Prompts for Thinking about Jack Bauer and 24

"If you don't tell me what I want to know, then it'll just be a question of how much you want it to hurt." --Jack Bauer, 24

This week, we're examining the television show 24 as a "case study." In particular, we're asking what is the relationship between patriotism and torture on this show? Is Jack Bauer a contemporary, post-September-11 version of the lone American hero in the tradition of Buffalo Bill and Western films?

You will be posting before watching the show in class. If you haven't seen 24 before, just respond to the readings about the show: theoretically speaking, do you think portraying torture on television reflects something positive or negative about the current American mood? If you have seen the show, think about your own responses to the plot or to specific scenes of torture. Did you notice the increase in depictions of torture? Did it bother you, interest you, thrill you? Why do you think people are so taken with Jack Bauer, despite his violent and disturbing nature?

Of course, this kind of topic brings up all kinds of opinions about the ethics/validity/usefulness of torture in the "real world." However, I want us mostly to focus on analyzing the show: how it relates to the other themes and topics and characters we've studied this semester; how it reflects the shifting discourse of nationalism post-9/11; how television specifically and popular culture in general reflects--or shapes--the national conversation.

Analytically,
Dr. K.