This article explores the relationship between mimesis and fantasy. Taking as its starting point James DerDerian's claims regarding the changing face of the military-industrial complex and its increasing use of the entertainment and cultural industries, the article argues that this move can only be fully understood if it is viewed alongside a consideration of the ideological function of fantasy, especially as it is set out in the work of Slavoj Žižek. The article focuses on one particular piece of mimesis, namely the “Elite Force Aviator: George W. Bush 12-inch Action Figure” to explore the phantasmatic kernel of the war on terror. The article also considers how the global image sphere has become the site for a conflict between competing fantasies, and aims to show how certain examples of countermimesis might be used to break the hold of the fantasies that currently coordinate our reality.
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July 1, 2009
Research Article|
July 01 2009
The Fantasy of the Elite Force Aviator: On Dolls and Desire
Neal Curtis
Neal Curtis
Author Information
NEAL CURTIS IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRE FOR CRITICAL THEORY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM. HE IS THE AUTHOR OF AGAINST AUTONOMY: LYOTARD, JUDGEMENT AND ACTION (ASHGATE, 2001) AND WAR AND SOCIAL THEORY: WORLD, VALUE AND IDENTITY (PALGRAVE, 2006).
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Cultural Politics (2009) 5 (2): 179–198.
Citation
Neal Curtis; The Fantasy of the Elite Force Aviator: On Dolls and Desire. Cultural Politics 1 July 2009; 5 (2): 179–198. doi: https://doi.org/10.2752/175174309X428207
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