By Faith Zochowski
Bowling Green State University houses the one and only Department of Popular Culture in the United States and Dr. Jeffrey A. Brown, professor and department chair of Popular Culture, serves as a strong advocate for the program.
The Toronto native said he has always been intrigued by the study of culture. Brown was not sure what major to choose in college, and while flipping through the university catalog, he chose anthropology and ended up liking it.
Brown received his Bachelor of Arts in anthropology from Carleton University in Ottawa and his PhD in anthropology from the University of Toronto. He has been a professor at the university for 23 years.
“The students are fun and able to bring in newer examples,” he said. “They’ll throw out singers I’ve never heard of, and I think, ‘Oh, now I’ve got to go listen to Lil’ Baby.’”
Dr. Brown focuses his research on gender and the body and his work culminated in the publication of eight books, five focusing on comics, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality while the others cover women in action movies. Next up, a book on Hollywood sex symbols.
In addition, Brown released two publications this year.
The first book titled Panthers, Hulks, and Ironhearts: Marvel, Diversity, and the 21st Century Superhero looks at ethnicity in the superhero genre. Each chapter focuses on different ethnic issues, such as African American characters and the history of Asian stereotypes of kung fu masters.
The second book, Love, Sex, Gender, and Superheroes, looks at superhero characters and their sex and gender. He talks about identity and sex symbols, “as far as dehumanizing women as love dolls and taking away any of their agency so they’re just objects for the men,” he said.
As a society, Brown believes there is room for improvement with inclusivity and acceptance.
“We have not advanced nearly as much as we should have in gender equality or how we view women in particular. They are still way too hyper sexualized in the media or treated like children. That is something that is still being reinforced in masculine genres such as action movies and comics. We still have a long way to go,” Brown said.
As a fan of superhero movies, Dr. Brown analyzes them in much of his research.
“You can’t be a Batman fan without having some conception of justice and what that means, but also justifiable violence and what a real man is supposed to look like,” he said. “That is influencing us.”
Brown encourages BGSU students to take advantage of the unique program the university has to offer while advocating for its relevance.
“This is what’s influencing you,” he said. “It is our world. It’s the air we breathe, and it does shape you.”
Watch the video below to learn more about Dr. Brown and his work.
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