How “Natives” Drink. Bravo Shots, For Example: Mourning and Nuclear Kitsch

A study reveals the complex interplay between nuclear kitsch and collective mourning in the Marshall Islands, particularly concerning the legacy of the Bravo Shot, a devastating 1954 nuclear test. The research highlights how contemporary Marshallese society, influenced by American expatriates, trivializes historical trauma through commercialized references to nuclear testing, such as the 'Bravo Shot' cocktail served at Majuro's airport bar. This phenomenon undermines ethical mourning and perpetuates a distorted social imaginary that rationalizes or ignores the violence inflicted on the Marshallese people. The study critiques the appropriation of terms like 'bravo,' originally used in Barker's work to honor Marshallese resistance, now repurposed in ways that may diminish the gravity of colonization and nuclear weapons' impact.

Kupferman, D. W. (2015). How “Natives” Drink. Bravo Shots, For Example: Mourning and Nuclear Kitsch. Postmodern Culture, 25(3). https://doi.org/10.1353/pmc.2015.0016