Arrested Development and Philosophy: They've Made a Huge Mistake is a 2011 collection of nonfiction essays about philosophical theories and studies and how they relate to Arrested Development. It is edited by William Irwin, Kristopher G. Phillips and J. Jeremy Wisenewski.
Description[]
First edition cover
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 G.O.B.'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.)
Chapters[]
- Part One — Family First
- 1. Is the Examined Life a Huge Mistake?: Happiness, Self Knowledge, and the Bluths by Jason Southworth and Ruth Tallman
- 2. Kissing Cousins: Incest, Naturalism, and the Yuck Factor by Deborah R. Barnbaum
- 3. Freudian Arrested Development by Tim Jung
- 4. Don't Know Thyself: Gob and Wisdom of Bad Faith by Daniel P. Malloy
- Part Two — A Business Model
- 5. Dr. Fünke's 100 Percent Natural Good-Time Alienation Solution by Jeff Ewing
- 6. Family First: How Not to Run a Business by Brett Gaul
- 7. Bourgeois Bluths: Arrested Development and Class Status by Rachel McKinney
- Part Three — Some Huge Mistakes
- 8. What Whitey Isn't Ready to Hear: Social Identity in Arrested Development by J. Jeremy Wisnewski
- 9. "I Just Blue Myself": The Use and Abuse of Language in Arrested Development by M.E. Verrochi
- 10. To Bias Tobias: Gender Identity, Sexuality, and Arrested Development by Darci Doll
- 11. I'm Oscar.com: The Problem(s) of Personal Identity in Arrested Development by Kristopher Phillips
- Part Four — The One Where They Do Epistemology
- 12. You Can't Do Magic: Gob Bluth and the Illusionists' Craft by Michael Cholbi
- 13. Is Justified True Bluth Believe Knowledge? by Brett Coppenger and Kristopher Phillips
- 14. Bunker and Balls: Arrested Development, Underdetermination, and the Theory-ladenness of Observation by Michael Da Silva
- Part Five — Solid as Iraq - Politics and Ethics Arrested
- 15. No Touching! George Sr.'s Brush with Treason by Douglas Paletta and Paul Franco
- 16. "I've Made a Huge Mistake": George Oscar Bluth Jr. and the Role of Error in Character Development by Christopher C. Kirby, Jonathan Hillard, and Matthew Holmes
- 17. The Comedy of Contradiction by Erin Fay and Willie Young
- Part Six — And On the Epilogue...
- 18. And Now the Story of a Wealthy Family Who Lost Everything: Arrested Development, Narrative, and How We Find Meaning by Tyler Shores