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james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2013-12-18 10:13 am

In defense of Norman Rockwell

From a discussion of the American War! on! Christmas!:

But what she was really doing in the first instance, though, was standing up for America's aggrieved white Christians, a cohort that's watched in frustration as ethnic populations have grown in size and political power, causing Norman Rockwell's America to fade before their eyes.


Now it is true Rockwell's American includes scenes like this:




But not only is that a reference to FDR's Four Freedom's speech, Rockwell's America also included scenes like this:

[identity profile] scott-sanford.livejournal.com 2013-12-19 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
I noticed that right away for some reason - not just the font but the high relief of the door-mounted letters. Very dramatic.

[identity profile] mmcirvin.livejournal.com 2013-12-19 12:35 pm (UTC)(link)
I do think the little girl's feet are turned in so far that it looks uncomfortable, but that's just the cartoonishly exaggerated body language that Rockwell always gave his people when he was going for comic effect.