Billion dollar madness

Examining the paradox of financial satire through the 1980s economic crisis in Israeli comedy films

Bibliographic Data

ID12535150
AuthorsIdo Rosen (0000-0002-3534-1185, University of Cambridge, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume40
Issue1
Pages91-111
Publication date2022-01-02
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Journal of Israeli History (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1353-1042 • E-ISSN: 1744-0548
PublisherRoutledge (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13531042.2022.2136563
OpenAlexW4308595835
LanguageEN
References cited16

Can anti-capitalist satire exist within show business, or is this an oxymoron? How can mainstream films claim to be socially conscious and rebellious, when at the same time they are products of an industry which aim to appeal to the masses and maximize profits? These questions were recently raised in relation to the popular and critical success of Hollywood hits like The Big Short and The Wolf of Wall Street, which followed the 2008 financial crash. This paper uses a group of Israeli financial satires as a case study and contributes a significant transnational addition to the debate. During the first half of the 1980s, the Israeli economy struggled with rampant inflation. The crisis inspired comedies such as Million Dollar Madness, The Plumber, and The Man Who Flew in to Grab. Although these films failed, they express a unique zeitgeist in Israeli history, and they are useful to examine the paradox. This analysis of these films provides valuable insights that can guide filmmakers toward overcoming and even resolving the paradox

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