The Magic of Media and Culture [Editorial]

Piatti-Farnell, Lorna; Nairn, Angelique

The Magic of Media and Culture [Editorial]

Files

Editorial(92.47 KB)

Date

2023-10-03

Authors

Piatti-Farnell, Lorna

Nairn, Angelique

Item type

Journal Article

Publisher

M/C Journal

Abstract

[From the editorial] In his book The History of Magic (2020), Chris Gosden contends that magic is a product of human connection with the universe, offering answers to questions of meaning and reality, and surviving for centuries because of its capacity for constant renewal. Furthermore, magic has been, and continues to be, tied to the activities and beliefs of a myriad of cultural groups, guiding their understandings of, for example, transcendence, transformation, and transactions – cultural, social, political, or otherwise. Yet, despite magic accounting for any extraordinary occurrence, both good and bad, this notion has often garnered a negative reputation in examples such as fairy tales, as well as fantasy novels, films, and television series, where it often intersects with notions of evil, greed, and corruption. Of course, magic is not limited to the mythic, supernatural, scholarly, and philosophical, and equally captures the talents of illusionists and magicians with their misdirection and ability to challenge peoples’ perceptions and common sense.

Keywords

36 Creative Arts and Writing, 47 Language, Communication and Culture, 4702 Cultural Studies, 3605 Screen and Digital Media, 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, 1902 Film, Television and Digital Media, 2001 Communication and Media Studies, 2002 Cultural Studies, 3605 Screen and digital media, 4701 Communication and media studies, 4702 Cultural studies