Pinky and the Brain: Modernism & Postmodernism
Monde
a guy named Paul Wagenseil wrote this on the ex-Barringtonian mailing
list:
Pinky and the Brain
The Brain, with his grandiose plans to rule the world, is clearly an
example of Modernism (Mussolini, Stalin) at its worst. Pinky, on the
other hand, loops together random images and ideas to create nonsense
sentences which are bracing in their surreality--clearly an example of
Post-Modernism.
There are evident class differences as well--The Brain has an educated
American professorial accent--the voice of authority in the Modern
world--while Pinky speaks in a demented Cockney dialect, recognizable to
music-hall aficionados as the voice of the working-class Trickster.
The Brain's plans always assume predictable behavior on the part of the
world political-economic system--push the system too far, he asserts,
and the old order will collapse and a new one, led by himself, will
prevail: for example, the Brain's orderly and successful attempt to
create a small foreign nation, declare war upon the US, lose, and then
apply for foreign aid so that a giant laundry dryer can be built that
would paralyze the world in a massive outbreak of static cling. This is
clearly Modernist thinking.
However, these plans always fail because of variables the Brain has not
taken into account. With regards to the already cited example, the
small island nation the Brain had taken over was swamped by a tidal wave
after its Australian-accented Polynesian surfer natives had left, and
Pinky (the Trickster) ripped the foreign aid check from the US State
Department in half to make a sail for his and the Brain's raft.
Pinky has no plans to take over the world, and indeed seems perfectly
comfortable in whatever circumstances he and the Brain find themselves
in. He is supremely adaptable and finds amusement in almost anything.
Clearly, this is a Post-Modern approach.
The Animaniacs are even more Post-Modern. They gleefully ransack and
paste together bits from cartoon history to create nonsensical collages
of slapstick violence--assemblages that are at once parodies of,
commentaries upon and hommages to all previous cartoons.
Due to limitations of space and time (unfortunately, I am frozen in that
Modern construct known as a "job", and I acknowledge my philosophical
immaturity with regards to those who find themselves in the Post-Modern
position known as "graduate school"), I cannot successfully parse the
Animaniacs today. Given some interest, I may change my mind.
Pinky & the Brain: WB network, 8:30 & 10:30 am, Saturday mornings
Animaniacs: WB network, 11 am, Saturday mornings
--
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"a human life is just a pamphlet, written by an idiot" - "It"
Kooter
Monde wrote:
> a guy named Paul Wagenseil wrote this on the ex-Barringtonian mailing
> list:
>
> Pinky and the Brain
<snip some pretty good shit just cause I'm afraid some asshole will get
bored reading it again and flame me>
> Due to limitations of space and time (unfortunately, I am frozen in that
> Modern construct known as a "job", and I acknowledge my philosophical
> immaturity with regards to those who find themselves in the Post-Modern
> position known as "graduate school"), I cannot successfully parse the
> Animaniacs today. Given some interest, I may change my mind.
>
> Pinky & the Brain: WB network, 8:30 & 10:30 am, Saturday mornings
> Animaniacs: WB network, 11 am, Saturday mornings
Shit! I want to join the Pinky and the Brain fan club. That Brain is so
kewl. And Pinky. Pinky fucking rulez.