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ERIC Number: ED276076
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1986-May
Pages: 45
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Sensual Surfaces and Stylistic Excess: The Pleasure and Politics of "Miami Vice."
Schwichtenberg, Cathy
Using Jean Baudrillard's postmodernist theories, this paper analyzes how the television program, "Miami Vice," operationalizes his theory through its attention to surfaces and style. The paper notes that Baudrillard proposes life as a surface comprised of animated models indistinguishable from the reality these models represent and asserts that, in much the same way, south Florida and "Miami Vice" have become indistinguishable from one another. "The CBS Morning News" and features in "The Miami Herald" are used as examples of how culture and "Miami Vice" have intermingled and life has become a hyperreal script of the television show. Other examples of hyperreal syntheses of the model and reality are the EPCOT model, the disco model, the condominium model, and the shopping mall model. The paper critiques certain aspects of "Miami Vice," such as its subordination of substance to style and actor Don Johnson's physique as a cipher of style. Finally, the postmodern indulgence in pleasure is related to its emphasis on surface and style. A five-page bibliography concludes the document. (SRT)
Publication Type: Opinion Papers; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A