White Supremacy, Revisionist History, and Masked Vigilantes: Understanding HBO’s Watchmen through the Eyes of Cultural Critics/Writers in Major Mainstream Newspapers

Abstract

In 2019, the HBO limited television series Watchmen aired to critical acclaim. A contemporary extension of the world established by the 1986-87 Watchmen comic, viewers and commentators alike have viewed the show as a critical commentary on racial politics in the United States. Using Nexis Uni’s News Database, we conducted an inductive qualitative content analysis of 31 news articles written by mainstream television critics and/or writers about the show. Across reviews, three primary themes emerged—White supremacy, revisionist history (specifically pertaining to the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921), and the power of masks. The role of critics/writers in engaging audiences with themes about race is discussed.

KEYTERMS:

• Content analysis
• cultural critics
• media
• race
• stereotype/prejudice/bias

Notes

1 This comparison between White supremacy and nuclear war is significant because earlier iterations of Watchmen worked as cultural commentary on concerns surrounding nuclear war (Hughes, 2006).