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Monsters in the Mirror: Representations of Nazism in Post-War Popular Culture
This collection provides readers with a comprehensive overview of postwar representations of Nazism in popular culture, documenting and critiquing their enormous impact and importance.
From Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator to the depiction of Nazis in the Raiders of the Lost Ark to other various literature, comic books, video games, television programs, and pop music, Nazism has maintained a constant presence in popular culture after World War II. Why are representations of Nazism―which are often used to depict the ultimate expression of human evil―so entrenched in our culture?
Each chapter in this book examines this multifaceted topic from different angles, highlighting the different incidences of Nazistic representations in the post-1945 period. The diverse subject matter in this text ranges from analysis of recent allo-historical novels, to the music of the "neo-folk" movement, to fetishes and pornography. Readers will gain insight on how the imagery and symbology of Nazism in popular culture has changed over time and understand how the disconnect between representations of Nazism and the historical record have developed, particularly with regard to the genocide that resulted from Nazi politics.
From Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator to the depiction of Nazis in the Raiders of the Lost Ark to other various literature, comic books, video games, television programs, and pop music, Nazism has maintained a constant presence in popular culture after World War II. Why are representations of Nazism―which are often used to depict the ultimate expression of human evil―so entrenched in our culture?
Each chapter in this book examines this multifaceted topic from different angles, highlighting the different incidences of Nazistic representations in the post-1945 period. The diverse subject matter in this text ranges from analysis of recent allo-historical novels, to the music of the "neo-folk" movement, to fetishes and pornography. Readers will gain insight on how the imagery and symbology of Nazism in popular culture has changed over time and understand how the disconnect between representations of Nazism and the historical record have developed, particularly with regard to the genocide that resulted from Nazi politics.
- GenresNonfiction
324 pages, Hardcover
First published August 31, 2010
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 7, 2018
Given the books cover I was expecting this to be much more readable than it actually was. What you get here is a collection of academic papers on various subjects written by an assortment of lecturers, professors, etc. which results in the content and coverage of the topics being very dry and having no obvious content flow throughout the book.
Not only that but some of the chapters go into way more detail on their specific subject than is necessary for the average reader looking for an overview.
Chapter 8 - "nazism in buffy and angel" was particularly poor. Nobody actually wants that in-depth a review of the tv series unless you are a huge fan. Even then, I doubt you would find it interesting.
Chapters that were interesting to me were chapter 1 - "alternative histories", and chapter 5 - "ilsa, she-wolf of the SS".
In summary, disappointing.
Not only that but some of the chapters go into way more detail on their specific subject than is necessary for the average reader looking for an overview.
Chapter 8 - "nazism in buffy and angel" was particularly poor. Nobody actually wants that in-depth a review of the tv series unless you are a huge fan. Even then, I doubt you would find it interesting.
Chapters that were interesting to me were chapter 1 - "alternative histories", and chapter 5 - "ilsa, she-wolf of the SS".
In summary, disappointing.
February 24, 2015
This compilation of essays provides looks at the seedy underbelly of Western/American popular culture. Each author examines how a twisted portrayal of Nazis in popular culture has become an industry standard within their own area of expertise, from the 60s era torture porns to current mainstream outlets. There seems to be no end of WWII coverage in the United States, but this collection offers a different approach. Rather than making a case for the historical accuracy or inaccuracy of the characters and events they portray, the authors examine these tropes as products of their time - pieces of our culture that reflect the anxieties and atmospheres from which they came. There is no doubt that the works in question are sleazy (at best), so the question is not an argument over their artistic merit, but what their existence means. Why do we keep recreating and exploiting the atrocities of the WWII? Is there a pattern? What does it say about us? Those are the questions at the heart of this collection.
Taken as a whole, Monsters in the Mirror makes up one of the first published works that attempts to draw on all aspects of mass media to create a fuller picture of the pervasiveness of this Nazi image. These essays cover five main genres – literature analysis, sexual theory, the study of pornography, mainstream film analysis, and fashion studies. That said, I found some more interesting than others, but I suspect that’s dependant on your own personal interests. I used many of the essays to support my grad school thesis while others had little to do with my topic (and I didn’t spend much time on them). While the coverage is far from exhaustive, it is notable for providing a new approach to what is probably the most heavily covered topic in US history. Read as a starting point for further research, this collection is quite impressive and, I’m sure, controversial.
Taken as a whole, Monsters in the Mirror makes up one of the first published works that attempts to draw on all aspects of mass media to create a fuller picture of the pervasiveness of this Nazi image. These essays cover five main genres – literature analysis, sexual theory, the study of pornography, mainstream film analysis, and fashion studies. That said, I found some more interesting than others, but I suspect that’s dependant on your own personal interests. I used many of the essays to support my grad school thesis while others had little to do with my topic (and I didn’t spend much time on them). While the coverage is far from exhaustive, it is notable for providing a new approach to what is probably the most heavily covered topic in US history. Read as a starting point for further research, this collection is quite impressive and, I’m sure, controversial.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews