Full Citation
Title: Dimming Friday Night Lights: Race, Gender, and the Ego of a Small-Town
Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis
Publication Year: 2019
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Abstract: Cultural shifts in Odessa in the 1980s, such as the desegregation order of 1982, threatened the status quo of the town in a number of ways, not the least of which was high school football. Additionally, the town was experiencing a period of financial strife following a one of immense wealth due to the fallen price of oil, which dictates the nature of the economy for the entirety of the town. The events that propelled desegregation on top of a struggling economy meant that the people of Odessa felt themselves being thrust about in a changing world with no clear idea of what their new role would be. In my first chapter, “Feast or Famine,” I explain the culture of Odessa, Texas by examining two key facets: the oil-based economy and the rise of Permian football. Though seemingly unrelated, the consistency of the Panthers’ success compensated for the insecurities brought on by the town’s boom and bust economy. I highlight the positive effects Permian football has on Odessa, an element of analysis that is fundamentally lacking in Bissinger’s work. In my second chapter, “A Form of Educational Malpractice,” I outline the battle for desegregation in Odessa, pulling from the experiences of both educators and students from this time in addition to related newspaper articles archived by ECISD. Odessa’s abnormal timeline for desegregating is imperative in framing the racial attitudes of the town in the 1980s, and the intersection of race and sports is crucial both to my analysis and to Bissinger’s. My third and final chapter, “Where’s That Book Writer Dude?” describes how Bissinger became a part of the Permian family, the impressions he left on those he encountered, and the lasting impact of Friday Night Lights. Given that his work tells the stories of real people, giving Odessans a chance to voice their feelings of betrayal after Bissinger profited off their story is critical to my goals in writing this thesis.
Url: https://history.barnard.edu/sites/default/files/2019-_hattie_miller.pdf
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Authors: Miller, Hattie
Institution: Barnard
Department: History
Advisor: Celia Naylor
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Pages: 1 - 67
Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS
Topics: Race and Ethnicity
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