Description
In this edited volume, contributors engage with Barbie (Greta Gerwig, 2023) and Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023) through the lens of the Barbenheimer fad, an online and in-person phenomenon - coined by critics and co-opted by fans - that celebrated the counterprogramming of these two divergent films.
By framing Barbenheimer as a syndrome, the book revisits this moment in time to consider the elements that constituted the phenomenon on a global scale and to interrogate the logics through which this cultural spectacle may be symptomatic of larger cultural forces and social changes occurring at the time of release. Through the convergence of an interdisciplinary and global range of perspectives, Barbenheimer Syndrome interprets Barbie, Oppenheimer, and Barbenheimer within different cultural contexts to demonstrate both the universal and specific iterations of the phenomenon that struck such a cultural nerve in the summer of 2023.
This edited volume engages with Barbie (Greta Gerwig, 2023) and Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan, 2023) through the lens of the "Barbenheimer" fad, a phenomenon that celebrated the counterprogramming of these two divergent films. Through a variety of approaches and perspectives, Barbenheimer Syndrome reveals why these movies struck such a cultural nerve.
About the Author
Carolyn Condon Jacobs is Assistant Professor of Media Studies in the Department of Communication at Central Connecticut State University, USA.
Anna Young is Assistant Professor of Communication at Central Connecticut State University, USA.
Karen A. Ritzenhoff is Professor in the Department of Communication at Central Connecticut State University, USA.
Reviews
This book offers a rich and varied analysis of the 'Barbenheimer' phenomenon, bringing together a range of scholars to explore how it captured the attention of the world, and revived cinema-going in 2023. Reading 'Barbenheimer' as a syndrome - one that manifested differently across the globe - this engaging collection reveals the lasting cultural significance of the summer when Barbie met Oppenheimer. * Tanya Horeck, Professor of Film and Feminist Media Studies, Anglia Ruskin University, UK *
Examining the alchemy between the simultaneous releases of Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer in the summer of 2023, Barbenheimer Syndrome is a welcome addition to the ongoing debates about this cultural moment in cinematic history. Including analyses of these films that explore the intersections between feminism, disability studies, meme culture, and the military industrial complex, this volume also looks at the films' international reception in Japan, Ukraine, and South Korea as a means of investigating this worldwide phenomenon. * Sarah E. S. Sinwell, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Film and Media Arts, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA *
Barbenheimer Syndrome dissects Hollywood's most mismatched double bill and the meme-worthy moment that defined 2023. From pink satire to plutonium angst, this timely and irreverent collection explores how mass entertainment collided with political polarization-sometimes with glitter, sometimes with fallout. A must-read for anyone interested in media convergence, gender dynamics, and the enduring power of film. * Elena Caoduro, Professor of Arts, English and Languages, Queen's University Belfast, UK *
Book Information
ISBN 9781666968637
Author Carolyn Condon Jacobs
Format Hardback
Page Count 400
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
