Welcome to the Anthropocene: Gregory Bateson, disaster porn, Swamp Thing, and ‘The Green’

ABSTRACT

A recurring narrative in popular culture is imminent global catastrophe. Contextualizing the cultural phenomenon of disaster porn, I discuss the Anthropocene and explore Gregory Bateson’s ecosystemic theoretical lens and how errors in epistemology precipitate and perpetuate global climate problems. Next I discuss the pros and cons, and intended and unintended consequences, of disaster porn’s propagation in its three main forms. I then apply themes and concepts of ecosystemic theory and disaster porn to an analysis of the 2019 TV series Swamp Thing, sifting the algae-filled waters for explicit and implicit messaging about the current ecological crisis. I conclude with reflections about cultural consciousness regarding climate change, and how the urgency and gravity of this global crisis is subverted, commodified and neutralized as audiences sit back and watch it all happen, consuming apocalyptic ‘entertainment’.

KEYWORDS:

• Ecosystemic
• environment
• epistemology
• Anthropocene
• disaster porn

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kyle D. Killian

Kyle D. Killian, PhD is a licensed couple and family therapist, professor, and Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a Board Member of the American Family Therapy Academy. Dr Killian’s books include Interracial couples, intimacy and therapy (Columbia University Press), and, with Dr Anna Agathangelou, Time, temporality and violence in international relations. Dr Killian writes on resilience, self-care, and social justice on his blog at Psychology Today called Intersections. He can be reached at kkillian.org