House, M.D.- An Allegory for the Effects of Postmodernism on Society

1668 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Television as a society influencer

The television drama House, M.D. (produced by David Shore) has, throughout its history, been one of the most popular television shows in the United States . Since the series debut in 2004, millions of American and international viewers alike have tuned in to the Fox network to get their fix of the antisocial genius that is Dr. House (Hugh Laurie), the title character of the show. Ever since the first episode, when Dr. House explained to his team that "everybody lies" , it has been clear that this medical genius has faith in nobody. In 2007, he went further, asserting that “Rational arguments don't usually work on religious people. Otherwise, there wouldn't be religious people.” This mistrust is central to the ideas of postmodernism, and the fact that it is expressed in one of America’s most popular television shows demonstrates that it is not a thing of the past. House, M.D. provides an analog for the worldwide transition into a postmodern era, and reflects upon the ongoing skepticism felt by society. This paper will provide a brief analysis of the aesthetic and substantive aspects of the television show, House M.D., in order to explain its role as a symbol for the transition of society into postmodernism.

After the opening credits, the standard introduction to an episode of House consists of the initial diagnosis. Typically, Dr. House enters his office and encounters his diagnostic team, which in the latest episode consists of doctors Robert Chase (Jesse Spencer), Eric Foreman (Omar Epps), Remy Hadley (Olivia Wilde), and Chris Taub (Peter Jacobson). House almost always proceeds to drop the episode’s main patient’s file on a table, and describes the symptoms explained therein. After this brief rundown, his team begins to throw ...

... middle of paper ...

...cs?.American Journal of Bioethics, 8(12), 16-17. doi:10.1080/15265160802478503.

Koch, T. (2008). The doctor in this House: lessons from TV's Gregory House, M.D. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 178(1), 67-68. Retrieved from Academic Search Complete database.

Jauhar, S., & ., M. D. (2005, July 19). Magical medicine on the TV. The New York Times, pp. 5.

Furhammer and Isaakson (1971) Politics and film. Excerpt from “The image of the enemy”

“Ignorance is Bliss”. House, M.D. David Shore. Fox, 23 Nov, 2009.

Delwiche, A. (2009, Nov 11). “Postmodernism”, COMM 2302. Trinity University.

“Lucky Thirteen”. House, M.D. David Shore. Fox, 21 Oct, 2008.

“Brave Heart”. House, M.D. David Shore. Fox, 19 Oct, 2004.

Dick, B. (2002). Anatomy of a Film. Excerpt from “Film, space and image” Boston: Bedford / St. Martin’s. “Close-ups and Long Shots”.

Show More
Related

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Complications By Dr. Atul Gawande

    541 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dr. Atul Gawande, a Harvard Medical School graduate and writer for The New Yorker, phenomenally illustrates the unknown side of healthcare professions in his book, Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science. By exploring the ethical and analytical aspects of medicine while entertaining readers with relatable anecdotes, Gawande impresses on his audience the importance of recognizing the wonders of the healthcare field, as well as the fallibility of those within it.

    Read More

  • Dr. Grant's Essay: The Case Of Mr. G.

    483 Words  | 1 Pages

    In her personal essay, Dr. Grant writes that she learned that most cases involving her patients should not be only handled from a doctor’s point of view but also from personal experience that can help her relate to each patient regardless of their background; Dr. Grant was taught this lesson when she came face to face with a unique patient. Throughout her essay, Dr. Grant writes about how she came to contact with a patient she had nicknamed Mr. G. According to Dr. Grant, “Mr. G is the personification of the irate, belligerent patient that you always dread dealing with because he is usually implacable” (181). It is evident that Dr. Grant lets her position as a doctor greatly impact her judgement placed on her patients, this is supported as she nicknamed the current patient Mr.G . To deal with Mr. G, Dr. Grant resorts to using all the skills she

    Read More

  • FIL110 WA7

    641 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lewis, J. (2008). American Film: A History. New York, NY. W.W. Norton and Co. Inc. (p. 405,406,502).

    Read More

  • Comparing The Lorax Book and Film

    1840 Words  | 4 Pages

    Petrie, Dennis and Boggs, Joseph. The Art of Watching Films. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012.

    Read More

  • Analysis: The Mop-Up By Atul Gawande

    1733 Words  | 4 Pages

    Diligence is a virtue. This is a theme Atul Gawande presents to the reader throughout Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance. In each story, Gawande provides insight on medical studies he has previously embarked upon. For example, in “The Mop-up” the author tells us about a time when he went to India to observe the efforts to eradicate polio. Gawande explains how he followed a supervisor around and how vaccinations were performed. Additionally, in another chapter he debates on whether physicians should take part in death sentences. Throughout his adventures Gawande provides numerous enriching personal accounts of controversial events and what it is like to be a doctor; each with diligence playing a key part.

    Read More

  • Analysis of the Film Narrative "Wendy and Lucy"

    997 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bordwell David and Thompson, Kristen. Film Art: An Introduction. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008.

    Read More

  • Implicit Bias In Health Care Essay

    584 Words  | 2 Pages

    Question Quote "I doubt that these experiences are unique to the hospitals or the medical school at which I have thus far trained. I expect that they pervade health care systems throughout the country. I give credit to my medical school for teaching me to be critical of the culture of medicine, apply interdisciplinary perspectives to clinical quandaries, and reflect on my experiences." (Brooks KC. 2015.)

    Read More

  • Mary and Max: A Dark Tale of Two People Finding the Light

    1639 Words  | 4 Pages

    " Phil on Film. N.p., 19 Oct. 2009. Web. The Web. The Web.

    Read More

  • The Medicalization of Society by Peter Conrad

    1544 Words  | 4 Pages

    Kleinman, Arthur M. “What Kind of Model for the Anthropology of Medical Systems?” American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 80, No. 3 (Sep, 1978), pp. 661-665.

    Read More

  • Dr. Gregory House Antihero

    1075 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the end of each episode, Dr. Gregory House is a hero because he saves people’s lives. His not so nice personality, difficulty to work with, and morals are his main symptoms of being an antihero. His methods to get to the diagnosis are obscene, rude, and cruel, but that is what makes him the perfect antihero.

    Read More

  • Scene Analysis of "The Green Mile"

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    Barsam, Richard. Looking at Movies An Introduction to Film, Second Edition (Set with DVD). New York: W. W. Norton, 2006. Print.

    Read More

  • Benefits of Communication in the Movie, The Doctor

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    The movie “The Doctor” is a good example of how communications in the health field work to benefit not only the patient, but the doctor too. In this movie, the main character, also known as Jack McKee, is a heart surgeon. The movie begins by showing how McKee’s attitude towards his patients tends to be inappropriate. Jack jokes about his patients and laughs at their concerns. His home life is also a struggle; his relationships with his wife and son are falling apart. The movie takes a turn when Jack becomes suddenly ill. He begins coughing up blood. He meets with a specialist by the name of Lesley. Tests reveal that Jack has a serious tumor on his vocal cords. He has now become the patient. He begins treatment but the results are not what they expect. Along the way, he befriends a brain tumor patient by the name of June. She will teach Jack how to empathize. He will learn how to feel and communicate not only with his wife and son, but for his patients as well.

    Read More

  • Male Gaze

    1788 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mulvey, Laura. "Visual Pleasures and Narrative Cinema." Screen. no. 3 (1975): 6-18. http://screen.oxfordjournals.org/content/16/3/6.full.pdf html (accessed November 14, 2013).

    Read More

  • The Film The Matrix

    1368 Words  | 3 Pages

    Spadoni, R. (1999). The Figure Seen from the Rear, Vitagraph, and the Development of Shot/Reverse Shot. Film History, 11, 319-341.

    Read More

  • Dr. House

    421 Words  | 1 Pages

    Dr. House specializes in infectious diseases and has a team of three “overqualified doctors” who he barely ever utilizes. As seen through his interactions with every character including his superiors in the pilot, Dr. House is a stubborn, rude, and lazy person. When the young woman is brought to the hospital in which House works in, House is extreme reluctant to treat her. When he finally agrees to treat the patient, House still refuses to to actually see her. He proclaimed that, “everybody lies” and then went further to say that science and diseases don’t lie but people always do so he does not like meeting patients who have the capacity to do so.

    Read More

More about House, M.D.- An Allegory for the Effects of Postmodernism on Society

Open Document