Nicolas Peterson
IR 308: Whooley
April 2015
Breaking Neoliberal: A Look at Neoliberal Actions in AMC’s Breaking Bad
INTRODUCTION
It is neither an implausible nor an outlandish endeavor to recognize expressions of neoliberal political and economic ideology in American television programming. In 2008, world markets plunged into the deepest recession known since the Great Depression. Unemployment skyrocketed, and thousands of Americans lost their homes to foreclosure. In the midst of this crisis of capitalism, viewers began tuning into a new AMC original series featuring Walter White, a mild-mannered New Mexico high school chemistry teacher. At the outset of Breaking Bad, Walt is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and, fearing for his family’s
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The underemployed (and highly overqualified) high school chemistry teacher sets out on a path to completely rebuild himself, creating a massive drug empire, fortune, and trail of carnage in the process. The AMC drama has garnered near-universal acclaim, raking in dozens of mainstream entertainment accolades. Dubbed one of the greatest cable dramas in recent decades, critics have praised the show’s ability to raise questions about morality, taking notions of “right and wrong” to a whole new level. But why is it that so many viewers tuned in and could relate with this mild-mannered schoolteacher turned vicious drug kingpin? What is the underlying political commentary being played to audiences not just in the United States, but all around the world? The truth is that much of Breaking Bad displays a variety of neoliberal motifs, and they have direct implications for our own modern society. The goal of this paper is to better understand neoliberalism by identifying and exploring neoliberal concepts present in Breaking …show more content…
Clearly, Breaking Bad is the perfect analog for neoliberalism, and the political and economic ideology it wishes to convey. Rational actors, cooperation/defection, game theory, capitalism, and self-reliance. All of these concepts can be seen supporting some of the major events and themes which, arguably, helped to catapult Breaking Bad to near-universal critical acclaim. However, it is interesting to consider the ramifications the show has for modern society. In my opinion, Breaking Bad isn’t just a metaphor for neoliberalism; in some aspects, it is a metaphor for neoliberalism that has completely unhinged itself. Legal markets, such as healthcare, which are left to regulate themselves, and have left Walt (and many others) unable to pay for cancer treatment. High stakes illegal markets that are constantly threatened by government intervention. Walter White’s contest in the marketplace isn’t so far removed from the efforts of millions of Americans struggling to secure their own slice of that pie in the sky, albeit in a much more dramatic fashion. Yet in the series’ conclusion, his dream came to a crushing end. The inevitable outcome of an unrestricted neoliberal order, perhaps? In the wake of America’s crippling recession, as politicians push for new policies aimed at furthering the goals of neoliberalism and pro-capitalist impulses, one can only hope that the future
In the article “TV’s Callous Neglect of Working- Class America” written by Noel Murray explains the modern day TV shows un-relatable plots to Americans today. Murray describes how shows in the ‘50s through the ‘90s were relatable to Americans and how they lived their lives. The TV shows then were able to get such great reviews because the jobs the actors had in the shows were average money making jobs. The characters are meticulously when it came to how they used the money they earned. However, as the years have passed, the shows that are on today are not as relatable to Americans. The shows express the fantasy, perfect life that everyone strives to have, but in reality, it is not possible for every family. The programs on today do not convey the difficulties that average Americans face each day, causing the shows to become more and more relatable to average TV viewers.
The authors both making sweeping statements about the political nature of the United States, but Ames addresses a more concentrated demographic of American society than Hedges. The latter points the finger at the venal egotism of celebrity culture for entrancing the public into complacency, and at America’s political leaders for orchestrating the fact, but he also places substantial blame on the people at-large for allowing themselves to be captivated by the entertainment industry. Ames discusses an issue in which the Millennial generation stands as the focal point, but she speaks directly to the teachers of these adolescents due to their position of influence. Although today’s youth are proven to possess a spark of political energy through their own volition—displayed through their generation-wide interest in dystopian literature—an environment of learning and in-depth analysis provides the best opportunity for the novels’ underlying calls-to-action to strike a chord with their young
This essay will discuss how national attitudes towards the working-class and the impoverished are represented in American Television. The purpose of this paper is to comprehend that television shows are not solely designed to entertain consumers but also contain a hidden agenda whose task is to protect certain ideological perspectives and therefore constant framing strategies take place. The paper will commence the analysis by discussing how males and females are represented in the television show Friday Night Lights, secondly it will look at the
Imagine, if you will, a time that seemed innocent... almost too innocent. Imagine a nation under whose seemingly conformist and conservative surface dramatic social changes were brewing, changes as obvious as integration and as subtle as fast food. And imagine, if you will, a radical television show that scrutinized, criticized, and most importantly, publicized these changes, making the social turmoil of a nation apparent to its post-world war, self-contented middle-class citizens. But what if this television show was not as it appeared? What if it masqueraded as simple science fiction, and did not reveal its true agenda until viewers took a closer look? Let us examine how such a television program can become a defining force in the culture of a nation, a force that remains just as powerful almost forty-five years after it first appeared. Let us investigate the secrets of... The Twilight Zone.
Blue meth? This is what the TV series Breaking Bad is shaped around. First, I will be discussing why I chose Breaking Bad to analyze. Secondly, I will discuss the topic of communicating verbally with Walter and Jesse. Thirdly, I will see how they managed conflict and power. Fourthly, I will look at Walter White's relationship with his friends. Fifthly, I will see how listing actively played a role in Breaking Bad. Next, I will dissect Walter and Jesse's relationship in the workplace. Lastly, I will see what this means for communication as a whole.
Prose, Francine. “Voting Democracy off the Island: Reality TV and the Republican Ethos.” Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. Boston; Bedford, 1997. 287-89. Print. 10 Mar 2014.
Since television came into existence, it has evolved into a useful tool to spread ideas, both social and political, and has had a great effect on the generations growing up with these heavily influential shows. To these younger generations, television has taken the role of a teacher, with the task of creating a social construction by which many of us base our personal beliefs and judgments on. This power allows television shows take the opportunity to address problems in a manner that many audiences can take to heart. Many television shows present controversial topics in a comical matter, in some ways to soften the blow of hard-hitting reality at the same time bringing attention to the issue being addressed. In the television show, Everybody Hates Chris, season one, episode four entitled “Everybody Hates Sausage”, the stereotypes that continue to fuel racism are examined in a satirical motif, and class is presented in a comical way, but carries serious undertones which present a somewhat realistic view of the different social strata within the United States.
Deconstruction or poststructuralist is a type of literary criticism that took its roots in the 1960’s. Jacques Derrida gave birth to the theory when he set out to demonstrate that all language is associated with mental images that we produce due to previous experiences. This system of literary scrutiny interprets meaning as effects from variances between words rather than their indication to the things they represent. This philosophical theory strives to reveal subconscious inconsistencies in a composition by examining deeply beneath its apparent meaning. Derrida’s theory teaches that texts are unstable and queries about the beliefs of words to embody reality.
One of the most interesting features about today’s media is that it connects many individuals in perplexingly short amounts of time. Through constant streaming, society has become extremely vulnerable by allowing themselves to be engrossed by the presented reality. The outcome is unsuspecting citizens that are mentally deformed by the adverse lies told to them. Gary Shteyngart exploits this reality through his successful novel, Super Sad True Love Story (2010) in which he creates a fictional world focusing on consumerism and commercialism. This fictive work creates an environment of secrecy in which the government actively displays more cover-ups and less controversial activity. Similarly, but to a much larger extent, Peter Weir’s film The Truman Show (1998) presents a city consisting of theatrical illusions surrounded by
In an article entitled “Resisting and reshaping destructive development: social movements and globalizing networks”, P. Routledge describes neoliberal development, “Contemporary economic development is guided by the economic principles of neoliberalism and popularly termed ‘globalization’. The fundamental principal of this doctrine is ‘economic liberty’ for the powerful, that is that an economy must be free from the social and political ‘impediments,’ ‘fetters’, and ‘restrictions’ placed upon it by states trying to regulate in the name of the public interest. These ‘impediments’ - which include national economic regulations, social programs, and class compromises (i.e. national bargaining agreements between employers and trade unions, assuming these are allowed) - are considered barriers to the free flow of trade and capital, and the freedom of transnational corporations to exploit labor and the environment in their best interests. Hence, the doctrine argues that national economies should be deregulated (e.g. through the privatization of state enterprises) in order to promote the allocation of resources by “the market” which, in practice, means by the most powerful.” (Routledge)
Shows like The Blacklist are continuously blinding everyone from seeing the real problems, such as education, health insurance, and unemployment. This has been a real issue for decades now and is not becoming any better although more people are becoming more aware of the government’s plan, but not enough are doing anything about it. Popular culture has invaded or persuaded our minds and created an addiction for entertainment that we as a whole cannot refuse. In a way the rules are set in place to be broken but there is no reason why shows such as The
Ideology is “a system of meaning that helps define and explain the world and that makes value judgments about that world.” (Croteau & Hoynes, 2014). According to Sturken (2001), the system of meaning is based on the use of language and images or representation. Therefore, media texts come along and select what is “normal” and what is “deviant” to the extent that this hegemony of constructed meanings in the viewer’s head becomes “common-sense” (Gramsci in Croteau & Hoynes, 2014). From this standpoint, what America claims to be pop culture which is omnipresent in media internationally, is a representation, through “politics of signification” of what is right or wrong (Kooijman, 2008). An example of America’s cultural ‘manifestation’ is Mean Girls,
When is lying justified? People used to believe lying was wrong and that everyone had to tell the truth. These four articles show what some people think about the lying and why it's justified or not. Lying is justified when used to protect others and escape causing them harm, but some think it’s better to be completely honest no matter what happens.
It is increasingly clear that media and culture today are of central importance to the maintenance and reproduction of contemporary societies. Cultures expose society to different personalities, provide models, which display various forms of societal life and cultivate various ways to introduce people into dominant forms of thought and action. These are the types of activities integrate people into society and create our public sphere. Media and technology surround our society; engrained into the fabric of our existence so much so, that it has become hard to find an aspect of life not influenced by its effects. For this reason, media controllers, wield extreme power and influence over the lives of everyday people. Although, they increasingly continue to feed the audience trash, despite their authority as the creator of our social/cultural interactions, and justify their actions by calling themselves industries. Reducing themselves to just businesses whose sole purpose is to create a profit. This admittance of what they feel to be their true purpose however does not hinder their control and power but instead adds to it. Creating a need for there to be some way to analyze and discuss whether they are using their position and power wisely. Filling this void, scholars have theorized ways for individuals to be critical of the media that they intake. One of these critical theories is the “Culture Industry” theory. Using Cultural Theory, as well as other complementary neo Marxist theories, it is possible to determine how Stacy Peralta, once urban youth culture advocate, became incorporated into the superstructure through media use, thus making him a tool for the continued commoditization of society, and a youth marketer for industries l...
Neoliberalism is a policy model of social studies and economics that transfers control of economic factors to the private sector from the public sector. ... Neoliberal policies aim for a laissez-faire approach to economic