This post is a place holder for articles which address the cultural aspects of the Loch Ness Monster. This blog of course covers the main theme of Nessie herself and those who pursue her but a modern day mythology has wrapped itself around the creature as society in its various aspects expresses their various conceptions of the Loch Ness Monster.
The old Highlanders mapped their bridled demon onto the mysterious object that ploughed its way thru Loch Ness and modern man is no different in how he processes the beast through various cultural filters of the day. You have the Commercial filter where outlets sell postcards (above), fluffy toys, fridge magnets and badges portraying something ranging from a green monster wearing a tartan bunnet to a more standard looking plesiosaur.
You have the Hollywood filter which either portrays Nessie as a gentle giant appealing to family audiences such as in the 2007 "The Water Horse" film or for the less nervous we have the marauding man eater such as in the 2008 film "Loch Ness Terror". All entertaining stuff but not much to do with that thing looking like an upturned boat slowly gliding to a point of submerging.
That is also reflected in the literary world where films often take their ideas. Steve Alten's "The Loch" leads a genre of book which stays with the mysterious beast you need to avoid at all costs ranging to titles where things are just generally a bit mysterious and edgy.
This is most reflected in the Childrens' filter where we see that the Loch Ness Monster seems to have some magical appeal to kids. There are more books written on Nessie for kids than other audiences and I don't see that trend changing anytime soon. This can range from green Nessies which present the Loch Ness story in a kid-like way to general friendly Nessie stories. By the way, if anyone can guess why Nessie is often presented as a green creature in many cultural references despite being generally described as grey or black, I would be interested in your comment. Clearly, grey/black is not a cheery colour or conducive to entertaining, but why green?
Each of these filters or genres presents the Monster in a different way to its intended audience. But like the Kelpie of old, they may bear little resemblance to the underlying reality. Even the more serious books which concentrate on the evidence and seek to avoid "entertaining" are not immune to cultural influences as more popular theories such as the plesiosaur one infiltrate the handling of the evidence. In the end, culture is the sum of all our preferences and prejudices and the Loch Ness Monster is no more immune to that than any other folklore, be it modern or ancient.
Below are links to the various articles I have written relating to the Culture of Nessie.
Nessie and the Silly Season - link
The Loch Ness Eels (fictional book) - link and link
Loch Ness Monster Exhibitions - link
Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (film) - link
Loch Ness Monster Pictures - link and link and link and link
Nessie Cartoons - link
Nessie Simulacra - link
The Secret of the Loch (1934 film) - link
Who would own Nessie? - link
Tourism Wars at Loch Ness - link
Loch Ness Artists - link
Some Nessie Tidbits - link
Nessie banknotes - link
Some Nessie Paintings - link
Asterix, Doctor Who and Nessie - link
Some Pathe Newsreels on Nessie - link
Another Loch Ness Painting - link
Two Books and Two Kelpies - link
Christmas and Nessie - link
World War II and Nessie - link
The Commonwealth Games and Nessie - link
The Loch Ness Monster and the BBC - link
Early Artistic Depictions of Nessie - link
Nessie says No! - link
Nessie, Salmond and Bonfires - link
Nessie Cartoons Through the Years - link
The Nessie Effect - link
Nessie in the Kitchen - link
Most Popular Cryptid? - link
The Soviets on Nessie - link
Nessie: Scotland's National Animal? - link
New Loch Ness Tourism Website - link
Was Nessie invented by a publicist? - link and link
An old tale from Loch Ness - link
Nessie named after the Queen? - link
Nessie on the Internet rise - link
The Year of the Monster (artist) - link
Oor Wullie meets Nessie - link