Sitcom Rerun Sociology
The omnipresent syndicated reruns of The Brady Bunch and Gilligan’s Island serve as lessons in sociological through imagery. Family voters determine which shows will be watched and individual preferences reveal sociological connections. Gilligan’s Island is situated as a storyline which eschews the value of connected dependence with its focus upon self-preservation and survivalism whereas mixed family conceit of The Brady Bunch is forwarded as a testament to group cohesion and the will of the collective.
Boys Town
An appropriate alternative title for this novel might well have been “Boys Town.” The township is at the center of the story and thematic patina overlaying the township is its expectations of its male population to be paragons of masculine stereotypes. This is conveyed in one of the most concise and efficient examples of imagery:
“You’ve got to look like you’re trying to stop him, though. If you don’t then you’re a gutless wonder. A gutless wonder is about the worst thing you can be in our town. If you’re a boy that is.”
Bradys versus Castaways
When it comes to reruns, Blacky is a diehard Gillian vote, always to be counted upon to vote thumbs-down for that bunch of everything-for-the-team Brady kids who aren’t even really siblings. And in his experience, even a blood sibling can’t be counted on the way the Brady Bunch would have you believe. This is a view that runs deep, well outside the confines of the TV screen. He is rebel running against the current in a town that conformity built:
“I reckon a family is a lot like a team. Perhaps it’s the original team. You’d think, wouldn’t you, that given his lemming-like qualities, Team-man would be just about the best sibling you could have? Do anything for you, for the family. Good theory, but wrong.”
One Shade of Grey
Recurring references to grey serves as imagery which reflects Blakky’s coming-of-age and maturation. As is the case with most rebels, he begins by seeing things simplistically in a black and white division that equates easily with good and bad. Following the death of Dumby, Blakky falls into a “grey” mood characterized by imagery that underscores the way in which he is beginning to recognize the bleeding of the extremes of black and white into a grey society not nearly as easily divided by moral boundaries.
