Episode 25: Blackbeard the Pirate and Cutthroat Island Comparison with Dr. Jamie Goodall

Nov 29, 2022

On this month's episode of The Sociologist's Dojo Podcast, we be talking Pirates! Specifically, this episode will conduct a social and historical comparison between 1952's Blackbeard The Pirate  and 1995's Cutthroat Island Historian and Pirate Scholar Dr. Jamie Goodall returns to the podcast to talk about her new book Pirates and Privateers: From Long Island Sound to Delaware Bay as wll as the numerous and sometimes cringe inducing historical inaccuracies of these two films and the differences of what consitutes a "Studio Picture" four decades apart. So Hoist the sails and batten down the hatches, for we be sailing into the wind of some really bad cinema!

 

Production Notes:

Intro: 0.00-1:07

Discussion of Dr. Goodall's new Book (1:07-33:28)

• More Narrative (1630-1720's)
• Brief Synposis 
• The Importance of Burlington NJ
• A "Pieces of Eight" Conversion 
• Pirates and Privateers 
• The Captain Kidd Influence 
• Black Salors and the Enslaved 
• Politics and Pirates 
• Dr. Goodall's Next Book

Basics of the Films (33:29-41:27)

• Background 
• Plot Synopsis 

Historical Context (41:47-60:55)

• Birth of Cinematic Pirate Talk 
• Two Timelines 
• Cuthhroat's (Many) Inaccuracies 
• No desire for Historical Accurracy in Blackbeard used as an escape 
• Cutthroat trying to bring about "a bit time return" for the Pirate film (and Failing)
• The Counter Culture of the Indie Movie scene of the 1990's
• The Problem with depicting white slaves 
• Tokenism and Frivality as a shield against criticism 

Social Analysis (61:10-87:48)

• Studio driven pictures
• Different results (Blackbeard vs. Cutthroat)
• The wasted potiential of Cutthroat Island
• Gendered Double Standards 
• Cutthroat Inaccuracies part II
• Film as "Soft Power"
• The Faculty responsibility to correct "realistic " portrayals 
• Reality is more Diverse than Fiction 
• Plugs and Alternate Titles

Outtro: 87:49-89:21

• All audio Clips were used under Faire Use 

Stick around for:

• Brian and Jamie Bagging on Indiana Jones as a Faculty Member 
• A Few Special guests :) 

Links:

Dr. Goodall's Previous Episode 

The Blog's Current Director Series: Karyn Kusama  

Follow Dr. Goodall through her Website which links to all her socials