Hollywood dreaming: satires of Hollywood 1930-2003

This thesis examines film and literary satires of Hollywood 1930 – 2003 and asserts that such satires are attacks on the Hollywood Dream. The study reveals that these satires focus on two common themes: the artificiality of Hollywood, and the amoral and corruptive nature of Hollywood. The study examines the depiction of the Hollywood Dream within satires of the industry and demonstrates its increasing importance in American culture. The similarity of themes in film and literary satires highlights an interesting dialogue between the two modes which has not been thoroughly investigated. Although satirists’ approaches towards the artificiality of Hollywood vary greatly, the most significant treatment of the theme in both literary and film satires is one which gains much understanding through use of Jean Baudrillard’s theory of simulacra and simulation. My examination also investigates the tendency of characters within satires of Hollywood to discard previous identities and create in their place a Hollywood identity. Such an identity is linked to the artificiality of Hollywood and is displayed by satirists as a prerequisite for one wishing to achieve the Hollywood Dream. While there have been numerous studies on novels on the Hollywood industry and its films, this study is unique in examining both literary and film satires of Hollywood together, and covering such an extended period of time. It hopes to show that satires of Hollywood have reached a critical juncture. The satire of many recent works has become moribund due to the public’s awareness of and apathetic attitude towards the amorality and hypocrisy of Hollywood, and because these satires fail to acknowledge the intrinsic artificiality of Hollywood.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

phd

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

James Cook University

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• Jericho, Greg

Language dc:language

en