Papers
Myth and Gender in Star Wars: Androgyny as Rhetorical Response to Patriarchal Crisis
A 1993 revision of a paper from my dissertation, presented to the CSCA association, 1990; the paper won the Sam Becker Prize for Outstanding Mass Media Criticism
Although widely recognized as a type of mythic discourse, the popular film trilogy known as Star Wars also contains within it an ambiguous message about gender. Using a feminist/rhetorical methodology, the study argues that Star Wars employs androgynous representations as rhetorical strategies which function to purify and transform the nature of the hero as well as the mythic quest narrative. Despite the appeal of such a depiction during a time of patriarchal crisis, ultimately the series reinforces a dualistic split between "masculine" and "feminine," reaffirming traditional beliefs about gender in the culture.
LikeThe Same Old Con of Man: Faux-feminism and the Reaffirmation of Patriarchy in The Da Vinci Code
A paper presented to the National Communication Association, Nov. 2007; being revised for possible publication
One of the more controversial films of 2006 was the highly anticipated The Da Vinci Code, based on Dan Brown’s best-selling novel. Most criticism focused on the historical and religious problems in both the novel and subsequent film, leading some to claim that the storyline represented a type of radical feminism in its presumed secret marriage between Jesus and Mary Magdalene that led to “the greatest cover-up in history,” and ultimately the suppression of "the divine feminine" in the Catholic Church. Using insights derived from feminist theology and myth, this study examines this claim through a close analysis of both novel and film, focusing both on the mythic narrative and individual characters. It concludes that The Da Vinci Code does not present a feminist mythic narrative, but instead presents another version of the heroic quest myth that functions to reaffirm masculine power, under the guise of a faux feminism. Ultimately both novel and film fail to develop a truly transformative rhetoric but instead reinforce traditional beliefs about gender in the culture
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