Fascism and the political exploitation of Jesse Owens’ black body in the movie “Race” (2016)

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1677-9509.2024.1.45516

Keywords:

Sport, Fascism, Biopolitics, Jesse Owens, film “Race” (2016)

Abstract

This paper aims to question the fascism propagated in the film “Race” (2016), putting it under pressure based on issues related to race, eugenics, the device of immunity, and the politics of the body and life as forms of regulation. Excerpts from the film discuss how scientific arguments support the possibility of eliminating some at the expense of valuing the lives of others. The fascist mechanisms described and analyzed in the film operate as biopolitical practices through various devices. It is understood that this shapes political practices of regulating bodies to maintain or suppress life according to the characteristics that are arbitrarily attributed to individuals and the population. The film portrays a context in which these practices have been taken to the limit, with Olympic sports and the Olympic Games being privileged arenas for these social trials.

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Author Biographies

Fabio Zoboli, Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), Aracaju, SE, Brazil.

Post-doctorate in Body Education from the National University of La Plata (UNLP-Argentina). Professor of the Postgraduate Program in Education (PPGED) and the Department of Physical Education (DEF) at the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS). Member of the “Body and Politics” research group.

Hamilcar Silveira Dantas Junior, Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), Aracaju, SE, Brazil.

PhD in Education from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). Professor of the interdisciplinary Postgraduate Program in Cinema (PPGCINE) and the Department of Physical Education (DEF) at the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS).

George Saliba Manske, University of Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI), Itajaí, SC, Brazil.

PhD in Education (PPGEDU/UFRGS). Professor of the Physical Education course and the Postgraduate Programs in Education (PPGE) and in Health and Work Management (PPGSGT) at the University of Vale do Itajaí (UNIVALI). Leader of the Study and Research Group in Cultural Studies (GEPEC/CNPq).

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Published

2024-07-23

How to Cite

Zoboli, F., Silveira Dantas Junior, H., & Manske, G. S. (2024). Fascism and the political exploitation of Jesse Owens’ black body in the movie “Race” (2016). Textos & Contextos (Porto Alegre), 23(1), e45516. https://doi.org/10.15448/1677-9509.2024.1.45516

Issue

v. 23 n. 1 (2024)continuous flow

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Articles

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