Rebellious Bodies

Stardom, Citizenship, and the New Body Politics

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Film, History & Criticism, Performing Arts
Cover of the book Rebellious Bodies by Russell Meeuf, University of Texas Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Russell Meeuf ISBN: 9781477311837
Publisher: University of Texas Press Publication: March 28, 2017
Imprint: University of Texas Press Language: English
Author: Russell Meeuf
ISBN: 9781477311837
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Publication: March 28, 2017
Imprint: University of Texas Press
Language: English
Celebrity culture today teems with stars who challenge long-held ideas about a "normal" body. Plus-size and older actresses are rebelling against the cultural obsession with slender bodies and youth. Physically disabled actors and actresses are moving beyond the stock roles and stereotypes that once constrained their opportunities. Stars of various races and ethnicities are crafting new narratives about cultural belonging, while transgender performers are challenging our culture's assumptions about gender and identity. But do these new players in contemporary entertainment media truly signal a new acceptance of body diversity in popular culture?Focusing on six key examples—Melissa McCarthy, Gabourey Sidibe, Peter Dinklage, Danny Trejo, Betty White, and Laverne Cox—Rebellious Bodies examines the new body politics of stardom, situating each star against a prominent cultural anxiety about bodies and inclusion, evoking issues ranging from the obesity epidemic and the rise of postracial rhetoric to disability rights, Latino/a immigration, an aging population, and transgender activism. Using a wide variety of sources featuring these celebrities—films, TV shows, entertainment journalism, and more—to analyze each one's media persona, Russell Meeuf demonstrates that while these stars are promoted as examples of a supposedly more inclusive industry, the reality is far more complex. Revealing how their bodies have become sites for negotiating the still-contested boundaries of cultural citizenship, he uncovers the stark limitations of inclusion in a deeply unequal world.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Celebrity culture today teems with stars who challenge long-held ideas about a "normal" body. Plus-size and older actresses are rebelling against the cultural obsession with slender bodies and youth. Physically disabled actors and actresses are moving beyond the stock roles and stereotypes that once constrained their opportunities. Stars of various races and ethnicities are crafting new narratives about cultural belonging, while transgender performers are challenging our culture's assumptions about gender and identity. But do these new players in contemporary entertainment media truly signal a new acceptance of body diversity in popular culture?Focusing on six key examples—Melissa McCarthy, Gabourey Sidibe, Peter Dinklage, Danny Trejo, Betty White, and Laverne Cox—Rebellious Bodies examines the new body politics of stardom, situating each star against a prominent cultural anxiety about bodies and inclusion, evoking issues ranging from the obesity epidemic and the rise of postracial rhetoric to disability rights, Latino/a immigration, an aging population, and transgender activism. Using a wide variety of sources featuring these celebrities—films, TV shows, entertainment journalism, and more—to analyze each one's media persona, Russell Meeuf demonstrates that while these stars are promoted as examples of a supposedly more inclusive industry, the reality is far more complex. Revealing how their bodies have become sites for negotiating the still-contested boundaries of cultural citizenship, he uncovers the stark limitations of inclusion in a deeply unequal world.

More books from University of Texas Press

Cover of the book Handbook of Middle American Indians, Volume 13 by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book Cuisine, Texas by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book Highland Park and River Oaks by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book American Folklife by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book Who Guards the Guardians and How by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book Desierto by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book Home on the Double Bayou by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book La Pinta by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book Making Plans by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book Red Scare by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book Among Women by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book The Chicano Worker by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book This Land Was Mexican Once by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book Decolonizing the Sodomite by Russell Meeuf
Cover of the book Blue-Ribbon Babies and Labors of Love by Russell Meeuf
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy