Open Access"Wolfenstein II" and MAGA as fandom
Author(s) -
Lucy Miller
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
transformative works and cultures
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1941-2258
DOI - 10.3983/twc.2020.1717
Subject(s) - fandom , politics , pledge , ideology , media studies , counterattack , sociology , identity (music) , political science , aesthetics , law , art
The current political discourse in the United States is generally understood through the framework of partisanship, but this framework alone is insufficient to encompass all forms of political engagement. An analysis of the discourse around the Bethesda Softworks video game Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (2017) reveals that the outraged discourse around the references to the current political climate in America by right-wing groups is best understood through a framework of fandom. From this perspective, the discourse around the game is understood as an expression of fandom for President Donald Trump as an individual rather than of a persistent political identity or ideology. As fans, Trump supporters are guided in the political engagement by Trump's pledge to make America great again (MAGA).