Guest post: Michael Bluth, Hero
Read why the Arrested Development hero's best suited to the Great Interruption
Jack Hughes is one of my favourite (sic) Canadians. He’s a consultant and a recovering lawyer who looks at the world through the prism of his Netflix account.
As much of North America approaches a month in isolation, those of us lacking the rhythm and coordination required to pull off a TikTok video have had to resort to other types of distractions. This can include turning our minds to a few of the lesser explored questions about the surreal times we find ourselves in, such as which fictional character from a television sitcom is best suited to thriving in the Great Interruption?
Can this yield insights? Have I been cooped up too long? Let’s find out.
I suspect that many would argue the only viable candidates are either Dwight Schrute from The Office or Ron Swanson from Parks & Recreation. That said, both the New York Times and The Atlantic have pointed to Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm – a good choice but disqualified on a technicality for being a fictionalized character and not strictly fictional. No, the one who would best cope with all this insanity is Arrested Development’s Michael Bluth.
In terms of survival instincts, I think we can all agree that Schrute and Swanson are the most self-sufficient – but that’s a red herring. Retreating off the grid to a remote beet farm or cabin deep in the woods isn’t adapting to the crisis, it’s avoiding the crisis. Most people don’t have that option and are going through this in a normal suburban home with their parents, partners, children, or siblings, which – let’s be honest – requires a totally different set of skills.
If you’ve not seen the critically acclaimed cult classic, I’ve got good news. According to Bingeclock (a website that tells you how long it would take to binge every episode of any show), you could watch the entire series on Netflix in only 2 days, 3 hours, and 58 minutes. For now, all you need to know is it’s the story of a wealthy family that lost everything and the one son – Michael – who had no choice but to keep them all together. It’s Arrested Development.
Though far from perfect, Michael Bluth, played with grim resignation by Jason Bateman, is a generally a kind, selfless, and ethical person…at least in comparison to his greedy, selfish and manipulative family. That’s admittedly the lowest bar, and, frankly, one Michael doesn’t always clear himself. Despite this, and despite the fact that our families are,of course,absolutely nothinglike the Bluths, how Michael deals with them can teach us valuable lessons about how to live with close family in close quarters.
Whatever crisis befalls the Bluths – starting with the arrest of family patriarch George Sr. for conspiracy, racketeering, evidence tampering, fraud, theft, grand theft, petty theft, and resisting arrest – Michael alwayssays: “Family first.” It’s the motto by which he lives, until his patience is exhausted, then, in his words, it’s “the stupid thing I believe.” Whether he actually puts family first is questionable, but Michael’s motto is critically important amid the chaos.
The other lesson we can learn from Michael Bluth is “sometimes people are too proud to ask for help when they need it.” Often underappreciated, Michael has difficulty accepting that he needs his family as much as they need him. But when the authorities think he may have committed ‘light treason’ by constructing homes in Iraq under Saddam Hussein in contravention of international sanctions – long story – Michael finally says he needs his family’s help.
Come to think of it, Arrested Development is full of timely advice that can help all of us get through this pandemic. Whether it’s thrifty acting legend Carl Weathers, playing himself, and his tips for using food leftovers – “Baby, you’ve got a stew going!”; or George Sr.’s self-help video series Caged Wisdom: Musings from Prison – “No touching!”, one might even argue the series is a quarantine masterclass. Though, again, I’ve been cooped up for weeks.
Let’s face it, these are strange, surreal, and, yes, scary times. Distracting ourselves – maybe with some humor – can help us cope. And, in terms of helpful advice, “family first” and don’t be “too proud to ask for help” when you need it seem like a good place to start.
RIP
I would like to pay respect to those we lose along the way. If there is someone you would like to be remembered in future newsletters, please post links to their obituaries in the comments section or email me. Thank you.
How we’re getting through this
Taking an aerobics class on your balcony in Bogota led by police from the street below. Picture, because it happened.
Apparently by drinking, eating and drugging more and exercising less.
Helping groups that are helping others.
Empathizing, but for real.
Cooking Publican chicken.
Not day trading emotions.
Watching the Mayor explain stuff.
Being a hero, because Henry Rollins said so.
Listening to Elise Hu’s new podcast, TED Talks Daily, especially this one.
What I’m reading
What it was like to visit the Alamo in 1984.
Got some reading suggestions? Post them in the comments section, and I might include them in the next newsletter. Have a book to promote? Let me know in the comments or email me.
What I’m watching
Sam Rockwell, isolated in a spaceship on the moon, forbidden from going outside. Moon. Moody and great.
Ozark sure ended the season with a bang. Damn.
Skip The Wilde Wedding, a waste of a great cast.
Started Babylon Berlin. Think I’m going to love it.
Got suggestions? Post them in the comments section, and I might include them in the next newsletter.
What I’m listening to
Country music is doing what country music does, mixing in other genres to advance the form to tell old stories in new ways.
Got suggestions? Post them in the comments section, and I might include them in the next newsletter.
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