The Table -- In San Andreas -- Vag -- File Under "End of the World" -- In Aberfan -- Onlookerism -- All the News -- Pandemia Pandemonium -- Missteps in the Dark -- Across the Street -- The Numbers -- Our Road -- "Fuck Off, Disaster!" -- Necessity -- The Table -- Index. Index.
Summary:
As anyone in the news business knows, audiences swell with the scale of disaster; humans have always been drawn to the rumors of our own demise. In this darkly comic book, noted film historian David Thomson examines iconic disasters, both real and fictional, exposing the slippage between what occurs and what we observe. Demonstrating how disasters become yet another commodity for our consumption, Thomson shows how digital culture sates our desire to witness chaos while suffering none of its aftereffects. Through classic movies such as San Andreas; eyewitness responses to real disasters such as the Aberfan coal mining disaster and the coronavirus pandemic; and media portrayals of disasters throughout history, Thomson pulls back the curtain to reveal why we love watching disaster unfold--but only if it happens to others.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.