Picking Bateman's Brain

To add more depth to my previous blog regarding the film American Psycho, why is it that our protagonist, Patrick Bateman, spends much of his time strolling the streets of New York City (seemingly) killing innocent people?  What is his motive for doing such an act? Is it to satisfy some kind of crave, or is it just an extra curricular activity of his?  But most importantly, what goes on in that head of his? Let me provide a few theories...

First off, I think we could all agree that Patrick is one who loves to have control, power, and order.  Whether he is taking the axe to his fellow co-worker, or showing off the text of his business card, it is clearly shown that he constantly wants to be in control.  A scene that clearly demonstrates my theory would be when he takes another woman (not his fiance) out to dinner.  She is drugged, thus making her delusional.  He convinces her that they are at Dorsias (the hotspot which is frequently mentioned throughout the film, and a restaurant where it's extremely difficult to get a reservation), when it is clearly shown that they are not.  Taking advantage of her state of mind, he tells her exactly what she will order, and she obliges.  This very scene I found to be an example of Foucault's argument regarding the subject of discourse, stating that "bodies are subject to the regulatory power of discourse by which they become subjects for themselves and others." (Barker, p. 93).  So if this was connected to the dinner date between Bateman and what's-her-name mentioned above, then it is clearly shown that the woman is the subject, and Patrick is twisting this very subject for his own desires.

Let us now look at his other, more sinister activities, specifically the scene where he takes out an axe to hack away at Paul Allen, his colleague, out of sheer jealousy.  After chopping him up to bits, he finally regains a sense of control, eliminating his competition.  He is jealous and disgusted towards Paul because of several shallow factors, such as having a more expensive apartment than Patrick.  Not only do these scenes provide examples of power and control, they also display a sense of identity with Patrick.  The embodiment of the yuppie stereotype, Patrick is privileged, toned, and sophisticated, wanting no one to be above his standards.  He even tells his fiance at one point that he "wants to fit in."  He wants to build around himself a social identity that is perfect to the point where no one would see his true self.  In this regard, one could argue that his identity is anti-essentialist, which is, according to Barker, "The idea that identity is plastic." (Barker, 217).  In this sense, it is Patrick Bateman whose outside persona is "plastic," hiding behind a mask that is often threatened by those who make him feel inadequate. 

Seinfeld Withdrawl

You know that feeling you get when you finally finish a project you've been slaving over for about a week or two? That strong exhalation of breath you make when you realize you no longer have to deal with such a big project. That was the feeling my group and I had after completing our presentation devoted to Seinfeld, and I'm pretty sure that we are all tired of watching the wild antics of these four friends...at least for now.  Overall, I think our presentation went really well.  I think the way we introduced our presentation was very clever, and it definitely gave us an edge. Basically, it was a stand-up routine imitating Jerry Seinfeld performed and written by yours truly.  After that, we began our discussions.  There were some brilliant points that were brought up, as well as some very specific ties to the Barker book. I would have to give major kudos to Rachelle and Sandy, who were basically the ones to lead our presentation, and keeping the flow of what we were discussing.  In my opinion, "The Deal" was the most successful episode we analyzed, as we engaged in the topic of sex, friends with benefits; there was a strong connection to this them and McDonald's book  "The Beard" was also another good episode we discussed, challenging the concept of homosexuality and whether it is a "choice" or not, as it was vaguely brought up through Jerry and Elaine arguing.  "Romantic Comedy," going on about sex having barriers, and only to find that it does not work out in the end. We made sure to ask questions, challenging the students in our class, and they brought up some really good points related to our subject.  As I mentioned, our presentation went very well, and I have to admit that even though I had a good time with my partners, I am relieved that it is finally over!

A Political Satire...With Strings Attached

There are a few things I would never expect in a college-level classroom...and one of them would be watching Team America: World Police, and then critiquing and analyzing the potential "connections" it may have concerning our American culture.  Now after watching it, thanks to our professor Wexler, I have come to realize that this silly little puppet movie may actually have some meaning behind it.  At first, we took a look at the beginning of the film, where the middle eastern terrorists were planning to bomb Paris, only to be thwarted by Team America, our heroes. The terrorists were portrayed as the embodiment of the middle eastern stereotype: white robes, turbans, and beards covering half their face. One could argue that this film depicts Muslims from a subjective standpoint, and that in our post-911 society, it may be common to view them in this way.  The way this film depicts America, however, is no exception. Even the film's title is based off of criticism from other nations, viewing the US as one trying to "Police the world."  The beginning of the film clearly demonstrates how Team America were more destructive than helping--knocking down the Eiffel Tower to kill just one terrorist. One could also argue that there are ties between this and Barker concerning social identity, specifically meaning: how others view us, or how we now view Muslims. Of course, I could be wrong, and this is just a silly movie with marionettes.  But we cannot deny that the satire is eminent.