Apocalypse Maina: American Fasincation with the End of the World in the 21st Century
Restricted (Penn State Only)
Author:
Drissel, Jennifer
Graduate Program:
American Studies
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
October 24, 2023
Committee Members:
Charles Kupfer, Chair & Dissertation Advisor Stephanie Winkeljohn Black, Outside Unit & Field Member John Haddad, Major Field Member Mary Zaborskis, Major Field Member Anthony Buccitelli, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies
Keywords:
apocalypse disaster social media reality television popular cutlure masculinity gender roles heteronormative
Abstract:
This dissertation investigates America’s prolonged fascination with depictions of the collapse of modern society. Since the early 2000s, there has been a heightened amount of attention devoted to the dismantling of America’s current way of life as high budget Hollywood films, popular television shows, and social media platforms have all embrace the concept of a dystopian future. The appeal of collapse is far and wide; although it has a stable place in the horror and disaster genres, it also has a growing presence in comedies, marketing, and even children’s programming. While some depictions of apocalypse work to reinforce traditional family roles, heteronormity, and frontier masculinity, as seen frequently in the disaster genre and on survival-based reality television, others point to American’s growing distain with contemporary society and increasingly normalize mass death and destruction. This dissertation argues that the abundance of apocalyptic movies, television shows, and social media content illuminate a trend that is so pervasive that it has come to define the zeitgeist of America in the 21st century.
