Your Turn: Chance (Chauncey) the Gardiner
From Being There, written by Jerzy Kosinski
film directed by Hal Ashby
Nominated by Mark Peterson
Nearly 40 years ago Jerzy Kosinski created a character so self absorbed in his media and his own narrowly-defined life that he wavered between the comic and the pathetic. Circumstances thrust Chauncey Gardiner into the larger world that existed beyond his father's estate grounds. Armed only with his TV remote control and his small subset of knowledge gained from television shows and gardening, Gardiner triumphed.
If Chauncey were to sally forth today, he would find the rest of the world not so different from himself. He might see, but not talk to, people on the street with the iPods. If he need to communicate, he could avoid people and work entirely through text messages. Everyone's self-absorbed life within their chosen media is reflected in their Facebook page touting favorite media heroes.
Humanity has lost its allure. I'd write more, but, hey, my favorite show is coming on in a few minutes.
11:12 AM ET | 02-15-2008 | permalink
