What if James Dean survived his 1955 car crash? According to The Monument Mythos, a YouTube analog horror web series created by Alex Casanas and released between 2020 and 2023, the iconic actor would have entered politics and become the 37th President of the United States. This intriguing alternate history has garnered attention for its narrative complexity and puzzle-like storytelling, though some critics warn that its approach risks becoming stereotypical (Hoeffner, 2023). On the other hand, The Monument Mythos has been classified as a form of alternate reality game (ARG) or “unfiction” (Lawton, 2022), a type of narrative that relies on blending reality with fiction, as well as the audience’s ability to suspend incredulity and allow themselves to “play along” and experience the story. The series has not only inspired fans to create The Monument Mythos Wiki – a collaborative and informative database on Casonas’ work – but it has also led to speculative discussions on alternatehistory.com, where a notable thread titled “Dean Democracy: The Presidency of James Dean and Beyond” offers a nuanced exploration of how Dean’s persona might have shaped America’s history. The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between actual American history (particularly its aftermath) and the alternate “Deanverso”, focusing on the “ramifications” – understood as consequences of the divergence from history (Hellekson, 2002) – and, more specifically, on the discursive and rhetorical strategies employed by “President Dean” in his imaginary speeches, slogans, and interviews. Through this lens, the paper seeks to explore to what extent alternate history narratives can function as both representations of and engagements with American history, as well as a tool for either supporting or subverting dominant narratives. This may contribute to a broader understanding of American memory culture (Assmann, 2011) as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon, particularly regarding the creation of collective identity.
Exploring the Deanverse: James Dean’s Alternate History and American Memory Culture
Paola Attolino
2025
Abstract
What if James Dean survived his 1955 car crash? According to The Monument Mythos, a YouTube analog horror web series created by Alex Casanas and released between 2020 and 2023, the iconic actor would have entered politics and become the 37th President of the United States. This intriguing alternate history has garnered attention for its narrative complexity and puzzle-like storytelling, though some critics warn that its approach risks becoming stereotypical (Hoeffner, 2023). On the other hand, The Monument Mythos has been classified as a form of alternate reality game (ARG) or “unfiction” (Lawton, 2022), a type of narrative that relies on blending reality with fiction, as well as the audience’s ability to suspend incredulity and allow themselves to “play along” and experience the story. The series has not only inspired fans to create The Monument Mythos Wiki – a collaborative and informative database on Casonas’ work – but it has also led to speculative discussions on alternatehistory.com, where a notable thread titled “Dean Democracy: The Presidency of James Dean and Beyond” offers a nuanced exploration of how Dean’s persona might have shaped America’s history. The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between actual American history (particularly its aftermath) and the alternate “Deanverso”, focusing on the “ramifications” – understood as consequences of the divergence from history (Hellekson, 2002) – and, more specifically, on the discursive and rhetorical strategies employed by “President Dean” in his imaginary speeches, slogans, and interviews. Through this lens, the paper seeks to explore to what extent alternate history narratives can function as both representations of and engagements with American history, as well as a tool for either supporting or subverting dominant narratives. This may contribute to a broader understanding of American memory culture (Assmann, 2011) as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon, particularly regarding the creation of collective identity.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
