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Why We Love Godzilla Saturday, 10-Jul-2010 01:00 PM - 02:30 PM Since Godzilla's first appearance more than fifty years ago, the King of the Monsters has become a cinematic icon and a globally recognized symbol of Japan. But why have audiences around the world responded with such passion to a giant, fire-breathing movie monster? What is it about a Japanese actor in a rubber lizard suit destroying miniature cities that has inspired love, loyalty, and laughter over generations of fans? This talk will explore the reasons why postwar Japanese pop culture, and Godzilla in particular, has been embraced globally. Lighthearted but rooted in current scholarship, the talk will consider the legacies of historical traumas (like World War II, the Cold War, and 9-11), the role of marketing and media economics, the wacky appeal of dubbing and inexpensive special effects, the lingering charm of nostalgia, and the abiding power of Godzilla as a big-screen hero.

William M. Tsutsui, Ph.D. is dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences and professor of history at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. A specialist in the business, environmental, and cultural history of twentieth-century Japan, he holds degrees from Harvard, Oxford, and Princeton Universities. He is the author or editor of seven books, including Godzilla on My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of Monsters (Palgrave Macmillan, 2004; Japanese edition, Chuo Koron Shinsha, 2005), which was described by the New York Times as a "cult classic" and was awarded the 2005 William Rockhill Nelson Prize for Non-Fiction. He co-edited (with Michiko Ito) In Godzilla's Footsteps: Japanese Pop Culture Icons on the Global Stage (Palgrave Macmillan, 2006) and has recently completed the volume Japanese Popular Culture and Globalization (Association for Asian Studies, 2010).

Location: Rosemont Hotel at O’Hare; 5550 N. River Road; Rosemont, IL 60018 More Information