Description
Book SynopsisFrom 2015 to 2019, the Walt Disney Corporation has produced five theatrical films in the Star Wars galaxy. These films have been met with mixed reactions from audiences and critics alike and sparked seemingly endless public debate about representations of people of color, women, and queer people in 21st century popular film. This book explores the evolving discourse surrounding Disney’s Star Wars films from a political economic perspective and through a lens focusing on the corporate representation of marginalized communities with an aim to critique neoliberal ethics of resistance against fascist regimes. Through exploring the characters of Saw Gerrera, Finn, Poe Dameron, and L3-37, Abigail Reed argues that Disney’s utilization of diverse identities within the franchise is ultimately regressive. Rather than engaging with marginalized communities’ histories or futures, Reed posits, Disney uses these narratives to serve its private interests as an American global media conglomerate and undermine historically effective models of rebellion against imperialism in favor of a model of governance that centers Whiteness and the interests of the Global North.
Table of ContentsPreface
Introduction
Chapter 1: Diversity and the US Dollar: Selling the Future through Star Wars
Chapter 2: Saw Gerrera, Fear of the Other, and Imperialist Ideologies Embedded in Rogue One
Chapter 3: “We Are the Spark:” A Story of Loss, Corporate Censorship, and Reveling in Radical Queer Politics
Chapter 4: “I’ve Found My True Purpose:” L3-37, Transgressive Bodies, and Liberatory Movements
Conclusion: The Future of Our Galaxy(ies)
Bibliography
About the Author
