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Zombies, Migrants, and Queers: Race and Crisis Capitalism in Pop Culture
The alarm and anxiety unleashed by the Great Recession found fascinating expression across popular culture. Harried survivors negotiated societal collapse in The Walking Dead. Middle-class whites crossed the literal and metaphorical Mexican border on Breaking Bad or coped with a lack of freedom among the marginalized on Orange Is the New Black.
Camilla Fojas uses representations of people of color, the incarcerated, and trans/queers—vulnerable populations all—to work through the contradictions created by the economic crisis and its freefalling aftermath. Television, film, advertising, and media coverage of the crisis created a distinct kind of story about capitalism and the violence that supports it. Fojas shows how these pop culture moments reshaped social dynamics and people's economic sensibilities and connects the ways pop culture reflected economic devastation. She also examines how these artifacts illuminated parts of society usually kept off-screen or on the margins even as they defaulted to stories of white protagonists.
Camilla Fojas uses representations of people of color, the incarcerated, and trans/queers—vulnerable populations all—to work through the contradictions created by the economic crisis and its freefalling aftermath. Television, film, advertising, and media coverage of the crisis created a distinct kind of story about capitalism and the violence that supports it. Fojas shows how these pop culture moments reshaped social dynamics and people's economic sensibilities and connects the ways pop culture reflected economic devastation. She also examines how these artifacts illuminated parts of society usually kept off-screen or on the margins even as they defaulted to stories of white protagonists.
- GenresNonfictionRace
184 pages, Paperback
Published February 10, 2017
About the author
Camilla Fojas
12 books3 followersCamilla Fojas is an associate professor of media studies and affiliated faculty in American studies at the University of Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 20, 2018
I liked the idea of this, but didn't enjoy the prose style at all. I ended up giving up on the book having only read around half of the introduction.
January 19, 2017
The intro feels quite heavy compared to the title of the book, which makes it seem like it's going to be more connecting the fictional dots and tying them to the "real world" than is demonstrated. It jumps right in on a pretty heavy note that may turn some readers off from the jump. Title, description and cover convey a less academic feel than the texts actually provide. The title captures your attention and the cover is great, but they both betray the actual contents.
There are issues. Many issues. We need to reference people jumping from the World Trade Center on 9/11 to understand the meaning of "free falling"? I won't even link to the photo because if someone has seen it they will never forget it. And if by some chance they haven't, I will spare them that ghost. Do not do this. No. No no no. "Yet his arrested fall is hopeful, an uncertain future that has yet to be written— in contradistinction to the hyperdeterminism of social life for those outside of the frame." 100% NO.
With an introduction that troublesome (and making up over 10% of the book), my expectations were considerably low. It didn't get any better. The author attempts to drawn connections and symbolism where there are none, likely putting more effort into metaphor than the creators of the source materials referenced.
Overall, the book goes beyond a critique of capitalism and feels like an attempt to push an agenda through biased critiques presented as neutrality.
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced copy from netgalley and the publisher for review.
There are issues. Many issues. We need to reference people jumping from the World Trade Center on 9/11 to understand the meaning of "free falling"? I won't even link to the photo because if someone has seen it they will never forget it. And if by some chance they haven't, I will spare them that ghost. Do not do this. No. No no no. "Yet his arrested fall is hopeful, an uncertain future that has yet to be written— in contradistinction to the hyperdeterminism of social life for those outside of the frame." 100% NO.
With an introduction that troublesome (and making up over 10% of the book), my expectations were considerably low. It didn't get any better. The author attempts to drawn connections and symbolism where there are none, likely putting more effort into metaphor than the creators of the source materials referenced.
Overall, the book goes beyond a critique of capitalism and feels like an attempt to push an agenda through biased critiques presented as neutrality.
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced copy from netgalley and the publisher for review.
November 18, 2016
This was an incredible account of why we love the decayed and the takers of the world. The critical connections that were made gave my intellectual mind a treasure trove of reference and really helped me to look at pop culture post recession in a whole new way. I loved this book and I know you will too!
April 14, 2019
I enjoyed reading parts of this look, particularly chapters 2-4 where the analysis and criticism of pop cultural depictions is really spot on. I appreciated the introduction, but I wish the book had been longer and had included different modes of pop culture. Video games, for example, would fit in nicely and I can think of several which would provide juicy examples to back up Fojas’ ideas. The same goes for contemporary literature, especially within the YA genre. I’m given cause to wonder why the book ended where it did. Fojas never suggests any alternative ideas, or any foundation as to where regular working class people can start in reversing the very real social and economic damages of neoliberal capitalism. The book has some solid criticism, particularly relating to debt and the zombie genre and queer/homosocial spaces in fiction, although the writing style is dense and characteristically academic. This all leaves me feeling ambivalent because there could’ve been more beef in this book, and it could’ve been more accessible/engaging.
May 25, 2018
I thought the premise sounded intriguing, but no. The book wasn't as interesting as it sounded. I thought it might be an entertaining read, but it was just loads of politics and economics. The chapter with zombies totally baffled me, I'm a big fan of them, and this chapter just did for nothing me, except bore me. Sorry. Not for me. I skimmed through most of the book looking for something fun, but didn't find any amusement or even anything of interest. I am sure it will find it's audience, however. It seems pretty detailed.
I received a Kindle Arc in exchange for a fair review from Netgalley.
I received a Kindle Arc in exchange for a fair review from Netgalley.
February 3, 2017
As I was wading through the muck of these essays, I could only think that this is one of those books that is good for the choir but not good for conversion. Anyone who agrees with Fojas before starting to read this will continue to agree. Anyone who disagrees with Fojas before starting will continue to disagree. Even though she tries to bring up examples of how capitalism is a white male dominated game and everyone else is marginalized and this is proven by the way that entertainment is structured, there is not enough of an argument here to actually persuade anyone. Instead you get some essays that are really not that bad to read but are not that good either. In the end, the words "white chauvinist" are thrown around a great deal with not much substance to back it up. I agree with some of the assessments, but it is splotchy with coherency of thought and actual useful information.
Fojas uses some television shows to make her point that we flatten all stories with males and white characters being in charge, even when a role is typically given to people of color or the Latino community. When the end of the world happens, like in a zombie apocalypses, the media portrays the men as leaders and women as those still cleaning and preparing food. When she lists examples, she uses those that fit her narrative. She brings up The Walking Dead and World War Z as examples of how men are put into the roles of leaders. She does not mention "Z Nation" a show on Syfy with three seasons where the leader of the group is Kellita Smith, a black female and the strength of the group's survival. I know that she cannot watch and comment on every show or movie about zombies or prison or drug trafficking, but it also feels like the data is being manipulated to fit the argument that she was making.
It's a short book and if someone really wanted to read it, I would not discourage them, but I would not recommend it to someone, especially if I was trying to prove an argument. There is too many flaws to win anyone over to a different way of thinking. The congregation and choir that already agree with her will find it a good investment though.
I received this ebook free from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
Fojas uses some television shows to make her point that we flatten all stories with males and white characters being in charge, even when a role is typically given to people of color or the Latino community. When the end of the world happens, like in a zombie apocalypses, the media portrays the men as leaders and women as those still cleaning and preparing food. When she lists examples, she uses those that fit her narrative. She brings up The Walking Dead and World War Z as examples of how men are put into the roles of leaders. She does not mention "Z Nation" a show on Syfy with three seasons where the leader of the group is Kellita Smith, a black female and the strength of the group's survival. I know that she cannot watch and comment on every show or movie about zombies or prison or drug trafficking, but it also feels like the data is being manipulated to fit the argument that she was making.
It's a short book and if someone really wanted to read it, I would not discourage them, but I would not recommend it to someone, especially if I was trying to prove an argument. There is too many flaws to win anyone over to a different way of thinking. The congregation and choir that already agree with her will find it a good investment though.
I received this ebook free from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
January 6, 2017
Fojas construes that popular television shows such as Arrested Development, Orange is the New Black, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, and several more, reflect the impact of the Great Recession on the white middle class. She uses a socialist/Marxist lens to interpret how the plot elements of these shows reflect the failures of capitalism and that capitalism has reached its limits for white supremacy.
Fojas draws upon Arrested Development, noting how each episode in season four focuses on an individual family member instead of the whole family as in the previous seasons. According to Fandom TV Community's Arrested Development Wiki (http://arresteddevelopment.wikia.com/...), "Production [of the fourth season] worked differently than on previous seasons because they did not have exclusive access to the entire cast" which contrasts from Fojas' statement that the fourth season legitimizes Marxian ideas about the effect of capitalism on the family, specifically that capitalism views families as instruments and leaves them torn apart and bankrupt.
Next, Fojas turns to the one percent, the affluent. She focuses on billionaire David Siegel and his household, stating that they live in a 90,000 square-foot home while employing migrant Filipino workers who barely make a living wage. Fojas positions that Siegal as a representative of the entire U.S. financial system. Yes, she says this one man, this single individual, represents over six million millionaires and billionaires in the United States. She completely ignores philanthropists such as Warren Buffett, Michael Dell, Michael Bloomberg, Veronica Atkins, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates to name but a few, and neglects countless individuals not in the one percent, who give their money and time to help others.
I admit that there is not one perfect system and that capitalism has disadvantages. But it has advantages too, none of which are acknowledged. Fojas' work presents a biased critique of capitalism through a socialist lens that manipulates and misconstrues to present capitalism as a failed system that has run its course as predicted by Marx.
Fojas draws upon Arrested Development, noting how each episode in season four focuses on an individual family member instead of the whole family as in the previous seasons. According to Fandom TV Community's Arrested Development Wiki (http://arresteddevelopment.wikia.com/...), "Production [of the fourth season] worked differently than on previous seasons because they did not have exclusive access to the entire cast" which contrasts from Fojas' statement that the fourth season legitimizes Marxian ideas about the effect of capitalism on the family, specifically that capitalism views families as instruments and leaves them torn apart and bankrupt.
Next, Fojas turns to the one percent, the affluent. She focuses on billionaire David Siegel and his household, stating that they live in a 90,000 square-foot home while employing migrant Filipino workers who barely make a living wage. Fojas positions that Siegal as a representative of the entire U.S. financial system. Yes, she says this one man, this single individual, represents over six million millionaires and billionaires in the United States. She completely ignores philanthropists such as Warren Buffett, Michael Dell, Michael Bloomberg, Veronica Atkins, Oprah Winfrey, and Bill Gates to name but a few, and neglects countless individuals not in the one percent, who give their money and time to help others.
I admit that there is not one perfect system and that capitalism has disadvantages. But it has advantages too, none of which are acknowledged. Fojas' work presents a biased critique of capitalism through a socialist lens that manipulates and misconstrues to present capitalism as a failed system that has run its course as predicted by Marx.
February 2, 2017
A new and unique look into the financial crisis of the US through a lens everyone can relate to - popular culture. A critical eye of popular TV shows and their deeper representations. Well written and thought provoking.
Received for Review
Received for Review
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews