CON GAMES: The Revolution Is Televised

January 17th, 2008 at 07:57am Michael Conniff 2

If you think about the epic moments in media that draw us together as a nation—and who doesn’t ponder such things—then you must be watching “The Sara Connor Chronicles” on Fox, the latest version of the “Terminator” movie series that not coincidentally starred the Governor of California as the bad-guy cyborg from the future who learned how to love.

The latest version of a dark future centers on Sarah Connor, the mother of John Connor, the teenager who will live on into the future to lead “the rebels” against “Skynet,” the computer network programmed to destroy all humanity. But there’s a twist: cyborgs are dispatched from the future by both the older John Connor and the faceless Skynet to either protect or destroy John Connor, depending on their persuasion. They are literally programmed to terminate his life, and nothing stops them.

The trope is terrific, a chronologic displacement even the novelist Milan Kundera could love. With time travel, robots, and Armageddon, it doesn’t get any better than this. But it’s not science fiction that makes the “Terminator” series indestructible in the good ole U.S.A.: it’s the rebel yell embedded in our DNA.

Think about two of the biggest blockbuster series of all time—“Star Wars” and “Terminator”—total gross revenues worldwide are in the billions because they’re both about the same thing: the American Revolution.

These epic sci-fi sagas are love songs to our Revolutionary past.

We don’t have tons of future footage to go by in the “Terminator” series, but things are not looking so great for the human race. The Skynet computers—the faceless monarchs of futureshock—have all but wiped out the human race, but a plucky band of red-white-and-blue rebels led by John Connor are going to change all that if he can just not get himself killed by a futurespeak cyborg before he can grow up.

That’s where Mom comes in: Sarah Connor is women’s lib come to life, the best fighter there ever was, according to her son-in-the-future, and a cyborg-killer who will protect her cub at all costs so as to bring light back to the world. Bionic woman? Wonder Woman? Sarah Connor, who bleeds for humanity, can kick their skinny white asses back to Bonwit Teller.

Like “Terminator,” “Star Wars” tells a similar tale of freedom and, ultimately, democracy. In the three prequels, we see the Empire fall prey to corruption and the false gods of totalitarianism. Instead of Skynet or the British King George III, we have the dissolution of the parliament and the rise of an evil, omnipotent ruler.

Enter the rebels. Like John Connor, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Sir Alec Guiness ride to the rescue against the dark side of the force, and it’s no accident Darth Vader is dressed to kill just like a Nazi. The Darth dude, like the Terminators, is a kind of cyborg, with a computer-generated lower body only a robot could love—and a godlike voice from James Earl Jones that is downright Elizabethan.

Why do we watch? Why do they fight?

These rebel stories work for us here in America because when we watch them we automatically connect with our USA DNA. We don’t need to travel back in time to hear the bell tolling from the spire of the North Church to let us know that somebody a long time ago had to fight against overwhelming odds for the freedom and liberty we have today. Whether watching “Star Wars” or the “Sara Connor Chronicles,” we glean the ultimate power of truth and justice—but we also stay tuned because the forces of good always win. In the future, one can only hope the human race will be so lucky.

Entry Filed under: Technology, Movies, Media, Colorado, Con Games, Women, Television, United Post

4 Comments Add your own

1. Hugh520 | January 18th, 2008 at 8:21 am

Easy Money. Don't forget that John Connor ( Are his initials an accident, or is John a tad messianic too?). After all, we're not just talking about nation building here. His calling is world redemption. And then Sarah (also a common Judean handle) is alone -- almost virginal.

When we first meet him, John is a real punk already adept at scamming the system with PIN number algorithms. He treats his foster parents like scum. He's in his "wilderness" years, but he's adopted the rebel stance already. He's got nothing to lose. He comes from a broken home and is clearly on his way to a Juvy lockup.

Then Arnold pierces the veil of time and reveals to John who he is. We're not at the River Jordan -- but we are in the LA canal when John is plucked from his dirt-bike. He's still a child, but he's about to deliver his first sermon.

What is the first lesson he teaches his T-1000 pal? Thou shalt not kill.

And when he catches up with his mother who's gone off like a mercenary to kill Skynet's unwitting creator Dyson, ( Forgive them, for they know not what they do. ), he speaks as one who has authority. His mother is living the old paradigm -- kill or be killed, but even Dyson is to be forgiven.

It may take blood to redeem the world, but John has let it be known that he would rather it be his.

OK I've taken this as far as I care to. I haven't thought this much about The Terminator even when I'm watching it! It's eye candy for crying out loud!!!
2. Hugh520 | January 29th, 2008 at 2:19 pm

You wonder when no one follows your post, "Am I that dull, or was my shear brilliance to tough to an act to follow."

Or taken together did me and the Con Man slam dunk this topic to the point where no one will get on the hard wood with? Never mind.

I just watched the first three episodes of Fox's new show The Sarah Connor Chronicals and I be damned, the old formula doesn't still works as great entertainment.

Just a amazing though is that is I watched them on my computer, and 2 out of 3 episodes were commercial free. I watched them on my computer! I don't know about you, but this technology still amazes me.

Number one, It hasn't been around that long, and it's wreaking havoc with normative thinking about TV. I'm sorry, but if I know I've got options TV's endless self promotion is wasted air as far as I'm concerned. Once I know the show exists don't be all up in my face about 8PM central and 9 eastern. You've probably guessed I don't have a Tivo yet. I just don't put that much effort into television, but now that Tivo #4 is teaming up with music sites like Rhapsody, I'm thinking the stereo thing an the computer thing and the TV thing are all converging so well, It may be time to think about just letting them all get together in a Bose, Flat panel, Tivo king of way.

Control over your music is a trip too. I subscribe to Rhapsody for a nominal charge per month and I can listen to any song or album full length and even send full length songs to friends who've had the patience to download the player ( It's no picnic ) whether it's the free Rhapsody 25 version or some other iteration. My sister says she can't do it, which saddens me because I just sent her Curtis Stiger's incomparable version of American Song and San Diego Serenade -- two of the profoundly saddest and beautiful songs you'll ever hear.

So what does this mean. It means Fox's new Sarah Connor Chronicles has a new fan, thanks to the Con One. And maybe someone knows something better than Rhapsody. As for Curtis Stiger, do yourself a favor. By the way, American Song was written by Paul Simon, but you'll swear you've never really heard it before.
3. Hugh520 | January 29th, 2008 at 2:34 pm

Correction: What I meant above was that the old formula does still work. I'm enthralled by what I've seen so far. I can't figure out the teenage suicide bit. What part does that play in the narrative so far?
4. Hugh520 | January 29th, 2008 at 7:29 pm

PS If you are going to listen to Curtis Stiger's version of American Song -- just remember it was written during the national nightmare of Vietnam. Now we have a new one. Imagine that.