Joanna Dee Das, "Faith, Family, and Flag: Branson Entertainment and the Idea of America" (U Chicago Press, 2025)

About this episode

This episode discusses Joanna Dee Das's book on the cultural significance of Branson, Missouri's entertainment industry in the context of American values and politics.

Faith, Family, and Flag: Branson Entertainment and the Idea of America (University of Chicago Press, 2025) examines the history of Branson, Missouri’s entertainment industry within the context of America’s culture wars. The book explores how Branson became a major center for live performance rooted in patriotism, Christianity, and family centered values, attracting millions of visitors each year. Professor Joanna Dee Das shows how Branson represents more than lighthearted entertainment. Through its music, shows, humor, and tourism industry, the city offers audiences a vision of the American Dream centered on the “three Fs” — faith, family, and flag. While supporters view these values as universal and deeply American, critics often associate them with modern political conservatism. The book explores how Branson became a powerful cultural and political symbol in debates about national identity, religion, class, entertainment, and American values. Key Ideas: The book explores how faith, patriotism, and family centered entertainment shaped Branson’s popularity of more than just an entertainment town. Reflects how entertainment can reflect deeper cultural and political beliefs within…

People in this episode

Host: Marshall Poe

Guest: Joanna Dee Das

Topics covered

• Branson entertainment
• American culture wars
• patriotism
• family values
• national identity
• political conservatism

Keywords

• Branson
• entertainment
• faith
• family
• patriotism
• American Dream
• culture wars
• political conservatism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Chicago Press

Books & works: Faith, Family, and Flag: Branson Entertainment and the Idea of America

Places: Branson, Missouri

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