A Nostalgic Point of View

With the holiday season just on the horizon, it is not overly surprising to see countless movie teasers and trailers on television amongst countless ads on the Internet. “It is just that time of year,” I tell myself, but never have really considered what types of nostalgia come about with today’s Hollywood. Reading through Jameson, I will admit that I struggled with some of the concepts and detail of the piece, however when it came to the “death of the subject,” I gained a bit of clarity.

What is odd about all of these films is not the timing of their release, but rather their plot lines and characters - they are all the same, at least it feels that way. It is no secret that films are inspired by previous films and visual intertextuality is alive and well, but has anyone noticed that Hollywood actors play the same role every single time? Whether type casted or afraid to leave their comfort zone, today’s celebrity circle is just that, a circle that cycles back over and over again because it can bring about a sense of nostalgia, a sense of familiarity, a sense of comfort. People will imitate the great actors of the past, “so that the very style of the acting can now also serve as a ‘connotator’” of this time (496). How many times have you heard that this child actor is the next Judy Garland or Gene Kelley? Perhaps the actors that are on the other side of this relationship differ, but people find comfort in being able to relate things back in time.

This idea of the “death of the subject” as no one is new anymore or has a new style, but rather is based of someone from the past, is just as, if not more, present in music. It is not about personality or character, it is about finding the familiar and continuing on with it. The next Michael Jackson, the next Madonna, the next Elton John - whomever it may be, we are always relating things back. This could be through musical and dance style or the marketing package of this celebrity. We like nostalgia, we like being able to relive history in an “active way,” but what dangers does this present?