values in American society: The social construction of risk". Journal of Gambling Studies. 8 (4): 413–420. doi:10.1007/BF01024127. ISSN 1573-3602.
- Abt, Vicki; Seesholtz, Mel (Summer 1994). "The Shameless World of Phil, Sally and Oprah: Television talk shows and the deconstructing of society". Journal of Popular Culture. 28 (1). Oxford.
References
- ^ a b c d Roberts, Sam (February 13, 2026). "Vicki Abt, Who Said TV Talk Shows Coarsened Society, Dies at 83" – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ a b Preston, Frederick W. (September 1986). "Book Reviews : The Business of Risk: Commercial Gambling in Mainstream America by Vicki Abt, James F. Smith, and Eugene Martin Christiansen. Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 1985. 286 pp. Hardcover, $29.95. Paperback, $14.95". Sage Journals. doi:10.1177/019372358601000205. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
- ^ "Texas could join other states with casino gambling". The Victoria Advocate. Associated Press. June 6, 1994. p. 1.
- ^ Westfeldt, Amy (November 2, 1994). "Casinos bring big money, big problems". Observer-Reporter. Associated Press. pp. B8.
- ^ a b c Siebert, S.E. (September 18, 1994). "Professor tells Oprah: You're ruining society". The Philadelphia Inquirer. pp. MC1 MC4. Retrieved February 16, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Lindner, Christoph (December 16, 1999). "Vicki Abt and Leonard Mustazza, Coming After Oprah: Cultural Fallout in the Age of the TV Talk Show (Bowling Green, OH: Popular Press, 1997, $20.95). Pp. 205. ISBN 0 87972 752 7". Journal of American Studies. 33 (3): 519–586. doi:10.1017/S0021875899216234 – via Cambridge University Press.
- ^ "Ex-teacher retains bed making title". Reading Eagle. Associated Press. September 23, 1982. p. 22.