Penn State Altoona faculty explore ideology and fear in ‘Poltergeist’

ALTOONA, Pa. - Penn State Altoona faculty members Brian Onishi, associate professor of philosophy, and Jeff Stoyanoff, assistant professor of English and of women's, gender and sexuality studies, have released a new episode of their "Horror Joy" podcast. In the latest episode, the hosts continue their exploration of haunted houses by discussing the 1982 film "Poltergeist."

In the episode, Onishi and Stoyanoff ask whether the film functions as a conservative celebration of the nuclear family's resilience or a quasi-Marxist critique of capitalism, unbridled consumerism and television's pernicious influence on youth. They discuss the housing development's erasure of history by building over a cemetery without moving the bodies, highlight the implications of downward mobility during the Reagan era and explore Douglas Keller's scholarship on the film deflecting attention from real-world suffering onto occult figures.

The hosts emphasize the isolating nature of suburban homogeneity and consider the film's messy narrative and contested authorship between Steven Spielberg and Tobe Hooper.

The full episode can be accessed on podcast providers or on Red Circle.