Popular Culture

Flâneurs of the Fallout: Monstrous Gaming in Post-apocalyptic Cityscapes.

by Gwyneth Peaty

Forthcoming in Urban Monstrosities, eds. Joseph Lamperez and J. Alexandra McGhee (Cambridge Scholars Press).

Super-Heroine: Women as Martial Artists in Early Twenty-First Century Cinema

by Catherine Driscoll

Driscoll, C. (2007) "Super-Heroine: Women as Martial Artists in Early Twenty-First Century Cinema ". In Frederick, W. and Andris, S. (eds), Women Willing To Fight. Cambridge Scholars Press.

The Politics of Performance: Transnationalism and its Limits in Former Yugoslav Popular Music, 1999-2004

by Catherine Baker

Ethnopolitics 5:3 (2006): 274-93

This paper examines transnational relations between the Yugoslav successor states from the point of view of popular... more This paper examines transnational relations between the Yugoslav successor states from the point of view of popular music, and demonstrates how transnational musical figures (such as Djordje Balasevic, Momcilo Bajagic-Bajaga and Ceca Raznatovic) are interpreted as symbolic reference points in national ethnopolitical discourse in the process of identity construction. Another symbolic function is served by Serbian turbofolk artists, who in Croatia serve as a cultural resource to distance oneself from a musical genre associated by many urban Croats with the ruralization (and Herzegovinization) of Croatian city space. In addition, value judgements associated with both Serbian and Croatian newly composed folk music provide an insight into the transnational negotiation of conflicting identities in the ex-Yugoslav context. Ultimately the paper shows how the ethnonational boundaries established by nationalizing ideologies created separate cultural spaces which themselves have been transnationalized after Yugoslavia’s disintegration.

The concept of turbofolk in Croatia: inclusion/exclusion in the construction of national musical identity

by Catherine Baker

In 'Nation in formation: inclusion and exclusion in central and eastern Europe', ed. Catherine Baker, Christopher J Gerry, Barbara Madaj, Liz Mellish and Jana Nahodilova (London: UCL Press, 2007)

When Seve Met Bregović: Folklore, Turbofolk and the Boundaries of Croatian Musical Identity

by Catherine Baker

Nationalities Papers 36:4 (2008): 741-64

Wild Dances and Dying Wolves: Simulation, Essentialization, and National Identity at the Eurovision Song Contest

by Catherine Baker

Popular Communication 6:3 (2008): 173-89

This paper examines Eurovision as a site for the public representation of the nation and explores the tendency toward... more This paper examines Eurovision as a site for the public representation of the nation and explores the tendency toward simulation in such representations. The contest’s transnational audience and implication in commercial practices create pressures toward representing the nation through simplified, well-known images. A critique of globalization from southeast Europe argues that cultural production from marginalized countries which emphasizes local distinctiveness is a sign of structural inequality. This critique is tested against representational strategies from Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, and Croatia. Eurovision is then related to tourism through an analysis of the representation of the Mediterranean in Eurovision performances, which reflect symbolic hierarchies constructed by travel writing since the Enlightenment. Finally, the paper considers the overarching representational power exerted by host states.

War Memory and Musical Tradition: Commemorating Croatia's Homeland War through Popular Music and Rap in Eastern Slavonia

by Catherine Baker

Journal of Contemporary European Studies 17:1 (2009): 35-45

From the outbreak of the Homeland War (1991–1995) in Croatia to the present day popular music has been used as a means... more From the outbreak of the Homeland War (1991–1995) in Croatia to the present day popular music has been used as a means to commemorate the upheaval and sacrifice of Croatia’s war against the Yugoslav National Army and the Serb militia. This paper focuses on the musical commemoration of a particular region, Eastern Slavonia, which was not fully integrated into the Croatian state until three years after the official end of the war. The narrative, vocabulary and symbols established during the immediate wartime phase have persisted into the present day when war memory has become inflected by post-war developments, such as the indictment of Croatian Army officers for war crimes.

'Death to fascism isn't in the catechism': legacies of socialism in Croatian popular music after the fall of Yugoslavia

by Catherine Baker

Narodna umjetnost 47:1 (2010): 163-83

This paper discusses both textual and structural legacies of socialism in Croatian popular music since the collapse of... more This paper discusses both textual and structural legacies of socialism in Croatian popular music since the collapse of socialism and Yugoslavia. Yugoslav socialism struggled to reconcile socialist consciousness and capitalist consumerism, forcing the producers of popular culture to make sense of the political field that surrounded them and put ideology into practice. The structural conditions of cultural produc- tion under socialism, the use of socialist iconography and memory as resources in post-socialist popular music and the negation of the socialist experience by patriotic musicians reflect three layers of socialist legacy in contemporary Croatian popular culture.

"Sociology of Entertainment in Istanbul" (İstanbul'da Eğlencenin Sosyolojisi), BirGün daily newspaper Book Supplement Interview, 12.11.2011

by Volkan Aytar

"Sociology of Entertainment in Istanbul" (İstanbul'da Eğlencenin Sosyolojisi), BirGün daily newspaper Book Supplement Interview, 12.11.2011

"Sociology of Entertainment in Istanbul" (İstanbul'da Eğlencenin Sosyolojisi), BirGün daily newspaper Book... more "Sociology of Entertainment in Istanbul" (İstanbul'da Eğlencenin Sosyolojisi), BirGün daily newspaper Book Supplement Interview on our co-edited book, "Entertainment in Istanbul" Istanbul Bilgi University Press, 12.11.2011

"Something like a Circus": Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue and Performing in America

by Richard Driver

Presented at the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Southwest Texas Popular Culture and American Culture Associations, Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 8, 2012.

The Rolling Thunder Revue represented another shift in Dylan's career, coming on the heels of a tour in 1974 with The... more The Rolling Thunder Revue represented another shift in Dylan's career, coming on the heels of a tour in 1974 with The Band and the release of the album Blood on the Tracks, and fueling the creation of the film Renaldo and Clara, which paired concert footage with scenes featuring performers on the tour, all written by Dylan, Sam Shepherd and others. The concert tour reflected growing possibilities of theatricality in changing entertainment venues (from small clubs to concert halls and sports complexes), and the opportunities for engagement with the musician/artist this change represented to the consumer/listener/fan. Dylan's concert tour involved a diverse group of musicians at larger venues with sizable seating capacities, and expectations were high for intense performances. Concert audiences met a unique concert show, one Dylan based on the history of various American and European art forms, and one reflective of his career to that point. Considering Sean Wilentz's examination of this tour and Dylan's myth in American popular culture in Bob Dylan in America, this paper examines the development and reception of the Rolling Thunder Revue, and the limited showings of the now out-of-print Renaldo and Clara. The paper assesses the expectations and receptions to the tour's performances in 1975-1976, discussing media approaches in this time period, from announcements for the 1974 tour with The Band through the release of Renaldo and Clara in 1978, all to discern where artistic development, music performance, and recording and filming came into contact with audience expectations.

Shed Some Light on the Subject: Teaching Ramón del Valle-Inclán's Luces de Bohemia

by Jason Thomas Parker

Published in Hispania, 94 (4), 704-714
doi: 10.1353/hpn.2011.0107

This essay seeks to provide parallel and interchangeable approaches to teaching Ramón del Valle-Inclán's challenging... more This essay seeks to provide parallel and interchangeable approaches to teaching Ramón del Valle-Inclán's challenging play Luces de bohemia. A greater understanding of the cultural and mental frameworks of the early twentieth-century Spanish spectator will permit students to penetrate the dense intertextuality that characterizes Valle's best-known work. To this end, I outline two approaches that can be used separately or in tandem: 1) a study of the Spanish commercial stage at the dawn of the twentieth century and the revista genre; 2) an investigation of the rise of Spanish journalism in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. These thematic studies give students the proper insight to understand the episodic structure, endless parade of characters, and countless historical and political allusions in Luces de bohemia as an attempt to reconstruct the frenetic public life of early twentieth-century Spain.

‘Thank god she’s a midget, not a dwarf’: dissociative behaviour of proportional short-statured people constructing a fantasy of normality

by etienne boumans

Submission to Conference on Sensualising Deformity: Communication and Constructions of Monstrous Embodiment @ The University of Edinburgh

In early modern times, dwarfs were considered deformed and, hence, socially discriminated, by average-statured... more In early modern times, dwarfs were considered deformed and, hence, socially discriminated, by average-statured individuals as well as by other little folks we used to call 'midgets', who were conceptualized as “no freaks, no dwarfs but perfectly normal.”
We found that accounts and personal memoirs by hypopituitary little persons suggest that they perceived dwarfs as disproportionate human oddities, monstrosities with grotesque heads, arms and legs, and, therefore, belonging to a different species. Throughout the history of popular entertainment, midgets – who were preferred in show-business - were cast in a way that positively enhanced their status while dwarfs were relegated to the back stage or freak shows.
In search of social acceptance, midgets rejected their impaired self in an attempt to construct a portrayal reinforcing the illusion of normality, fabricated for their audience. This proved somewhat successful, as the public, at least partially, concurred with this fantasy of normality, although the social construction of the midget as (close to) normal rather validated the normality of the audience, eager to rationalize the socio-cultural imagery of marginalized or impaired individuals.
The spectator’s weariness to associate short-statured people to sexual behaviour may stem from a subconscious association of littleness with childishness. Traditionally, achondroplastic dwarfs were depicted as asexual, in line with the aversion of portraying sexual activity of people with disabilities; the more socially accepted midgets were represented as closely resembling the average-statured men and women with their sensuality, sexual desires and activity. In an effort of complaisance to demanding audiences, promoters frequently constructed fallacious midget couples, sometimes accompanied by a narrative involving babies or infants.
In the 1930s, movies challenged the proportional little people’s illusionary world of normality regarding sensuality and sexuality in relation to average-statured people, often portraying a – tragic - love affair between individuals from both sides.

The cinematic tourist: explorations in globalization, culture and resistance

by Rodanthi Tzanelli

A Channel For Gay America? A Cultural Criticism Of The Logo Channel's Commercial Success On American Cable Television

by Michael Johnson Jr.

Queer Popular Culture

by Michael Johnson Jr.

Argument in Support and Against of Hofstede Work

by Abed El-azez Safi

This individual paper aims to provide an overview about Hofstede’s work of describing the five culture dimensions and... more This individual paper aims to provide an overview about Hofstede’s work of describing the five culture dimensions and discusses both sides of these arguments.
Hofstede’s work on culture is the most widely cited in existence (Bond 2002; Hofstede 1997). His observations and analysis provide scholars and practitioners with a highly valuable insight into the dynamics of cross-cultural relationships. However, such a groundbreaking body of work does not escape criticism. Hofstede has been dogged by academics discrediting his work in part or whole. On the other side of this contentious argument are academics that support his work. Far more scholars belong on the pro-Hofstede team than do not, most quote Hofstede’s work with unabashed confidence, many including his findings as absolute assumptions.
"Undoubtedly, the most significant cross-cultural study of work-related values is the one carried out by Hofstede” (Bhagat and McQuaid 1982).
Much interest has been placed on culture in business in the last two decades, and it has never been as important in business terms as it is today. The study of the field began in earnest with the work of Hofstede with his landmark study of IBM (Hofstede 1980), and with Peters and Waterman who started the organisation culture sensation with “In Search of Excellence” (Peters and Waterman 1982). Preceding these studies however, was the work of Bartels (1967) who was one of the first to relate the importance of culture, illustrating the concept in decision-making and business ethics. Bartels identifies several criteria for the identification of cultural differences.
The paper will first defined the culture meaning and then give an overview about Hofstede study and his culture dimensions. In the same time the paper will review the main criticisms of Hofstede study, then we will conclude by suggesting that the researchers will work more in research like Hofstede to evaluate culture in terms of contemporary standards. Research is also needed to better explore the dimensions proposed by Hofstede and Bond to determine what more can be added.

Décapitations: du culte des crânes au cinéma gore

by antonio dominguez leiva

L'invasion néo-zombie Entre l'abjection, le grotesque et le pathos (2002-2009)

by antonio dominguez leiva

Macbeth: Culturas populares y fandom

by Javier Lozano

Co-authored with Alberto Hermida, published in Comunicación, nº5, 2007.

Las culturas populares son el reflejo de la sociedad y de su evolución. Mediante éstas, se conserva y se transmite la... more Las culturas populares son el reflejo de la sociedad y de su evolución. Mediante éstas, se conserva y se transmite la tradición entre generaciones, adaptándose al presente y a sus nuevas formas culturales. En la actualidad, en una época de constantes avances tecnológicos y tomando Macbeth, de Shakespeare, como obra representativa, el ciberespacio y los nuevos formatos aparecen como el contexto idóneo para dicha tarea comunitaria.

The Terror of Tiny Town: a dwarfsploitation movie with emancipatory value?

by etienne boumans

Submission to Popular Culture Association of Canada Annual Conference 2012

One year prior to the release of the all-time classic “The Wizard of Oz”, featuring the acclaimed Munchkins, Sam... more One year prior to the release of the all-time classic “The Wizard of Oz”, featuring the acclaimed Munchkins, Sam Newfield directed “The Terror of Tiny Town”, advertised as the first 'comedy western with an all-midget cast', starring “Jed Buell’s Midgets”. In this pastiche, conceived as a ‘weapon of mass distraction’ and categorized as a ‘pure exploitation movie’, diminutive actors are riding Shetland ponies and walking under the swinging doors of a local saloon. The “Terror of Tiny Town” is regularly cited among the Worst Movies of All Time. Various works of popular culture contributed to the movie acquiring cult status by recycling its title, re-interpreting its footage or through references in other movies; the film is ubiquitous on the internet and in social networks and blogs. The purpose of my paper is to demonstrate that the movie adapted American western genre stereotypes to a hitherto excluded category of actors and, by analogy to ‘blaxploitation’ movies, may have been instrumental in emancipating the short statured community. Although a black ‘midget’ featured in the film, it discriminated against ‘dwarfs’. It is likely that the absence of a ‘mirror audience’ prevented the movie to giving birth to a genre or even a sequel.