Television viewing as vicarious resistance: The X‐Files and conspiracy discourse

• Charles Soukup ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Northern Colorado

     University of Northern Colorado

     Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Southern communication journal, ISSN 1041-794X, Vol. 68, nº 1, 2002, págs. 14-26
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • In this critical analysis, I explore the meaning‐making processes related to the conspiracy discourse of the television series The X‐Files. The program's narrative structure, reading positions, ideological/historical contexts, and viewers’ postings on the World Wide Web suggest that the television series serves as a form of “vicarious resistance.” Stated simply, The X‐Files’ conspiracy discourse provides a pleasurable television viewing experience rather than revolutionary action or tangible resistance. In general, this analysis explores how superficially “resistive” popular cultural texts actually maintain dominant ideology through the implicit hegemonic processes within the text and the conditions of the prevailing ideological and historical contexts.