‘Something Like a Circus or a Sewer’ The thrill and threat of New York City in American culture

The chapter examines how New York (and Manhattan specifically) has been viewed in recent popular cultural artefacts as the epitome of America (and certainly in the post-9/11 era) as well as a heterotopic conceptional and cultural space. It identifies the paradoxical fantasy of New York through a range of media; film crossovers of comic books, literature, documentary film and popular music. As well as exploring other themes (the city as utopia/dystopia, globalisation and the decline of America), the notion of New York as a ‘theme park’ is a vital consideration here. Ultimately, the study of various media will illustrate the city as ‘subject’ and in particular how New York is conceived as an organic and elusive text