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John Seabrook Dr. Fornieri 05/14/ Gilliganization Gillian Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization by Paul A. Cantor examines America, reflected by television sitcoms and fictional dramas, through the lens of Globalization and American exceptionalism. The modern world is far more integrated economically, militaristicly and socially than eras past. This transition, however, was slow and compounding beginning first after World War II and gaining speed during the information revolution. Empathy and compassion are basic human emotions that need only communication to thrive and foster a sense of community. This sense of community is globalization, more than just knowledge of other cultures and countries but a understanding and innate concern as to ones impact on them. Beginning in the decade after World War II and continuing through to today, television programs such as Gilligan's Island, Star Trek, and the Simpsons archive American sentiment and complacency about our place and role in the world. Despite clear supremacy, America shares the world stage over the last half century with Russia, the former U.S.S.R, and China, a rising but stereotypically mysterious power. Viewing pop culture through this lens permits one to identify Globalization as a reoccurring motif and chronicle changing American conceptions and perceptions of the significance of their position and responsibilities as the world super power. Gilligan’s Island first premiered in 1964 to mixed reviews. As a situational comedy the black and white first season appealed to a light hearted audience content with their place in life and, indeed, their role in the world. September 2, 1945, almost 20 years to the day before Gilligan's September 26th , premier, America had proven itself on the world stage to be a overwhelming force for virtuous and noble peace. The pride an self esteem that permeated American culture just after the war is typified in Sherwood Schwartz portrayal of the protagonist of the show, Gilligan. Cantors describes Gilligan as “The democratic hero par excellence, perfect representative of the man in the street in all his
ordinariness...ultimate television everyman...(page 5)”. Gilligan find himself stuck on a apparently deserted tropical island with six other American caricatures. The Skipper, a former military man who characterizes the “...typical heroic figure...(page 6)”, the millionaire and his wife representing American wealth and privilege, the professor, a brilliant scientist representing America’s technological advantage, the movie star, “Represent[ing] the traditional Hollywood ideal of feminine pulchritude (page 7)”, Lovely an heiress and trophy wife, and Mary Ann, the all-American sweetheart. These characters reflect, roughly, the popular make-up of the U.S. At the time and are foils for Gilligan, hence the show's title. The issues the group faces also help to highlight various features of the protagonists character, namely Gilligan and, by proxy, America. Chief among Gilligan's attributes is “A virtue [that is] a distinctively democratic one: agreeableness.” Cantor details that it's Gilligan’s un-impressiveness that makes him more accommodating to others. It is not so much a lack of pride but a lack of ego that enables him to acquiesce to others and practice the principle tenet of democracy. Cantor describes the Jungle Boy episode where “Gilligan listens to one argument after another and tells each of the speakers that he or she has a good point (page 8)” Representing America's willingness to be a fair and balanced arbiter for the world. Though Cantor captures, “the distinctively American principle that no human being, however virtuous or outstanding in anyway is entitled to rule (page 16)”, it is clear Gilligan's anti heroic characteristics are preferred to the classic rule by wealth aristocracy of the Howells or the rule by force tyranny of The Skipper or more accurately Pancho Hernando Gonzales Enrico Rodriguez. The amalgamation of all the castaways characteristics into one culture “...give them the power and right to rule over the rest of the world (page 22)”. Cantor accurately reveals globalization for what is really is “namely the Americanization of the globe (page 23).” The invading parties to the island are never portrayed as legitimate or agreeable, but always as a group to be unquestionably dominated because ours is the only way. “The foreign is never presented as any kind of legitimate model in Gilligan’s Island; rather it is always viewed as something to be resisted and if possible defeated...together the
crew of the Enterprise, named for a famous World War II warship, travel the galaxy “seek[ing] new civilizations and destroy[ing] them”, if they contradict the principles of liberal democracy. The two fold plan for Americanization of the globe starts first with establishing representative democracy as the only legitimate government, then eliminating all opposition to that government until American democracy has encompassed the entire world. So to is the mission of the Enterprise, even so far as using a primitive civilization, fighting to establish its own government, as a proxy to fight the Klingons, clearly a reference to the Vietnam war. “The prime directive insists that no political community should try to remake another in its image.(page 41)”, but in protecting civilizations from influence by others, namely the autocratic Klingons, the crew of the enterprise infringe on a planets right to choose and hence American exceptionalism. The underlying message is that America has only freedom and the well being of all people in mind so any means justify the end. The end of history, or the goal of humanity is to attain freedom and democracy so protection of that goal is the only exception to the prime directive. This is a clear contradiction and Cantor identifies the paradox. “Kirk can interfere in a planets history if the something or someone else is interfering with its autonomous development(page 45).” There is a pompous attitude that comes with American exceptionalism and Star Trek exposes it in key likes such as “We put those people back upon a normal course of social evolution.”, when Kirk essentially destroys The Garden of Eden because it does not reflect a civilization Kirk accepts. He even pompously exclaims, “That's what we call freedom-you'll like it a lot(page 45).” The arrogant way with which Kirk imposes his will on the Universe is in contrast to the innocent antics with which Gilligan Americanized the island. “In Gilligan’s Island the characters, more or less, blunder into Americanizing the globe. The characters in Star Trek, by contrast are actively on a mission and are working hard to Americanize the whole galaxy(page 47).” Here is where the shift in attitudes towards globalization lies, the innocent Gilligan becomes the prideful Kirk, reluctantly pacifying the galaxy, making it safe for democracy and hostile to all other forms of government. Drunk with its own power, America eventually sobers to
events like Watergate and the Vietnam war, during which “The ideological self-confidence of the American people(page 54).” is undermined. This realization results in a new comical and satirical view of American Globalization and lead to the parodies of The Simpsons. The Simpsons represents the most modern viewpoint of American pop-culture through the aperture of Globalization. It is only fitting that it be a satirical and subtly political narrative contrasting classic family dynamics and drama with a new Americanized globe and globalized America. The animated series operates in a unique time period, occupying both sides of the Berlin Wall and by extension the Cold War. The pacification of the world for American liberal politics is very well complete and a vaguely familiar peace settles over pop-culture, contrasted strongly with the intense dramas of the Vietnam Era Star Trek or M.A.S.H. America, or more succinctly, Americans are innocent again as the Baby Boomers, through their writing, project their geopolitical comfort and comedic skepticism of nation government into weekly satire on The Simpson's. Set in Anytown, USA Springfield represents the quintessential small town complete with its own local institutions and government. The family smells of humble American pie sporting two cars, homemaker mother, working father and 2.5 children. A closer look, however, reveals the town to be far from the self-sufficient Rousseauian Eden of Gilligan's Island. Cantor identifies The Simpsons as a post modern family who, unlike the pampered and ignorant families of the 50s-60s, are aware of their global footprint and the true cost of their lifestyles. Though the town has a local market it is run by a Hindu Indian national franchised by a multinational corporation. “...the Simpsons does a remarkable job of portraying how globalized the texture of life has become even in an average small American town of the 1990's(page 69).” As a contrast to the simplistic Gilligan’s Island, the foils for The Simpson's revolve round outside influences highlighting the admirable and satirical qualities of the entire town, rather than one character representing all of America. The transition speaks to a more broad view of what it means to be American, reflecting the more complex life of the modern American. Modern Americans are skeptical
help them to lead virtuous lives. He does, however, warn of too much unity, “It is not obvious that a state may at length attain such a degree of unity as to no longer be a state?(Forneri, 51)”. He goes on to say the more diverse the populous the more prosperous the polis and globalization in practice has taken on a distinctly Americanize homogeneity, pasteurizing the diverse ecology of humanity. Rousseau would agree citing the city and society as the downfall of man, though he difference with Aristotle claiming natural man to be a mostly solitary beast, self-sufficient without the polis. “...this period of the development of human faculties, maintaining a golden mean between the indolence of the primitive state and the petulant activity of our vanity, must have been the happiest and most durable epoch.” Globalization represents a planetary downfall for Rousseau, speeding an already worsening condition beginning just after the hut stage, his golden epoch. There are no redeeming qualities of globalization for Rousseau, as any society larger than a few families is dangerous. It is interesting, however, to contemplate Rousseau’s position on the recent trend to think globally but act locally, effectively striking a golden mean between the ills of a flat mass homogeneity and 1960s era hippy communes complete with organic foods and local activism.
