Professional Documents
Culture Documents
[ 1] Cl u b mu si c pu l s e s, l i gh ts fl ash , y ou n g, s c an ti l y cl ad w o men d an c e
wh i l e y ou n g m en wa tch . It s a t ypi cal cl u b sc e n e f r om wh at c ou l d b e an y
c on t em po r a ry t el e vi si on sh o w , bu t f o r o n e gl ari n g di ff e r en c e: at th e c en t e r
o f i t al l , ca pti vati n g ev e r y on e s at t en ti o n wi th ti ti ll ati n g dan c e m ov e s , i s a
man d r es s ed c on se r vati v el y i n kh aki s a n d bl u e bu tt on - u p s h i rt. Hi s mal e
admi r e r s wa tch wi th l o ok s of f ei gn ed c o n fu si on th at s e em t o o n l y b a r el y
ma sk th ei r d e si r e . T h e dan c e r ap pr o a ch e s on e o f h i s ad mi r e r s, an d
i n tro du c e s h e rs el f a s K i ki . T h e admi r e r , wh o at fi rs t s e em s i n ter e st ed ,
r e sp on d s wi th vi ol e n c e. K i ki fi gh t s ba c k , g etti n g i n th e fi rst pu n ch an d
kn oc ki n g h i m fl at a s sh e e xcl ai ms , Y ou su ck! T ryi n g t o h i t a gi rl ! K i ki th en
ru sh e s t o th e a rm s o f h e r sa vi o r , P au l . Pau l i s tal l , h an ds o me , an d st r on g:
th e emb o di men t o f t h e kn i gh t i n sh i n i n g a rm o r . H e h ol ds h e r a s sh e c ri es ,
de fi an tl y ch al l en gi n g th e con fu s ed on l o o k er s: Y ou g ot a p r obl e m ? ( B el l e
Ch os e 2. 3) .
[ 2] Th i s i s, of c ou rs e , a s c en e f r om th e Doll h o u s e s B el l e C h o s e , 1 a
s ea s on tw o epi s od e o f J o s s Wh e don s mi n d - b en di n g an d d e e pl y su bv e r si v e
e xpl o rati on o f i d en ti ty an d co r p or at e p o w er . In th e w o rl d o f D ollh ou s e , an
il l egal , h i gh t e ch o r gan i z ati on h a s d ev e l ope d th e a bi li ty t o wi pe p e opl e s
pe r s on al i ti es an d i mpri n t th e m wi th man u fa ctu r ed on e s f o r h i gh - pri c ed
en g ag em en ts , b oth s exu al an d oth e r wi s e . Th e sh o w f ol l ow s E ch o, a D ol l (o r
A cti v e) w h o, a s h e r o ri gi n al p er s on al i ty Ca r ol i n e, ag r e e d t o fi v e y e a rs o f
s e rvi c e at th e L os A n gel e s D ol l h ou s e i n e xch an g e f o r a l ar g e c a sh p a ym en t
an d th e e ra su r e of t rau mati z i n g m e mo ri e s (a s t h e n a rr ati v e p r og r e ss e s , w e
s e e th at C a r ol i n e, l i k e m os t o f t h e oth e r D ol l s, a g r e ed t o th ei r t e rm s u n d e r
e xt r em e du r e ss ). 2 E c h o an d th e oth e r D o ll s (i n cl u di n g Vi ct o r , Si e r ra , an d
N ov e mb e r) a r e i mp r i n ted wi th p e r s on a s th at th ey fu l l y e mb o dy i n o r d er t o
c ompl et e a va ri e ty o f en g ag e me n ts f o r th e mi l li on ai r es w h o c an af f o rd th e
Dol l h ou s e s ex o rbi ta n t f e e s . Wh en n ot o n an en ga g em en t , E ch o an d h e r
f el l ow A cti v e s exi st i n a c om f or tabl e , u n de rg r ou n d sp a - l i ke spa c e a s D ol l s
bl an k mi n ds wi th th e abi l i ty to d o l i ttl e mo r e th a n e at, sl e e p, an d e x er ci s e .
Pau l : S o th i s i s i t. T h i s i s wh e r e y ou s t e al th ei r s ou l s .
T oph e r: Y e ah , an d t h en w e pu t th e m i n a gl a ss j a r wi th o u r fi r efl i es .
An d l at e r:
Wh i l e To ph e r s a mo r al i ty pe rh ap s p r ev e n ts u s f r om wh ol l y s i di n g wi th h i m i n
th i s d eb at e ab ou t th e s ou l , th e i de a o f a n es s en ti al e s s en c e o r c o r e i den ti ty
i s r e p eat e dl y i n te r r o gat ed an d d e c on st ru ct ed th r ou gh ou t th e s e ri e s .
Bo yd: E ch o s n ot a bl an k sl at e. Sh e s a pe r s on .
T oph e r: Y ou m e an s h e s s el f - a wa r e ?
Pau l : M or e th an th a t. Sh e c an c on t r ol w h at an d wh en .
T oph e r: S h e c an c o n tr ol . Wh at d o e s t h at ma k e h e r ? Wh at i s sh e ? ( A
L ov e Su pr e m e )
Wo rk s C it e d
Th e At ti c. W ri t. M au ri s sa Tan ch a r o en an d J ed Wh ed on . Di r . J oh n Ca s sad y.
Jo s s Wh ed on s D ollh ou s e: Th e C o mpl et e S e c on d S ea s on . E pi s od e T en .
Tw en ti eth C en tu r y F o x H om e En t e rt ai n men t , 201 0. DVD .
B el l e Ch os e . W ri t. Ti m Mi n e a r. Di r. D a vi d S ol om on . J o ss Wh ed on s
Doll h o u s e: Th e C om ple t e S ec on d S e a so n . E pi s od e Th r e e . T w en ti eth
C en tu ry F o x H o m e E n te rt ai n men t , 20 10 . DV D .
B ri ar R o s e . W ri t. J an e E sp en s on . Di r. Dwi gh t Li ttl e . J o s s Wh ed on s
D oll h o u s e: Th e C om ple t e F i rst S e a so n . Epi s od e El e v en . Tw e n ti eth
C en tu ry F o x H o m e E n te rt ai n men t , 20 09 . DV D .
Bu tl e r, Ju di th . G en d e r T r ou b l e: F emin i s m a n d th e Su bv e r si on of Id e n tit y.
1990 . N e w Y o rk : Ro u tl edg e , 2008 . P ri n t .
- - - - - . Th e P sy ch i c Li f e o f P ow e r : Th e o ri e s in Su bj e cti on . Sta n f o rd: Sta n f o rd
Un i ve r si ty P r e s s, 19 97. Pri n t .
Cal v e rt, Br on w en . Mi n d, B od y, Imp ri n t: C yb e rpu n k E ch o es i n D ollh ou s e .
Fan ta s y Is N ot Th ei r Pu rp o s e: J o s s Wh e don s D ol l h ou s e . E d. C yn th ea
Notes
1
For an excellent reading of this episode and the character of Kiki, see Cynthea Massons
Who Painted the Lion? A Gloss on Dollhouses Belle Chose.
2
Caroline is an anti-corporate terrorist who is working to bring down Rossum when she is
ultimately caught and forced into the Dollhouse (Getting Closer 2.11).
3
Boyd is made Head of Security in A Spy in the House of Love (1.9)
4
The events of the thoughtpocalypse take place ten years after the primary narrative of the
series, revealed in the last episode of each season, the never-aired Epitaph One (1.13)
and the broadcast finale Epitaph Two: Return (2.13). The specifics of how the wiping
technology has spiraled out of control are never fully revealed, but it is suggested that
governments used the tech as acts of war (Mag in Epitaph Two: Return: Maybe China laid
down another blanket signal).