Journal article
From Tiger King to Joe vs Carole: Postmodern Murder Media in the True Crime Carnivalesque.
Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, Vol.22(1), pp.56-70
2022
Abstract
This article provides critical perspective on the criminological themes evident in the Netflix true crime streaming television documentary series, Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, which emerged as a popular cultural phenomenon during global 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns. Drawing on the cultural criminology of Presdee (2000, 2004), this study identifies both postmodern and carnivalesque elements in the intertextual Tiger King universe, which includes Tiger King (2020), Tiger King 2 (2021) and Joe vs Carole (2022). This article also includes discussion of new media, user-generated, parodying TikTok videos, and other creative (anti)fan responses, inspired by Tiger King celebrities and big-cat owners, Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin. Through close reading of multiple Tiger King texts, this analysis reveals representations imbued with class ideology and misogyny, beneath the dark humour and (un)pleasures derived from “hate-watching” rival true crime celebrities, in a dystopian, postpandemic socio-cultural context
Details
- Title
- From Tiger King to Joe vs Carole: Postmodern Murder Media in the True Crime Carnivalesque.
- Authors
- Susan Hopkins - University of Southern Queensland
- Publication details
- Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, Vol.22(1), pp.56-70
- Publisher
- State University of New York at Albany, School of Criminal Justice
- Date published
- 2022
- Organisation Unit
- School of Education and Tertiary Access
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991136802802621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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