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Podcast: New Books in Performing Arts
Episode: Alexandra Cosima Budabin and Lisa Ann Richey, "Batman Saves the Congo: How Celebrities Disrupt the Politics of Development" (U Minnesota Press, 2021)
Description: Are celebrities ādisruptorsā who revitalize the development field, or are they just charismatic ambassadors for big business? InĀ Batman Saves the Congo: How Celebrities Disrupt the Politics of DevelopmentĀ (University of Minnesota Press, 2021)Ā the authors argue that celebrities play both roles, and that understanding why and how yields insight into the realities of neoliberal development. As elite political participants, celebrities shape development practices through strategic partnerships that are both an innovative way to raise awareness and funding for neglected causes and a troubling trend of unaccountable elite leadership in North-South relations. The authors use actor Ben Affleckās Eastern Congo Ini...