The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis
Originally appearing as a comic book in the 1960s, X-Men has been a cultural touchpoint for decades. Since the release of the first film in 2000, the series has enjoyed an even greater transnational presence. With each successive film, the franchise has secured its place within global popular culture, becoming one of the most profitable and complex superhero series to date. While much of the research that has been published on the X-Men focuses on the comics, the movies constitute their own cultural text and deserve special attention.

In The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis, Claudia Bucciferro has assembled a collection of essays that draw from work in communication, cultural studies, and media studies. With contributions from a diverse group of scholars, the chapters analyze issues that include gender, sexuality, disability, class, and race. The contributors pose intriguing questions about the franchise, such as: What do “mutants” really represent? What role do women and people of color play in the narratives? Why does it matter that Professor X is disabled? Why is Mystique often shown naked? What facilitated Wolverine’s rise to prominence? And how do topics regarding identity, trauma, and bioethics, figure in the stories?

Exploring issues relevant for a multicultural world and connecting thematic elements from the films to political debates and social struggles, the book seeks to make a thoughtful contribution to the scholarship of popular culture. The X-Men Films will appeal to media scholars and students, as well as to anyone interested in the X-Men series.
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The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis
Originally appearing as a comic book in the 1960s, X-Men has been a cultural touchpoint for decades. Since the release of the first film in 2000, the series has enjoyed an even greater transnational presence. With each successive film, the franchise has secured its place within global popular culture, becoming one of the most profitable and complex superhero series to date. While much of the research that has been published on the X-Men focuses on the comics, the movies constitute their own cultural text and deserve special attention.

In The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis, Claudia Bucciferro has assembled a collection of essays that draw from work in communication, cultural studies, and media studies. With contributions from a diverse group of scholars, the chapters analyze issues that include gender, sexuality, disability, class, and race. The contributors pose intriguing questions about the franchise, such as: What do “mutants” really represent? What role do women and people of color play in the narratives? Why does it matter that Professor X is disabled? Why is Mystique often shown naked? What facilitated Wolverine’s rise to prominence? And how do topics regarding identity, trauma, and bioethics, figure in the stories?

Exploring issues relevant for a multicultural world and connecting thematic elements from the films to political debates and social struggles, the book seeks to make a thoughtful contribution to the scholarship of popular culture. The X-Men Films will appeal to media scholars and students, as well as to anyone interested in the X-Men series.
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The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis

The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis

by Claudia Bucciferro Gonzaga University (Editor)
The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis

The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis

by Claudia Bucciferro Gonzaga University (Editor)

Hardcover

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Overview

Originally appearing as a comic book in the 1960s, X-Men has been a cultural touchpoint for decades. Since the release of the first film in 2000, the series has enjoyed an even greater transnational presence. With each successive film, the franchise has secured its place within global popular culture, becoming one of the most profitable and complex superhero series to date. While much of the research that has been published on the X-Men focuses on the comics, the movies constitute their own cultural text and deserve special attention.

In The X-Men Films: A Cultural Analysis, Claudia Bucciferro has assembled a collection of essays that draw from work in communication, cultural studies, and media studies. With contributions from a diverse group of scholars, the chapters analyze issues that include gender, sexuality, disability, class, and race. The contributors pose intriguing questions about the franchise, such as: What do “mutants” really represent? What role do women and people of color play in the narratives? Why does it matter that Professor X is disabled? Why is Mystique often shown naked? What facilitated Wolverine’s rise to prominence? And how do topics regarding identity, trauma, and bioethics, figure in the stories?

Exploring issues relevant for a multicultural world and connecting thematic elements from the films to political debates and social struggles, the book seeks to make a thoughtful contribution to the scholarship of popular culture. The X-Men Films will appeal to media scholars and students, as well as to anyone interested in the X-Men series.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781442265332
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date: 02/09/2016
Pages: 264
Product dimensions: 6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Claudia Bucciferro is assistant professor of communication at Gonzaga University (Washington State). She is the author of FOR-GET: Identity, Media, and Democracy in Chile (2012) and the editor of The Twilight Saga: Exploring the Global Phenomenon (Scarecrow Press, 2013).

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction Claudia Bucciferro ix

Part I Utopian and Immersive Experiences 1

1 Mutopia: American Utopianism and the Mutant Superhero Matt Yockey 3

2 The Immersive Marketing Campaign for X-Men: Days of Future Past Nicolò Gallio 17

Part II Agency and Authority 31

3 Superhuman Authority: Fascism and Bioethics in the X-Men Films Evan Hayles Gledhill 33

4 Magneto's Dilemma: The Technological Limitations of Mutant Transhumanism Ron Von Burg D. Stokes Piercy 49

5 PTXD: Gendered Narratives of Combat, Trauma, and the Civil-Military Divide Christina M. Knopf Christine M. Doran 63

Part III Women and Power 77

6 Containing the X-Women: De-powering and De-queering Female Characters Carolyn Cocca 79

7 Shape-Shifting Identity: Mystique's Embodied Agency Jason Zingsheim 93

8 The "Stolen" Superpowers of Marvel's Rogue Julie Davis Robert Westerfelhaus 107

9 The Curious Case of "Dr." Jean Grey, Mystique, and Mariko Barbara Cook Overton Athena du Pré Loretta L. Pecchioni John H. Overton 121

Part IV Masculinity and Race 135

10 Wolverine in Transition: Shifting Portrayals of Masculinity and Identity Nathan Miczo 137

11 Techno-Orientalist Villains and White Masculinity in the Wolverine Movies David C. Oh 151

12 Refraining Disabled Masculinity: Xavier as Marvel's Supercrip Jessica Benham 165

13 Mutating Minorities: White Racial Framing and Group Positioning Jason Smith 179

Part V Passing and Otherness 193

14 Passing While Homo Superior Kat Overland 195

15 Mutancy, Otherness, and Empathy in the X-Men Claudia Bucciferro 209

Epilogue Jason Zingsheim Claudia Bucciferro 223

Index 231

About the Editor and Contributors 237

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