Fewer Than 24 Random Thoughts on 24

I’m endlessly fascinated by the television show 24, its emotionally scarred superhero Jack Bauer, and what the show says about America.

1. 24 is the ultimate American venture. It’s about the American government, and its role as the one remaining true superpower on the face of the Earth. 24 deals with huge issues. The show is endlessly fascinated with the role of modern terrorism in a post-9/11 society. What does 24 have to say about the modern struggle between American democracy and a world that increasingly sees American influence as imperialistic treachery? Absolutely nothing! It’s all just an excuse for sheer Hollywood popcorn entertainment. Terrorists blew up the World Trade Center in September of 2001, and by November of that same year, American creative ingenuity figured out a way to make a profit from it with a really entertaining television show.

Steven Spielberg had to wait nearly forty years before turning the Nazis of World War II into great cartoon action villains. Sylvester Stallone had to wait at least a decade before he got to re-fight the Vietnam war, but the producers of 24 were on the modern terrorism angle in less than two months! Does 24 trivialize the important issues it supposedly revolves around? Sure, but it’s so much fun, who can really complain?

2. Another really American thing about 24 is its lone cowboy hero Jack Bauer. Americans hate to have anything solved by a team. Teamwork kind of implies Communism. Americans love when everything is done by one really resourceful guy. 1988’s Die Hard is easily one of the most influential movies of the past 50 years, and 24 is simply Die Hard on crystal meth. Die Hard recast the lone American cowboy hero into the modern day action hero (yippie-ki-yay!). The film had a team of brilliantly scheming terrorists (who like most of the terrorists on 24 were actually just trying to get paid) defeated by the resourcefulness of that one true humble American hero. It can’t be underestimated how much Americans love this stuff. Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones practically won World War II all by himself, and heaven knows that we would have won in Vietnam if we had just let John Rambo do what he had to do.

Article Author: Brad Laidman

Brad Laidman writes on pop, politics, and other less than vital issues. He blogs at Brad Laidman.com and is desperate for comments so that he will feel truly loved.

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