Matt Zoller Seitz and Aaron Aradillas has another video essay up in his series on fame, and how movies examine fame. This essay compiles clips showing “The Maverick”, as explained in the introduction:
This installment, titled “The Maverick,” deals with a disreputable offshoot of the traditional hero: an eloquent, exuberant, often impolite figure who serves as a town crier or truth-teller figure (or seems to). Unlike the traditional hero, The Maverick seems to take a more active role in shaping his image and connecting with the public. He’s an outsider who uses mass media to articulate the audience’s fears and yearnings, and whose charisma spurs them to action.
Clips from Pump Up the Volume, Talk Radio, A Face In the Crowd, Private Parts, Good Morning Vietnam, and more. Give a rebel a microphone and watch the shit hit the fan.
