Keywords
War heroes, American media, Digital video, Hero industry, Pacification
Document Type
Research Paper
Abstract
In Ben Fountain’s 2012 novel, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, the titular US soldier and the Bravo squad become canonized Iraq War heroes when their rescue attempt is captured on digital video. In recognition of their bravery, their tour of duty is halted for an American media stint that culminates in their participation during the 2004 Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving halftime show. This celebratory return allows the proud American public to interact with the heroes from the video, subsumed, however they may be, by the militarized media spectacle and abstracted into icons of precious, simplified meaning. Commodities like War Hero Billy Lynn are a necessary product when images of postmodern warfare do not bring a nation’s culture any grounding, pacifying sense of meaning. Better than a mere screen, Billy is alive; he can be touched. Endowed with the experiential knowledge of soldier subjectivity, he becomes a ready vessel brought close for an American public to inhabit . . .
Genre/Form
articles
Recommended Citation
Timss, Braden
(2020)
"The Hero Industry: Spectacular Pacification in the Era of Media Interactivity,"
Occam's Razor: Vol. 10, Article 5.
Available at:
https://cedar.wwu.edu/orwwu/vol10/iss1/5
Subjects - Topical (LCSH)
Heroes in literature; Heroes in popular culture--United States; Iraq War, 2003-2011--Fiction
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Subjects - Names (LCNAF)
Fountain, Ben. Billy Lynn's long halftime walk
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Type
Text
