<description>&lt;p&gt;With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to dust off those old DVDs, whip up some egg nogg, and cosy up on the sofa with a festive film.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From It's a White Christmas to Miracle on 34th Street, there's nothing quite like losing ourselves in a holiday favourite, but why do Christmas films resonate so much? Is the genre more important than we like to think? And ultimately… what can Christmas films really tell us about America?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Special guest for this episode:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Vaughn Joy&lt;/strong&gt;, an academic who recently completed her PhD at UCL on mid-century Hollywood politics through a case study on Christmas films.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Highlights from this episode:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt; Christmas films serve as a cultural lens reflecting American values, traditions, and social dynamics. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt; The genre of Christmas movies often combines sentimentality with deeper societal critiques and historical contexts. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt; Films like 'It's a Wonderful Life' convey collective national trauma while promoting themes of togetherness. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt; The debate over whether 'Die Hard' qualifies as a Christmas movie highlights the subjectivity of genre definitions. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt; Hollywood Christmas films can both mirror and shape the ways people celebrate the holiday season. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt; The evolution of Christmas films illustrates changing American identities and the commercialization of holiday traditions. &lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Additional Resources:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://vaughnjoy.substack.com/?utm_source=sidestack.io&amp;amp;utm_medium=web&amp;amp;utm_campaign=directory" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Review Roulette | Vaughn Joy | Substack&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://theconversation.com/christmas-movies-that-time-of-year-when-home-is-where-the-heart-is-129085" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Christmas movies: that time of year when home is where the heart is&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/what-its-a-wonderful-life-teaches-us-about-american-history-180979223/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;What 'It's a Wonderful Life' Teaches Us About American History | Smithsonian&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Battle-Christmas-Vintage-Stephen-Nissenbaum/dp/0679740384/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1VS3VVY7OJVZC&amp;amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.vsTBmVlrGTvzflpr5uxza_r1lNOQln6prQWxJ83VQK2OTVUyHCJY2_OlyVk5vyzh2UQLQjSMNb-9Z1MIWrA8_2phjZESTIW_fSlviviwpLgS8vW5W-65LJNs5czBdUqhjshM-gs8IWy51zpHNEirNQ.zaBj9WLhpWEPIeuZKbl-kI-aftJmBWXSnUw4xhv9NHU&amp;amp;dib_tag=se&amp;amp;keywords=the+battle+for+christmas+steve&amp;amp;nsdOptOutParam=true&amp;amp;qid=1733307522&amp;amp;sprefix=the+battle+for+christmas+steve%2Caps%2C102&amp;amp;sr=8-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America's Most Cherished Holiday: Amazon.co.uk: Nissenbaum, Stephen: 9780679740384: Books&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;And if you like this episode, you might also love:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://pod.fo/e/20e9a9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;What is the War on Christmas?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://pod.fo/e/20c866" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;How to Make a Hollywood Christmas Movie&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://pod.fo/e/20a5d8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;What's the History of Christmas in America?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;...&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Thank you for listening to our podcast. It's a labor of love by an American history nerd and some smarter folk. Making it does come at a small cost so if you'd like to help:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Individuals - &lt;a href="https://america-a-history.captivate.fm/support" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;support the show with a one-off or monthly donation&lt;/a&gt;: https://america-a-history.captivate.fm/support &lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Universities &amp;amp; Colleges - &lt;a...</description>

America: A History

Liam Heffernan

What Do Christmas Films Tell Us About America?

DEC 8, 202438 MIN
America: A History

What Do Christmas Films Tell Us About America?

DEC 8, 202438 MIN

Description

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to dust off those old DVDs, whip up some egg nogg, and cosy up on the sofa with a festive film.

From It's a White Christmas to Miracle on 34th Street, there's nothing quite like losing ourselves in a holiday favourite, but why do Christmas films resonate so much? Is the genre more important than we like to think? And ultimately… what can Christmas films really tell us about America?

...

Special guest for this episode:

  • Vaughn Joy, an academic who recently completed her PhD at UCL on mid-century Hollywood politics through a case study on Christmas films.

...

Highlights from this episode:

  • Christmas films serve as a cultural lens reflecting American values, traditions, and social dynamics.
  • The genre of Christmas movies often combines sentimentality with deeper societal critiques and historical contexts.
  • Films like 'It's a Wonderful Life' convey collective national trauma while promoting themes of togetherness.
  • The debate over whether 'Die Hard' qualifies as a Christmas movie highlights the subjectivity of genre definitions.
  • Hollywood Christmas films can both mirror and shape the ways people celebrate the holiday season.
  • The evolution of Christmas films illustrates changing American identities and the commercialization of holiday traditions.

...

Additional Resources:

Review Roulette | Vaughn Joy | Substack

Christmas movies: that time of year when home is where the heart is

What 'It's a Wonderful Life' Teaches Us About American History | Smithsonian

The Battle for Christmas: A Cultural History of America's Most Cherished Holiday: Amazon.co.uk: Nissenbaum, Stephen: 9780679740384: Books

...

And if you like this episode, you might also love:

What is the War on Christmas?

How to Make a Hollywood Christmas Movie

What's the History of Christmas in America?

...

Thank you for listening to our podcast. It's a labor of love by an American history nerd and some smarter folk. Making it does come at a small cost so if you'd like to help:


Your support helps us keep the show running, and it is highly appreciated!

Are you a University, college, or higher education institution? Become an academic partner and your name will appear right here.