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If an economy is described as it's culture and influenced by the economic history a city proclaims, then what is to say a city isn't also described as its residents?

If a city has a bustling economy, that means there are many jobs to fulfill. As stated in Barker, "The culture industries, including film, television, advertising agencies and the music business lend galmour to cities, bringing direct employment and other economic benefits" (386). A city is made up of it's history, opportunities and those who take advantage of those opportunities.

However, the history of a city seems to continue into the present and the future: men excluding women and those who only want women for sex.
The first is the flaneur, which is a male figure who traveled through areas of town in which women are not allowed. And the second is the "flaneur's" gaze; which is usually frequent and towards an erotic woman.

I find it intersting that a city is described by it's history, people and jobs; and the people seem to support the cities needs to continue bustling.

Television as Inspirational

Women, men and children have been watching more and more television in recent years, and with that increase is also the increase of imitation of what is seen on the t.v. shows. Soap operas, for example, are DRAMATIC; murder, illicit children, abuse, and conpsiracies. Barker describes soap operas as "Open-ended narrative forms; Soap opera, as a long-running serial, has a potentially unlimited time period in which to tell its stories. There is not the sense of closure to be found in the feature film or the 13-episode series" (322). Soap operas are only stories, yet some who are obsessed with watching these shows, will findthey would like to live in theis lifestyle full of drama.

News stations are a means for the world to know what is going on. But when the media controls which version of the truth we see, any version of the news is questionable, as Barker states, "News is not an unmediated 'window-on-the-world' but a selected and constructed representation constitutive of 'reality'" (316). In the newest pun on Disney movies, "Enchanted" takes what is usually charming and places it into the real world, yet the characters find themselves confused and lost in this new world. Prince Edward seeks truth on where his fiance is, so when the magical mirror turns on, or the television, all of his questions are answered. His side man also watches the televsion and soap operas. One in particular encouraged the side man to turn in the witch and do what was best for everyone.

Television is known for inspiring change, even characters in movies are protraying that change. But in reality, women, men and children are yet still attempting to immitate what is seen on television. Shows such as "America's Next Top Model," "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency," and others make other women want to be like those 2% of tiny and beautiful women. Television shows may be positive on ones life, such as cooking shows and do-it-yourself programs, but others can be a challenge to those trying to make it in society.

Romantic Comedies are Negatively Influencing Society

What has become of the popular genre "Romantic Comedy?" When two individuals used to run into eachother and have chemistry, sexual tension was evident, even suggested with puns intended. However, nowadays, romantic comedies enlist sexual tendencies in every situation where boy meets girl. Mc Donald says, "Rapturous sex is thus portrayed as something immature, something not a lot like love, whichfilm implies is based more on shared conersation, disappointments and compromises than heady physical pleasure" (98). I completely disagree with this statement. Films now have so much nudity and sex, it's hard not to call them porn. Rarely do romantic comedies not have steamy sex scenes and over the top make out sessions.

Why have fun, innocent movies with happily ever afters turned into raunchy, one night stands that turn into a love interest. This genre has a negatively unrealistic outcome in which viewers then believe their next love interest and future husband or wife will be a random hook up. Is this new version or "neo-traditional romantic comedy" the newest version of brainwashing? Individuals will now be inspired to make themselves "available" to anyone, because who knows if the next fling they wake up to will be their one and only....

The oppressed will break out

After reading Foucault's "The History of Sex," I felt a common idea is proven yet again. When people are opressed and forbidden to not do something, it will cause sme of those people to act out in a worse fashion than if they had been allowed to behave the way they wanted to in the first place. When sex is translated through three main ideas, "canonical law, the Christian pastoral, and civilian law" you know something is wrong. Sex should be a bond between two people who have feelings for eachother, yet in the Victorian Age, even a married couple must use sex for procreation or on certain days and no other reason. What a waste of sexuality.

When boundries are placed to these extents, it makes some people lash out in other ways. Foucault writes, "Whence the setting apart of the "unnatural" as a specific dimension in teh field of sexuality. this kind of activity assumed an autonomy with regard to the other condemned forms such as adultery or rape (and the latter were condemned less and less)." Because individuals are taught that sex is a dirty act, they begin finding other ways to please themselves. This is where it goes wrong, had society been taught that sex was a natural act, one wouldn't find other more disgusting ways of pleasing themselves, such as rape, adultery, sodomy and incest.

"The Prince" Has Worldwide Advice

Two completely different texts written in two completely different era’s aren’t usually thought of as having a common base, however, In Niccolo Machiavelli’s guide “The Prince,” written in 1513, is a standard formation of the rules of the land in which Tennessee William’s Pulitzer Prize Winning Play, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, first presented in 1955, follows. Machiavelli states many important “rules” for one to gain land, keep land, and how to get from one step to the next. William’s play is about a southern family attempting to maintain their land by deciding which son will inherit it. Manipulation, greed, conspiracy, death and family are main keys to maintaining land in any country at any time, Machiavelli wrote the guide book for any prince where as Williams follows the guides throughout his play.

Land is usually given to the first born son, in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof the older brother, Gooper, should have gained the estate from Big Daddy, however, younger brother, Brick is chosen for title of the land. Machiavelli states, “All principalities for which some record exists have been ruled…by a prince with barons holding title not by his grace but by right of inheritance. In states which are governed by a prince and his servants, the prince has greater authority because no one in his land recognizes anyone but him as master” (26). This translating into the idea that someone in line to inherit land is not determined by their personality rather by their right to inheritance, so why is the younger brother given opportunity to gain instead of the oldest son? Big Daddy says to Brick, “I thought about you. Should I or should I not, if the jig was up, give you this place when I go— since I hate Gooper an’ Mae an’ know that they hate me. —And I thought, No! —Then I thought, Yes! I couldn’t make up my mind. I hate Gooper and his five same monkeys and that bitch Mae! Why should I turn over twenty-eight thousand acres of the richest land this side of the valley Nile to not my kind” (112). Big Daddy’s decision is based on wants, not needs. His land would be in much better hands if his first-born son acquired it, as it usually is, however, he wants his second son, Brick, to own the land. Machiavelli believes the prince has the greatest power, in Cat on A Hot Tin Roof, Brick is the prince, everyone in the household knows he is in line for the estate, this makes everyone around him his servants, not physically, but financially. The money will belong to him and the family’s well-being will be up to him.

Power is a strong lesson to learn. Brick has the most power in this situation, even though Big Daddy has the control of who to give the estate to, Brick has the influence needed to steer Big Daddy’s decision. The family would be considered the mob in Machiavelli’s opinion, and when someone controls the mob, all goes well. However, this is a modern-day situation in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The women in this play are outspoken, yet not independent. They still obey their husbands and elders, like a mob would have done in the 1500’s. Machiavelli writes, “For the mob is always impressed by appearances and by results; and the world is composed of the mob” (70). This is directly related to the women in the house. They each want appearances to stay upheld. Big Mama wants her son, Brick, to maintain their southern roots when he takes over the land. Maggie wants to live the life of luxury and the only way is to convince her husband, Brick, to procreate and accept the land from Big Daddy. Mae, on the other hand, being the wife of Gooper, would like nothing more than her husband to gain the land. Mae and Gooper are the conspirators, the antagonists, attempting to move up in society (in this case, society is the family).


All people in power have a chance of being over thrown, either by family or enemies and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is no exception. Gooper and Mae are determined to cause a rift in Big Daddy and Brick, allowing Gooper to inherit the land. Gooper has every right to want the estate. He is the first-born son, is much more responsible than Brick, has five children, and with one more on the way, is obviously the best candidate for title to the land. Machiavelli writes, “The worst he can fear from a hostile people is to be abandoned by them, but from a hostile nobility he must fear not only being abandoned but also being attacked” (44). The people who would attack Brick are his brother and sister-in-law, not physically, but emotionally, verbally, or conspire against him. Gooper and Mae know they are better for the land, so throughout the entire play, the two attempt to change Big Daddy’s mind—but to no avail. Big Daddy still plans on handing the land over to Brick. Machiavelli’s advice is very informational and would have handled well if given to Brick. As stated in Chris Barker’s “Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice” regarding Derrida’s term logocentrism, “by ‘logocentrism,’ Derrida means the reliance on fixed a priori transcendental meanings, that is universal meanings, concepts and forms of logic that exist within human reason before any other kinds of thinking occur” (84). Machiavelli’s ideas terming the prince are universal, in any situation these guidelines and “rules” exist and are practiced before any new ideas enter the situation, one always relies on existing theories and the family of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof does just that.
According to Machiavelli, the more heirs one has, the better the chances of securing one’s lineage and land. Brick understands this and eventually gives into his wife’s demands by procreating a child. He may be an alcoholic and a has-been football player, but he has one thing his older brother will never have: the grace needed to get what he wants. His ‘grace’ is appreciated by his mother and father, allowing their decision to feel correct; one may ask if they are making the right choice, and from an outsider’s viewpoint, the answer may be no; but Big Daddy and Big Mama love their youngest son and denounce the oldest son. Grace allowed Brick to strive; order of birth ruined Gooper’s chances of gaining what is considered rightfully his. Machiavelli’s guidelines are relative from the 16th century to present day American life, and I think he’d be proud to see his words of advice rewarding.

Works Cited

Barker, Chris. “Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice.” Third Edition. Sage Publications. Los Angeles. 2008

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Ed. Daniel Donno. Bantam Classic. New York. 2003.

Williams, Tennessee. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. New Directions Books. New York. 1975.