Jo Coghlan
Biographic Data
| ID | 6095535 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jo Coghlan |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jo |
| FAMILY NAME | Coghlan |
| SIGNATURE | COGHLAN J |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Manchester |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6361-6713 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 5 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 26 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
From Breaking Bad to Pluribus: Vince Gilligan’s Multiverse of the Mundane
Introduction The multiverse has become one of the defining narrative logics of contemporary media culture. Across blockbuster franchises and transmedia franchises alike, multiplicity is imagined as spectacle: branching timelines, parallel realities, alternate versions of the same character colliding across fractured worlds. In this dominant model, difference is achieved through ontological rupture. Worlds are split so that variation can exist wit…
Karl Marx in America
From Noir to Neo-Noir: The Evolution, Hybridity, and Liminality of the Classic Crime Genre
Though the ‘official’ film noir period ended more than 60 years ago, the enigmatic allure of noir endures, lingering like the smoke from a femme fatale’s cigarette. IMDB defines the classic film noir period of American cinema as beginning with the film Underworld (1927) and ending with Touch of Evil (1958), while many consider that John Houston’s The Maltese Falcon (1941), an adaptation of Dasheill Hammett’s hard-boiled detective novel, as launch…
Mutating a Better Man: Robbie Williams, Simian Semiotics, Spectacle, and the Posthuman Celebrity
Introduction Michael Gracey's Better Man (2024) presents an innovative biographical representation of British pop star Robbie Williams through a radical visual strategy—depicting its subject as a CGI primate rather than through a human actor. Filmed in Australia and partially funded by the Australian Government, the film follows a relatively standard biopic narrative tracing Williams’s trajectory from his Stoke-on-Trent childhood through his tumu…
Thresholds of Experience: Food, Embodiment, and Artificial Simulation in Popular Culture
Introduction: Experience, Popular Culture, and Food Experiencing popular culture involves more than detached spectatorship. In contemporary media environments, culture is encountered through bodies, senses, and technologies, leaving impressions that are at once physical, emotional, and collective. To watch a television drama over dinner, to attend a themed screening in costume, or to follow a TikTok recipe inspired by a favourite film is not just…
Sensory Experiments: Psychophysics, Race, and the Aesthetics of FeelingThe Smell of Risk: Environmental Disparities and Olfactory Aesthetics
“That the senses and the symbolic are coextensive is a truth so obvious as to be invisible; sensation is inscribed into the etymological meaning of aesthetics (aisthetikos in Greek) as “of or relating to sensation,” as Erica Fretwell and Hsuan Hsu reminded us in their September 2023 American Literature special issue, “Senses With/out Subjects” (447-8). That the senses have only come into such relief for us now cannot be disentangled from the larg…
Barbie: Imagining and Interrogating a Popular Culture Icon
The story of Barbie is a tapestry woven with threads of cultural significance, societal shifts, and corporate narratives. It’s a tale that encapsulates the evolution of American post-war capitalism, mirroring the changing tides of social norms, aspirations, and identities. Barbie’s journey from Germany to Los Angeles, along the way becoming a global icon, is a testament to the power of Ruth Handler’s vision and Barbie’s marketing. Barbie embodies…
The British Royals in Australia: Traditions, Icons, and Popular Culture
This article examines how and why, from Australia’s colonial past to today, the British monarchy have “intruded” into our daily lives (Cannadine Orientalism 103). To ‘intrude’ suggests consciousness and agency in making sure they are constantly part of our social life. Public events, press releases, Websites, ceremonies, and the like do not occur randomly. Queen Elizabeth II was very aware that she ‘needed to be seen to be believed’. Is this enou…
Royalty and Its Representation in Popular Culture: From the House of Windsor to the House of Saud
Modern and historical royal families are a popular area of scholarly interest, with power and politics the centre of much research. Royalty is also a popular area of study in a range of other areas including gender, class, material culture, celebrity studies, consumption practices, and cinematic representations. Much of what we understand about royal families comes from mediated images, meaning we see a public version of kings and queens and thei…
James Bond, Gender Studies, and Popular Culture Pedagogy: A Case Study
The longevity and universality of the James Bond franchise posits its value as pedagogy to inform ideas about gender studies and critical thinking. This article is a case study of how Bondian representations of gender stereotypes and gender politics can provide insightful ways in which gender frames can be identified, interrogated, and contested. While the focus of this article is on gender, a number of consistent themes emerge in Bond films, suc…
The Mutability of Uniform
The word ‘uniform’ can be a noun, adjective, or verb. As a noun it relates to prescribed dress, often in occupational settings. As an adjective it relates the sameness between objects and thoughts. As a verb it means to make the same. Underlying each grammatical usage is the concept sameness, to align thoughts, ideas, and physicality. In society where heightened individualism is a key characteristic, the persistence of ‘uniform-ness’ is an intrig…
Why Monopoly Monopolises Popular Culture Board Games
Introduction Since the early 2000s, and especially since the onset of COVID-19 and long periods of lockdown, board games have seen a revival in popularity. The increasing popularity of board games are part of what Julie Lennett, a toy industry analyst at NPD Group, describes as the “nesting trend”: families have more access to entertainment at home and are eschewing expensive nights out (cited in Birkner 7). While on-demand television is a signif…
Conjuring Up a King: The Use of Magic and Ritual in the Coronation of King Charles III
Introduction The coronation of King Charles III was steeped in the tradition of magic and ritual that has characterised English, and later British, coronations. The very idea of a coronation leverages belief in divinity; however, the coronation of Charles III occurred in a very different social environment than those of monarchs a millennium ago. Today, belief in the divine right of Kings is dramatically reduced. In this context, magic can also b…
Parliamentary Dress: Gendered Contestation of the Political Uniform
Why do politicians wear what they wear? Social conventions and parliamentary rules largely shape how politicians dress. Clothing is about power, especially if we think about clothing as uniforms. Uniforms of judges and police are easily recognised as symbols of power. Similarly, the business suit of a politician is recognised as a form of authority. But what if you are a female politician: what do you wear to work or in public? Why do we expect p…
Swimsuits as uniforms: Bodily transformation, control and transgression
This article considers how national swimsuits are more than team garments worn at international events such as the Olympics. In their development and construction as well as the public contexts within which they are worn, swimsuits have a long history of transforming and controlling swimmers’ bodies and when the swimsuit fails to control or transform, the swimmer rather than the swimsuit is blamed for any transgressions. This article follows the …
CFP: Like A Version: Adaptations, Reboots, and Remakes in Popular Culture
The Canberra Bubble: A Toxic Gender Culture
According to the ABC television program Four Corners, “Parliament House in Canberra is a hotbed of political intrigue and high tension ... . It’s known as the ‘Canberra Bubble’ and it operates in an atmosphere that seems far removed from how modern Australian workplaces are expected to function.” The term “Canberra Bubble” morphed to its current definition from 2001, although it existed in other forms before this. Its use has increased since 2015…
Bubbles
Welcome to the ‘bubbles’ issue of M/C Journal. When we first pitched the idea of ‘bubbles’ for an issue of M/C Journal it was 2019, several months before COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China, and the resulting pandemic that brought the term ‘bubble’ to prominence in ways we had not even imagined. Our pre-pandemic line of enquiry focussed on how bubbles manifested themselves within popular culture and society and how the media reported on these…
The History Bubble: Negotiating Authenticity in Historical Romance Novels
Introduction Many people’s knowledge of history is gleaned through popular culture. As a result there is likely a blurring of history with myth. This is one of the criticisms of historical romance novels, which blur historical details with fictional representations. As a result of this the genre is often dismissed from serious academic scholarship. The other reason for its disregard may be that it is largely seen as women’s fiction. As ‘women’s f…
A Taste of Power: Food and American Identities
Tasting the Archive: Nineteenth-Century American Literature and the Sensory Turn
Tasting the ArchiveNineteenth-Century American Literature and the Sensory Turn J. Michelle Coghlan (bio) The way in which human sense perception isorganized—the medium in which it takes place—is notonly conditioned naturally but historically. —Walter Benjamin What might it mean to taste the archive? And why might we be drawn to such a project of so sensing it now? To consider these questions is to wrestle with the way that an encounter with the a…
Sensational Internationalism: The Paris Commune and the Remapping of American Memory in the Long Nineteenth Century
In refocusing attention on the Paris Commune as a key event in American political and cultural memory, Sensational Internationalism radically changes our understanding of the relationship between France and the United States in the long nineteenth century. It offers fascinating, remarkably accessible readings of a range of literary works, from periodical poetry and boys’ adventure fiction to radical pulp and the writings of Henry James, as well a…
Communal luxury: The political imaginary of the Paris Commune
Much as her earlier book May ’68 and Its Afterlives (Ross 2002) set out to upend our most basic assumptions about the constellation of events that go by May’s name and the uses and abuses of its le
Urban Appetites: Food and Culture in Nineteenth-Century New York
If New York in the 1970s and 1980s was defined by its underground arts and music scene, today it is dominated instead by its avant-garde food scene, with devotees of the artisanal and the-next-big
NT Intervention and Income Quarantining
Looking at both social and legal issues, this Brief considers the history associated with the NT intervention and income quarantining. By analysing past policy, the author concludes that it is the marginalised and disadvantaged who suffer most from punitive, disempowering measures such as income quarantining
Communal luxury: The political imaginary of the Paris Commune
Much as her earlier book May ’68 and Its Afterlives (Ross 2002) set out to upend our most basic assumptions about the constellation of events that go by May’s name and the uses and abuses of its le
Human Rights: The Criminalisation of Asylum Seekers
NT Intervention and Income Quarantining
Looking at both social and legal issues, this Brief considers the history associated with the NT intervention and income quarantining. By analysing past policy, the author concludes that it is the marginalised and disadvantaged who suffer most from punitive, disempowering measures such as income quarantining
Urban Appetites: Food and Culture in Nineteenth-Century New York
If New York in the 1970s and 1980s was defined by its underground arts and music scene, today it is dominated instead by its avant-garde food scene, with devotees of the artisanal and the-next-big
Sensational Internationalism: The Paris Commune and the Remapping of American Memory in the Long Nineteenth Century
In refocusing attention on the Paris Commune as a key event in American political and cultural memory, Sensational Internationalism radically changes our understanding of the relationship between France and the United States in the long nineteenth century. It offers fascinating, remarkably accessible readings of a range of literary works, from periodical poetry and boys’ adventure fiction to radical pulp and the writings of Henry James, as well a…
Communal luxury: The political imaginary of the Paris Commune
Much as her earlier book May ’68 and Its Afterlives (Ross 2002) set out to upend our most basic assumptions about the constellation of events that go by May’s name and the uses and abuses of its le
A Taste of Power: Food and American Identities
Tasting the Archive: Nineteenth-Century American Literature and the Sensory Turn
Tasting the ArchiveNineteenth-Century American Literature and the Sensory Turn J. Michelle Coghlan (bio) The way in which human sense perception isorganized—the medium in which it takes place—is notonly conditioned naturally but historically. —Walter Benjamin What might it mean to taste the archive? And why might we be drawn to such a project of so sensing it now? To consider these questions is to wrestle with the way that an encounter with the a…
The Canberra Bubble: A Toxic Gender Culture
According to the ABC television program Four Corners, “Parliament House in Canberra is a hotbed of political intrigue and high tension ... . It’s known as the ‘Canberra Bubble’ and it operates in an atmosphere that seems far removed from how modern Australian workplaces are expected to function.” The term “Canberra Bubble” morphed to its current definition from 2001, although it existed in other forms before this. Its use has increased since 2015…
Bubbles
Welcome to the ‘bubbles’ issue of M/C Journal. When we first pitched the idea of ‘bubbles’ for an issue of M/C Journal it was 2019, several months before COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan, China, and the resulting pandemic that brought the term ‘bubble’ to prominence in ways we had not even imagined. Our pre-pandemic line of enquiry focussed on how bubbles manifested themselves within popular culture and society and how the media reported on these…
The History Bubble: Negotiating Authenticity in Historical Romance Novels
Introduction Many people’s knowledge of history is gleaned through popular culture. As a result there is likely a blurring of history with myth. This is one of the criticisms of historical romance novels, which blur historical details with fictional representations. As a result of this the genre is often dismissed from serious academic scholarship. The other reason for its disregard may be that it is largely seen as women’s fiction. As ‘women’s f…
James Bond, Gender Studies, and Popular Culture Pedagogy: A Case Study
The longevity and universality of the James Bond franchise posits its value as pedagogy to inform ideas about gender studies and critical thinking. This article is a case study of how Bondian representations of gender stereotypes and gender politics can provide insightful ways in which gender frames can be identified, interrogated, and contested. While the focus of this article is on gender, a number of consistent themes emerge in Bond films, suc…
The Mutability of Uniform
The word ‘uniform’ can be a noun, adjective, or verb. As a noun it relates to prescribed dress, often in occupational settings. As an adjective it relates the sameness between objects and thoughts. As a verb it means to make the same. Underlying each grammatical usage is the concept sameness, to align thoughts, ideas, and physicality. In society where heightened individualism is a key characteristic, the persistence of ‘uniform-ness’ is an intrig…
Why Monopoly Monopolises Popular Culture Board Games
Introduction Since the early 2000s, and especially since the onset of COVID-19 and long periods of lockdown, board games have seen a revival in popularity. The increasing popularity of board games are part of what Julie Lennett, a toy industry analyst at NPD Group, describes as the “nesting trend”: families have more access to entertainment at home and are eschewing expensive nights out (cited in Birkner 7). While on-demand television is a signif…
Conjuring Up a King: The Use of Magic and Ritual in the Coronation of King Charles III
Introduction The coronation of King Charles III was steeped in the tradition of magic and ritual that has characterised English, and later British, coronations. The very idea of a coronation leverages belief in divinity; however, the coronation of Charles III occurred in a very different social environment than those of monarchs a millennium ago. Today, belief in the divine right of Kings is dramatically reduced. In this context, magic can also b…
Parliamentary Dress: Gendered Contestation of the Political Uniform
Why do politicians wear what they wear? Social conventions and parliamentary rules largely shape how politicians dress. Clothing is about power, especially if we think about clothing as uniforms. Uniforms of judges and police are easily recognised as symbols of power. Similarly, the business suit of a politician is recognised as a form of authority. But what if you are a female politician: what do you wear to work or in public? Why do we expect p…
Swimsuits as uniforms: Bodily transformation, control and transgression
This article considers how national swimsuits are more than team garments worn at international events such as the Olympics. In their development and construction as well as the public contexts within which they are worn, swimsuits have a long history of transforming and controlling swimmers’ bodies and when the swimsuit fails to control or transform, the swimmer rather than the swimsuit is blamed for any transgressions. This article follows the …
CFP: Like A Version: Adaptations, Reboots, and Remakes in Popular Culture
Barbie: Imagining and Interrogating a Popular Culture Icon
The story of Barbie is a tapestry woven with threads of cultural significance, societal shifts, and corporate narratives. It’s a tale that encapsulates the evolution of American post-war capitalism, mirroring the changing tides of social norms, aspirations, and identities. Barbie’s journey from Germany to Los Angeles, along the way becoming a global icon, is a testament to the power of Ruth Handler’s vision and Barbie’s marketing. Barbie embodies…
The British Royals in Australia: Traditions, Icons, and Popular Culture
This article examines how and why, from Australia’s colonial past to today, the British monarchy have “intruded” into our daily lives (Cannadine Orientalism 103). To ‘intrude’ suggests consciousness and agency in making sure they are constantly part of our social life. Public events, press releases, Websites, ceremonies, and the like do not occur randomly. Queen Elizabeth II was very aware that she ‘needed to be seen to be believed’. Is this enou…
Royalty and Its Representation in Popular Culture: From the House of Windsor to the House of Saud
Modern and historical royal families are a popular area of scholarly interest, with power and politics the centre of much research. Royalty is also a popular area of study in a range of other areas including gender, class, material culture, celebrity studies, consumption practices, and cinematic representations. Much of what we understand about royal families comes from mediated images, meaning we see a public version of kings and queens and thei…
From Noir to Neo-Noir: The Evolution, Hybridity, and Liminality of the Classic Crime Genre
Though the ‘official’ film noir period ended more than 60 years ago, the enigmatic allure of noir endures, lingering like the smoke from a femme fatale’s cigarette. IMDB defines the classic film noir period of American cinema as beginning with the film Underworld (1927) and ending with Touch of Evil (1958), while many consider that John Houston’s The Maltese Falcon (1941), an adaptation of Dasheill Hammett’s hard-boiled detective novel, as launch…
Mutating a Better Man: Robbie Williams, Simian Semiotics, Spectacle, and the Posthuman Celebrity
Introduction Michael Gracey's Better Man (2024) presents an innovative biographical representation of British pop star Robbie Williams through a radical visual strategy—depicting its subject as a CGI primate rather than through a human actor. Filmed in Australia and partially funded by the Australian Government, the film follows a relatively standard biopic narrative tracing Williams’s trajectory from his Stoke-on-Trent childhood through his tumu…
Thresholds of Experience: Food, Embodiment, and Artificial Simulation in Popular Culture
Introduction: Experience, Popular Culture, and Food Experiencing popular culture involves more than detached spectatorship. In contemporary media environments, culture is encountered through bodies, senses, and technologies, leaving impressions that are at once physical, emotional, and collective. To watch a television drama over dinner, to attend a themed screening in costume, or to follow a TikTok recipe inspired by a favourite film is not just…
Sensory Experiments: Psychophysics, Race, and the Aesthetics of FeelingThe Smell of Risk: Environmental Disparities and Olfactory Aesthetics
“That the senses and the symbolic are coextensive is a truth so obvious as to be invisible; sensation is inscribed into the etymological meaning of aesthetics (aisthetikos in Greek) as “of or relating to sensation,” as Erica Fretwell and Hsuan Hsu reminded us in their September 2023 American Literature special issue, “Senses With/out Subjects” (447-8). That the senses have only come into such relief for us now cannot be disentangled from the larg…
From Breaking Bad to Pluribus: Vince Gilligan’s Multiverse of the Mundane
Introduction The multiverse has become one of the defining narrative logics of contemporary media culture. Across blockbuster franchises and transmedia franchises alike, multiplicity is imagined as spectacle: branching timelines, parallel realities, alternate versions of the same character colliding across fractured worlds. In this dominant model, difference is achieved through ontological rupture. Worlds are split so that variation can exist wit…
Political science (13 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Law (11 works) · History (8 works) · Politics (8 works) · Art (7 works) · Aesthetics (6 works) · Literature (5 works) · Popular culture (5 works) · Psychology (5 works)