Horror films have traditionally sunk their teeth into straitened times, reflecting, expressing and validating the spirit of the epoch, and capitalising on the political and cultural climate in which they are made. This book shows how the horror genre has adapted itself to the transformation of contemporary American politics and the mutating role of traditional and new media in the era of Donald Trump's Presidency of the United States. Exploring horror's renewed potential for political engagement in a socio-political climate characterised by the angst of civil conflict, the deception of 'alternative facts' and the threat of nuclear or biological conflict and global warming, Make America Hate Again examines the intersection of film, politics, and American culture and society through a bold critical analysis of popular horror (films, television shows, podcasts and online parodies), such as 10 Cloverfield Lane, American Horror Story, Don't Breathe, Get Out, Hotel Transylvania 2, Hush, It, It Comes at Night, South Park, The Babadook, The Walking Dead, The Woman, The Witch and Twin Peaks: The Return. The first major exploration of the horror genre through the lens of the Trump era, it investigates the correlations between recent, culturally meaningful horror texts, and the broader culture within which they have become gravely significant. Offering a rejuvenating, optimistic, and positive perspective on popular culture as a site of cultural politics, Make America Hate Again will appeal to scholars and students of American studies, film and media studies, and cultural studies.

About the Author

Victoria McCollum is Lecturer in Cinematic Arts at the Ulster University, UK. She is the author of Post-9/11 Heartland Horror: Rural Horror Films in an Era of Urban Terrorism and the co-editor of HBO's Original Voices: Race, Gender, Sexuality and Power and Alternative Media in Contemporary Turkey: Sustainability, Activism and Resistance.

Reviews

'McCollum's standout edited collection is the first full-length study of the horror genre through the lens of the Trump era, offering a positive, progressive and pioneering perspective on popular culture as a site of cultural politics within a period that many would otherwise deem depressed, angered, paranoid and hopeless ... McCollum's study is an exceptionally brave and important piece of timely scholarship; one that will remain at the forefront of our imaginations as we move into a newly cast segment of the same American horror story.' - Harriet Stilley, European Journal of American Culture

'Including detailed and thought-provoking analysis, this collection is a worthwhile read.' - S. Pepper, Northeastern Illinois University, CHOICE

Book Information
ISBN 9780367727451
Author Victoria McCollum
Format Paperback
Page Count 216
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 300g