Sheldon, Z. (2021). Public memory and popular culture: Biopics, #MeToo, and David Foster Wallace. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 29(2), 65–78. https://doi.org/10.1080/15456870.2020.1712603
In his 2021 paper, “Public memory and popular culture: biopics, #MeToo, and David Foster Wallace,” Zachary Sheldon of Baylor University, Texas, discusses how biographical films shape public memory of individuals. Through his examination of the biopic The End of the Tour, Sheldon (2021) concludes that biopics solidify perceptions of public figures and, as they are sometimes an audience’s only exposure to an individual, have huge relevance in the determination of how history remembers the figure portrayed. He also concludes that biopics are more than harmless entertainment; they are sources of cultural influence. As the author presents supporting arguments to back up his points for this relatively recent article, it can be seen as a rather reliable text. The article does not feature any visual elements, but the application of a case study was useful. Though some of the language used is heavily contextual and could be considered jargon, it should be commended that the author ended his article with practical recommendations. Sheldon’s (2021) article is relevant to the topic of biopics causing harm to society because it discusses not only audience reactions but also cultural memory and the long-term preservation of ideas presented in biographical films.
Løfaldli, E. (2018). From biographical text to biopic: Adapting the cultural memory of the eighteenth century. Sjuttonhundratal, 15. https://doi.org/10.7557/4.4481
The 2018 article, “From Biographical Text to Biopic: Adapting the Cultural Memory of the Eighteenth Century,” written by Eli Løfaldli, strives to analyse three major biopics that represent the lives of eighteenth-century British women in order to discuss the biopics’ relationship with their acknowledged source texts. The article outlines how, when depicted in their biopics, the women were represented differently from their depictions in the novels written about them, consequently altering their cultural memory and that of the period in which they lived. This discussion was guided in its facilitation by the analysis of three biographical films: The Duchess (2009), A Royal Affair (2012), and The Scandalous Lady W (2015), and it should be noted that the author is an expert in eighteenth century literature and culture, making her work on this subject quite reliable. Løfaldli (2018) concluded that it is through the creation of an emotional connection between the audience and the depicted past that biopics construct new cultural memories. Her article is easy to follow, and could be relevant to the topic of harmful biopics as it discusses the way depictions of individuals and time periods in biopics can alter cultural memory and influence audience perceptions.