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Metal and Rust: Postindustrial White Masculinity and Supernatural’s Classic Rock Canon

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Supernatural, Humanity, and the Soul

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Abstract

Since Supernatural’s first season, the use of well-known music from the classic rock and heavy metal soundworlds has been central in the show’s diegetic and nondiegetic contexts.1 Music frequently takes center stage as characters listen to songs from the late 1960s through the 1980s, share stories and anecdotes about these works and the bands that created them, and argue over different notions of musical aesthetics and authenticity. In addition, selections from this repertoire punctuate moments of intense emotion, character growth, and narrative development. By using a familiar catalog of preexisting popular music, Supernatural draws on a wide range of emotional, historical, and cultural associations that have accrued to this repertoire over the past several decades. These discourses become key resources in the show, as producers mobilize the deep cultural resonances of these songs in order to bring texture and depth to key moments.

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Authors
  1. Gregory J. Robinson
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Editor information

Susan A. George Regina M. Hansen

Copyright information

© 2014 Susan A. George and Regina M. Hansen

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Robinson, G.J. (2014). Metal and Rust: Postindustrial White Masculinity and Supernatural’s Classic Rock Canon. In: George, S.A., Hansen, R.M. (eds) Supernatural, Humanity, and the Soul. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137412560_15

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