York U expert on Hollywood productions available to comment on evolution of holiday films
TORONTO, December 11, 2019 ─ The classic holiday films produced until the early 1960s echoed the values traditionally associated with Christmas – the spirit of giving, peace, love, faith, belief, miracles and blessings. However, that focus has been shifting with changing times, says Gillian Helfield, a lecturer in the School of Arts, Media Performance & Design at York University.
Even the Grinch himself has become increasingly secularized since 1966 – this is when he first appeared in the children’s Christmas fable by Dr. Seuss, which is about a Scrooge-like grump who finally gets the Christmas spirit, says Helfield.
“Newer versions have moved beyond the simple message of the original, to offer instead the ‘back-story’ of who he came to be, along with a socio-psychological analysis of his grinchy persona,” she says.
Helfield, who teaches the online course Hollywood: Old and New in the Department of Cinema & Media Arts, adds that holiday movies now delve more into social issues and problems relevant to contemporary society, such as divorce, bullying, and disastrous family vacations. This is in contrast to characters with religious associations such as Santa Claus and elves or anthropomorphized creatures and animals including the snowman and reindeer that have become symbols of the Christmas season, according to Helfield.
She can speak to:
- The ways in which the subject matter, social values and religious emphases of films in the Hollywood classics (pre-1960s) have shifted over time
- Increasing cultural diversity leading to more universal and secular holiday themes
- Why holiday themes have changed
- The post-modern era’s emphasis on the ‘self’
York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.
York U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.
Media Contact:
Gloria Suhasini, York University Media Relations, 647.463.4354, suhasini@yorku.ca
