Mary Beth Woodson | University of Kansas (original) (raw)
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Papers by Mary Beth Woodson
Society & Animals, 2011
The Cove, Mine, and Food, INC. each use the documentary genre to advocate for change, whether in ... more The Cove, Mine, and Food, INC. each use the documentary genre to advocate for change, whether in regards to mass wild animal kills, companion animals in natural disasters, or the modern food industry. The films, however, present views of human-nonhuman animal relations that vary greatly. Where The Cove regards dolphins as beings who deserve freedom, Mine explores the view of companion animals as property. Food, INC., finally, treats farm animals solely as a food source.
In this study I examine the evolving discourse of environmental concerns within visual ecological... more In this study I examine the evolving discourse of environmental concerns within visual ecological media that utilizes what I define as ecological memory—ecomemory. As part of this examination, I analyze the forms ecological memories take, how those memories are presented, and the role they play. Employing a combination of ecocriticism and memory and nostalgia studies, I conduct a discourse analysis of a variety of visual ecological media (ecomedia) examples from each of three time periods: 1970-1980, 1980-2004, and 2005-present. Additionally, I contextualize my examples by discussing the concerns of the times in which the media appeared. As an exploratory study, my ecomedia sampling is small: it includes: feature films (Silent Running, The Lord of the Rings, and Interstellar), television programs (Cosmos: A Personal Journey and Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey), a picture book (The Lorax, as well as a short form-TV version and the feature film), and both corporate and environmental group advertisements and PSAs. This study not only examines the evolving discourse of environmental concerns during specific time periods, but also illustrates the connections and changes between differing periods. It illustrates the place of visual ecomedia within the larger environmental discourse over the last forty-plus years. Ultimately, it shows the consistency over time of collectively-held ecomemories and of the nostalgia for and longing to return to the lost edenic utopia of those memories.
Espai Urba Memoria I Ciutadania Restauracions Transmissions I Ressignificacions Del Patrimoni Democratic 2011 Isbn 978 84 649 0894 0 21 Pags, 2011
The Cove, Mine, and Food, INC. each use the documentary genre to advocate for change, whether in ... more The Cove, Mine, and Food, INC. each use the documentary genre to advocate for change, whether in regards to mass wild animal kills, companion animals in natural disasters, or the modern food industry. The films, however, present views of human-nonhuman animal relations that vary greatly. Where The Cove regards dolphins as beings who deserve freedom, Mine explores the view of companion animals as property. Food, INC., finally, treats farm animals solely as a food source.
![Research paper thumbnail of Two Trips Across One Globe: Earth and Planet Earth Fothergill, A., Linfield, M.(Directors).(2007). Earth [Documentary]. United States: Disneynature. Fothergill, A.( …](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/3383856/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Society and Animals, Jan 1, 2010
This review explores the twin documentaries Earth and Planet Earth. Both are structured with the ... more This review explores the twin documentaries Earth and Planet Earth. Both are structured with the same goal of exploring our planet and its nonhuman animal inhabitants, but they diverge in approach. Using Disney’s “True-Life Adventure” series as an ideal, the view of human-non- human animal relations presented in Earth differs from the one presented in Planet Earth. While the former relies strongly on a purified image that mirrors traditional (Western, human) ideals, the latter presents an image that is both less “neat” and less reliant on attributing human- like qualities to nonhuman animals. There are some similarities, however, especially regarding the human role in the future survival of the planet’s nonhuman animals.
Society & Animals, 2011
The Cove, Mine, and Food, INC. each use the documentary genre to advocate for change, whether in ... more The Cove, Mine, and Food, INC. each use the documentary genre to advocate for change, whether in regards to mass wild animal kills, companion animals in natural disasters, or the modern food industry. The films, however, present views of human-nonhuman animal relations that vary greatly. Where The Cove regards dolphins as beings who deserve freedom, Mine explores the view of companion animals as property. Food, INC., finally, treats farm animals solely as a food source.
In this study I examine the evolving discourse of environmental concerns within visual ecological... more In this study I examine the evolving discourse of environmental concerns within visual ecological media that utilizes what I define as ecological memory—ecomemory. As part of this examination, I analyze the forms ecological memories take, how those memories are presented, and the role they play. Employing a combination of ecocriticism and memory and nostalgia studies, I conduct a discourse analysis of a variety of visual ecological media (ecomedia) examples from each of three time periods: 1970-1980, 1980-2004, and 2005-present. Additionally, I contextualize my examples by discussing the concerns of the times in which the media appeared. As an exploratory study, my ecomedia sampling is small: it includes: feature films (Silent Running, The Lord of the Rings, and Interstellar), television programs (Cosmos: A Personal Journey and Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey), a picture book (The Lorax, as well as a short form-TV version and the feature film), and both corporate and environmental group advertisements and PSAs. This study not only examines the evolving discourse of environmental concerns during specific time periods, but also illustrates the connections and changes between differing periods. It illustrates the place of visual ecomedia within the larger environmental discourse over the last forty-plus years. Ultimately, it shows the consistency over time of collectively-held ecomemories and of the nostalgia for and longing to return to the lost edenic utopia of those memories.
Espai Urba Memoria I Ciutadania Restauracions Transmissions I Ressignificacions Del Patrimoni Democratic 2011 Isbn 978 84 649 0894 0 21 Pags, 2011
The Cove, Mine, and Food, INC. each use the documentary genre to advocate for change, whether in ... more The Cove, Mine, and Food, INC. each use the documentary genre to advocate for change, whether in regards to mass wild animal kills, companion animals in natural disasters, or the modern food industry. The films, however, present views of human-nonhuman animal relations that vary greatly. Where The Cove regards dolphins as beings who deserve freedom, Mine explores the view of companion animals as property. Food, INC., finally, treats farm animals solely as a food source.
Society and Animals, Jan 1, 2010
This review explores the twin documentaries Earth and Planet Earth. Both are structured with the ... more This review explores the twin documentaries Earth and Planet Earth. Both are structured with the same goal of exploring our planet and its nonhuman animal inhabitants, but they diverge in approach. Using Disney’s “True-Life Adventure” series as an ideal, the view of human-non- human animal relations presented in Earth differs from the one presented in Planet Earth. While the former relies strongly on a purified image that mirrors traditional (Western, human) ideals, the latter presents an image that is both less “neat” and less reliant on attributing human- like qualities to nonhuman animals. There are some similarities, however, especially regarding the human role in the future survival of the planet’s nonhuman animals.