“The Man” is a concept
that’s been used heavily in rock n’ roll and has made its way to mainstream
popular culture. According to Wikipedia,
“The Man" is a slang phrase that may refer to the
government or to some other authority in a position of power. The phrase
"the Man is keeping me down" is commonly used to describe oppression.
The phrase "stick it to the Man" encourages resistance to authority,
and essentially means "fight back" or "resist”
Sites like Wikipedia give the people the power of information
and knowledge, in a sense “sticking it to the man.” Even this idea, however,
has been commodified. Our
political economic system, whose importance in understanding cultural studies
is heavily stressed by Nicholas Garnham, is so dependent on retaining the
oppressive power that any semblance of revolution or independence is quickly
gathered and controlled, if not nipped in the bud. The illusion of
free-thinking still persists, however, inviting a conflict between art and
commerce.
Studio 60 is a perfect example of a false consciousness.
The show itself, at least the pilot episode, addresses this dichotomy head on.
The opening scene is an argument between a stingy studio executive and the show
runner, Wes. A particular sketch is at risk of offending too many people and it
is cut from the night’s line up, another example of “the man” stomping all over
artistic freedom and creativity. During the cold open, Wes is so disgusted by
the altercation that he steps onto set and begins a tirade, bashing the
executives, advertisers, and capitalism in general. The audience in the studio
thinks that it’s part of the act. We have been so programmed to expect certain
things from our entertainment that this rant is not taken seriously as first.
Something out of the ordinary is quickly categorized into a position where it
fits and makes sense in the already perpetuating social constructs. When it
becomes clear that this is not in fact part of the show, both the on screen
audience and we at home think, “Finally! Someone who is willing to speak the
truth about ‘the man’ crushing our souls and controlling our thoughts!” This is
where the lies really start.
In watching a show like this, the viewers know
that it isn’t truth. The characters are fictional, the storylines are contrived
and produced, and it’s all paid for by advertisements. Wes asserts, “There’s a struggle between art and commerce. There’s always been a struggle between
art and commerce, and now, I’m telling you, art is getting its ass kicked.” All of a sudden, the audience is confused. This information is
not what was expected. He exhorts the viewers to change the channel or, better
yet, turn off the TV and refuse to let “The Man” run your life. As his outburst
continues, it eventually gets heated to a point where he is cut off and the
show goes to commercial. At this point, the viewers are aware of the
advertising. Wes has called their attention to it and they may view that car ad
differently then they had 20 minutes earlier. But the trick is that it won’t
change anything.
For a show to be produced it
has to be paid for. For it to be distributed it has to be picked up by a
network. And in order for the show to last more than an episode or two, it has
to be watched. Studio 60 was cancelled after one
season. A sharp decline in viewership meant that less people were doing their
job and consuming the commercials. “The Man” pulls funding and the show is
killed, thus killing any attempt at enlightening the public to the system they
are unwittingly buying into.
Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Sorkin, the show’s creator, aids
in lulling the audience into a false consciousness, one in which they believe
they are actually outsmarting the system. The character portrayed are fun and sympathetic. The audience feels as if Wes is really looking out for their well-being. Matt and Danny are art's advocates and all righteous concern about the purity of the sketches and all of the studio "suits" (besides Jordan who is of course on "our side") are nothing more than greedy, heartless money-obsessed bafoons. This is made clear by the on-the-nose dialogue and especially the cinematography. Whenever Jordan's boss is around the camera is moving and shaking, suggesting that there is nothing solid about him, that he stands for nothing. It also reminds the audience of the spectacle that is film, in a way saying, "remember how this is fake? Yea, this guy is a big phony." Whereas the camera is very still for Matt and Danny, letting their charming sense of humor captivate the audience. For the suits its made obvious that money is all that matters, but to the true artists it's about risk and poetry. But as Grossber says (as quoted by
Garnham) “the fact that people cannot live without minimal access to some
material conditions ensures only that economics (in a narrow sense) must always
be addressed in the first instance.” Sorkin himself greatly benefits from “the
system.” His many successful shows, films, and plays attest to his talent and
popularity. His paychecks confirm his important role in the machine. There is
absolutely that “struggle between art and commerce” that Sorkin writes into
this episode, but this information is still being controlled by the studio.
When he signs his contract and cashes his enormous check, Sorkin agrees to
continue operating within the system already in place. By addressing the
problem in such a head-on way, the audience is pacified into thinking that they
aren’t being pacified.
The technique of hiding in plain sight when it
comes to the structures of the entertainment industry is a popular defense.
It’s seen in shows like Studio 60 and films like The Truman
Show. In 30 Rock, the need
for corporate sponsorship is often mocked.
A scene from "30 Rock" about product placement
But the truth is that Snapple is paying them.
They are still plugging the product, and its purpose of reaching the ears of
consumers is absolutely met. Sorkin and his character may talk a big game but,
as Granham says, “no empowerment will mean much
unless it is accompanied by a massive shift in control of economic resources.”
Until there is an upheaval of the current system western entertainment is
operating under, the arts will always be heavily influenced by the purse.
Whether that is a good or bad thing is yet to be determined but Garnham is absolutely
right in insisting that the economic power in control needs to be an important
part of cultural analysis.
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