Synopses & Reviews
In Gilligan Unbound, a distinguished Shakespeare scholar and literary critic proves once and for all that popular culture can be every bit as complex, meaningful, and provocative as the most celebrated works of literature-and a lot more fun. Paul Cantor analyzes and interprets a wide variety of classic television programs with the same seriousness, care, and creativity as he would Hamlet or Macbeth to reveal how dramatically America's image of itself has evolved from the 1960s to the present. Cantor demonstrates how, during the 1960s, Gilligan's Island and Star Trek reflected America's faith in liberal democracy and our willingness to project it universally. Gilligan's Island, Cantor argues, is based on the premise that a representative group of Americans could literally be dumped in the middle of nowhere and still prevail under the worst of circumstances. Star Trek took American optimism even further by trying to make the entire galaxy safe for democracy. Despite the famous Prime Directive, Captain Kirk and his crew remade planet after planet in the image of an idealized 1960s America. With the end of the Cold War and the onset of unprecedented globalizing forces, faith in the American way of life has wavered. Contrary to the claims of those unacquainted with the cartoon, Cantor shows why The Simpsons is actually a powerful defense of the nuclear family and local communities, which has grown out of our growing disillusionment with national politics. In The X-Files we witness the treacherous workings of a government conspiracy, conveying the geopolitical anxiety that has emerged with the collapse of the clear-cut ideological polarities of the Cold War. By observing such trends in American popular culture, Cantor concludes that what had originally appeared to be the ultimate triumph of liberal democracy may in fact signal the beginning of a new phase of history, in which traditional forms of political organization have become obsolete and are being replaced by new global networks. Gilligan Unbou
Synopsis
Fans of popular culture unite! Do people roll their eyes when you try to explain why The Simpsons is the best television show ever? Are you embarrassed to admit how eagerly you await Scully and Mulder's next adventure on the X-Files? Are you secretly ashamed that you find the antics of the seven cast-aways so utterly hysterical? Have no more fear! "Gilligan Unbound" makes it respectable for fans to confess just how much they enjoy these classic TV programs. One of the nation's most gifted Shakespeare scholars, Paul A. Cantor celebrates the sophistication and brilliance of these shows, and he shows how pop culture is influencing not only American audiences, but the entire world.
For fans of these shows or anyone interested in cultural studies, this is one of the most original, insightful, and fun examinations of American popular culture ever written.
Synopsis
In Gilligan Unbound, distinguished Shakespeare scholar and literary critic, Paul A. Cantor, proves once and for all that popular culture can be every bit as complex, meaningful, and provocative as the most celebrated works of literature--and a lot more fun. Cantor analyzes and interprets a wide variety of classic television programs with the same seriousness, care, and creativity as he would Hamlet or Macbeth to reveal how dramatically America's image of itself has evolved from the 1960s to the present. Visit our website for sample chapters!
Table of Contents
"The courage of the fearless crew" : Gilligan's island and the Americanization of the globe -- Shakespeare in the original Klingon : Star trek and the end of history -- Simpson Agonistes : atomistic politics, the nuclear family, and the globalization of Springfield -- Maintreaming paranoia : The X-files and the deligitimation of the nation state.