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- Volume 35, Issue 2, 2016
European Journal of American Culture - Volume 35, Issue 2, 2016
Volume 35, Issue 2, 2016
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‘We’re all Avengers now’: Community-building, civil religion and nominal multiculturalism in Marvel Comics’ Fear Itself
Authors: Maaheen Ahmed and Martin LundAbstractThis article discusses Marvel Comics’ 2011 crossover ‘event’ ‘Fear Itself’. It suggests that the event argues for national unity in a time of crisis by mobilizing America’s self-definition as a multicultural nation as well as civil religion. The article discusses ‘Fear Itself’s’ attempted construction of national myth through looking at the way it represents the media, US multiculturalism (in a generalized form that nominally includes non-white groups while frequently failing to account for them) and ‘sacralized’ civil religious aspects of US history. Especially salient in this connection is the event’s engagement with the Roosevelt years. In doing so, it is argued, ‘Fear Itself’ presents an Americanness that relies on an idealized and nostalgic notion of the so-called ‘Greatest Generation’, a tightly knit, self-sacrificing civil society that supposedly came into being during that period.
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Reading the ‘queen of porn’: Jenna Jameson, feminist ethics and entrepreneurial selfhood
By Joel GwynneAbstractIn recent years, porn stars have undeniably emerged as dominant figures in American popular culture. The career of Jenna Jameson is a case in point. Not only a former porn star but also an entrepreneur and celebrity, Jameson now features as a regular attraction in lifestyle magazines such as People and Us Weekly, on the television channels VH1, E! Entertainment, HBO, and in advertisements for Abercrombie & Fitch. In exploring Jenna Jameson and N. Strauss’s How to Make Love Like a Porn Star ([2004] 2010), this article will suggest that while the memoir acknowledges the misogyny and numerous constraints placed upon women within the sex industry, it nevertheless affirms the empowering possibilities of entrepreneurial selfhood and the liberating potential of sex work. Even though the commercial success of porn star memoirs can be positioned as a further marker of the contemporary fascination with the porn industry, I would like to suggest that these texts offer more than merely sensationalistic, ‘trash’ accounts of hardship and exploitation.
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‘They were marched almost day and night’: The effects of sleep deprivation on the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution
By Gary SellickAbstractThe effects of sleep deprivation on the Civil War generals has become well established in the recent years. However, a similar study of Revolutionary War generals and armies has not been so forthcoming. Focusing on the crucial Southern Campaign (1780–81), this article will explore the effects of sleep deprivation on both commanders and the armies of the Revolutionary War. Using contemporary scientific research and primary sources from the Revolutionary period, this study will show how sleep deprivation affected two of the major battles of the Revolutionary War: Camden and Cowpens. Both of these battles were decisive, and the evidence points strongly to sleep deprivation playing an important role in their outcomes. This article will also explore contemporary ideas of sleep deprivation from the Revolutionary era. Using medical journals and pamphlets, this paper will assess what the armies of the Revolutionary War and their generals knew of sleep deprivation, as well as the ways in which they attempted to combat it. More broadly, discussing the contemporary excuses given by defeated leaders and explaining the cultural concepts from the eighteenth century will show how different people in the period used the word fatigue in very different ways.
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American cultural myth and the orphan archetype
More LessAbstractThe following article defines and explores the power of myth in shaping societal attitudes. The author discusses cultural myth as it pertains to a nation’s self-image and conception of its past. The American cultural myth is examined in detail to help discover the roots of unsustainable aspects of American thinking. The author discusses the history of the North American colonies, challenges faced by early settlers, and the belief systems that formed the roots of the American cultural myth. The article goes on to explore how early events brought about the evolution of the legendary American cowboy and how the cowboy mythos is closely tied to the hero’s journey and psychological development. The author maintains that the Puritan mindset, the cowboy ideal and present-day circumstances have forged a national psyche resembling the Jungian orphan archetype. The author’s hope is that by understanding the root causes of some of the nation’s difficulties we may begin healing many of the spiritual wounds of the past and set off on a path towards stronger and healthier community bonds.
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Volumes & issues
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Volume 42 (2023)
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Volume 41 (2022)
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Volume 40 (2021)
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Volume 39 (2020)
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Volume 38 (2019)
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Volume 37 (2018)
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Volume 36 (2017)
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Volume 35 (2016)
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Volume 34 (2015)
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Volume 33 (2014)
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Volume 32 (2013)
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Volume 31 (2012)
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Volume 30 (2011 - 2012)
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Volume 29 (2010 - 2011)
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Volume 28 (2009)
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Volume 27 (2008)
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Volume 26 (2007 - 2008)
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Volume 25 (2005 - 2007)
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Volume 24 (2005)
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Volume 23 (2004)
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Volume 22 (2003)
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Volume 21 (2002)
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Volume 20 (2001 - 2002)