Comments on: Big Apple Apocalypse: 200 Years of Destroying New York City

By: Mick Broderick

Mick Broderick — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 15:26:08 +0000

Max Page wasn’t the only person contemplating an exhibition about Manhattan’s end. Back in 2004, while researching the sale and circulation of 9/11 memorabilia I began to develop a curated exhibition, ultimately titled “Nuke York, New York” and co-curated with historian Robert Jacobs. Our project focussed specifically on the trope of an imagined and anticipated atomic attack on NYC with examples dating back to before the announcement of the Hiroshima bombing:

http://www.japanfocus.org/-Mick-Broderick/3726

This material culture and media exhibition ran at Cornell University during the tenth anniversary of the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. As it happens, our array of static, audio visual and interactive materials complements and expands Professor Page’s excellent monograph.

“Nuke York, New York” will be next exhibited at CUNY’s Macaulay Honors College in late September 2012, and is available for loan upon enquiry.

Mick Broderick
Drmickb@gmail.com

By: TonerGiant

TonerGiant — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:11:16 +0000

I landed on this article searching for news on Apple’s iPhone and found it interesting :)

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 06:23:21 +0000

I think part of the fascination with destroying New York is that it is a very real symbol of our (America’s) power. It sort of gives you the feeling of, “if they can destroy New York, then what can’t they do?” Many of our industries, finance, arts, etc. have their power-base in New York. It is more heavily populated per square mile than the rest of the US and we assume it is better protected than the smaller cities in which most of us live. Losing New York would cause us as a country to feel much more vulnerable than loosing Des Moines or even Dallas. If what we feel is one of our strongest points could be wiped out, that is much more terrifying than if another, less-strategic point was wiped out.

Putting it in the context of a fictional invader, whether from an alien planet or an earthly nation; if they captured/destroyed New York, they seem to be a much more formidable foe than if they only were able to capture/destroy Des Moines. If they destroy New York, I say “We’re all going down! Head for the hills!”; if they capture Des Moines, I say “Hit ‘em with everything we’ve got! Let’s get those dirty bastards!”

Losing New York to natural causes obviously wouldn’t have the enemy-related aspect of it, but the basic principal of America’s power being wiped out would remain, leaving Americans feeling very vulnerable.

I am not trying to diminish the (fictional) horrors of loosing any other American city, only proposing the idea that New York is a symbol of our power.