In this article, the author contends that the vast majority of American historians no longer regard American culture--whether high culture or mainstream popular culture--as an essential area of study. The much-vaunted culture turn in the humanities has run its course in one of the first disciplines it influenced. Indeed, most of the books today were written by scholars in art history, music, literature, or film studies. The author stresses that if American historians have descended a staircase from cultural to social history, it might seem that people outside the academic world should notice or care. If students want to learn more about American culture, they can choose a class in art, film, or American literature. Nevertheless, most universities require students to take one or two courses in American history, which could expose the majority of students to the ideas and information they need to understand American culture. So the indifference to culture among historians has had devastating consequences for the overall quality of American education.