Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0003-3895-2122
Date of Award
Fall 12-11-2023
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Moving Image Studies
First Advisor
Ethan Tussey
Second Advisor
Greg Smith
Third Advisor
Jade Petermon
Fourth Advisor
Suzanne Scott
Abstract
This dissertation will explore the role of brand culture, digital platforms, and fan play in the development of a reactionary fan identity that I call the white masculine crusader (WMC). By interrogating the playful affordances of digital platforms and how people adopt fan practices in reaction to contemporary politics, I reveal three distinct (yet interconnected) fannish and playful embodied expressions of reactionary politics and white supremacy conspiracy theories (the tactical body, the fit body, and the spiritual body). The following chapters highlight how fan communities not only seek and spread reactionary content but often poach brands to play out fantasies of fighting back against a world corrupted by secularism, multi-culturalism, and progressive politics. This dissertation is designed to show how our current media environment, through playful and preparatory practices, enables the persistence of white supremacy and the growth of far-right extremism.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/36466101
Recommended Citation
Dannar, Anthony, "“We Ain’t Playing F*Cking Nice…”: Reactionary Fandom, Playful Platforms, and the White Masculine Crusader Fan Identity." Dissertation, Georgia State University, 2023.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/36466101
File Upload Confirmation
1