VLVL2 (2): Film as Metaphor (was Zoyd's Work )

[Terrance]

Tim Strzechowski wrote:
> 
> Your questions suggest, therefore, that Pynchon purposely fashioned a Clara
> Bow/Prairie connection to further her characterization.  The various
> characters watching the various TV movies have a correspondance as well, you
> seem to be saying.  Good point.  Care to elaborate?

Prairie is watching a made for TV movie (the 4:30 movie) about CB
(bogus  material). 

Although a girl Prairie's age would certainly be interested in the
production of "IT" and how CB and Zadora were/are produced (with
particular interest, even subconsciously  in the male gaze and the
erotic power/vulnerability of virginity ... incest and so on) there is
something unreal and exaggerated about how TV/Film savvy Praire and the
other  precocious kids in VL  are, especially when we contrast them with
their parents. 



Prairie takes the role of the game show host, turning her father into a
contestant. 

He asks Prairie is she minds if he checks himself out on the tube. He
has to wait for her program to end before he can switch on the news.
Zoyd's VCR is broken. If it were working he could tape his jump and
Prairie could watch her next program of choice. Amazing technology. He's
only got one Tube. He's poor. His table is a cable-spool. He can't keep
enough food in the house.  One TV in the house is trouble. It's a
powerful machine and everyone wants to use it. No game boy, no computer,
no other Tube. The last shall be first. To a certain extent, the younger
you are in a working-class poor family in America the more Tube Power
you have. So, little boy, you can watch superman if you can keep the
little baby girl quite, if not, put that Barney tape in cause we can't
afford to have the littlest one screaming.