ICSM Heroes and Villains in Popular Culture: The Thin Blue Line
Whatever the objections to associating heroism with traditionally "masculine" qualities, archetypal heroes have for millennia been warriors of one kind or another, and warriors--whether on the plains of Troy, the American frontier, or the mean streets of a modern city--have tradtionally been men. Even today, women heroes often embrace warrior values rather than redefine them. Therefore in researching heroes in popular culture, a good deal of relevant information is to be found in books on men, women, sex roles, and gender stereotypes.
Heroes
Heroes in literature
Heroes in motion pictures
Hero worship--United States
Courage
Courage in literature
Aggressiveness
Aggressiveness in popular culture--United States--History--21st century
Aggressiveness on television
Soldiers in literature
Soldiers in motion pictures
Combat--Psychological aspects
Masculinity in literature
Masculinity in motion pictures
Masculinity on television
Masculinity in popular culture
Masculinity in popular culture--United States
Masculinity--United States
Machismo
Machismo in motion pictures
Sex role in motion pictures
Sex role on television
Sex role in mass media
Men--Identity
Men--Psychology
Men in motion pictures
Men in mass media
Men in popular culture--United States
Women heroes
Women heroes in literature
Women heroes in motion pictures
Heroines in literature
Heroines in motion pictures
Heroines on television
Violence in women
Women and the military
Women soldiers
Women in combat
Women in combat--United States
Amazons
Women--Identity
Women--Psychology
Women in motion pictures
Women on television.
Women in mass media
Women in popular culture
Women in popular culture--United States
Femininity
Femininity in literature
Femininity in popular culture
Femininity (Psychology)
Femininity--United States
In contemporary popular culture heroes are often superheroes and may be discussed as a subtype, individually, or in terms of the comics genre from which they originate.
Superheroes
Superheroes in literature
Superhero films--History and criticism
Superman (Fictitious character)
Batman (Fictitious character)
X-Men (Fictitious characters)
Spider-Man (Fictitious character)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Fictitious character)
Buffy, the vampire slayer (Television program)
Comic books, strips, etc.--History and criticism
Comic books, strips, etc.--United States--History and criticism
Comic books, strips, etc.--Moral and ethical aspects
Discussion of villains seems less concerned with sex and gender issues (though note the separate heading for "femmes fatales") and more with violence, crime, and the nature of evil.
Villains in literature
Villains in motion pictures
Villains in popular culture
Femmes fatales
Femmes fatales in motion pictures
Psychopaths
Monsters
Monsters in literature
Monsters on television
Supernatural (Television program : 2005-
Monsters in motion pictures
Monsters in mass media
Violence in motion pictures
Violence on television
Violence on television--United States
Violence in mass media
Violence in mass media--United States
Violence in popular culture
Violence in popular culture--United States
Criminals in literature
Crime in literature
Crime on television
Crime in mass media
Mass media and crime
Crime in popular culture--United States
Murder in mass media
Criminal behavior
Criminal behavior--United States
Violent crimes--United States
Serial murders--United States
Serial murders in mass media
Evil in literature
Evil in motion pictures
Sensationalism in motion pictures
Good and evil.
Good and evil--Psychological aspects
Criminal investigation is often the pop culture context for flawed heroes and sympathetic villains to clash.
Private investigators in literature
Detectives in literature
Noir fiction, American--History and criticism
Detective and mystery stories, American--History and criticism
Gangster films--United States--History and criticism
Detective and mystery films--History and criticism
Detective and mystery films--United States--History and criticism
Film noir--History and criticism
Film noir--United States--History and criticism
Police in popular culture--United States--History
Detective and mystery television programs--United States--History and criticism
Television cop shows--United States--History and criticism
Cagney and Lacey (Television program)
CSI, crime scene investigation (Television program)
Dexter (Television program)
Sopranos (Television program)
Wire (Television program)
Mass media and criminal justice--United States
Among the popular genres that most explicitly depict heroes and villians are westerns, spy stories, science fiction, and fantasy.
Western films--History and criticism
Western television programs--United States
Spy films--History and criticism
Spy television programs--United States--History and criticism
Bond, James (Fictitious character)
Science fiction films--History and criticism
Science fiction television programs--History and criticism
Science fiction television programs--United States--History and criticism
Star Wars films--History and criticism
Blade runner (Motion picture)
Alien (Motion picture)
Fantasy films--History and criticism
Fantasy television programs--History and criticism
Game of thrones (Television program)
Action and adventure films--United States--History and criticism
Finally, some broader categories that will contain discussion of popular media and the moral climate:
Motion pictures--Moral and ethical aspects
Motion pictures--Social aspects
Motion pictures--Social aspects--United States
National characteristics, American, in motion pictures
Television broadcasting--Social aspects
Television broadcasting--Social aspects--United States
United States--Moral conditions
Social values--United States
United States--Social conditions--21st century
Popular culture--United States--History--20th century
Popular culture--United States--History--21st century
Heroes
Heroes in literature
Heroes in motion pictures
Hero worship--United States
Courage
Courage in literature
Aggressiveness
Aggressiveness in popular culture--United States--History--21st century
Aggressiveness on television
Soldiers in literature
Soldiers in motion pictures
Combat--Psychological aspects
Masculinity in literature
Masculinity in motion pictures
Masculinity on television
Masculinity in popular culture
Masculinity in popular culture--United States
Masculinity--United States
Machismo
Machismo in motion pictures
Sex role in motion pictures
Sex role on television
Sex role in mass media
Men--Identity
Men--Psychology
Men in motion pictures
Men in mass media
Men in popular culture--United States
Women heroes
Women heroes in literature
Women heroes in motion pictures
Heroines in literature
Heroines in motion pictures
Heroines on television
Violence in women
Women and the military
Women soldiers
Women in combat
Women in combat--United States
Amazons
Women--Identity
Women--Psychology
Women in motion pictures
Women on television.
Women in mass media
Women in popular culture
Women in popular culture--United States
Femininity
Femininity in literature
Femininity in popular culture
Femininity (Psychology)
Femininity--United States
In contemporary popular culture heroes are often superheroes and may be discussed as a subtype, individually, or in terms of the comics genre from which they originate.
Superheroes
Superheroes in literature
Superhero films--History and criticism
Superman (Fictitious character)
Batman (Fictitious character)
X-Men (Fictitious characters)
Spider-Man (Fictitious character)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Fictitious character)
Buffy, the vampire slayer (Television program)
Comic books, strips, etc.--History and criticism
Comic books, strips, etc.--United States--History and criticism
Comic books, strips, etc.--Moral and ethical aspects
Discussion of villains seems less concerned with sex and gender issues (though note the separate heading for "femmes fatales") and more with violence, crime, and the nature of evil.
Villains in literature
Villains in motion pictures
Villains in popular culture
Femmes fatales
Femmes fatales in motion pictures
Psychopaths
Monsters
Monsters in literature
Monsters on television
Supernatural (Television program : 2005-
Monsters in motion pictures
Monsters in mass media
Violence in motion pictures
Violence on television
Violence on television--United States
Violence in mass media
Violence in mass media--United States
Violence in popular culture
Violence in popular culture--United States
Criminals in literature
Crime in literature
Crime on television
Crime in mass media
Mass media and crime
Crime in popular culture--United States
Murder in mass media
Criminal behavior
Criminal behavior--United States
Violent crimes--United States
Serial murders--United States
Serial murders in mass media
Evil in literature
Evil in motion pictures
Sensationalism in motion pictures
Good and evil.
Good and evil--Psychological aspects
Criminal investigation is often the pop culture context for flawed heroes and sympathetic villains to clash.
Private investigators in literature
Detectives in literature
Noir fiction, American--History and criticism
Detective and mystery stories, American--History and criticism
Gangster films--United States--History and criticism
Detective and mystery films--History and criticism
Detective and mystery films--United States--History and criticism
Film noir--History and criticism
Film noir--United States--History and criticism
Police in popular culture--United States--History
Detective and mystery television programs--United States--History and criticism
Television cop shows--United States--History and criticism
Cagney and Lacey (Television program)
CSI, crime scene investigation (Television program)
Dexter (Television program)
Sopranos (Television program)
Wire (Television program)
Mass media and criminal justice--United States
Among the popular genres that most explicitly depict heroes and villians are westerns, spy stories, science fiction, and fantasy.
Western films--History and criticism
Western television programs--United States
Spy films--History and criticism
Spy television programs--United States--History and criticism
Bond, James (Fictitious character)
Science fiction films--History and criticism
Science fiction television programs--History and criticism
Science fiction television programs--United States--History and criticism
Star Wars films--History and criticism
Blade runner (Motion picture)
Alien (Motion picture)
Fantasy films--History and criticism
Fantasy television programs--History and criticism
Game of thrones (Television program)
Action and adventure films--United States--History and criticism
Finally, some broader categories that will contain discussion of popular media and the moral climate:
Motion pictures--Moral and ethical aspects
Motion pictures--Social aspects
Motion pictures--Social aspects--United States
National characteristics, American, in motion pictures
Television broadcasting--Social aspects
Television broadcasting--Social aspects--United States
United States--Moral conditions
Social values--United States
United States--Social conditions--21st century
Popular culture--United States--History--20th century
Popular culture--United States--History--21st century
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"Author's Work" and "Author as Subject" will be especially helpful search fields at finding literary criticism. And for additional search field options either click on "Show more fields," or, for the complete list, open the drop-down menus to the right of the "Anywhere" default for the top three rows of search slots. This list includes both "Literary Influence"--who influenced a particular author you have entered--and "Literary Source"--who was influenced by that particular author.
If you set up a free "My Research" account with Proquest (top right), you can save all the articles you check, all the searches you want to remember, and set up e-mail or RSS notification for any new articles that match your search terms.
ProQuest Research Library is another comprehensive database with substantial full text. Use the "Thesaurus" (above the search slots) to preview what Subject Headings are available.
Note that to the right of your search results you can limit your retrieval by "Source Type" (including Magazines, Newspapers, Scholarly Journals), "Document Type," (including Cover Story, Editorial, or Interview), and "Location."
Above each set of articles you retrieve ProQuest will display related Subject searches to help either broaden or narrow your focus.
PsycINFO : The American Psychological Association use their own Subject vocabulary (called "Descriptors"), so a visit to the "Thesaurus" above the search slots is usually a good idea--but unfortunately there is no Subject Heading for "conspiracy" or "conspiracy theories" here. Both will work as keywords, however, and retrieve dozens of articles.
PsycINFO deals only with scholarly literature, much of it assuming a graduate-level understanding of the discipline. But among these you may find interesting, accessible articles on your topic.
User Advisory: If what you're searching for are "journals" in "English," it's a good idea to check those boxes below the search slots.
JSTOR : covers a wide range of scholarly journals in most disciiplines, always beginning with the first issue of each one. This provides 100% full text access to articles from not only the first half of the 20th century but even the second half of the 19th. Be aware, however, that at the other end of the date range articles don't appear in JSTOR until at least 1-2 years after publication.
JSTOR offers only a Keyword search of its complete full text, so retrievals are large, but the relevancy ranking does a good job of putting the strongest matches on the first few pages. This relevancy ranking does not weigh date, however, and will display a mix of articles written decades apart. So if your topic is time sensitive, be alert to publication dates.
User Advisory: The academic journals covered here feature numerous book reviews, so it's a good idea to tic the "Article" limit below the search slots so you won't be overwhelmed by book reviews on your topic.
Project Muse : provides 100% full text of mostly scholarly journals, but its coverage is entirely current--mainly spanning the only last 10-15 years. Muse uses a "black box" search approach--you enter your search terms in one slot with no designated field options. This broad approach to searching tends to generate large retrievals--almost 500 for "conspiracy theories"--so it's best to be as specific as possible. And note--once you have a retrieval set, you can add more search terms by clicking "Modify Search" at the top.
MLA International Bibliography provides the most complete and fully indexed coverage of articles and books on modern literatures, linguistics, folklore, rhetoric, and composition from 1925 to the present. There is ample full text provided by ProQuest, as well as links to full-text articles in JSTOR and Project Muse. Full text from other IC databases is also readily available via the "GetIt" links below article citations.
Because books, book chapters/essays, and dissertations will usually not be available full text, you may wish to limit your search to "Journal article" under "Source type."
"Author's Work" and "Author as Subject" will be especially helpful search fields at finding literary criticism. And for additional search field options either click on "Show more fields," or, for the complete list, open the drop-down menus to the right of the "Anywhere" default for the top three rows of search slots. This list includes both "Literary Influence"--who influenced a particular author you have entered--and "Literary Source"--who was influenced by that particular author.
If you set up a free "My Research" account with Proquest (top right), you can save all the articles you check, all the searches you want to remember, and set up e-mail or RSS notification for any new articles that match your search terms.
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Note: Below is a sampling of scholarly articles on heroes, villains, and popular culture--to give you an idea of what that discourse sounds like and how it differs from articles in the popular press.
Note: Below is a sampling of scholarly articles on heroes, villains, and popular culture--to give you an idea of what that discourse sounds like and how it differs from articles in the popular press.
- The Antihero in Popular Culture: Life History Theory and the Dark Triad Personality Traits
- Sex Differences in the Creation of Fictional Heroes With Particular Emphasis on Female Heroes and Superheroes in Popular Culture: Insights From Evolutionary Psychology
- The New American Hero: Dexter, Serial Killer for the Masses
- Young Adults' Perceptions and Memories of a Televised Woman Hero
- Assuming a True Identity: Re-/De-Constructing Hollywood Heroes
- Postmodern Villainy in Richard III and Scarface
- Resurrecting and Updating the Teen Slasher
- The X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Ambiguity of Evil in Supernatural Representations
- "This is the Authority. This Planet is Under Our Protection" -- An Exegesis of Superheroes' Interrogations of Law
- Staking her claim: Buffy the Vampire Slayer as transgressive woman warrior
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- Hero and the Perennial Journey Home in American Film
- Return of the Heroes: The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Social Conflict
- Heroism in the Harry Potter Series
- Re-Thinking Men : Heroes Villains and Victims
- Washed in Blood : Male Sacrifice, Trauma, and the Cinema
- Action Figures : Men, Action Films, and Contemporary Adventure Narratives
- Contemporary Action Cinema
- James Bond in the 21st Century : Why We Still Need 007
- Spectacular Bodies : Gender, Genre, and the Action Cinema
- Masculinity in Fiction and Film : Representing Men in Popular Genres, 1945-2000
- Detecting Men : Masculinity and the Hollywood Detective Film
- Unless the Threat of Death Is Behind Them : Hard-Boiled Fiction and Film Noir
- In a Lonely Street : Film Noir, Genre and Masculinity
- Philosophy of Film Noir
- Dangerous Curves : Action Heroines, Gender, Fetishism, and Popular Culture
- Reel Knockouts : Violent Women in the Movies
- Action Chicks : New Images of Tough Women in Popular Culture
- Baad Bitches and Sassy Supermamas : Black Power Action Films
- Violent Woman : Femininity, Narrative, and Violence in Contemporary American Cinema
- Hellions : Pop Culture's Rebel Women
- Dames in the Driver's Seat : Rereading Film Noir
- Hollywood Heroines : Women in Film Noir and the Female Gothic Film
- Detecting Women : Gender and the Hollywood Detective Film
- Investigating Heroes : Essays on Truth, Justice and Quality TV
- Wire, Deadwood, Homicide, and NYPD Blue : Violence Is Power
- Masculinity and Popular Television
- Television and the Moral Imaginary : Society Through the Small Screen
- Emotions, Genre, and Justice in Film and Television
- TV Milestones Series : Sopranos
- Humanism of Doctor Who : A Critical Study in Science Fiction and Philosophy
- Buffy and the Heroine's Journey : Vampire Slayer as Feminine Chosen One
- Superheroes! : Capes and Crusaders in Comics and Films
- Superheroes and Philosophy : Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way
- Super-History : Comic Book Superheroes and American Society, 1938 to the Present
- 21st Century Superhero : Essays on Gender, Genre and Globalization in Film
- Iron Man and Philosophy : Facing the Stark Reality
- Armed Forces : Masculinity and Sexuality in the American War Film
- Cowboy Way : The Western Leader in Film, 1945-1995
- He Was Some Kind of a Man: Masculinities in the B Western
- Philosophy of Popular Culture : Philosophy of the Western
- Last Western : Deadwood and the End of American Empire
- Philosophy of Popular Culture : Philosophy of Science Fiction Film
- American Science Fiction Film and Television
- From Alien to the Matrix : Reading Science Fiction Film
- Villains and Villainy : Embodiments of Evil in Literature, Popular Culture and Media
- New American Crime Film
- Outlaw Heroes in Myth and History
- American Murder : Criminals, Crimes and the Media
- Natural Born Celebrities : Serial Killers in American Culture
- Forensic Science in Contemporary American Popular Culture : Gender, Crime, and Science
- Popular Culture and Philosophy : Supervillains and Philosophy
- Bad : Infamy, Darkness, Evil, and Slime on Screen
- Deformed and Destructive Beings : The Purpose of Horror Films
- Changing Face of Evil in Film and Television
- Monster Culture in the 21st Century : A Reader
- Monsters and the Monstrous : Myths and Metaphors of Enduring Evil
- Vampire God : The Allure of the Undead in Western Culture
- Apocalyptic Dread : American Film at the Turn of the Millennium
- Lure of the Dark Side : Satan and Western Demonology in Popular Culture
- On Heroes, Hero Worship and the Heroic in History
- Mythology : The Voyage of the Hero
Web Directories differ from search engines like Google in that all the online resources have been selected and annotated by editors, thereby promising a much higher degree of quality control.
Open Directory Project:
Open Directory Project:
- Movies (with Genres)
- Television (with Programs)
- Literature (with Periods and Genres)
- Video Games and Comics
Note: What Web resources prove useful to you will depend on the medium--literature, film, television--and the genre--crime, horror, science fiction--you're researching. Below are a few generalist pop culture sites.
And on a more populist note:
- Voice of the Shuttle: A wide ranging (though no longer well maintained) gateway for culture and media studies on the Web.
- TV
- Film/Video
- Comics
- Popular Culture: Resources for Critical Analysis: An excellent gateway to critical readings of movies, television, music, and cyberculture.
- Popular Culture Resources: A good collection of links from the University of Iowa Communication Studies department.
- PopMatters: A wide range of pop culture news and commentary.
- In Media Res: A forum for a wide range of pop culture commentary. This links you to the "Recent Posts" page, from the bottom of which you can page backwards. Or use the site search slot at the top right.
And on a more populist note:
MLA is the citation style used by most disciplines in the Humanities. The guides below use the latest 2008/9 standards.
