- 23 Sep 2013 19:49
#14303230
I think the Skylar-Walt Jr.-Marie hate comes from two sources. The first is down to the show: the characters aren't particularly well written or developed. It would have been good if the show had included a couple of episodes per season where their views and their pasts are better covered so we can understand more their motivations and development.
The second, however, is more down to a problem with viewers. Breaking Bad has been from day one a deconstruction of American masculinity, about Walt's inability to come to terms with the way in which his cancer will destroy his role as pater familias and to accept the help of others: he has an overwhelming need to be in control because that is what he thinks captures the essence of masculinity. Cancer threatens to emasculate him. If it was all about his family, then a route was offered to him really early on: his former partners in Gray Matter offered him a secure and well paid job in order to cover his medical bills and provide for his family after his death. But he was too proud: he wanted to do it by himself, to be a man. No, Breaking Bad is about Walt desperately trying to play the American alpha male, a role he has always secretly coveted but was always too afraid to pursue.
Having Hank as a brother in law must have been torture: throughout, Hank's condescension towards Walt is essentially the anti-intellectual condescension of a self-designated 'alpha' male to his 'beta' brother-in-law. However, even Hank does not fit fully into the commonly accepted model of masculinity because of his lack of children. The fact that this is never ever mentioned suggests to me that it is Hank who is impotent and can't bear to hear the subject mentioned: Marie's various psychoses would also seem to suggest that Hank's anger at his own failure has poisoned much of his family life. We see an example of this when Hank is almost killed by the twin assassins: crippled and confined to a bed, he thinks himself as less of a man and takes out his frustrations on Marie.
The problem is that the show's male audience identifies and sympathises with Walt's pursuit of his (supposed) masculinity, regardless of the immorality and illegality of that pursuit: they want to see him succeed because it assures them about their own gender insecurities. In a word, they are living vicariously through Walt. Therefore, they cannot but be irritated by Skylar, whose concern and worry seems to oppose Walt's (and ergo, their own) quest to secure his masculinity. Of course, looked at objectively, Skylar's actions are wholly naturalistic: what woman wouldn't be concerned that their cancer ridden husband is behaving so bizarrely and nag accordingly? What mother of two would not be disgusted and angry to find out her husband is a lying, drug dealing murderer, seemingly capable of any horror?
The phone call in Ozymandias should be interpreted through the lens. In one sense, it comes from the frustration at the woman who has denied him the opportunity to be a bread winning father (and thus, hero and dominator of the family), a key component in the model of masculinity that Walt so desperately desired. In another sense, the phone call is also a last attempt to be that pater familias, to protect his wife (and thus his children) from association with his crimes. Of course, he is going to fail in that: we know Skylar, Walt Jnr. and Holly have already been deeply damaged by his actions and will only be further condemned by his confession.
Of course, if you accept this interpretation, then the moral of Breaking Bad is that such social conceptions of masculinity (and their concomitant conceptions of feminity) are ultimately hollow and the pursuit of them will do nothing but destroy you and the people you love. Walt is left alone and once again is not in control: he is dependent on the Nazis to save his life and to condescendingly grant him his own money as charity. The idea that he became a drug kingpin to help his family is rendered void the moment Hank is killed.
Notably, Walt Jnr. is the only male character of Breaking Bad who is secure enough in who he is not to bother pursuing American alpha masculinity. He does not allow his physical disability to make him feel any less of a man. Thus, when finally confronted by the truth behind his father, he does not hesitate in doing what is morally right and phoning the police. Once again, the male audience who live vicariously through Walt can only feel disgust for this action because Walt Jr., the comprehensively unmacho cripple, is barring Walt's path to alpha status. However, what else would any teenager do on hearing his father has probably murdered his uncle and on seeing him swing a knife at his mother?
One of the best scenes in the whole series is when Walt, beaten, battered and bruised, breaks down in front of his son in a motel and tries to apologise for not being strong enough. Walt Jnr. tells him that this is the first point in long time that Walt has seemed real, has seemed like a father. The tragedy of Walt's story is that he was more of a father, and thus more of a man, when he was kind, decent and broke than he ever was during his quixotic quest to claim a non-existent social stereotype of alpha masculinity.
The second, however, is more down to a problem with viewers. Breaking Bad has been from day one a deconstruction of American masculinity, about Walt's inability to come to terms with the way in which his cancer will destroy his role as pater familias and to accept the help of others: he has an overwhelming need to be in control because that is what he thinks captures the essence of masculinity. Cancer threatens to emasculate him. If it was all about his family, then a route was offered to him really early on: his former partners in Gray Matter offered him a secure and well paid job in order to cover his medical bills and provide for his family after his death. But he was too proud: he wanted to do it by himself, to be a man. No, Breaking Bad is about Walt desperately trying to play the American alpha male, a role he has always secretly coveted but was always too afraid to pursue.
Having Hank as a brother in law must have been torture: throughout, Hank's condescension towards Walt is essentially the anti-intellectual condescension of a self-designated 'alpha' male to his 'beta' brother-in-law. However, even Hank does not fit fully into the commonly accepted model of masculinity because of his lack of children. The fact that this is never ever mentioned suggests to me that it is Hank who is impotent and can't bear to hear the subject mentioned: Marie's various psychoses would also seem to suggest that Hank's anger at his own failure has poisoned much of his family life. We see an example of this when Hank is almost killed by the twin assassins: crippled and confined to a bed, he thinks himself as less of a man and takes out his frustrations on Marie.
The problem is that the show's male audience identifies and sympathises with Walt's pursuit of his (supposed) masculinity, regardless of the immorality and illegality of that pursuit: they want to see him succeed because it assures them about their own gender insecurities. In a word, they are living vicariously through Walt. Therefore, they cannot but be irritated by Skylar, whose concern and worry seems to oppose Walt's (and ergo, their own) quest to secure his masculinity. Of course, looked at objectively, Skylar's actions are wholly naturalistic: what woman wouldn't be concerned that their cancer ridden husband is behaving so bizarrely and nag accordingly? What mother of two would not be disgusted and angry to find out her husband is a lying, drug dealing murderer, seemingly capable of any horror?
The phone call in Ozymandias should be interpreted through the lens. In one sense, it comes from the frustration at the woman who has denied him the opportunity to be a bread winning father (and thus, hero and dominator of the family), a key component in the model of masculinity that Walt so desperately desired. In another sense, the phone call is also a last attempt to be that pater familias, to protect his wife (and thus his children) from association with his crimes. Of course, he is going to fail in that: we know Skylar, Walt Jnr. and Holly have already been deeply damaged by his actions and will only be further condemned by his confession.
Of course, if you accept this interpretation, then the moral of Breaking Bad is that such social conceptions of masculinity (and their concomitant conceptions of feminity) are ultimately hollow and the pursuit of them will do nothing but destroy you and the people you love. Walt is left alone and once again is not in control: he is dependent on the Nazis to save his life and to condescendingly grant him his own money as charity. The idea that he became a drug kingpin to help his family is rendered void the moment Hank is killed.
Notably, Walt Jnr. is the only male character of Breaking Bad who is secure enough in who he is not to bother pursuing American alpha masculinity. He does not allow his physical disability to make him feel any less of a man. Thus, when finally confronted by the truth behind his father, he does not hesitate in doing what is morally right and phoning the police. Once again, the male audience who live vicariously through Walt can only feel disgust for this action because Walt Jr., the comprehensively unmacho cripple, is barring Walt's path to alpha status. However, what else would any teenager do on hearing his father has probably murdered his uncle and on seeing him swing a knife at his mother?
One of the best scenes in the whole series is when Walt, beaten, battered and bruised, breaks down in front of his son in a motel and tries to apologise for not being strong enough. Walt Jnr. tells him that this is the first point in long time that Walt has seemed real, has seemed like a father. The tragedy of Walt's story is that he was more of a father, and thus more of a man, when he was kind, decent and broke than he ever was during his quixotic quest to claim a non-existent social stereotype of alpha masculinity.
Sors immanis
Et inanis
Et inanis
- By Puffer Fish