Toxic Nostalgia in the Wake of the Postmodern Turn

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Abstract

This paper explores the structural underpinnings of the nostalgic narrative trend in contemporary society, especially as present in streaming services such as Netflix. As the playful nature of the postmodern narrative wanes, in its wake, as Jameson contends, we are left with the underlying structure without a strong belief in its underpinning. Those residual cultural values are reinforced through the nostalgic trend of the past decade, partly because they reinforce what Matt Hills calls a self-narrative. According to Svetlana Boym (The Future of Nostalgia, 2001), nostalgia “is a longing for a home that no longer exists or has never existed.” Nostalgia can be a dangerous preoccupation, especially when used in what Boym calls the ‘restorative’ variety, which seeks to reestablish the past, as described, directly into the future scenario, often eliding any problems or complications to the self-identity presented in this nostalgic narrative. She argues that this is “characteristic of ‘national and nationalist revivals all over the world,’ which engage in the antimodern myth-making of history by means of a return to national symbols and myths.” This is particularly problematic, because, as Bauman notes, “what we as a rule ‘return to’ when dreaming our nostalgic dreams is not the past ‘as such’ — not that past ‘as it genuinely was.” I have previously argued that if one used Svetlana Boym’s reflective nostalgia; one could create positive connections and include both our positive affects in with our increased awareness of diversity. However, not all media works in that vein, and society (from Trump and Brexit, to the rise of the right-wing narratives) is, in some circles, actively working against these developments. Boym’s other formulation of nostalgia, ‘restorative’ nostalgia reinforces that exactly, often eliding the differences and diversity of the past, and selectively producing a future which champions this ‘idealized past.’ This paper would explore the rise of such toxic nostalgic narratives, often focused on a return to the seemingly black and white world of the Cold War, and how the appeal to 80s nostalgia has broad reaching implications for contemporary televisual narratives, and the establishment of a particular self-narrative. While there are a number of cases that one could consider, from 24 and Homeland, to film adaptations like Ready Player One, this paper will present readings of the television series The Americans (2013–2018). The paper would consider the series use of a toxic nostalgic narrative, and how it chooses to promote a restorative quality of American nostalgia in a number of facets (including gender roles, race, and political orientation) through both its plot structure, character development, and depiction of the motivations of its main characters.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationGothic Nostalgia : The Uses of Toxic Memory in 21st Century Popular Culture
EditorsSimon Bacon, Katarzyna Bronk-Bacon
Number of pages16
Place of publicationCham
PublisherPalgrave Macmillan
Publication dateJan 2024
Pages45-60
ISBN (Print)978-3-031-43851-6, 978-3-031-43854-7
ISBN (Electronic)978-3-031-43852-3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2024
SeriesPalgrave Gothic
ISSN2634-6214

Keywords

  • Nostalgia
  • The Americans
  • Toxic Nostalgia
  • Gothic
  • Gothic Nostalgia
  • Identity
  • Toxic Memory

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