- University of Augsburg, English and American Studies, Faculty MemberJohannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, American Studies, Department MemberLudwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Amerika-Institut, Alumnusadd
- Disneyland, Walt Disney Company, LGBT Issues, Gender Studies, American Tv Shows, Popular Culture, and 11 moreFilm Studies, Contemporary American Cinema, U.S. Television Studies, TV studies, Television Studies, Religion and Popular Culture, Nostalgia, Theme Parks, Queer Studies, Queer History, and Cinema and Televisionedit
When the first Disneyland opened its doors in 1955, it reinvented the American amusement park and transformed the travel, tourism and entertainment industries forever. Now part of a global vacation empire, the original Disney park in... more
When the first Disneyland opened its doors in 1955, it reinvented the American amusement park and transformed the travel, tourism and entertainment industries forever. Now part of a global vacation empire, the original Disney park in Anaheim, California, has been joined by massive complexes in Florida, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Spanning six decades, three continents and five distinct cultures, Sabrina Mittermeier presents an interdisciplinary examination of the parks, situating them in their proper historical context and exploring the distinct cultural, social and economic landscapes that defined each one at the time of its construction. She then spotlights the central role of class in the subsequent success or failure of each venture.
The first comparative study of the Disney theme parks, A Cultural History of the Disneyland Theme Parks closes a significant gap in existing research and is an important new contribution to the field.
Spanning six decades, three continents and five distinct cultures, Sabrina Mittermeier presents an interdisciplinary examination of the parks, situating them in their proper historical context and exploring the distinct cultural, social and economic landscapes that defined each one at the time of its construction. She then spotlights the central role of class in the subsequent success or failure of each venture.
The first comparative study of the Disney theme parks, A Cultural History of the Disneyland Theme Parks closes a significant gap in existing research and is an important new contribution to the field.
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The first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, the newest instalment in the long-running and influential Star Trek franchise, received media and academic attention from the moment they arrived on screen. Discovery makes several key... more
The first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, the newest instalment in the long-running and influential Star Trek franchise, received media and academic attention from the moment they arrived on screen. Discovery makes several key changes to Star Trek’s well-known narrative formulae, particularly the use of more serialized storytelling, appealing to audiences’ changed viewing habits in the streaming age – and yet the storylines, in their topical nature and the broad range of socio-political issues they engage with, continue in the political vein of the series’ megatext.
This volume brings together eighteen essays and one interview about the series, with contributions from a variety of disciplines including cultural studies, literary studies, media studies, fandom studies, history and political science. They explore representations of gender, sexuality and race, as well as topics such as shifts in storytelling and depictions of diplomacy. Examining Discovery alongside older entries into the Star Trek canon and tracing emerging continuities and changes, this volume will be an invaluable resource for all those interested in Star Trek and science fiction in the franchise era.
This volume brings together eighteen essays and one interview about the series, with contributions from a variety of disciplines including cultural studies, literary studies, media studies, fandom studies, history and political science. They explore representations of gender, sexuality and race, as well as topics such as shifts in storytelling and depictions of diplomacy. Examining Discovery alongside older entries into the Star Trek canon and tracing emerging continuities and changes, this volume will be an invaluable resource for all those interested in Star Trek and science fiction in the franchise era.
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Despite the wealth and breadth of scholarly engagement with theme parks, especially over the last two decades, issues of time and temporality in theme parks have so far been comparatively neglected. Time and Temporality in Theme Parks... more
Despite the wealth and breadth of scholarly engagement with theme parks, especially over the last two decades, issues of time and temporality in theme parks have so far been comparatively neglected. Time and Temporality in Theme Parks addresses this gap by looking at theme park temporalities from a number of distinct perspectives. Contributions come from a wide variety of academic disciplines, including anthropology, history, American studies, archaeology, geography, sociology, and theater studies. These scholarly perspectives are complemented by contributions from writers with a background in theme park design and industry. Addressing the conceptualization and creation of theme park times in general, as well as topics such as heritage and retro-futures in particular, Time and Temporality in Theme Parks seeks to give both scholarly and non-scholarly readers a comprehensive look at the multiple roles time plays in the theme park.
The editors of this volume are the members of the research group »›Here You Leave Today‹: Ästhetische Eigenzeiten in Themenparks« (»›Here You Leave Today‹: Aesthetic Proper Times in Theme Parks«), based at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Germany) and funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The group is part of the DFG Schwerpunktprogramm (Priority Program) 1688, »Ästhetische Eigenzeiten – Zeit und Darstellung in der polychronen Moderne,« which studies temporality in its cultural and historical ambiguity.
The editors of this volume are the members of the research group »›Here You Leave Today‹: Ästhetische Eigenzeiten in Themenparks« (»›Here You Leave Today‹: Aesthetic Proper Times in Theme Parks«), based at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Germany) and funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The group is part of the DFG Schwerpunktprogramm (Priority Program) 1688, »Ästhetische Eigenzeiten – Zeit und Darstellung in der polychronen Moderne,« which studies temporality in its cultural and historical ambiguity.
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While much has been written on Disney’s America, the theme park the Walt Disney Company wanted to build in Virginia in 1993, the relation of the surrounding controversy to the ongoing Culture Wars in the US has only marginally been... more
While much has been written on Disney’s America, the theme park the Walt Disney Company wanted to build in Virginia in 1993, the relation of the surrounding controversy to the ongoing Culture Wars in the US has only marginally been touched upon. is article there- fore delves deeper into this crucial connection, as well as using these events as a case study to discuss the importance of edutainment, and the role that theme parks play for this similarly o en-discussed issue.
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In his 2020 Netflix miniseries Hollywood, producer Ryan Murphy presents us with an almost utopian version of Hollywood, an alternate history that centres queer and Black voices over the realities of the repressive queerphobic and racist... more
In his 2020 Netflix miniseries Hollywood, producer Ryan Murphy presents us with an almost utopian version of Hollywood, an alternate history that centres queer and Black voices over the realities of the repressive queerphobic and racist nature of the 1940s US society. It tells the story of an ultimately Oscar-winning film project surrounding the story of the real-life suicide of silent movie actress Peg Entwistle, put together by marginalized creators. In many ways, the miniseries commits to the screen a classic narrative of the American dream, of the marginalized overcoming adversity and ‘making it big’. It frames Hollywood as aspirational, both as an actual physical place but also as fantastical space, using strategies borrowed from theme parks and other immersive spaces. It is unusual in centring Black, queer and Black queer voices in this story, and by extension in history ‐ in time and space(s) where they are usually erased. It makes use of nostalgia in manifold ways to do so, ...
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Speculative fiction has always been political, showcasing diversity and interrogating both current events and larger questions of humanity and society. The articles in this Special Issue, coming out of the annual conference of the German... more
Speculative fiction has always been political, showcasing diversity and interrogating both current events and larger questions of humanity and society. The articles in this Special Issue, coming out of the annual conference of the German Gesellschaft für Fantastikforschung in 2020, discuss a variety of different approaches.
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Despite the wealth and breadth of scholarly engagement with theme parks, especially over the last two decades, issues of time and temporality in theme parks have so far been comparatively neglected. Time and Temporality in Theme Parks... more
Despite the wealth and breadth of scholarly engagement with theme parks, especially over the last two decades, issues of time and temporality in theme parks have so far been comparatively neglected. Time and Temporality in Theme Parks addresses this gap by looking at theme park temporalities from a number of distinct perspectives. Contributions come from a wide variety of academic disciplines, including anthropology, history, American studies, archaeology, geography, sociology, and theater studies. These scholarly perspectives are complemented by contributions from writers with a background in theme park design and industry. Addressing the conceptualization and creation of theme park times in general, as well as topics such as heritage and retro-futures in particular, Time and Temporality in Theme Parks seeks to give both scholarly and non-scholarly readers a comprehensive look at the multiple roles time plays in the theme park.
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In November 2015, members of the research project "'Here You Leave Today': Time and Temporality in Theme Parks" and members of the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter joined in the... more
In November 2015, members of the research project "'Here You Leave Today': Time and Temporality in Theme Parks" and members of the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter joined in the organization of a unique event: the opening to the public, for one day, of the simulation of a theme park with an ancient Roman theme in the Exeter Library. This article explains the genesis and the development of this impact project.
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The first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, the newest instalment in the long-running and influential Star Trek franchise, received media and academic attention from the moment they arrived on screen. Discovery makes several key... more
The first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, the newest instalment in the long-running and influential Star Trek franchise, received media and academic attention from the moment they arrived on screen. Discovery makes several key changes to Star Trek’s well-known narrative formulae, particularly the use of more serialized storytelling, appealing to audiences’ changed viewing habits in the streaming age – and yet the storylines, in their topical nature and the broad range of socio-political issues they engage with, continue in the political vein of the series’ megatext. This volume brings together eighteen essays and one interview about the series, with contributions from a variety of disciplines including cultural studies, literary studies, media studies, fandom studies, history and political science. They explore representations of gender, sexuality and race, as well as topics such as shifts in storytelling and depictions of diplomacy. Examining Discovery alongside older entries into the Star Trek canon and tracing emerging continuities and changes, this volume will be an invaluable resource for all those interested in Star Trek and science fiction in the franchise era.
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Review of: Queering the South on Screen, Tison Pugh (ed.) (2020)Athens: University of Georgia Press, 302 pp.,ISBN 9-780-82035-672-3, h/bk, $99.95ISBN 9-780-82035-672-3, p/bk, $34.95
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While much has been written on Disney’s America, the theme park the Walt Disney Company wanted to build in Virginia in 1993, the relation of the surrounding controversy to the ongoing Culture Wars in the US has only marginally been... more
While much has been written on Disney’s America, the theme park the Walt Disney Company wanted to build in Virginia in 1993, the relation of the surrounding controversy to the ongoing Culture Wars in the US has only marginally been touched upon. is article there- fore delves deeper into this crucial connection, as well as using these events as a case study to discuss the importance of edutainment, and the role that theme parks play for this similarly o en-discussed issue.
Research Interests:
When the first Disneyland opened its doors in 1955, it reinvented the American amusement park and transformed the travel, tourism and entertainment industries forever. Now part of a global vacation empire, the original Disney park in... more
When the first Disneyland opened its doors in 1955, it reinvented the American amusement park and transformed the travel, tourism and entertainment industries forever. Now part of a global vacation empire, the original Disney park in Anaheim, California, has been joined by massive complexes in Florida, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Spanning six decades, three continents and five distinct cultures, Sabrina Mittermeier presents an interdisciplinary examination of the parks, situating them in their proper historical context and exploring the distinct cultural, social and economic landscapes that defined each one at the time of its construction. She then spotlights the central role of class in the subsequent success or failure of each venture. The first comparative study of the Disney theme parks, A Cultural History of the Disneyland Theme Parks closes a significant gap in existing research and is an important new contribution to the field.
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In an interview with the editors, Dr. Diana Mafe discusses her book Where No Black Woman Has Gone Before: Subversive Portrayals in Speculative Film and TV (2018) on the role of black women in science fiction, and what Star Trek:... more
In an interview with the editors, Dr. Diana Mafe discusses her book Where No Black Woman Has Gone Before: Subversive Portrayals in Speculative Film and TV (2018) on the role of black women in science fiction, and what Star Trek: Discovery’s lead character Michael Burnham means for the genre in general, as well as the Star Trek franchise in particular.
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The Introduction compares Discovery to the earlier shows comprising the Star Trek canon and argues, against criticism raised by some scholars and fans, that the show’s darker tone in the first two seasons present an exploration of the... more
The Introduction compares Discovery to the earlier shows comprising the Star Trek canon and argues, against criticism raised by some scholars and fans, that the show’s darker tone in the first two seasons present an exploration of the established storyworld of the franchise. Thus, rather than betraying the utopian ideals underlying Star Trek, Discovery continues another franchise tradition: staying in touch with and commenting on its contemporary moment. In doing so, the show takes on the post-9/11 climate of war and explores the conscious effort it takes to uphold societal ideals in the face of outside and inside threats. The Introduction further comments on the nostalgia attendant on some critics’ comparisons between Discovery and other Star Trek shows and briefly reflects on the slightly more nostalgic feeling of the second season and the ways in which it avoids some of the retrofuturism other shows have been criticized for. Finally, the Introduction also summarizes the 18 essays...
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This Chapter argues that Captain Gabriel Lorca, upon first look, is the archetype of the Starfleet Captain in the vein of Kirk and Picard: a white, middle-aged, (presumably) heterosexual man. However, his reveal as a Terran effectively... more
This Chapter argues that Captain Gabriel Lorca, upon first look, is the archetype of the Starfleet Captain in the vein of Kirk and Picard: a white, middle-aged, (presumably) heterosexual man. However, his reveal as a Terran effectively recasts the character from a capable leader to a white supremacist sociopath, and is thus powerfully subverting the trope of the action hero, and in turn, that of the Starfleet Captain. Discovery thus actively criticizes pervasive ideals of masculinity of the genre (and beyond) through Lorca. It further does so via the character Ash Tyler, who also represents an alternative concept to the traditional action hero. Unlike Lorca, whose sexual prowess is referenced often, Tyler engages in a romantic relationship, an aspect usually neglected in on-screen romances of male heroes. Additionally, he is a rape survivor, again successfully subverting the established gender roles of the genre. This chapter discusses both Lorca and Tyler in order to highlight Disc...
Review of: Star Trek: Discovery, USA creator Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, 2017–present, CBS
Review of: Star Trek: Discovery, USA creator Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, 2017–present, CBS
This book offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary introduction to theme parks and the field of theme park studies. It identifies and discusses relevant economic, social, and cultural as well as medial, historical, and geographical... more
This book offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary introduction to theme parks and the field of theme park studies. It identifies and discusses relevant economic, social, and cultural as well as medial, historical, and geographical aspects of theme parks worldwide, from the big international theme park chains to smaller, regional, family-operated parks. The book also describes the theories and methods that have been used to study theme parks in various academic disciplines and reviews the major contexts in which theme parks have been studied. By providing the necessary backgrounds, theories, and methods to analyze and understand theme parks both as a business field and as a socio-cultural phenomenon, this book will be a great resource to students, academics from all disciplines interested in theme parks, and professionals and policy-makers in the leisure and entertainment as well as the urban planning sector.
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This book offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary introduction to theme parks and the field of theme park studies. It identifies and discusses relevant economic, social, and cultural as well as medial, historical, and geographical... more
This book offers a comprehensive, multidisciplinary introduction to theme parks and the field of theme park studies. It identifies and discusses relevant economic, social, and cultural as well as medial, historical, and geographical aspects of theme parks worldwide, from the big international theme park chains to smaller, regional, family-operated parks. The book also describes the theories and methods that have been used to study theme parks in various academic disciplines and reviews the major contexts in which theme parks have been studied. By providing the necessary backgrounds, theories, and methods to analyze and understand theme parks both as a business field and as a socio-cultural phenomenon, this book will be a great resource to students, academics from all disciplines interested in theme parks, and professionals and policy-makers in the leisure and entertainment as well as the urban planning sector.