Masters of the Universe: Action Figures, Customization and Masculinity
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MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: ACTION FIGURES, CUSTOMIZATION AND MASCULINITY Eric Sobel A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS December 2018 Committee: Montana Miller, Advisor Esther Clinton Jeremy Wallach ii ABSTRACT Montana Miller, Advisor This thesis places action figures, as masculinely gendered playthings and rich intertexts, into a larger context that accounts for increased nostalgia and hyperacceleration. Employing an ethnographic approach, I turn my attention to the under-discussed adults who comprise the fandom. I examine ways that individuals interact with action figures creatively, divorced from children’s play, to produce subjective experiences, negotiate the inherently consumeristic nature of their fandom, and process the gender codes and social stigma associated with classic toylines. Toy customizers, for example, act as folk artists who value authenticity, but for many, mimicking mass-produced objects is a sign of one’s skill, as seen by those working in a style inspired by Masters of the Universe figures. However, while creativity is found in delicately manipulating familiar forms, the inherent toxic masculinity of the original action figures is explored to a degree that far exceeds that of the mass-produced toys of the 1980s. Collectors similarly complicate the use of action figures, as playfully created displays act as frames where fetishization is permissible. I argue that the fetishization of action figures is a stabilizing response to ever-changing trends, yet simultaneously operates within the complex web of intertexts of which action figures are invariably tied. To highlight the action figure’s evolving role in corporate hands, I examine retro-style Reaction figures as metacultural objects that evoke Star Wars figures of the late 1970s but, unlike Star Wars toys, discourage creativity, communicating through the familiar signs of pop culture to push the figure into a mental realm where official stories are narrowly interpreted. I conclude by suggesting that in response to media iii oversaturation and the rise of nerd culture, action figures, as objects rooted in the physical world that communicate with popular codes and speak to deeply-held emotions, represent unique sites of meaning, both personal and cultural. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to sincerely thank my thesis chair, Dr. Montana Miller, for her insight and encouragement at each stage of this process. If I’ve been able to channel her approach to folklore research in some way, this project has already been a success. I would especially like to thank my committee members, Dr. Esther Clinton and Dr. Jeremy Wallach, for challenging me intellectually, sharing my enthusiasm for action figures, and continually providing eye-opening feedback. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the toy collectors and customizers who took the time to offer their valuable insight: Brandon Barker, Paul Bolton, Lee Burbridge, Christopher Cannon, Justin Lebowitz, and Kev Shaw. Their thoughtful responses not only brought an unforeseen depth to this thesis, but illuminated aspects of an overlooked corner of popular culture. No less essential was Beka Patterson, whose patience, promptness, and unwavering ability to guide me through paperwork and deadlines unscathed was nothing short of extraordinary. Thank you to my brother, Alex, for being my proofreader and helping me to reconnect with my love of action figures when my objectives felt insurmountable. I am also grateful to Matt, whose support and presence kept me sane and grounded. Finally, to Katherine, who never left my side during the ups and downs of this Master’s Thesis. An unparalleled source of inspiration and motivation, she has given me the strength to finish my degree, but more importantly, she has given me hope as I look past this stage of my academic career. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER I. CUSTOM ACTION FIGURES, AUTHENTICITY IN CONSUMER CULTURE, AND RE-MASCULATING HE-MAN ................................................................................. 12 Authenticity and Action Figures as Folk Art ............................................................. 17 Masculinity in Warlords of Wor ................................................................................ 25 Narrative and Participation in Warlords of Wor ........................................................ 28 Assembling Gender with Masters of the Universe Mash-Ups................................... 31 Fixed Gender and Timelessness in Action Figure Immobilization ........................... 34 Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 35 CHAPTER II. (DIS)PLAY, SOCIAL COLLECTING, AND THE FETISH OBJECT AS INTERTEXT.......................................................................................................................... 39 Play ............................................................................................................................ 41 Festishism .................................................................................................................. 50 CHAPTER III. REACTION FIGURES, INTERTEXTUALITY, AND THE METACULTURAL CENTERING OF OFFICIAL NARRATIVES .................................... 57 Reaction ..................................................................................................................... 59 Metacultural Objects .................................................................................................. 61 Star Wars Figures ...................................................................................................... 62 Packaging ................................................................................................................... 66 Characters .................................................................................................................. 68 The Future .................................................................................................................. 70 vi CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................... 74 WORKS CITED .................................................................................................................... 79 APPENDIX A. IRB APPROVAL ......................................................................................... 83 APPENDIX B. CONSENT FORMS ..................................................................................... 84 APPENDIX C. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ......................................................................... 92 1 INTRODUCTION As physical representations of the vast intertextual narratives that dominate our media, objects involved in both the compulsive consumption of adults and unpredictable play of children, and pop culture artifacts that often carry immense emotional resonance, action figures and their enthusiasts remain among the most surprisingly under-analyzed aspects of fandom. Complex sites where cultural symbols intersect with personal experience, action figures speak to mass-production, invite creativity, link us to the past, and inform our understanding of popular narratives. In the past decade, action figures have gained more shelf space in comic and specialty shops while the stigma of collecting them has begun to wane. As they represent an aspect of material culture long associated with children, a new dimension to the discussion of action figures is becoming increasingly unavoidable. Perhaps as significant as the action figure’s place in the hearts and on the shelves of many adult collectors is how both creative consumers and multinational corporations react to the oversaturation of texts and feelings of nostalgia often experienced by those who attempt to keep up with an accelerated media landscape. While it can be easy to view the rows of Star Wars and Marvel figures that line the racks of seemingly every Walmart and Target in support of the next blockbuster as indicative of a monolithic aspect of culture, subject to a singular capitalist objective, the reality of action figures in the age of the Internet is more complicated. Toy customizers with an uneasy relationship to the title of “artist” manipulate the iconic symbols of mass-production from their youth, creating highly personal objects both familiar and original that seem to highlight the failure of popular culture to fulfill us while simultaneously reaffirming its value. Keenly aware of the emotional impact of established forms, customizers use immense skill to produce material objects around which communities, status, and standards of quality are 2 formed, as if to create their own folk art that redefines authenticity within the soullessness of mass-production. At the same time, major corporations find new ways to evoke hip self-awareness such that it becomes easy to forget their financial and ideological motivations. Companies such as Funko and Super7 throw into question, if not completely dismantle, action figures as tangible objects for children. With their Reaction line, which portrays countless characters from properties as diverse as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Planet of the Apes in a style reminiscent of Star Wars figures of the 1970s, Super7 selects