“He’s Not Good, But He’s Not Bad”

Jason Bateman as the White, Middle-Class Devil

Bibliographic Data

ID22062723
AuthorsBarbara Selznick (State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume20
Publication date2022-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTV/Series (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2266-0909 • E-ISSN: 2266-0909
PublisherOpenEdition (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.4000/tvseries.5834
OpenAlexW4225383546
LanguageEN
References cited13

Jason Bateman, as a former child star, a Hollywood party-boy-turned-family-man, and a seemingly un-aging actor imbued with privilege, created a persona that is instrumental for understanding the television shows (and films) in which he stars. Combining the rationality and order often associated with whiteness and the authoritative expertise connected to patriarchal privilege, examining Bateman in relation to his performances reveals the problematic position of dominance that he embodies. This essay argues that Bateman’s public image, as shaped by his publicity along with his role on Arrested Development, positioned him to – as an actor, executive producer, and director on Ozark – develop a character who offers a potential critique of hegemonic ideas about white, middle-class masculinity

Aesthetics · Art · Art history · Hegemony · Hollywood · Humanities · Media studies · Middle class · Miller · Persona · Political science · Politics · Publicity · Racism · Rationality · Sociology · White privilege · Cinema and Media Studies · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law

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