the semeotics of utopianism essays

the semeotics of utopianism essays National Lampoons European Vacation(1985),though almost certainly produced as "pure entertainment" in Richard Dyers sense of the term, presents to the careful reader much more than simply ninety-five minutes of farce. Underlying nearly every scene and every characters motivations are cultural stereotypes and assumptions intended to go unnoticed within the text. In fact, this hidden underpinning is essential for the text to function as "pure entertainment" for readers, so that the more or less accepted cultural norms themselves are not at issue, but rather how the characters in the text act within them. By consciously identifying these norms, stereotypes and assumptions, however, we can catch a glimpse of the cultural milieu in which the text was produced. Although Dyers theory of entertainment as utopia is integral to an examination of European Vacation, it must be viewed using a primarily semiotic approach in order to expose the texts cultural subconscious. While the sign "Europe" usually denotes a geographical area, it is full of connotations for the main characters, the Griswald family. When the family wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Europe, each family member, with one exception, has a utopian fantasy of what "Europe" connotes to him or her. (Audrey has a decidedly dystopian fantasy about her upcoming trip, but it is no less a function of the texts cultural milieu than the utopian ones.) The unspoken stereotypes, assumptions and norms in each characters fantasy not only provide the motivations for each characters actions, they also structure the plot as a whole. The fantasy scene takes place in dream-like sequences while the family is flying to Europe, beginning with Ellens (Mrs. Griswalds) fantasy. Ellens fantasy. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, and Princess Diana are standing in a receiving line at a royal ball. Theyre apparently very bored, since th...