American Media and the Memory of World War II

228 Pages·2015·1.202 MB·English

by  Debra Ramsay

American Media and the Memory
of World War II
For three generations of Americans, World War II has been a touchstone for
the understanding of confl ict and of America’s role in global affairs. But if
World War II helped shape the perception of war for Americans, American
media in turn shape the understanding and memory of World War II. Con-
centrating on key popular fi lms, television series, and digital games from
the last two decades, this book explores the critical infl uence that World
War II continues to exert on a generation of Americans born over thirty
years after the confl ict ended. It explains how the war was confi gured in
the media of the wartime generation and how it came to be repurposed by
their progeny, the Baby Boomers. In doing so, it identifi es the framework
underpinning the mediation of World War II memory in the current genera-
tion’s media and develops a model that provides insight into the strategies
of representation that shape the American perspective of war in general.
Debra Ramsay teaches and researches in fi lm and media in the UK and is
currently a researcher at the University of Glasgow, UK.
Routledge Research in Cultural and Media Studies
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Edited by Delia Chiaro and Memory of World War II
Raffaella Baccolini Debra Ramsay
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American Media and the
Memory of World War II
Debra Ramsay
First published 2015
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group,
an informa business
© 2015 Taylor & Francis
The right of Debra Ramsay to be identifi ed as author of this work has been
asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation
without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ramsay, Debra, 1965–
American media and the memory of World War II / Debra Ramsay.
pages cm. — (Routledge research in cultural and media studies; 71)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. World War, 1939–1945—Motion pictures and the war. 2. World War,
1939–1945—Mass media and the war. 3. Collective memory—United
States. 4. Mass media and public opinion—United States. I. Title.
D743.23.R365 2015
791.43'6584053—dc23
2014039391
ISBN: 978-1-138-80552-1 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-75235-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
For Warwick. Because the sun rises in your eyes, and always will.
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Contents
List of Figures xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction: Objects on the Shelf and Long-Running Stories 1
PART I
1 Notes on Approach: Memory and Generations 19
2 World War II as a Transmedia Structure 36
PART II
3 Inspiring the World to Remember 83
4 It’s Not War, It’s HBO’s World War II 123
5 Brutal Games 162
Conclusion: Stories without End 198
Index 209