Megan Hunt
I'm an Associate Lecturer in Humanities at Northumbria University, currently finishing up my PhD on the American South in Hollywood film. I am specifically interested in the civil rights era.
Location Newcastle upon Tyne
Activity
-
Megan Hunt replied to Adetola A
Wilson was a proud southerner and unfortunately needed little persuading to endorse the KKK. He also resegregated some aspects of the federal government, reversing previous integration policies.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Emily Ginder
Thank you for sharing this, Emily. I wasn't aware of the documentary.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Annie Ciszak Pazar
You're certainly right, Annie. I guess, as you suggest, what we are really trying to prompt is a discussion about how and why Native groups have so often been removed from the dominant narrative that is told and taught, rather than the actual events.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Nancy Black
It sure is great to see such a diverse range of learners from across the world, Nancy! And yes, even scholars of the South can get into something of a tangle when trying to define the region's geographical limits!
-
Thanks for your contribution, Jennifer. How the South is presented in popular culture is really important in terms of setting expectations around the world. Obviously none of us are advocating that any of those books or films are of a documentary nature, but they have a hold all the same. I hope you enjoy exploring the course with us.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Robert M. Bransford
Good point, Paul. If we could refrain from calling anyone an idiot, the MOOC would be a better place!
Thanks for sharing both those shows Mark and Elaine, some definite food for thought!
-
Megan Hunt replied to David Bateson
That's a very good point, David. There's certainly more than a little to get uncomfortable about in True Detective! That said, it's interesting to think about the reasons why TV and film producers set these shows/films in the South, or why they use southern locations to explore some of the darker sides of American history and culture. That certainly doesn't...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Robert M. Bransford
I guess that 'idiot' would be me, Robert.
I'm not sure you've really understood the point of this step, but it's designed to get people thinking about how the South is represented on television. That certainly doesn't mean True Detective is the best or the most authentic representation, but given the huge popularity of the show and its considerable...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Greg McNamee
That's certainly true, Greg. It can take a while to tune into, but it's definitely worth it.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Andy Bourne
The piece was designed to give people an introduction to the very divided critical reception the film received on its release (no doubt exacerbated by its Oscar nominations and controversies surrounding the federal response to Katrina). And we would have loved to have included some clips in the video, but due to copyright restrictions, that just wasn't...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Claire Lloyd
Hi Claire. I'm glad you had the time to watch the film. It's a stunning piece of cinema: the visuals and sound especially memorable around the firework sequence before the storm. The video/introduction was designed to give a sense of how the film's content and message divided critics at the time of its release, and how the film was received in a post-Katrina...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Carol Groves
Hi Carol. So glad you enjoyed the course. The election certainly did enhance what was already a lively debate! Enjoy your further reading and listening.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Emma Clayton
Thanks for posting these links, Emma. They pose a lot of interesting questions and certainly complicate the usual ideas of who supports the flag. I happened to see the Virginia Flaggers outside the Fine Arts Museum in Richmond, VA in the spring, which is the group the woman in the first article is a member of. I hadn't realised there was such a sustained...
-
Thank you for sharing this really interesting link!
-
Megan Hunt replied to Graham D
Hi Graham. Thanks for your comments, and I'm glad you enjoyed the course. We certainly tried to cram a lot into the five weeks, and many have suggested perhaps too much. That said, many enthusiastic learners have asked for more material and further reading, so it's a hard balance to perfect! We're very grateful for all the feedback, especially that which is...
-
That's a really good question, Caroline. Most of the coverage I've seen of Haley's appointment suggests that most Republicans think it's a good thing because it keeps enemies close etc. I've even heard comparisons to Lincoln's decisions when lining his cabinet at a time of great division over slavery. That said, the Republicans interviewed are all political...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Richard Ward
Good point, Richard! Apologies for that!
-
Definitely. When he passes comment on the evangelical revival tent, Marty turns to him and says something like, 'Can you see Texas up there on your high horse?' There's a strong emphasis on Cohle being from Texas and therefore an outsider, which poses interesting questions about southern identity.
-
The second series moves to Los Angeles, and was less of a hit with critics. I think there's definitely something to be said for how the first season's southern-setting made for a more interesting programme. I think the market is already fairly saturated with LA-based cop dramas, while Season 1 in Louisiana clearly struck more of a cord with viewers and critics.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Edward Garcia
The comment was clearly a critique of the show, Gary, not an endorsement.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Jane Burd
Hi Jane, the idea was to have a recent depiction of the South. Thelma and Louise is 25 years old, and Blue Velvet was released in 1986. Beasts of the Southern Wild is a direct commentary on many of the issues raised by Hurricane Katrina, so it was hoped that learners could make some interesting links between the two. As for my missing 't's, I can only...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Jackie Kossoff
Well said, Jackie. Rosa Parks was a very political person, and fought injustice long before and after the bus boycott. She deserves to be recognised for her considered efforts, rather than simply as a 'tired seamstress.' That said, the image of her that was created was helpful to a cause that struggled to attract meaningful and sustained white support in a...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Renata Dennis
It's certainly interesting to think that Roosevelt asserted ‘that Americanism is a matter of the mind and the heart,’ rather than one of race in 1943, suggesting inclusivity just a year after he approved the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans!
-
Megan Hunt replied to Jennifer Danielle
Thanks for your kind words, Jennifer. I hope you enjoy the film!
-
Thanks Liz. King was very much aware that the law would not change people's hearts overnight, but he did say that while the 'law cannot make a man love me, it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important!'
-
Megan Hunt replied to David Bateson
Certainly, David. Many studios were concerned that a film portraying black activism wouldn't sell in the South. Ironically, the desegregation of cinemas so important to the Kennedy administration in 1963 actually hurt some of the few black-centred films being produced at this time, as they previously would have had an audience in black-only theatres. Now the...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Mick Walbank
That's great timing, Mick! It's been re-released as part of the BFI's Black Star season I believe, as Sidney Poitier's performance was voted the best of all time by a black performer in a recent poll.
-
Thanks Colleen. I'll try and do that when I see good links being posted. There's so much lively debate going on, it's hard for us to even keep up sometimes!
-
Megan Hunt replied to Michelle Tucci
It appears that NAACP leaders were searching for the 'perfect victim.' The decision to overlook Claudette Colvin was tinged with a lot of sexism. She was considered 'too feisty,' 'too emotional,' whereas it was assumed that Rosa Parks would be calmer and therefore 'more dignified' when arrested. Parks was well-trained for the action she took.
There were...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Colleen McLean
Thanks for posting this Colleen. Charles Reagan Wilson has written prolifically on religion and southern history, and so it's really worth checking out this article for an introduction to some of his work.
-
Apologies if that wasn't clear Nicholas. I've now edited the text to make sure the organisation is named properly before we get into the acronyms!
-
Life magazine covered the desegregation of schools in Hoxie, Arkansas in 1955, and there is a very clear implication in the article that children know better than adults, and have yet to absorb prejudice. However, most segregationists were aware of the way they were being portrayed and the article provoked further outcry, galvanising segregationist support....
-
Megan Hunt replied to Graham Divall
Carter has certainly become more popular as a former president than he was in office! His humanitarian and environmental efforts have seen him regain respect and support. He's authored several books and even won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002!
-
Megan Hunt replied to Jonathan Simmons
Thanks for your comment, Jonathan, which emphasizes why African Americans were so keen to strive for the 'Double V' - victory against overseas fascism and racial segregation at home. As well as African American servicemen returning home to the South after serving abroad, it is also important to think about those northern blacks serving at military bases in the...
-
Megan Hunt replied to marlene pitcher
Hi Marlene, I'm sorry that you feel this way. The account given is that of a historian who has worked to present a non-biased presentation of some key events in the debate. I appreciate that some of the learner comments and discussion that have followed have been insensitive and dismissive of certain religious views. The level of religiosity evident in this...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Pat Uttley
Voter realignment in the South proved a crucial aspect of mid-20th century history, as white southerners began to abandon the Democrats for the Republicans during the civil rights era. We'll discuss this in more detail next week.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Steven Kirk
There is a history of armed black resistance in the South, where gun laws often proved even more precious than white fears of an armed black populace. A September 1954 proposal enabling Mississippi law enforcement officers to confiscate guns and ammunition ‘from those likely to cause us trouble’ was part of a wider segregationist backlash to the May 17th 1954...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Edward Garcia
Thank you for sharing this, Edward. The Green Book is an amazing resource, as it really hammers home just how much the mobility that we associate so much with American culture (the open road, fantasies of freedom etc.) was systematically denied to African Americans who had much more to fear when entering unknown territory. Hotels and restaurant options were...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Richard Ward
I also had the pleasure of seeing Scottsboro Boys a couple of years back. A fantastic presentation of a dark period of history. I'm glad you're enjoying the course, Richard, and perhaps have a little more insight into the issues raised in the play.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Wally Oppenheim
They do indeed, Michael. I would urge anyone who thinks Creationism is a southern phenomenon to do a quick search for the Cabazon Dinosaurs: a roadside attraction outside Los Angeles, where evolution is presented as a myth invented by scientists.
-
The US Senate apologised in 2005 for failing to act on anti-lynching bills that were brought into the house at various points in American history. This was the first time that the Senate acknowledged any responsibility for atrocities inflicted on African Americans. While the House of Representatives had passed several anti-lynching bills in its history, they...
-
This link provides the story of the man behind the song: http://www.npr.org/2012/09/05/158933012/the-strange-story-of-the-man-behind-strange-fruit
-
Megan Hunt replied to Robert Waghorn
We'll cover voter re-alignment more in week 4, Margaret, and you'll see how white southerners began to abandon the Democrats for the Republican party following federal desegregation decisions in the mid-1960s.
-
Exactly, Wally. Washington DC was fiercely segregated in 1915, and Wilson was instrumental in re-segregating one of the city's only integrated aspects: federal government positions and agencies.
-
Megan Hunt made a comment
If anyone is interested in the testimonies of African Americans who migrated to Philadelphia in the early twentieth century, there is a great oral history collection available here: https://goinnorth.org/oral-histories
-
Some great discussion here about the US's public image during segregation. It's worth thinking about how Jim Crow and racial segregation undermined America's efforts to present its liberal democracy as the most legitimate form of government as opposed to Soviet Communism during the Cold War. Systematic American racism was a prominent feature of Soviet...
-
Hi Pat, if you have any specific questions do post them and we'll do our best to answer them. As will many of your fellow learners I imagine!
-
Some great discussion happening here! British merchants were on the whole opposed to the war, for the obvious reason that it suspended trade. British people also objected to the rise in their own taxes, as a result of the escalating war costs and the loss of American tax revenue. Historian Stanley Weintraub argues here that pretty much everything was subject...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Joseph Gordon
Of course, Martin. But we have a responsibility to ensure that everyone feels they can participate in the discussion and that it is a welcoming forum. Given the sensitive nature of some of the content up for discussion, there is a fine line between expressing a balanced opinion and merely using this as a forum for damaging and thoughtless diatribe.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Debra Hillyard
Hi Debra. I'm sorry to hear that, and I can only advise that the best way to deal with such posts is to flag them as offensive using the little flag icon on the right beneath each post. Educators are unable to remove posts or users, so we are all reliant on reporting these issues to FutureLearn. I hope that we can continue to have a sensible debate and share...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Linda Beard
While Lincoln knew slavery was a blight on American progress, he did not envision a role for African Americans in US life. Prior to the Civil War, he had also favoured a gradual repeal of slavery, rather than outright abolition, and hoped to compensate former slaveowners for their losses. Historian Eric Foner argues that African Americans enlisting in the...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Joseph Gordon
Thank you for reminding users of the flag button, Christine. We as educators can do the same thing, but it is up to FutureLearn whether to actually remove a post or user, so I would advise all to make use of this option if you find comments offensive.
-
Apologies if I sounded brief or condescending, Wayne! That certainly wasn't the intention. I can tell from your comments that you're engaging with the course and hopefully enjoying it too, so I just wanted to be sure that you weren't completely in the camp of thinking that we educators were peddling the myths of GWTW as some kind of documentary! It does seem...
-
But television and the movies are the only way many people do interact with the past, Wayne. While we should never assume that the stories are more than entertainment, they do shape opinions. There have been numerous studies on the power of Hollywood in shaping our collective ideas of historical events, so to simply dismiss this is unhelpful and unrealistic....
-
That's a good point, Mark. Yes, the film is just a story, but the legacy of many of the issues it explores was a living reality for many of its stars.
-
That's an excellent point about the decision to omit the book's very specific references to the Klan. There is evidence to suggest that Selznick was influenced by the NAACP's campaigns and boycotts around Birth of a Nation, but also concerned about presenting the KKK in a positive light in what he called the 'fascist-ridden' 1930s. Jenny Woodley's 'Art for...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Tom Dussman
The fact that we know anything about Sally at all, though admittedly none of it is in her own words, brings some life to the contradictions at work in the South in this era. Because she complicates Jefferson's story is indeed the only reason any of us know her name. But to speculate about what their relationship was or wasn't allows us to think about many of...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Wally Oppenheim
The questions are merely designed to provoke conversation, Wally. There's no right or wrong answer. As we have seen, it's rare that the discussion remains entirely on the specifics of the step, and that's great. But there also needs to be a starting point to jump off from, as your answer shows.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Tom Dussman
Hi Tom. I'm sorry if you think things have been a little 'oversimplified' so far, but you have to remember that this is a free online course with learners from all over the world. It's therefore important that we at least begin with a varied range of sources and ideas that reflect the various starting points our learners are coming from.
Jefferson's...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Margaret Emery
Hi Margaret. A lot of people like the opportunity to share their learning experience with each other, and we've found that people encouraged to share their initial ideas about a topic often then find the subject less daunting. However, everyone learns differently and has different preferences. There's certainly no obligation to read each and every comment on...
-
Thank you for your comments Candis. Certainly, the institution of slavery was utterly oppressive and inhumane. And yet, despite those sharply defined boundaries, people fostered relationships that seem, on the surface, impossible. This step is all about trying to think about those interactions, those sites of contradiction, common interest, and occasionally,...
-
Hi Nancey, thanks for your comments. To Kill a Mockingbird continues to exert a overwhelming influence on how people perceive the South; but as you say, there is considerable evidence that its popularity is a distinctly white phenomenon. Personally, I find the more nuanced and frankly more realistic Atticus of Go Set a Watchman much more interesting.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Margaret Emery
Hi Margaret. You're completely right. Our focus this week was to simply get people talking about what they already know about the region, and to reflect on those starting points, because no matter how stereotyped or basic they may be, they are important. The plan for the following few weeks is to tease out those ideas in more detail and see if we can work out...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Penny Lean
True Detective will be analysed in a later week, so be sure to look out for that! Such a popular show, I'm sure it will generate lots of discussion.
-
Megan Hunt made a comment
For those who can't make it to New Orleans as often as they'd like, you can always tune in to this community radio station from anywhere in the world: https://www.wwoz.org/
It's certainly bringing some much-needed sunshine to the North East of England today!
-
'O Death' is an Appalachian ballad from the 1920s, I believe? It also features in a documentary called Harlan County, USA, about a Kentucky miners' strike in the 1970s. A very different film from O Brother, Where Art Thou,' but very powerful.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Liz Watson
Allan's aptitude for the blues certainly raises some questions about the portability of a sound that is so ostensibly 'southern!'
-
Megan Hunt replied to Graham Divall
It's great to hear you've been so inspired, Graham! Let us know how you get on with your new purchases. And apologies again to your wallet!
-
Megan Hunt replied to Andreas Sarker
Of course, Hollywood and the media have certainly been guilty of stereotyping the South. But we're trying to think here about how those stereotypes develop over time, and whether they continue to have an influence. This, of course, does not mean they are in any way 'correct,' just that they may still have some power over how people view the region, even if...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Haydn Blackey
Thanks for your comments. I would agree with your idea that the credits are using images we may already associate with the South, even if it's simply because we recognise them from other shows, films, etc. And while these are largely stereotypes (which I think we can all identify pretty quickly), they still create an overarching introduction to the themes, but...
-
Hi Tony. No need to worry; we simply wanted a broad array of southern figures, styles and ideas, in the hope that there would be something for everyone to at least identify. There's certainly no expectation to recognise them all! The main point is that the South is a diverse, fascinating region. I hope you enjoy the rest of the course.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Tori Hamby
Hi Tori. Welcome to the course. Your educational background sounds fascinating. I hope you enjoy the next few weeks with us.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Barbara Williams
I've heard that comparison before, Hugh! Grits aren't for everyone. It can seem a strange consistency for the newcomer!
-
Megan Hunt replied to Jacqueline Cornwall
I'm glad you mentioned True Detective, Jacqueline. We'll be discussing that show in more detail in the coming weeks. As hugely popular shows, both True Detective and True Blood are shaping and manipulating existing ideas about the South. While True Detective is much more subtle, its opening credits allude to many of the same tropes as True Blood: evangelical...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Ken Lane
Of course. True Blood is by no means the most detailed look at southern life, by any stretch of the imagination! It is a gothic, vampire thriller, but it uses so many tropes about the South in order to establish its setting in Louisiana. Where did these stereotypes come from? Why are they so effective? And what do they mean for the region?
-
Megan Hunt replied to Andreas Sarker
Exactly, Andreas. We are by no means presenting this as a documentary look at the South! It's more about thinking through the stereotypes that we are all able to recognise so quickly and easily. Where did they come from? Why are they so effective? What do they mean for the region's presentation in the media?
-
Megan Hunt replied to Nicky Allen
Yes, definitely. I know plenty of people who eat fish but not meat (myself included), but I think the correct term for that is pescetarian!
-
Megan Hunt replied to Susan Cameron
I think that the nature of the course lends itself to exploring the limitations of any ideas we might have about the South being 'different,' or 'unique,' but in these initial stages it's important for us all to understand that even if we can already see through the performative nature of much of what makes the South 'exceptional,' these performances have...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Bruce Cotter
Good to have you with us, Bruce. It sounds like you have lots of different experiences and engagements with the South. One of our key aims is to try and get to the roots of what we know or think we know about the region, and where those ideas come from. It's great to see you're already making links and asking questions.
-
We've got a lot to cover, Andrew! I hope you enjoy the course.
-
Great to have you on board, Robert! The response has been really overwhelming! It's great to see so many people ready to explore this great region together.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Bruce Cotter
Thanks Bruce. I definitely agree that we've seen a great mix of people from around the world, which all helps us to think about how much our ideas of the South have been shaped by so many different forces. I hope you continue to enjoy the course.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Hamish Morrison
You can't go wrong with some garlic powder, paprika, onion and cayenne pepper for a good mix of southern spices! I don't eat meat, but that doesn't stop me spicing up all my eats!
-
Megan Hunt replied to Les Pedrick
This looks excellent!
-
Megan Hunt replied to Amanda Rogers
My family all eat fish, but not meat, but we didn't struggle in New Orleans. I must say the crabcakes in the French Market in New Orleans are to die for!
-
Megan Hunt replied to Nicky Allen
As a vegetarian myself, I would definitely recommend the distinctly southern take on simple, usually boring vegetables such as fried green tomatoes and fried okra. There's also black-eyed pea and spinach cakes and a whole lot of sweet potato recipes that are great comfort food. Check out this blog for more inspiration:...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Bruce Cotter
Beignets! Just one of many great things about New Orleans...
-
Megan Hunt replied to Evelyne Vittoz
Southern Living magazine has hundreds of southern comfort food recipes, starting here with the simple, yet delicious fried green tomatoes! http://www.southernliving.com/food/classic-comfort-food-recipes/classic-fried-green-tomatoes-recipe
Also, see the next step for some of our favourite recipes, and don't forget to post any pictures of your culinary...
-
Megan Hunt made a comment
Read the original New York Times review of Elia Kazan's adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire from 1951: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF1730EF70BC4851DFBF66838A649EDE
-
Megan Hunt made a comment
Lots of discussion about William Faulkner, who is so important to southern writing that fellow southern author Flannery O'Connor described him as 'the Dixie Limited.' But Faulkner's narratives aren't always the easiest to follow. The actor Robert Duvall even referred to Faulkner's works as 'Southern physics.' See below for Faulkner's own advice about reading...
-
Faulkner is not the easiest southern author to get into! I've heard his works referred to as 'Southern physics!'
-
Megan Hunt replied to Kevin Wright
Hi Kevin, you're certainly right to associate the blues with Chicago. But it's important to remember that many of those early pioneers of the blues in the North were migrants who left the South for jobs and opportunities in the northern industrial cities. It obviously developed its own Chicago-style, but its origins are in the Mississippi Delta.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Jolanda G
Hi Jolanda. You're absolutely right. One of the things we are most interested in when studying the South is that relationship between reality and performance. How much about what we 'know' about the region and its characteristics have developed over time from a vast series of influences?
-
Megan Hunt replied to Laila Namdarkhan
Recent studies suggest that African Americans are returning to the South in considerable numbers. Especially the retired and recent college graduates. See for a more detailed look: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/02/02/census-great-migration-reversal/21818127/
-
Megan Hunt replied to Linda Matthews
Yes, by 'South Americans' we are referring to those South of the US border, in countries such as Mexico and Brazil, as opposed to the inhabitants of the southern states of the USA.
-
Hi Norbert. To Kill a Mockingbird is a hugely significant piece of southern literature. It has really shaped ideas of the region for so many people, who got a shock when they learned more about Atticus in Go Set a Watchman!
-
Hi David. Thank you for your comment. It sounds like you have some invaluable experiences that you can share with us about the reality of southern life when you were growing up there. It's also interesting that you mention the importance of 'memory,' as we will be looking at this a lot, in relation to how the region is portrayed in popular culture, and...
-
Hi Frank. Thanks for your comment. You've conjured up so many images of the South here! It's obvious that we have a lot of exploring to do over the next few weeks!
-
Megan Hunt made a comment
Hi everyone, welcome to the course! Be sure to follow us on Twitter @FLAmericanSouth, where we can share even more interesting aspects of southern life and culture.
-
Megan Hunt replied to Carol Dunn
Hi Carol. Look out for our southern recipes as we move through the course, and don't forget to upload pictures of your southern culinary delights if you can!
