Friend of a Friend: The Authenticity Paradox in Representations of Kurt Cobain
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2022-06-15
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en
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Abstract
Kurt Cobain – ‘the voice of Generation X’ – has been a cultural icon since the early 1990s.
This thesis aims to provide insight into how Cobain has been represented in media and what
role notions of authenticity play in those representations. Theoretical research has been used to
establish a theoretical framework regarding the function of cultural icons in contemporary
society and the effects of their relationship with the general public on how they are represented
and interpreted. This framework has subsequently been applied to recent representations of
Kurt Cobain. The 2015 documentary Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck and several fan-made
YouTube videos have been analyzed in terms of overall narrative and conflicting elements of
myth and reality. The results indicate a multitude of narratives across the chosen texts that all
simultaneously demonstrate a high propensity for fantasy and myth and a profound desire for
authenticity and revealing the true Kurt Cobain.
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Faculteit der Letteren