TC #105 - Kristen Warner (Magic Mike XXL)

The Cinephiliacs

While hardly a new problem in the media landscape, issues of representation both in front and behind screen have reached new peaks in the cultural discourse through campaigns like #OscarsSoWhite. But what does the path forward look like? Kristen Warner, a scholar of media industries, brings her unique research to the podcast to look at issues of colorblind casting and what she calls "plastic representation." Kristen and Peter look at a number of televisual milieus in which representational politics play out on our screens, and Kristen challenges a lot of issues to ask when real authentic people of color actually appear. Finally, the two discuss Magic Mike XXL, one of the most unique films of the last decade and a rare site where people of color have been in some way given their space. Kristen explains how a film with a white director and almost all-white cast somehow envisions a utopic vision of diverse American culture.

0:00-4:16 Opening5:48-11:46 Establishing Shots — Bill Hader and Barry12:32-48:40 Deep Focus — Kristen Warner49:39-52:28 Sponsorship Section53:40-1:06:08 Double Exposure — Magic Mike XXL (Gregory Jacobs)1:06:49-1:08:41 Close