The American monomyth

the long version

Jewett and Lawrence examine the American monomyth in popular culture and mass media, driven by recurrent patterns in television, movies, real-life legends, and books. They find tales of redemption that include selfless servants who impassively give their lives for others and zealous crusaders who destroy evil. Starting with the Bionic Woman Jamie Sommers and continuing to such examples as Star Trek, Playboy, Superman, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Little House on the Prairie, the authors find a myth that is rooted in pop materials. It replaces the Christ figure, which has been eroded by scientific explanation, but allows the American culture to remember "supersaviors" who are woven throughout society.