Monsters in the Mirror : Representations of Nazism in Post-War Popular Culture

This collection provides readers with a comprehensive overview of postwar representations of Nazism in popular culture, documenting and critiquing their enormous impact and importance. From Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator to the depiction of Nazis in the Raiders of the Lost Ark to other various literature, comic books, video games, television programs, and pop music, Nazism has maintained a constant presence in popular culture after World War II. Why are representations of Nazism-which are often used to depict the ultimate expression of human evil-so entrenched in our culture? Each chapter in this book examines this multifaceted topic from different angles, highlighting the different incidences of Nazistic representations in the post-1945 period. The diverse subject matter in this text ranges from analysis of recent allo-historical novels, to the music of the "neo-folk" movement, to fetishes and pornography. Readers will gain insight on how the imagery and symbology of Nazism in popular culture has changed over time and understand how the disconnect between representations of Nazism and the historical record have developed, particularly with regard to the genocide that resulted from Nazi politics. Contents......Page 8 Illustrations and Tables......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Introduction: The Mundanity of Evil: Everyday Nazism in Post-War Popular Culture......Page 14 CHAPTER 1 The “What Ifs?” of Nazism: Recent Alternate Histories of the Third Reich......Page 42 CHAPTER 2 Hitler as Our Devil?: Nazi Germany in Mainstream Media......Page 70 CHAPTER 3 From Satan to Hitler: Theological and Historical Evil in C. S. Lewis, Philip Pullman, and J. K. Rowling......Page 94 CHAPTER 4 Hitler Is Fun: Sixty Years of Nazism in Humorous Comics......Page 116 CHAPTER 5 Holocaust Pornography: Profaning the Sacred in Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS......Page 142 CHAPTER 6 Wonder Woman against the Nazis: Gendering Villainy in DC Comics......Page 172 CHAPTER 7 Conspirator or Collaborator? Nazi Arab Villainy in Popular Fiction......Page 196 CHAPTER 8 “Evil’s Spreading, Sir—and It’s Not Just Over There!”: Nazism in Buffy and Angel......Page 220 CHAPTER 9 “Keep Feeling Fasci/nation”: Neofolk and the Search for Europe......Page 242 CHAPTER 10 Where Does Evil Sit in the Classroom? Problematizing Teaching about Hitler, Nasty Nazis, and the Holocaust......Page 268 CHAPTER 11 From Hagiography to Iconoclasm: The Nazi Magazine Signal and Its Mediations......Page 292 Contributors......Page 306 A......Page 310 C......Page 311 D......Page 312 F......Page 313 G......Page 314 H......Page 315 J......Page 316 M......Page 317 N......Page 318 O......Page 319 S......Page 320 V......Page 322 Z......Page 323 Introduction: the mundanity of evil: everyday Nazism in post-war popular culture / Maartje Abbenhuis and Sara Buttsworth -- The "what ifs?" of Nazism: recent alternate histories of the Third Reich / Gavriel D. Rosenfeld -- Hitler as our devil?: Nazi Germany in mainstream media / Eva Kingsepp -- From Satan to Hitler: theological and historical evil in C.S. Lewis, Philip Pullman, and J.K. Rowling / Sarah Fiona Winters -- Hitler is fun: sixty years of Nazism in humorous comics / Marc Hieronimus -- Holocaust pornography: profaning the sacred in Ilsa, she-wolf of the SS / Lynn Rapaport -- Wonder Woman against the Nazis: gendering villainy in DC Comics / Ruth McClelland-Nugent -- Conspirator or collaborator? Nazi Arab villainy in popular fiction / Ahmed Khalid Al-Rawi -- "Evil's spreading, sir- and it's not just over there!": Nazism in Buffy and Angel / Cynthea Masson -- "Keep feeling fasci/nation": neofolk and the search for Europe / Emily Turner-Graham -- Where does evil sit in the classroom? Problematizing teaching about Hitler, nasty Nazis, and the Holocaust / Claire M. Hall -- From hagiography to iconoclasm: the Nazi magazine Signal and its mediations / Brigette Sion "Each chapter in this book examines this multifaceted topic from different angles, highlighting the different incidences of Nazistic representations in the post-1945 period. The diverse subject matter in this text ranges from analysis of recent allo-historical novels, to the music of the "neo-folk" movement, to fetishes and pornography. Readers will gain insight on how the imagery and symbology of Nazism in popular culture has changed over time and understand how the disconnect between representations of Nazism and the historical record have developed, particularly with regard to the genocide that resulted from Nazi politics."--From publisher description From Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator to the depiction of Nazis in the Raiders of the Lost Ark to other various literature, comic books, video games, television programs, and pop music, Nazism has maintained a constant presence in popular culture after World War II. Why are representations of NazismÑwhich are often used to depict the ultimate expression of human evilÑso entrenched in our culture? Why are representations of Nazism - which are often used to depict the ultimate expression of human evil - so entrenched in our culture? This book examines this multifaceted topic from different angles, highlighting the different incidences of Nazistic representations in the post-1945 period Sara Buttsworth And Maartje Abbenhuis, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.