Monday 21 March 2016
After the Cold War: Continuing Cultural Imperialism and Cold War Nostalgia
In the past few years we have witnessed an intriguing rise in
explorations of the Cold War in American popular culture. One recent
example is the TV series Pan Am (trailer below), a show about the
famous airline set in the 1960s in which one of the flight attendants
is a CIA spy. Another is the 2005 movie Good Night, and Good Luck (also below). What might these cultural products and their popularity tell us about North American attitudes to the Cold War today?
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The trailer for the show “Pan Am” demonstrates the concept of globalization that came to prevalence during the Cold War. This idea is introduced in the first 10 seconds when the main character is welcomed to the “jet age,” which represents the protagonist’s escape from domesticization and a geographically stagnant life. This geographical accessibility was attractive to citizens because it represented the opportunity to form a personal identity that was separate from a one-dimensional political atmosphere where the government was constantly trying to reinforce its own values and discredit the others. Of course, in this context, the political context was that of a dichotomous American-Russian relationship. Globalization allowed people to develop a more dialectical understanding of the world which allows one to better understand how they relate to others, thus forming a more concrete view of personal identity.
ReplyDeleteThis understanding of identity is an important part of why there are such strong nostalgic sentiments today towards the Cold War. That post-war era period presented a simple framework for people to use to understand both themselves and others. This framework set everything up in an easy dichotomy: east vs. west, communism vs. capitalism, freedom vs. oppression, etc. This simple dualism that extended through many aspects of life presents a textbook case for nostalgic sentiments which is manifested through reminiscing about “simpler times.” Pan Am seems to reflect this, demonstrating how globalization in the Cold War allowed this character to leave her native country and, presumably, against all odds, find her true self. Though there were events in the trailer that indicate the journey was not always easy, it is portrayed in a positive light (largely with the help of the music) and forms a retrospective vision of a Cold War utopia.
The trailers for both “Pan Am” and “Good Night, and Good Luck” demonstrate certain glamourous elements of the 1960s, such as suit-wearing, cigar-smoking celebrities, and the polished, flirtatious depiction of airline jobs. Coupled with the light-heartedness of the former and the drama of the latter, these ideas seem to indicate nostalgia by North Americans of the work of spies, and a general sense of adoration toward those who undercut the ideas and regulations of the American government. The trailers depict the protagonists as fearless yet ordinary people, figuring out ways to serve their country as representative of what Americans need, rather than what the American government wants.
ReplyDeleteAlthough America is known for its encouragement of freedom of expression and individuality in comparison to the Soviet Union, “Good Night, and Good Luck” highlight the limits of this freedom. We can see how irrational McCarthy was in retrospect, but the very fact that he is a controversial figure demonstrates these limitations and the important role that ordinary people played in revealing the façade of this freedom. This movie acts as propaganda, in that it reveals the similarities between the role of media in the Cold War and the capabilities of media today. North Americans value the impact that a single, ordinary person can make in voicing an opinion against the government, as Murrow did, and as anyone has the ability to do now via social media or otherwise.
These depictions of the Cold War showcase these figures as heroes and honor the cost that they faced in ensuring civil liberties. North Americans can use the Cold War as an example that they should question their role as a bystander in current events, given the influence that one person asking questions can make.
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ReplyDeleteThese two trailers romanticize the 1960’s and the Cold War. Both trailers make the era look glamorous and position the characters as heroes. However, Pan Am seems to use the Cold War as a subplot, to possibly make the show more dramatic or substantial, rather than the main focus. The trailer depicts a time when the world was on the brink of a cultural revolution. It is a highly nostalgic portrayal of the era. The planes are stylish, the pilots are royalty, the stewardesses are the most beautiful women in the world, and espionage is a glorified career path.
ReplyDeleteGood Night and Good Luck is about the Red Scare. It depicts the conflict between radio and television journalist Edward Murrow and McCarthy. The film portrays the media’s role in disseminating propaganda during the Cold War. The trailer highlights the responsibility of the press and how they were able to shape public opinion. With Murrow as their fearless leader, the journalists are seen as heroes protecting American freedom.
Both trailers foster an optimistic view of the Cold War and perpetuate the message that a few good people can save the world. These current representations of the Cold War come at a time when today’s society is struggling with long simmering conflicts with Russia and the Middle East.
Week 9 – Blog Post 8
ReplyDeleteIn the past decade there has been an attempt to create alternative narratives for the Cold War in various media forms. This is especially apparent in Hollywood films and network television series. “Good Night, and Good Luck” is one of many films seeks to rewrite the era of McCarthyism and give credit to people that fought against the Red Scare, particularly those who worked in broadcasting and film. It is difficult to tell whether Hollywood’s self-consciousness on display is an attempt to monetize public nostalgia or to lionize the victims of public policy; perhaps it is an insincere combination of the two. One more recent example is 2015’s “Trumbo” (featuring Brian Cranston in the titular role) which recasts the Oscar-winning screenwriter as a paragon of free speech and champion of the Hollywood “working classes.”
As noted above, “Pan Am” presents a version of the Cold War airline industry through the lenses of glamour, globalization, and Americanism. Another interesting perspective it offers is that of gender. The 1950s through 1970s are often looked back upon as a time when women were breaking through glass ceilings, choosing a career over domestic life. While there are many excellent depictions of this phenomenon, there are an equal number that fail to accurately capture the struggles of women in workforce during the Cold War. AMC’s “Mad Men” has been praised for its depiction of women; hopefully future writers and producers will seek to replicate its success with similarly honest representations of Cold War culture.
Both the “Pan Am” and “Good Night, and Good Luck” previews paint the era of the Cold War in a much more glamourous light. Pam Am especially does this as they show high class business people wearing suits and boarding the beautiful new air planes where they are greeted by attractive flight attendants. In addition, this show appears to romanticize the idea of being a cold war spy. In the preview, a note of some sort is passed between a man and one of the flight attendants near the end of the clip. The way this is portrayed shows a hint of danger which intrigues the viewer of the preview to imagine what it would have been like to be a cold war spy.
ReplyDelete“Good Night, and Good luck” focuses on the McCarthy era and adds a sense of intensity and drama. This preview makes it appear as though a few people were working behind the scenes to try to confront the activities associated with McCarthy and the Second Red Scare. Again, this is looking back on the time through a pointed lens which is romanticizing this time period. Where “Pan Am” uses the tactic of viewing the cold war through rose-coloured glasses, “Good Night, and Good Luck” uses the tactic of increasing the appeal of the cold war era through heightened excitement and drama.
The television show "Pan Am" and the 2005 film "Good Night and Good Luck" illustrate two different modern perspectives on the Cold War. The first, "Pan Am" is a romanticized depiction of the spy and intelligence game of the 1960s. The trailer, at least, presents a rosy view of the excitement and "adventure" experienced by the young stewardess recruited by the CIA. On the other hand, "Good Night and Good Luck" is much darker, but interestingly, this drama presents a view of the Cold War that focuses not on Communism as the enemy, but rather on the various ways (for example, the Second Red Scare) that the U.S.'s Cold War government "declared war" on its own citizens. It is interesting that hindsight has apparently lessened the binary view of "us vs them" and the belief that the communists were the only enemy to be feared. It is also interesting to highlight the dilemma of many of the characters in "Good Night and Good Luck", as they struggle with the ramifications of criticizing their government, as the central focus of a modern film that does just that without fear of repercussions.
ReplyDeleteThe PanAm series presents a nostalgic view of America in the Cold War era. The theme throughout this trailer shows the intent to export a positive image of America. The flight attendants (stewardesses) present the corporate image of beauty and grace. This clip downplays the serious political nature of the Cold War, giving us instead entertainment through the Hollywood lens of glamorous lives of the flight attendants. The word spy has replaced the more sinister word espionage, upping the fun factor in the jet-age life of a stewardess. I believe in programs like these, there is an element of soft propaganda, aimed at American as well as international audiences, showing an global image of America as a sophisticated and technologically advanced society in its control of its message - positive American values.
ReplyDeleteThe second clip, Good Night and Good Luck take a much more sobering look at the past, reminding Americans of the seriousness of the McCarthy era. In a self-effacing critique of its own government, this film champions freedom of speech through the Murrow versus McCarthy confrontation. As we saw throughout readings in this course, the appearance of honesty, especially if self-critical, goes a long way in making the United States appear credible as it promotes the ideologies of freedom and democracy outside the United States. In contrast to the PanAm clip, this film reframes nostalgia by bringing these events to the present through the seriousness of the subject matter. Murrow’s quotation, “We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home”, also reminds us that freedom, a core value of American ideology is something that can be taken away, even at home.
These cultural products romanticize the notion that there were normal individuals during the Cold War fighting against those who opposed American values. For the show Pan-Am it is a woman who wished to experience the world, and in the movie Good Night and Good Luck it is a news anchor that believes Americans have the right to live without fear of their own government. It is very attractive to present Americans with shows and movies that look back upon the Cold War as a period where many citizens were fighting against the enemies both at home and abroad. This can have the effect of making them wish to become these figures in their own lives, or to imagine that their own parents or grandparents, unbeknownst to them, might have been characters just like these during the Cold War as well. Normal citizens might begin to fantasize that they might one day need them to serve their country as a spy through their own place of work, or perhaps consider that someone else around them might already be doing exactly that. Or it might make someone who is searching for, or presenting news, to be more courageous with the issues that they decide to focus on. Cultural products like these show that there is a desire amongst audiences to look back upon the Cold War and glorify those who did not stand by as others were acting on behalf of American ideals.
ReplyDeletePan Am is interesting in that it seems to glorify those average citizens who 'did their bit' to oppose communism and further the aims of the American government during the cold war. The prevalence of stories like this speak to the notion that anyone, when called upon, would act in this way to help their country out of conviction of the rightness of their way of life. Similarly, Pan Am seems to echo the narrative of many spy stories--novels and films--that cast the West against the evils of communism. While this element was downplayed in the films, in nearly every James Bond book published, the enemy is an agent of Soviet Russia. This speaks to the prevalence of a polarizing view of the Cold War in which the Americans were fighting the good fight. Also, interestingly, neither of these texts seem to show or represent Soviet citizens in any way, leading a very one-sided telling.
ReplyDeleteIn the case of Good Night and Good Luck, the film seems to be attempting to cast McCarthyism such that not everyone believed in the witch-hunts that he oversaw. In this particular case, opposition to McCarthyism is portrayed as heroic. This involves a selective kind of history in that it makes it seem as though McCarthy was not as widely supported as he was. Similarly, the fact that the protagonists are journalists is a way of reinforcing the freedom of America as they were able to criticize a powerful senator.
Pan-Am casts the Cold War as an era of liberation, excitement and opportunity. The multiple references to the corset, an item of clothing which is naturally constraining and forces the female body into an idealized shape, serve only to undercut this theme. The character at the beginning of the trailer liberates herself from the traditional female roles of wife and homemaker, by simply resolving to "become a Pan-Am stewardess." Not only that, but it appears that this affords some opportunity to serve one's country, as she is enlisted to become a spy for the American government. In reality, this would be an extremely dangerous occupation, and could result in consequences beyond having to change blouses in a taxicab. Sex appears to be a main theme in the series, and suggests another form of liberation.
ReplyDeleteGood Night and Good Luck portrays American journalists as heroic (and able to defend themselves, as in Clooney's first scene in the trailer) searchers of the "truth" in the midst of McCarthyism. None of them appear to sacrifice their integrity in order to save their job, which is what many felt pressured to do in this era.
The themes in both media seem to run antithetical to what we have learned about the "feelings" of the Cold War: paranoia, anxiety, alienation, and the feeling that you might lose your job at any minute. Instead, these have been replaced with liberation, nationalism, and honour.
In a way, both of these trailers for the TV-series "Pan Am" and the movie "Good Night, and Good Luck" continue the propagation of “America-brand” freedom that began during the Cold War. "Pan Am", with its plot centred on a woman who decides to become a stewardess in order to escape the humdrum of domestic life and see the world, showcases the “American-brand,” freedom of self-expression. "Good Night, and Good Luck," on the other hand, promotes “American-brand” freedom against governmental repression, by—somewhat ironically—dramatizing the confrontation between radio journalist Edward Murrow and the nefarious Senator McCarthy.
ReplyDeleteBoth films embody what Donna Buchanan describes as “reflective nostalgia,” wherein the nostalgia reflects “emotionally [or] sometimes playfully on [the past’s] irretrievability, through…dreams of and yearning for seductive, but ever unrealizable, alternative historical trajectories” (Buchanan, 2010). "Pan Am"—as early commenters have opined, and with whom I agree—seems to add glamour to its nostalgic view of the Cold War. On the other hand, "Good Night and Good Luck" is more critical in its handling of Cold War nostalgia. Surprisingly, early commenters suggested that "Good Night and Good Luck" also glamorized the Cold War in a similar fashion to "Pan Am." Is it perhaps possible I missed some glamorizing element in the movie’s trailer amongst the monochrome colour scheme, the striking visual-effects (the sudden increase in visual contrast at 1’36”), and the dramatic and pressing film music?
Both the trailer for Pan Am and Good Night and Good Luck romanticize the early Cold War era while attempting to rewrite parts of the story. One especially notices in Pan Am a nostalgic look back at the 1960s with the beautiful stewardesses, handsome pilots, and brand-new commercial aircraft. As Jennifer noted, this film romanticizes the idea of being a Cold War spy. In the lead female’s decision to become a stewardess, she seems to take control of her own destiny. By showing her becoming a government agent due to her profile and job, it shows how someone in control of their destiny could reach new and previously unimaginable heights. It is the hint of danger associated with her role and the box she is handed near the end that really draws in the attention of the watcher. I find the music in this film especially interesting. It is very upbeat and positive music that is a fairly accurate representation of songs popular in the 60s (whether it is actually from the 1960s or a mere imitation of it is outside of my range of expertise); the inclusion of this music seems to add to the message of positivity surrounding the dialogue of the Cold War in the USA at this time.
ReplyDeleteGood Night and Good Luck also glamorizes elements of the Cold War. By emphasizing the role of those who openly opposed McCarthyism, it romanticizes the bravery of those who stood up for freedom.