The relationship between reality and fiction is a tenuous one. Primitive societies blended the two together with consummate finesse, particularly in religious ideology. To a Greek farmer, the mythological gods Apollo and Achilles were not abstract divinities, but actual living deities to be feared and obeyed. The oral traditions of Homer were not fictional stories, they were a national heritage, and Odysseus was as real as the storyteller. Early society relied on a common mythology, a common fiction to unite the group, and provide a standard reference point for cultural development. The subsequent Roman adoption of Greek culture and heritage is ironically a fictional copy of a reality based on fiction.
Melrose Place is a striking modern example of art imitating life imitating art. Despite Aaron Spelling's valiant efforts, few of us believe individuals like those on Melrose Place exist. Each character is designed to reflect many attributes in the hope that we will discover one that we see, or want to see in ourselves. They do not exist to make us happy or teach us or improve our life; they exist to lure us into watching fiction so that we will buy the real products that bridge the gap between us and that fictional reality. Whatever they portray, it is a mirror image of what we hope they would portray. Yet, in many ways, they do exist in the nebulous surrogate reality each of us subscribes to called "Hollywood". Every day we suspend our disbelief and ignore glaring inaccuracies to adopt a dream; our fictional belief of what is becomes our reality of what is.
America is not a Caucasian suburb where every father is Hugh Beaumont, and Donna Reed bakes cookies. America is not a land of rolling wheat fields where the honourable farmer struggles to scrape an existence from dirt and determination. America is not a dream where everyone is equal and success is a simple matter of working harder. Traditional America is Lost America, a product sold by America to America. Anyone who promises Lost America is selling a reality that exists only in fantasy.
Umberto Eco examined America's fascination with fantasy realities in his essay "Travels in Hyperreality" from the collection of the same name. (A must-read if you can find it.) It describes his many trips across America and presents examples of imitation, fantasy and chicanery posing as reality. From theme parks through architecture and museums, it is all a clever illusion designed to seduce the humble consumer into dreaming, and paying.
The barrier between reality and fiction is parchment-thin. When the barrier collapses, fiction becomes so real it gains a life of its own. Stephen King has explored this several times, the most recent being his short story "Secret Window, Secret Garden". In it, Mort was a writer whose fiction became the reality that consumed him. Our society may pay little heed to Apollo and Achilles, but we retain our mythological heritage in the oral tradition. Communication through stereotypes reduces the bandwidth needed to describe the scenario, in effect reducing our culture to a series of images and styles.
Events such as the Los Angeles riots, natural disasters and public scandals jar us for a second from our chimeras, but they are quickly absorbed into the fantasy and disappear in an innocuous haze. These examples are disturbing because they remind us that it is all an illusion, the Emperor is naked and it is a facade.
We rationalize the aftermath of the riots to be a giant outpouring of American human spirit while the hurricanes proved America still worked when it had to. No one asked how we will prevent Los Angeles riots in the future, or who will pay for hurricane relief. These are questions you do not ask in a reality that needs a tidy plot ending after thirty minutes. We watch long enough to assure ourselves all is well, comfort ourselves by whitewashing the facts, and drift back into our muted stupor.
Pleasant dreams.
- Ian
In recent episodes, Spelling has wandered into the technique of exploring a single idea from several perspectives. Last week was "relationship" week, this week he turns to "family". Family was explored from both ends of the parenting wicket, and in a generic sense, the universal family of humanity. We also saw the return of the three-story episode.
The show started with Jake returning home from a Hard Day's Work at the gravel pits. Sandy, looking delicious as usual, plays Jacob to Jake's Esau and seduces his birthright away with offers of Pizza and some Wink, Wink, Nudge, Nudge. Jake follows her as a Lamb To The Slaughter only to find out that the Entire Crew has launched the Surprise Birthday Party.
Jake doesn't fancy surprises, and the effect is doubled when Long-Lost Mom appears from nowhere. Jake acts uncomfortable, all the girls titter away, and Billy leaves to cruise his cab 'round the City Of Angels.
Unfortunately for Wee Billy, several of those angels are carrying baseball bats, and Billy learns the value of Side- Impact Protection and Crumple Zones. Even worse, the local police are Less Than Helpful, leaving Billy to lament his Kafka-esque fate with Allison. And, as if the poor lad was not already in poor shape, Rhonda blows up when he pulls a Ross Perot. Referring to his muggers as "those people" pushes Rhonda a Bit Too Far.
Jake sulks through a few scenes where those ever- clever writers let us know Jake's Mom has A Colorful Past and Things Are Not Too Good between Mommy and Number One Son. Sandy does her best to patch things up, but Jake is a Tough Man for Tough Times. His Mom is still a floozy, he does not trust her, and there are some Very Tense Scenes between the warring relations.
Jake and Billy take time out from this socializing to stalk the ne'er-do-wells who fleeced Billy. As usual, Billy lies/ deceives Allison to get what he wants, (and, of course, she will always forgive him when he throws those baby- soft eyes at her) and they take her car into the Jungle. Billy snags the license plate number of the Bad Guys, and turns them in. The Ghost of Clint Eastwood looks down from On High and smiles. Fade to Gap commercial.
Billy experiences a racial epiphany, realizing that life should be more like the Super Bowl Halftime Show and less like the actual Scrimmage. Rhonda, having established her righteous anger with Billy, takes him on a tour through South-Central L.A., past burned-out buildings and by rotting neighbourhoods. They stop at a local shelter to drop off some food and pick up some Words O' Wisdom from a community activist. They exchange a Glance of Understanding, and the doves return to Melrose Place.
Jake decides that his Mom needs to go, so he kicks her out of his apartment. She heads off to the bus station, and Sandy gives Jake hell for not saying goodbye. Jake toots off to see Mom on the bus, and arrives just as they are ready to leave. There is a Heart-Wrenching Scene when he says goodbye, (sans I love you, 'cuz Jake is just too tough to say that.) Not since Ingrid Bergman wandered the tarmac in Morocco has Hollywood served up a more poignant moment.
Oh, the Married Couple showed up at an obnoxious lamaze class, (reminding me of a similar, yet far more entertaining scene in Murphy Brown) and generally worried about The Blessed Child throughout the episode. Michael breaks the lamaze baby/doll and Jane worries all over the place that he will do the same thing with their baby. Yawn. Is it just me, or is Michael putting on more weight than his wife?
I found this episode to be stimulating and professionally challenging. It is rare to see Freudian psychosexual theory presented so succinctly and effectively on television; I was pleasantly surprised. This episode related the fundamental confrontation between Jake/Everyman and the long suppressed desires of his Id. The arrival of Everyman's Mother accents the universal Oedipus Complex found in Everyman. The supporting stories with Innocence/Billy facing Danger, and The Married Couple/Responsibility accepting the impending birth of their Child emphasized key points of the main story.
First, let us explore some minor background material. Prehistoric cultures funnelled this Id-based autoerotic desire into other channels, predominantly violent actions such as beating a Woolly Mammoth to death with a tree branch. Modern culture, lacking a plentiful supply of Mammoths, (but thankfully supportive of professional football) treats gratuitous public violence as taboo, hence the common social ills of repressed anger and desire. The development of autoerotic desire is a classical nourish/defend cycle; if the cycle breaks down, however, the results can be monumental.
Jake/Everyman is trapped in the Oral Stage. Notice his emphasis on kissing; whenever he deals with Sex, it is predominantly for oral satisfaction. Sex could only lure him to her lair with the promise of food, again we see the pattern of oral erotic stimulation. Freud held that a wide range of adult behaviours such as sarcasm and cynicism can be attributed to arrested oral development. Everyman echoes this behaviour in his own life.
Note too that this condition results from a childhood where primary oral stimulation, such as sucking, biting and swallowing, have been repressed. We learn that Jake's mother was young, only 19 years old, when he was born. Consequently, his psychosexual needs were never met from the beginning, and he remains stalled in the first stage. He does not realize this, of course, due to the protective arms of infantile amnesia serving to shelter him from the trauma of his youth. He seeks the goal from Sex, however, he remains unsure of what that goal entails or how to realize it.
Contrast this with the experience of Innocence/Billy. Innocence faces Danger, flirting with Death and Injury. This is indicative of the very-early Anal Stage where children realize they may defy Authority and exercise obsessive control over their own environment. Notice that Innocence enters Danger at the same time Everyman's Mother arrives. He senses that Control is back, that Innocence is again lost, and strikes out in a childlike tantrum. Yet, Innocence feels out of control, even controlled by his environment; in actuality he represents advanced Oral Stage development. His anger reflects the sadistic urges that result with the appearance of the teeth, aggression that accompanies this transition to the Anal Stage. The scene with Innocence and Everyman together in the Car/Freedom should not be taken lightly; Innocence slept so that Everyman could advance with him.
The Married Couple/Responsibility are planning for the arrival of their Child. When Mother arrived, the Married Couple were the first to introduce themselves and welcome Her into Life. Responsibility recognizes Mother and desires Her return to repair the Past. When Michael said "Look at Jake [Everyman] and his Mom" he was calling the Viewer to examine this affair closely. Freudian psychosexual theory is a complex mechanism and despite the lightheartedness of the plot, should not be summarily dismissed without comprehensive examination.
The subplot with Everywoman and Innocence outlines the struggle faced by Everywoman to understand Innocence, Danger and the complexities of Everyman. Meeting in Water/Life, they realize the close bond of comradery and a deeper reliance on each other. Everywoman has, until now, rejected Innocence in favour of Conscience/Matt. She is about to discover that Innocence will be a far greater ally in the days to come than Conscience could ever be. Success plays a relatively weak role, serving only to enable and support Innocence.
Mother's name is Stella, a Greek derivative form of Star. Mother is the focal point of Everyman's life, the Guiding Light for his Ship Of Soul sailing the Water Of Life. His preoccupation with Mother and her role in his life evokes images of humanity's age-old fascination with the stars and their role in societal development. The metaphor is unique and illustrative of Everyman's restless Spirit.
In the end, Everyman comes to grips with Mother, yet, in true Oedipal fashion, it requires the exterior influence of Sex, and the abandoning of Innocence to break the maternal bonds. Everyman advances beyond the Oral Stage into the Anal Stage where he must contend with a new instinctual fusion of libidinal and destructive urges. I eagerly await Signor Spelling's foray into this uncharted territory.
Alas, Melrose Place takes another break as Fox TV presents Rock The Vote. We will be back two weeks from today with a new episode, new analysis, and new quotes. Stay tuned!
So this week Melrose Place deals with the issue of racial tension, insensitive people, and stereotyping people into groups. It was a valid message except every time Rhonda made a Stirring Speech, some goon switched the soundtrack from the usual Melrose Place meets Eric Clapton blues riff to Mahalia Jackson belting out quality Soul Tunes. Stereotypically tacky.
Billy reveals why his scripts are never well-received. When he was planted in front of his raging Mac Plus trying to write about "Last Night", his text was formatted in at least 40 point Chicago. At least we know his last name is not Garamond.
I think more people were employed this week on Melrose Place than in the entire state of New Jersey.
Rambo Disney World (implied)
"Jake, cut her some slack, she's trying." "Sandy, stay the hell out of it! You don't know anything." - Exchange between Sandy and Jake. He never minces words.
"So, whaddaya want from me?" "I'd settle for a little compassion." - Exchange between Jake and Mom. Women never learn...
"I've changed, kiddo. Just give me a chance, you'll see..." - Mom. Traditional family values, handed down from generation to generation, just the way the Good Lord intended...
"It must hurt, Jake, feeling these feelings for your mother." - Sandy to Jake. Is there an echo echoing in here?
and dehumanize their babies.
"We don't want to change the world, we just want to change your oil." - Minit-Lube corporate advertising.
"Changing the world, one idea at a time." - MTV corporate advertising.
"We can change the world, one person at a time." - Rhonda to Billy.