[My awesome wife Vaughn Joy’s book Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy has been out for about four months, which means Vaughn has had the chance to share it through a ton of book talks, podcast episodes, writing, and more. So this week I’ve highlighted a handful of such occasions, leading up to this special post featuring my own thoughts on this must-read book!]
On three of the many things I especially love about my love’s wonderful first book.
- Reframing holiday films: As I highlighted a bit in the opening of this Saturday Evening Post Considering History column inspired by Vaughn’s book, her work models a really crucial skill: engaging in thoughtful, nuanced, analytical ways with texts and topics that we offer take for granted, see as purely “entertainment” or “silly,” etc. When the reality is that it is precisely those texts and topics that we see in those ways which are most in need of our critical thinking, not in any way to suggest that folks shouldn’t enjoy them (Vaughn sure does, which comes through beautifully every time she talks about this project), but to make sure that we’re considering what effects and messages these cultural works include and produce, what work they do in our identities and society, what they have to tell us about their moments and ours, and more. As an exemplary piece of pop culture studying, I don’t think there could be a better text than Selling Out Santa.
- Interdisciplinary case studies: Within that frame, Vaughn moves back and forth between extended and fascinating close readings of a ton of films and equally fascinating contextual analyses of a number of social and cultural issues across her chosen period (1946-1961). Those contextual analyses work in a number of different ways, but two of my favorites are case studies: one on the evolution of mink coats in American culture and what it opens up about consumption, images of wealth, celebrity, and more; and one on the evolution of teen dating as both image and reality, and how it can be connected to the rise of both romcoms and social conservatism in the long 1950s. I could say more about the multilayered conclusions Vaughn draws from each of these case studies, but, to quote our friend LeVar Burton, read the book!
- Two provocative and powerful conclusions: When you do, make sure you read through to the end, or rather to two complementary endpoints: Chapter 5, which is the longest and to my mind best chapter (a competitive contest to be sure); and the brief but vital Conclusion that follows it. Chapter 5 uses the contrasting arcs of Frank Capra and Walt Disney (who released Christmas films within a week of each other in 1961) to not only conclude the book, but add a number of crucial further layers as well (including an important critical frame for Disney’s influence and legacies). While the conclusion makes the case for extending the book’s frame to both other time periods and other genres (ie, action films in the 1980s), and ends with a truly inspiring quote from Vaughn’s muse, the frustratingly under-remembered Dorothy Jones. I can’t even find a good web link for Jones, which is one of the countless reasons why y’all need to check out this book ASAP!
Next series starts Monday,
Ben
PS. If you’ve had a chance to check out the book, and/or have ideas for places or ways Vaughn can talk about it, feel free to reach out!
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