Description
Following on author Peter Rollins' motto "If it isn't popular, it isn't culture," this collection of new essays considers Vince Gilligan's award-winning television series Breaking Bad as a landmark of Western culture--comparable to the works of Shakespeare and Dickens in their time--that merits scholarly attention from those who would understand early the 21st century zeitgeist. The essayists explore the series as a critique of American concepts of masculinity, with Walter White discussed as a father archetype--provider, protector, author of a legacy--and as a Machiavellian warrior on the capitalist battleground. Other topics include the mutual exclusivity of intellect and masculinity in American culture, and the dramatic irony as White's rationales for his criminal life are gradually revealed as a lie. In "round table" chapters, contributors discuss the show's reception, fans who root for "Team Walt," "Skyler-hating" and Breaking Bad as a feminist text.
About the Author
Bridget Roussell Cowlishaw is currently writing as an independent scholar. She lives in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
Book Information
ISBN 9780786497218
Author Bridget Roussell Cowlishaw
Format Paperback
Page Count 236
Imprint McFarland & Co Inc
Publisher McFarland & Co Inc
Weight(grams) 322g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 12mm