The Horror Film from Obama to Trump

Russell Meeuf from the University of Idaho joins Johanna this week to talk about his book White Terror: The Horror Film from Obama to Trump. He argues that horror films are a form of social and political critique for both conservatives and liberals and discusses how that was seen in the Obama era and the election of Donald Trump.

Dr. Russel Meeuf is a professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Media and the director of the film and television program at the University of Idaho. He received his doctorate from the University of Oregon and specializes in research on popular media and culture. In particular, his work focuses on celebrity culture, popular cinema, masculinity studies, and disability studies. His writings have appeared in journals. Reflecting these interests, he is the author of several books on media culture, including White Terror: The Horror Film from Obama to Trump (Indiana University Press, 2022), Rebellious Bodies: Stardom Citizenship, and the New Body Politics (University of Texas Press, 2017) as well as John Wayne's World: Transnational Masculinity in the Fifties (University of Texas Press, 2013). He is also the co-editor of several collections on film and popular culture.