Published on: January 12, 2015
From PUBLIC BOOKS
Prof.
Marah Gubar article has been published in
Public Books called “The Teflon Kid: How Annie Enables Apathy About Inequality.” Prof. Gubar says, “This review of the new film version of
Annie (which also refers to the comic strip and the 1977 musical) is a real MIT-style collaboration, because it was inspired by a conversation that I had with
Daria Johnson, who told me that this new version was in the works and introduced me to Jay-Z’s ‘Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem),’ which I mention toward the end of the piece. Also,
Sandy Alexandre watched the new film with me and gave me super helpful feedback on a draft, and
Laura Ryan in the Film office helped me scan the images.” In the review, Prof. Gubar writes: “From her first appearance in Harold Gray’s comic strip in 1924 to her triumphant reemergence as a tap-dancing belter in the last quarter of the 20th century, Annie made innocence seem invulnerable and helped to convince Americans that all poor children need to thrive is a little love in their personal lives—not a society-wide push to reduce poverty and prejudice. Now, at the very moment when income inequality and residual racism finally stand a chance of being recognized as urgent problems, here comes America’s most indestructible orphan yet again to sing the praises of laissez-faire capitalism and the privatized family.” Read more…
http://www.publicbooks.org/multigenre/the-teflon-kid-how-annie-enables-apathy-about-inequality
