A look at Panopticism from the film The Truman Show A look at Panopticism from the film

The Subtlety of Power Disciplinary power is subtle form of control We make choices without knowing that we are making the choice The function is so engrained in our routine that it is a pre- conscience decision Foucault's argument is that disciplinary power (the panopticon) becomes so normal that we do not even realize that our choices are controlled Eliminates the necessity of overt control / dominance because we begin to police ourselves We are subjects (free will) We are objects (conscience)

Power and Visibility The concept of “surveillance” becomes critical to controlling the behavior of the individual Doesn’t necessarily mean camera Surveillance can occur through anything that modifies our behavior Panoptic Power is exerted through visibility “Discipline makes possible the operation of a relational power that sustains itself by its own mechanism and which, for the spectacle of public events, substitutes the uninterrupted play of calculated gazes.”

Power and Visibility This power emerges through the concept of discipline as a mechanism for controlling populations Power is exerted through the creation of desire and necessity Rights Capital Expertise / education Creates “docile” people that accept the world as it is because of the potential benefits it provides

We are objects of “surveillance”… The foundations of the criticism is the normalizing function of repression Panoptic power – the idea of constant presence as a mechanism for controlling populations Moving disciplinary power from the penitentiary to the street Use of security cameras “dummy cameras”

And subjects of surveillance Its purpose is to make it so that every individual is simultaneously the watcher and being watched at the same time “plain clothes cops” “the informed citizen” “if If everyone is a terrorist no one is a terrorist

Panopticism in the Parent Child Relationship Santa Claus is Coming to Town Lyrics: “He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when you’re wake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness sake. You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m telling you why; Santa Claus is coming to town.”

The Hidden Meaning: “He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when you’re wake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good” This song signifies Santa’s omniscient abilities “You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I’m telling you why” It controls children’s behavior through fear of not getting gifts

We Are Both Objects… There is a disciplinary force that controls others and governs their free will Christof is the director CHRIST OF TRU MAN Is there another force that controls the choices

And Subjects Individuals police others to make sure everyone follows the rules Discipline creates a structure that allows us to separate normal behavior from abnormal behavior How do they police Truman? How do they police one another in the film?

Disciplinary Power In the Truman Show, there are two primary mechanisms of disciplinary power Fear – knowledge of potential consequences mitigates Truman’s desire to explore or leave the island Dependence – the idea of dependence reduces his ability to leave the island

Discipline Through Fear One of the major themes of the movie is the idea that they must mitigate his desire to leave the island According to Cristof, they had to manufacture reasons to keep Truman from escaping the island. This happens in a lot of places: His job His loss of a family member His environment

Discipline Through his job His job as a insurance agent makes him risk averse because he has to assess risks on a daily basis

Discipline Through his job His job as a insurance agent makes him risk averse because he has to assess risks on a daily basis

Fear of Drowning Truman is afraid of water which keeps him from exploring

Fear of Drowning Truman is afraid of water which keeps him from exploring

Fear of the environment

Fear of his environment

Disciplining Truman Makes him fear risk His job as an insurance salesman (risk averse) – frames all his choices His father dies in the ocean to make him fear sailing His teacher tells him there is nothing left to explore His wife wants him to have a child His travel agent has posters that highlight dangers of travel and cant book his flight His bus driver breaks down the bus When he wants to drive away Traffic jam Forest fire Nuclear meltdown

Power Through Dependence Power can also be demonstrated in a much more subtle fashion Doesn’t have to be fear for your own safety It can also be through value that you associate with relationships you have with other people Establishing relationships of dependence makes it impossible for you to leave

Power through Dependence Family His mom gets sick Mom gets sick in order to prevent him from going after girl when she leaves the island He gets married Makes him dependent on other people so he cant just do whatever he wants His dumb friend Makes it impossible to leave – doesn’t want to abandon his friend Having a child Cause kids crush dreams They want to delay the travel in order to make the pregnancy possible

Disciplining the Actors Tells the actors what to think / what to say Determines which actors can speak to Truman The woman Determines which actors can interact with Truman The guy on the ladder

Free will Is he free / did he truly escape