Watching The Wire from the Left

Thursday, 12th March 2009

At the Irish Left Review there's an interesting analysis of The Wire written by Seannachie (a sometime commenter here) that views the show as, in some respects, an allegory of contemporary capitalism while also looking at how it can be seen to straddle the Bush and Obama eras. I wouldn't agree with everything he says, but it's an interesting read and a futher reminder that the show's genius lies, like that of all great art, in the range of coherent yet conflicting interpretations that may be made of it.

This part, however, I do agree with:-

In fact it is interesting how much of the detail from the show’s depiction of West Baltimore is similar to Obama’s fine memoir Dreams from my Father; the area, like the southside Chicago of Obama’s book, is being crushed under the weight of unemployment, drugs and gun crime, with the only centres of civic support being provided by the local churches and quixotically benevolent individuals like ex-con boxing coach Cuttiey, cop-turned-teacher Roland Pryzbylewski and the former drug addict Walon, played by Steve Earle. The area is also experiencing the wave of ‘black flight’ where upwardly-mobile African-American families move to the suburbs escaping the crime and poverty, a phenomenon also noted by Obama in 1980s Chicago and a case of class trumping race, suggesting in turn that the former is by far the greater taboo in American society.

Taboo might be putting it too strongly but it is not difficult to imagine an American future in which class divisions prove increasingly,problematic even as race becomes, happily, a less divisive issue. That's not to say that racial issues won't be important in the future, merely that the problems of, say, West Virginia or the Ozarks overlap with those of West Baltimore more than either overlaps with suburban (and heavily African-American) Prince Georges and Montgomery County in Maryland or (whiter) Fairfax and Loudon Counties in Northern Virginia.

Previous Wire-related items including my libertarian reading of it here, and more goodies here, here, here, here, and here.

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hennesli

March 12th, 2009 11:15pm Report this comment

I know david simon (write of the wire) describes himself as a social democrat and has criticised 'unfettered capitalism'. Its interesting because the wire depicts bureaucratic failure and corruption at all levels of government - surely making it appealing to an extent to anti state free market types.

THX1138

March 12th, 2009 11:15pm Report this comment

Oh How I love that show, just started again on season 1

Great scene of Omar in court

http://tinyurl.com/4lzhd8

I can find connections to The Wire everywhere for instance, The Spectator.

In Wire Season 5 a journalist from the Baltimore Sun makes up quotes to further his career.

Just like the former editor of The Spectator Boris Johnson who was sacked from the Times for exactly that, making up quotations.

"His career in journalism very nearly fell at the first hurdle too, after he was sacked by The Times for making up a quote."

He had been trying to spice up a dull story about an archaeological dig but the editor - and the history don he "quoted", who also happened to be his godfather - failed to see the funny side.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7376621.stm

More Boris and The Wire connections in season 3 when an uber ambitious but charming newcomer takes on a stale & corrupt Mayor in a exciting election race for Mayor of Burymore and wins. I somehow doubt Ken ever got a BJ in his office from his assistant but who knows what Boris up to with his track record of workplace shenanigans.

Best TV show ever made, so far.