Edward Scissorhands
When I was working on the readings my mind immediately wondered to the movie Edward Scissorhands. The opening scenes pan through a typical suburb in which you see the same house with the same person coming out to get in the same car and go to work. As the camera pans up you begin to see the dark, stormy mountain hovering over the suburb in the background which you come to understand is where Edward Scissorhands lives. The intent of this scene is to stereotype the suburban people as all the same and highlight Edward as the outcast, the only different one in the whole town.
I think it is interesting to think about the suburban house once being the American dream and the idea of blending in being more important than standing out. Now it seems as though the American dream really hasn't changed much in that a large house in the suburbs is still highly desired, the only difference being that now people are shying away from hour-long commutes and in turn the suburbs are forming their own little city centers. I wouldn't say there is a problem with this style of growth but that the problem arises in the poor quality of the homes being built. Rather than focus on craftsmanship and longevity, the goal is clearly a profit-driven money-maker pushed by the developers. Is the American dream to own a cheaply made, poorly designed house that looks exactly like their neighbors? Probably not. But the promise of a certain lifestyle is what keeps these homes selling like crazy. Is there not enough time afforded to wait for quality work and get the lifestyle you want in a home that is uniquely yours in which you can be the Edward Scissorhands with the home that stands out amongst the rest?
I think it is interesting to think about the suburban house once being the American dream and the idea of blending in being more important than standing out. Now it seems as though the American dream really hasn't changed much in that a large house in the suburbs is still highly desired, the only difference being that now people are shying away from hour-long commutes and in turn the suburbs are forming their own little city centers. I wouldn't say there is a problem with this style of growth but that the problem arises in the poor quality of the homes being built. Rather than focus on craftsmanship and longevity, the goal is clearly a profit-driven money-maker pushed by the developers. Is the American dream to own a cheaply made, poorly designed house that looks exactly like their neighbors? Probably not. But the promise of a certain lifestyle is what keeps these homes selling like crazy. Is there not enough time afforded to wait for quality work and get the lifestyle you want in a home that is uniquely yours in which you can be the Edward Scissorhands with the home that stands out amongst the rest?
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