The Watchmen (2019) was a superhero drama television series for HBO Max based off of the Watchmen comic books. The series follows Angela Abar, a detective investigating a white supremacist terrorist group.
In episode 6, āThis Extraordinary Beingā, Angela takes her grandpaās, Will Reevesā, Nostalgia. Nostalgia is a pill which contains peopleās memories. She experiences Willās becoming a police officer for New York, Willās take down of Cyclops (a KKK organization), and how Will became Hooded Justice.Ā
In episode 8, āA God Walks into Abarā, Angela is in a bar, drinking. Dr. Manhattan introduces himself and tries to prove that heās actually Dr. Manhattan. So, he describes how he experiences time all at once and details their future together, including Angela wiping his memory for a period of time and his death by two Seventh Kavalry members. Angela eventually believes that heās who he says he is, and agrees to join him for dinner the next day.Ā Ā
I plan to analyze these two episodes using three schools of theory: psychoanalysis and subjectivity, gender and sexuality, and race and representation. Specifically, for psychoanalysis and subjectivity, I will use Sigmund Freudās āThe Uncannyā which details what makes something unsettling. For gender and sexuality, I will look at Laura Mulveyās āVisual Pleasure and Narrative Cinemaā, an essay that introduces the concept of the male gaze and analyzes womenās portrayal in the media. I will also look at Audre Lordeās āAge, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Differenceā, an essay that argues that different aspects of identity can lead to different forms of oppression, but in order to overcome oppression, we need to recognize our differences. In regards to race and representation, I will discuss Stuart Hallās āWhat is this āBlackā in Black Popular Culture?ā, which examines popular culture as a complicated site of identity, culture, history, and negotiation. I claim that uncanniness is a tool to grab attention, and it can be used to highlight the issues that Mulvey, Lorde, and Hall discuss.Ā
In this post, Iāll first compare and contrast the four theoristsā ideas. Then, Iāll analyze of a scene from āThis Extraordinary Beingā and a scene from āA God Walks into Abarā using the four theoristsā papers.Ā
Section 1: Commonalities among Freud, Mulvey, Lorde, and Hall
Although each theorist focuses on a different subject, there are some commonalities among their ideas.Ā
Firstly, each theorist discusses differences. This is most prominent in āAge, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Differenceā and āWhat is this āBlackā in Black Popular Culture?ā. In Lordeās paper, she claims that in order to change society, to rid of oppression, āwe must recognize differences among women who are our equals, neither inferior nor superior, and devise ways to use each othersā difference to enrich our visions and joint strugglesā [1]. Recognizing differences among people expands our world view, leading to more ideas and creativity that has the potential to better society. Hall similarly discusses differences to improve society. For instance, he pushes for a focus on incorporation. Rather than just being black or British, āyou can be black and British, not only because it is a necessary position to take in the 1990s, but because even those two terms, joined now by the coupler āandā instead of opposed to one another, do not exhaust all of our identitiesā [2]. People have different identities, and to overcome the harmful idea of this culture versus another, we must push past the binary identifiers and embrace all parts of ourselves, all differences. We need to use āandā to improve society. Freud and Mulvey also discuss differences among people, but not necessarily how to use them to improve the world. Freud discusses how the uncanny is different for everyone. When defining the uncanny, he writes how Jentsch put āstress on the obstacle presented by the fact that people vary so very greatly in their sensitivity to this quality of feelingā [3]. Freud later supports this point by describing how a character in ETA Hoffmanās The Sandman was uncanny to Jentsch; however, Freud doesnāt find this character uncanny, but rather The Sandman himself was more unsettling. Different people find different things to be uncanny. Mulvey discusses the differences between women and men. With the male gaze, a woman is a āsignifier for the male otherā; they are men but lack a penis [4]. Essentially, women are different from men. So, Lorde and Hall discuss embracing difference to overcome oppression and increase representation, Freud discusses how people are different, meaning they experience the uncanny at different times, and Mulvey discusses that in a patriarchal society, women are men but different.Ā
Furthermore, all the theorists examine complexities among their topics. Freud discusses the complex nature of heimlich. Heimlich is āāfamiliar,ā ānativeā... ābelonging to homeāā [6]. However, at some point the heimlich merges with the unheimlich, the hidden and unfamiliar. What is familiar can become hidden, forgotten, or repressed over time, making it become strange and unsettling. These terms are intertwined with one another and are not straightforward binaries. This is similar to how Mulvey describes women in relation to men under the male gaze. Although they are a āmale otherā and therefore lesser and presumably worthless and unthreatening, women also ā[symbolize a] castration threat by [their] real absence of a penisā [7]. They are simultaneously unthreatening and threatening. Furthermore, phallocentrism ādepends on the image of the castrated woman to give order and meaning to its worldā [8]. So, although women are lesser/worthless in comparison to men, the whole idea of men being in power depends on women. Women are powerful yet powerless in this system. Lorde and Hall discuss different identities and how they intertwine. Lorde says that our different identities can be the cause of different forms of oppression; our society is not made of oppressed vs. not oppressed people. Lorde describes how it is āeasy for Black women to be used by the power structure against Black men, not because they are men, but because they are Blackā¦ [so] it is necessary at all times to separate the needs of the oppressor from our own legitimate conflicts within our communitiesā [9]. In other words, racial and gender oppression exist for Black women, and they have identifiable effects. For people with several identities, the oppression becomes more complex and more difficult to categorize. Hall also discusses complexities in regards to identity. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, he encourages the use of āandā to encompass multiple identities; people are not simple, one dimensional beings. Additionally, Hall goes in depth about the ever-changing landscape of cultural hegemony; it āis never about pure victory or pure dominationā¦ [but rather the] shifting balance of power in the relations of cultureā [10]. In other words, no culture is ever fully in power. As a result, different cultures impact each other because different cultures exist together.Ā
So, Freud, Lorde, Mulvey, and Hall discuss differences among people and the complex nature of people, concepts, and societal systems.Ā
Section 2: Differences among Freud, Mulvey, Lorde, and Hall
Despite their similarities, the theoristsā papers still contain many differences.Ā
One difference is the subject. While Mulvey, Lorde, and Hallās article deals with more societal issues, Freudās is much more personal and individualistic. Freud discusses the uncanny, an eerie feeling which varies person to person. Although he does mention some general tropes of the uncanny, they do not unsettle everyone. Even Freud takes three pages describing what he thinks is uncanny in ETA Hoffmanās āThe Sandmanā. The topic of his essay boils down to the individual. On the other hand, Mulvey makes broad statements and examines female representation in film generally. She also brings up many different films, such as Only Angels Have Wings, To Have and Have Not, Morocco, Dishonored, etc., proving that her claims are widely applicable. Lorde discusses relevant methods (such as embracing difference) to mitigate oppression. Hall discusses popular culture which is inherently a societal concept; popular culture discusses what the masses enjoy. He also describes the ādisplacement of European models of high cultureā with American models of popular culture [11]. This shift was due to America becoming a world power, and this, by no means, is an act that an individual can perform.
Also, while Freudās text simply describes a phenomenon; the other theorists are trying to identify or solve a problem. Freudās essay examines āin what circumstances the familiar can become uncanny and frighteningā [12]. Heās not looking for a solution or even identifying the uncanny as something that should be gotten rid of. Heās just attempting to figure out what causes this feeling. On the other hand, the male gaze creates a āworld ordered by sexual imbalanceā [13]. It creates division and disadvantages women. Thereās clearly an issue addressed in Mulveyās article. The same goes for Lordeās and Hallās; as mentioned before, they recommend embracing difference to lessen oppression and increase representation. Their papers provide solutions to problems in our society.
Lastly, Freud, Mulvey, Lorde, and Hallās arguments are ultimately about different subjects. Freudās essay covers the uncanny, Mulveyās deals with gender and the male gaze, Lordeās concerns representation, gender, and solutions to oppression, and Hallās tackles popular culture and race. Both Mulveyās and Lordeās concern gender, and both Hallās and Lordeās concern representation, but their focus differs. Mulvey goes in depth about scopophilia, the active/male vs passive/female, and how this all appears in film. She even incorporates psychoanalysis, which is like āThe Uncannyā since it also uses psychoanalysis, but uncanniness and the male gaze share few similarities. Lordeās article discusses how thereās a mythical norm and if you donāt fit, youāre at a disadvantage. Hallās article discusses cultural hegemony, and the mythical norm makes up the culture that dominates society. Yet Hall still focuses on race and culture whereas Lorde focuses mainly on gender and outlines a course of action to lessen the inequality.Ā
So, although these theoristsā papers share many similarities, they concern different topics, providing different information and perspectives.Ā
Section 3: Analysis of Two Scenes from The Watchmen (2019)
āThis Extraordinary BeingāĀ
After Angela takes Nostalgia, she sees her grandfather become āHooded Justiceā. As Hooded Justice, Will investigates Cyclops, an organization that a higher up had warned him of. Will watches the white officers that lynched him go inside a warehouse, so he follows them. He learns that the KKK is behind Cyclops and proceeds to beat them up (Williams, 2019, 00:27:13-00:30:36).Ā
In this scene, the music particularly stands out. As Will pummels the Cyclops members, āI Donāt Want to Set the World on Fireā plays in the background. This slow, romantic jazz ballad from 1941 contrasts with the heavy action on screen. It gives off an eerie feeling; Freud would call it uncanny. The musicās comforting nature seems to excuse the action on screen despite the action being very intense and not easily ignorable. Furthermore, the song itself is uncanny. It combines the heimlich, a familiar, old jazz tune, with creepy lyrics. Itās assumed that the line āI donāt want to set the world on fireā is a message of hope and peace, the singer ājust [wants] to start a flame in your heartā. They want to spark love. But the lyrics can be interpreted more literally, what if the singer is dealing with actual thoughts about burning down the world? What will they do if they canāt start a flame in your heart? The lyrics create intellectual uncertainty, and combined with the comforting tune, it makes the song uncanny. So, the entire scene has a creepy feeling.Ā
While Freud would focus on the music, Mulvey may focus on how the scene is still phallocentric. For one, the scene focuses on Will, a man. This supports the idea of the āactive/male and passive/femaleā [14]. The man is the hero, he is the one leading the story and changing his situation. He has power. Technically there is a woman in action too: Angela. In the episode overall, her representation is fantastic. However, in this scene, she doesnāt appear as Angela on screen and thereās no reminders that sheās the one experiencing this all until the end, so she isnāt significant in comparison to Will. Willās the active male. Mulvey would also comment on the lack of women in general. Not a single woman appears in this scene. This may be because, according to the male gaze at least, a womanās āvisual presence tends to work against the development of a story line, to freeze the flow of action in moments of erotic contemplationā [15]. The male gaze may say that this action scene works so well because thereās no women to distract the characters or the audience from the characters.Ā
Lorde would expand on this idea. In this scene, women would be the different āotherā to the men. According to Lorde, there are three ways to respond to differences: āignore it, and if that is not possible, copy it if we think it is dominant, or destroy it if we think it is subordinateā [16]. This is what the show does in this scene; it ādestroysā women because women are subordinate to men. Additionally, the characters in the series follow this idea of destruction. Cyclops is trying to destroy black Americans, the different āotherā. So, in response, Will tries to destroy Cyclops.
Hall would add on to Lorde, focusing on racial relations in the scene. Hall might use this scene as an example of cultural hegemony. At the start, Cyclops is in power. Earlier in the episode, Fred, a white Cyclops member, was released from jail with less than a slap on the wrist. However, at this moment, Cyclops is being destroyed by Hooded Justice single-handedly. This shows a shift in power, similar to how cultural hegemony has shifts in power. By no means is Will making black more people powerful in the filmās world, but heās altering power dynamics in a similar way that power shifts among different cultures in cultural hegemony. Surely, though, Will as Hooded Justice shifts power dynamics in the audienceās world. Heās a source of representation and shows black people have power.Ā
Audiences may remember this scene due to the creepy atmosphere created with āI Donāt Want to Set the World on Fireā, but they will take away the messages surrounding positive representation.Ā
āA God Walks into AbarāĀ
In āA God Walks into Abarā, Dr. Manhattan tries to convince Angela that heās actually Dr. Manhattan, not just some impersonator. Angela asks where heās been all this time, and he says Europa. He describes how he created life from scratch there with just the wave of his hand. The scene then shows the flowers blooming, Dr. Manhattan walking on water, and finally him creating a man and a woman from microbes in the water. These people were created in the image of Phillips and Crookshanks, a lord and lady from Dr. Manhattanās youth (Kassell, 2019, 00:05:23-00:07:00).Ā
Firstly, we are witnessing the creation of life on Europa. Itās magical, as emphasized by the instrumentals, but feels slightly forbidden. Are we allowed to see a glowing, blue person create paradise? Will we taint it by just looking? Mulvey may note that this scene is so beautiful and captivating because it is similar to scopophilia. Scopophilia is pleasure in looking. We tend to ādesire to see and make sure of the private and the forbiddenā [17]. Europa is so far from Earth and so different, and perhaps it shouldnāt be seen, creating an engaging scene.Ā
Furthermore, the audience may feel strange when Dr. Manhattan creates two humans. It feels forbidden to watch, making the audience slightly uneasy yet intrigued. This uneasiness may also be because the babies look uncanny. Their proportions are slightly off and their skin is too pale and slippery, clearly CGI (Kassell, 2019, 00:06:45). They more so resemble ultrasounds of babies. The babies walk a line between real and fake, creating intellectual uncertainty and uncanniness. Additionally, these babies are doubles of Phillips and Crookshanks. According to Freud, āthe ādoubleā [is] a vision of terrorā [18] and a āghastly harbinger of deathā [19]. The very idea that these people are doubles is unsettling.Ā
Lorde would also comment on Dr. Manhattanās Adam and Eveās resemblance to Phillips and Crookshanks. In āAge, Race, Class, And Sex: Women Redefining Differenceā, Lorde discusses how we can deconstruct oppression by embracing difference. Specifically, she says, āthe masterās tools will never dismantle the masterās houseā [20]. This means that we canāt play the ruling classā games, we must use our own brains and do something different if we ever want to see true change. This relates to Dr. Manhattanās Adam and Eve because he didnāt model the people after himself. He made something different, separate from himself. This is promising because difference was embraced; perhaps these people and this world will be perfect. The masterās tools (copies of Dr. Manhattan) were not used.Ā
Also, this Adam and Eve are not true copies of the human race. They combine humans and the superhuman abilities of Dr. Manhattan. This parallels a melding of culture that Hall discusses. In order for black culture to be represented within the white hegemony, it will be adapted and influenced to some degree. This results in black culture influencing white culture, too. So, Hall claims that āalways these forms are impure, to some degree hybridizedā [21]. This is similar to Dr. Manhattan creating humans; although modeled after Phillips and Crookshanks, there will always be a little Dr. Manhattan influence on them. Phillips and Crookshanks have already influenced Dr. Manhattan to create life on Europa. Dr. Manhattan, Phillips, and Crookshanks have mutual influences on one another similar to different culturesā mutual influence on one another.
Unlike the scene in āThis Extraordinary Being,ā this scene in āA God Walks into Abarā doesnāt have direct representation. However, the parallels to real life are clear. Audiences tend to emulate their favorite characters, and since Dr. Manhattan performs deeds that would improve his world, hopefully audiences would perform similar, beneficial actions.Ā
By reviewing the theoristsā papers and using it to analyze The Watchmen, itās clear that the issues the theorists discuss still exist in modern day society. However, media such as The Watchmen that embrace difference and representation can help mitigate the racial and gender power imbalances that Mulvey, Lorde, and Hall address. The uncanniness that Freud mentions that is sprinkled throughout The Watchmen can be a tool to leave a lasting impact, only furthering the strong messages in the media.Ā
[1] Audre Lorde, āThe Masterās Tool Will Never Dismantle the Masterās Houseā in Sister Outsider (Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press, 1984), 122.Ā
[2] Stuart Hall, āWhat is this āblackā in black popular culture?ā in Critical Dialogues in Cultural Studies (London: Routledge, 1996,) 475.Ā
[3] Sigmund Freud, The Uncanny, trans. James Strachey (Imago, 1919), 1.
[4] Laura Mulvey, āVisual Pleasure and Narrative Cinemaā in Film Theory and Criticism Introductory Readings, 5th ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), 712.Ā
[5] Mulvey, āVisual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,ā 712.
[6] Freud, The Uncanny, 2.
[7] Mulvey, āVisual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,ā 712.
[8] Mulvey, āVisual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,ā 712.
[9] Lorde, āThe Masterās Tool Will Never Dismantle the Masterās House,ā 118.Ā
[10] Hall, āWhat is this āblackā in black popular culture?,ā 471.Ā
[11] Hall, āWhat is this āblackā in black popular culture?,ā 468.Ā
[12] Freud, The Uncanny, 2.
[13] Mulvey, āVisual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,ā 715.
[14] Mulvey, āVisual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,ā 715.
[15] Mulvey, āVisual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,ā 715.
[16] Lorde, āThe Masterās Tool Will Never Dismantle the Masterās House,ā 115.Ā
[17] Mulvey, āVisual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema,ā 713.
[18] Freud, The Uncanny, 10.
[19] Freud, The Uncanny, 9.
[20] Lorde, āThe Masterās Tool Will Never Dismantle the Masterās House,ā 112.Ā
[21] Hall, āWhat is this āblackā in black popular culture?,ā 474.
The Watchmen, season 1, episode 6, āThis Extraordinary Being,ā directed by Stephen Williams, written by Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson, featuring Regina King and Jovan Adepo, aired November 24, 2019, on HBO Max, VOD.
The Watchmen, season 1, episode 8, āA God Walks into Abar,ā directed by Nicole Kassell, written by Jeff Jenson and Damon Lindelof, featuring Regina King and Yahya Abdul-Manteen II, aired December 8, 2019, on HBO Max, VOD.
