At first glance, Home Alone seems innocent enough. It would appear to be a heart-warming holiday comedy starring rising child actor Macaulay Caulkin and acting veterans Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. However, writer John Hughes hid a deeper message in the movie that only I recently have uncovered, warning us about Big Banking becoming out of control in 2008. Try and stay with me: You would think Kevin McCallister (Caulkin’s character) would play the protagonist in this tale, and to the untrained eye he does. However, Kevin represents all the characteristics of big banking. 1. He’s out of control. McCallister runs around the entire movie out of control and unsupervised. Just like Big Banks. Kevin’s parents represent bank regulation. They are conveniently absent. 2. He robs middle class families and small businesses of wealth. Kevin not only steals from Buzz (his own brother!), but he also steals from a small shop. Yea! Remember that scene when Kevin steals the toothbrush and you are rooting for him to get away from the cop? Well I bet you are starting to realize you should’ve rooted for the cop. We could’ve avoided this whole issue. 3. He gets bailed out in the end. 4. He gets rewarded for causing a mess. We will get to those last two issues in a second. But first…
Let’s talk a bit about other characters and what they stand for. As stated, Kevin’s parents represent bank regulation. Kevin’s parents do not regulate (discipline) him throughout the movie, just as banks weren’t regulated in the 2000s. You might say, “Well his mother sends him to the attic, that’s regulating (disciplining) him for being bad.” I would say this: the attic is the place that he wants to go. Now he is out of the public eye, free to scheme ways to get rid of regulation. Just like big banks: when they are out of the public eye, they scheme ways to weaken regulation and make up things like subprime lending and mortgage backed securities.
Next I want to get to the heroes of the tale, Marv and Harry. Marv and Harry represent the working class, just trying to get a piece of the pie. They are tired of banks having all this wealth and being greedy with it. I mean, you see the houses on that street. They have way more stuff than you would ever need. All that Marv and Harry own is tattered clothing and a rape van. And that rape van was probably going to be repossessed. So Marv and Harry decide to take things into their own hands and try and get some wealth that the big banks possess. Kevin puts together traps to prevent them from getting wealth, the same ways big banks set up traps for the working class trying to buy homes (acquire wealth) such as Adjustable Rates and predatory lending. So, Harry and Marv decide it’s time to take action and bring Kevin to justice the same way the working class wanted to bring big banking to justice, by hanging them from a door and beating them with an iron. And when they have Kevin hanging up on a door, about to deliver a good old fashioned iron beating he gets “bailed out” by…
The federal government. Or I should say: the weird, old, neighbor who represents the federal government. In the beginning of the movie, everyone is afraid of him because he is so old, strange and complex (Just like our government) and everyone always thinks he’s up to no good (Just like our government!). By the end you fear and hate him because he saves Kevin from getting the beating he deserves.
As if that’s not enough he gets rewarded for the trouble he caused by getting a bonus, Christmas presents. The same way big banks gave their top executives bonuses in the midst of the banking crisis.
What does this all mean? It means we have to pay attention to the deeper meaning of things. It also means we all must watch Home Alone 2 and break down the real meaning of it. Maybe this time we won’t be too late and we will listen to the warnings John Hughes has given us.
Let’s talk a bit about other characters and what they stand for. As stated, Kevin’s parents represent bank regulation. Kevin’s parents do not regulate (discipline) him throughout the movie, just as banks weren’t regulated in the 2000s. You might say, “Well his mother sends him to the attic, that’s regulating (disciplining) him for being bad.” I would say this: the attic is the place that he wants to go. Now he is out of the public eye, free to scheme ways to get rid of regulation. Just like big banks: when they are out of the public eye, they scheme ways to weaken regulation and make up things like subprime lending and mortgage backed securities.
Next I want to get to the heroes of the tale, Marv and Harry. Marv and Harry represent the working class, just trying to get a piece of the pie. They are tired of banks having all this wealth and being greedy with it. I mean, you see the houses on that street. They have way more stuff than you would ever need. All that Marv and Harry own is tattered clothing and a rape van. And that rape van was probably going to be repossessed. So Marv and Harry decide to take things into their own hands and try and get some wealth that the big banks possess. Kevin puts together traps to prevent them from getting wealth, the same ways big banks set up traps for the working class trying to buy homes (acquire wealth) such as Adjustable Rates and predatory lending. So, Harry and Marv decide it’s time to take action and bring Kevin to justice the same way the working class wanted to bring big banking to justice, by hanging them from a door and beating them with an iron. And when they have Kevin hanging up on a door, about to deliver a good old fashioned iron beating he gets “bailed out” by…
The federal government. Or I should say: the weird, old, neighbor who represents the federal government. In the beginning of the movie, everyone is afraid of him because he is so old, strange and complex (Just like our government) and everyone always thinks he’s up to no good (Just like our government!). By the end you fear and hate him because he saves Kevin from getting the beating he deserves.
As if that’s not enough he gets rewarded for the trouble he caused by getting a bonus, Christmas presents. The same way big banks gave their top executives bonuses in the midst of the banking crisis.
What does this all mean? It means we have to pay attention to the deeper meaning of things. It also means we all must watch Home Alone 2 and break down the real meaning of it. Maybe this time we won’t be too late and we will listen to the warnings John Hughes has given us.
-Pat the Intern
I don't know why Pat's font is giant, or if it's only giant on my computer and not anyone else's, but whatever.
ReplyDeleteNice work Pat!
Yea it's big on my screen as well.
ReplyDeleteI think I need to watch Home Alone again.. Also, is Pat the Intern a real person or is it a dissociative identity of Jon?
ReplyDeleteGo Orange Popsicles.
Orange popsicles are still crappy. Clown.
ReplyDelete