Depicting the racist past in a “postracial” age: the white, male protagonist in Hell on Wheels and The Knick

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dc.contributor.authorWayne, Michael L.
dc.date.accessioned2018-05-08T11:21:13Z
dc.date.available2018-05-08T11:21:13Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.description.abstractThis article examines the ways in which depictions of race and racism in some prime-time historical dramas promote contemporary postracial ideologies. Focusing on the portrayals of overt racism and interracial relationships in Hell on Wheels (2011–2016) and The Knick (2014–2015), the author argues that the use of morally ambiguous white, male protagonists in contexts associated with morally unambiguous racism allows these shows to acknowledge the centrality of racism in American history while simultaneously presenting racism in interpersonal rather than systemic terms. This representational strategy differs from the politically correct depictions of race and racism in historical dramas like Mad Men (2007–2015). As such, Hell on Wheels and The Knick reflect the paradox of postracial popular culture whereby depictions of racial animus and violence support viewers’ desires to forget about both race and racism. In contrast, the racial caste system in Deadwood (2004–2006) presents white supremacy and American history as inseparable. This article concludes by discussing some of the connections between these representational strategies and the shifting economic landscape of the post-network-era television.en
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.description.versionPublished Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationWayne, M. L. (2017) 'Depicting the racist past in a “postracial” age: the white, male protagonist in Hell on Wheels and The Knick', Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media, 13, pp. 105-116. https://doi.org/10.33178/alpha.13.06en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.33178/alpha.13.06
dc.identifier.endpage116
dc.identifier.issn2009-4078
dc.identifier.issued13
dc.identifier.journalabbrevAlphaville
dc.identifier.journaltitleAlphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Mediaen
dc.identifier.startpage105
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/6031
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherFilm and Screen Media, University College Corken
dc.relation.urihttp://www.alphavillejournal.com/Issue13/13_6Article_Wayne.pdf
dc.rights© 2017, The Author(s)en
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectPrime-timeen
dc.subjectHistorical dramaen
dc.subjectPostracial ideologiesen
dc.subjectInterracial relationshipen
dc.subjectPolitically correcten
dc.subjectRacismen
dc.subjectPostracial popular cultureen
dc.subjectDeadwooden
dc.subjectPost-network-era televisionen
dc.subjectMad Menen
dc.subjectViolenceen
dc.subjectRacial caste systemen
dc.titleDepicting the racist past in a “postracial” age: the white, male protagonist in Hell on Wheels and The Knicken
dc.typeArticle (peer-reviewed)en
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Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media. Issue 13: Screening Race