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Morta Las Vegas

CSI and the Problem of the West

Nathaniel Lewis author Stephen Tatum author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:University of Nebraska Press

Published:1st Nov '17

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Morta Las Vegas cover

Exploring Las Vegas through a CSI episode, this book examines regional identity and the complexities of modern Western culture.

In Morta Las Vegas, the authors explore the evolving identity of Las Vegas and its impact on the broader American West. Through a detailed examination of a specific episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, titled '4 × 4', they delve into the intricate relationship between the city and the crime scene, revealing how the aesthetics and social dynamics of Las Vegas reflect deeper issues of regional identity. Rather than following a straightforward narrative, the authors intertwine the complexities of the crime story with the layered realities of the city itself.

The book posits that Las Vegas serves as a unique lens through which to understand contemporary cultural dilemmas. As a place marked by neon lights and indulgent lifestyles, it embodies both the allure and the challenges of postregional existence. By analyzing the events of the chosen episode, Morta Las Vegas illustrates how crime narratives can encapsulate the anxieties and contradictions of modern society, particularly in a city that thrives on spectacle and illusion.

Ultimately, Morta Las Vegas challenges readers to reconsider notions of identity and place in the West. It invites a deeper reflection on how urban landscapes shape our understanding of crime, culture, and community, making it a significant contribution to discussions about regionalism in America. The authors navigate the tension between geographical realities and the procedural elements of crime drama, offering insights that resonate beyond the confines of the television screen.

“Bold, dangerous, troubling, speculative, and playful, spinning stories from the vortex provided by the CSI episode outward and back—away from the West . . . and then back to the widening sense of what the ‘postregional’ might mean.”—Neil Campbell, professor emeritus of American studies at the University of Derby and author of The Rhizomatic West: Representing the West in the Transnational, Global, Media Age
 

ISBN: 9780803299931

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

300 pages