Arrested Development and Philosophy They've Made a Huge Mistake

by Irwin, William; Phillips, Kristopher G.; Wisnewski, J. Jeremy

• ISBN13: 9780470575598
• ISBN10: 047057559X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-12-20
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

A smart philosophical look at the cult hit television show, Arrested Development Arrested Development earned six Emmy awards, a Golden Globe award, critical acclaim, and a loyal cult following--and then it was canceled. Fortunately, this book steps into the void left by the show's premature demise by exploring the fascinating philosophical issues at the heart of the quirky Bluths and their comic exploits. Whether it's reflecting on Gob's self-deception or digging into Tobias's double entendres, you'll watch your favorite scenes and episodes of the show in a whole new way. Takes an entertaining look at the philosophical ideas and tensions in the show's plots and themes Gives you new insights about the Bluth family and other characters: Is George Michael's crush on his cousin unnatural? Is it immoral for Lindsay to lie about stealing clothes to hide the fact that she has a job? Are the pictures really of bunkers or balls? Lets you sound super-smart as you rattle off the names of great philosophers like Sartre and Aristotle to explain key characters and episodes of the show Packed with thought-provoking insights, Arrested Development and Philosophy is essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about their late, lamented TV show. And it'll keep you entertained until the long-awaited Arrested Development movie finally comes out. (Whenever that is.)

Author Biography

Kristopher G. Phillips is a PhD candidate (ABD) in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Iowa. J. Jeremy Wisnewski is an associate professor of philosophy at Hartwick College. He is the editor of Family Guy and Philosophy, The Office and Philosophy, and 30 Rock and Philosophy, and coeditor of X-Men and Philosophy and Twilight and Philosophy. William Irwin is a professor of philosophy at King's College. He originated the philosophy and popular culture genre of books as coeditor of the bestselling The Simpsons and Philosophy and has overseen recent titles including House and Philosophy, Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy, and Mad Men and Philosophy.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments: And Now a Few Words from the New CEOs of the Bluth Company	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Family First
Is the Examined Life a Huge Mistake?: Happiness, Self-Knowledge, and the Bluths	p. 7
Kissing Cousins: Incest, Naturalism, and the Yuck Factor	p. 23
Freudian Arrested Development	p. 33
Don't Know Thyself: Gob and the Wisdom of Bad Faith	p. 46
A Business Model
Dr. Fünke's 100 Percent Natural Good-Time Alienation Solution	p. 61
Family First: How Not to Run a Business	p. 73
Bourgeois Bluths: Arrested Development and Class Status	p. 85
Some Huge Mistakes
What Whitey Isn't Ready to Hear: Social Identity in Arrested Development	p. 99
"I Just Blue Myself": The Use and Abuse of Language in Arrested Development	p. 111
To Bias Tobias: Gender Identity, Sexuality, and Arrested Development	p. 123
I'm Oscar.com: The Problem(s) of Personal Identity in Arrested Development	p. 136
The One Where They Do Epistemology
You Can't Do Magic: Gob Bluth and the Illusionists' Craft	p. 151
Is Justified True Bluth Belief Knowledge?	p. 162
Bunkers and Balls: Arrested Development, Underdetermination, and the Theory-ladenness of Observation	p. 172
Solid As Iraq: Politics and Ethics Arrested
No Touching! George Sr.'s Brush with Treason	p. 185
"I've Made a Huge Mistake": George Oscar Bluth Jr. and the Role of Error in Character Development	p. 197
The Comedy of Contradiction	p. 210
And on the Epilogue …
And Now the Story of a Wealthy Family Who Lost Everything: Arrested Development, Narrative, and How We Find Meaning	p. 227
Contributors: Banana Stand Employee Roster	p. 241
Index: Banana Stand Inventory	p. 247
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