Whites are the basic humans, at least in the realm of visual representation that Dyer focuses on (and which he argues forms much of the basis for how we think about the world). Whiteness is seen as the norm, but a norm which has no real form such that anybody who falls outside of it is automatically and unrecoverably marked by their inability to meet its basic criteria. He conceives of whiteness as a cultural void, a non-identity which allows other aspects of identity (sexuality, gender, religion, (dis)ability, etc.) to come to the fore. Richard Dyer’s purpose in White is to examine what had previously gone relatively unexamined in the realm of cultural criticism and identity-based investigations into the meanings and constructions of race, specifically whiteness. His work combines the fun and excitement of explaining why entertainment is … entertaining, with penetrating views of its cultural, aesthetic and ideological implications.Summary & Implications: What is the author’s project and why is it important now? What’s the narrative about the field that’s emerging from the reading? What narratives are silent? Whose voices are silent? Professor Dyer’s long-standing friend and colleague Ginette Vincendeau said of the award, “It recognises the incomparable contribution Richard has made to Film Studies and Cultural Studies. He was appointed Professor of Film Studies at King’s in 2006, and has held Visiting Professorships at Weimar, Stockholm and St Andrews amongst others. His book Stars, first published in 1979, played a crucial role in establishing the academic discipline of Star Studies, and among his subsequent works are several landmarks in their fields – in particular Now You See It: Historical Studies on Lesbian and Gay Film (1990) and White: Essays on Race and Culture (1997). Richard Dyer studied languages and Philosophy at St Andrews University, before gaining his PhD at the University of Birmingham in the Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies.
The three-day conference includes a special screening of Professor Dyer’s ‘Desert Island Movie’, Kamal Amrohi’s timeless Pakeezah, and concludes with his keynote paper on The Persistence of Textual Analysis. Lifetime Achievement Award for Richard DyerĬongratulations to Professor Richard Dyer, who has been honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 British Academy of Film, Television and Screen Studies (BAFTSS) Conference.
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