My conversation with Vaughn Joy yesterday was really fascinating, because I’m not an avid Christmas movie viewer, but I’m really interested in how cultural productions reflect the time and place that they’re made. Films contain several different levels: the text of the film itself and what we see on the screen, the lived reality and viewpoint of their creators, their views, and occasionally orders from above. Thinking about all of these levels helps us really understand the period in which they were made, and this conversation bears that out as we discuss Christmas films between 1945 and 1960, what values they espoused, how they changed, the effect of McCarthyism and blacklisting on the kinds of films that were produced, and which kinds of people or groups are included and excluded from the various narratives.
This kind of analysis is close to what I did in my own original research, and is at the center of the cultural context in which we all live. I’m always interested in the film, literature, music, museums, art, and other cultural production of a certain time, and what that says about the societies and creators themselves.
I hope you enjoy hearing about this, especially given the time of year. Together, we’ll continue to discuss the role of culture in politics as we move into 2026.
This is my last Freedom Over Fascism Live until the new year, though I’ll be on the anti-fascist book club and Chronically Illing Out. I wish all of you the happiest (as much as you can in this moment) of holidays, the chance to shine light into the darkness, and the chance to reflect on 2025 and your intentions for 2026. I don’t believe in resolutions; I believe in intentions and hopes. And as you all know, or will if you don’t already, I view hope as a series of actions and not a state of mind. That’s why I’m here.
Thank you to everyone who attended the live yesterday, including AmericanStudier, Operation North Star and everyone else who has watched the replay or listened to the audio.
Yours in solidarity, friendship, and freedom,
Stephanie
