this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2023
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Did anyone else find the TV show "Baskets" to be a soul-sucking satire on American car-centric suburbs, (lemmy.ca)
submitted 1 year ago by Goodtoknow@lemmy.ca to c/fuck_cars@lemmy.ml
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Hey, fellow my new fellow /c/fuckcars Lemmy community! I finished watching the TV show "Baskets" around a year ago and couldn't help but feel a deep sense of soul-sucking depression when it came to its portrayal of car-centric suburbs. I wanted to reach out to you all and see if anyone else shared the same sentiments.

For those who haven't seen it, "Baskets" is a dark comedy-drama that follows the life of Chip Baskets, a failed professional clown. The show is primarily set in Bakersfield, California, a city enveloped in car-centric planning.

What adds an interesting layer to the show is the presence of the High-Speed rail project, which is portrayed as a backdrop throughout the series. This juxtaposition between the car-centric suburbs and the promise of a modern, efficient transportation system highlights the stark contrast between the old and new ways of living.

The constant presence of cars, dilapidated strip malls, and sprawling stroads in Bakersfield seems to symbolize a certain emptiness and lack of genuine human connection. The show really contrasts the American setting with vibrant and pedestrian friendly Paris (albeit stereotyped).

I'm curious to know if any of you had similar thoughts or interpretations while watching "Baskets." Did you also feel that the show used the suburbs and car-centric environments in a soul-sucking and depressing way? On the other hand did anyone get a vibe it was also making fun of Chip for not being able to drive?

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[–] JeSuisUnHombre@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

I'm not totally sure that was intentional, partially because that's how those areas of the country actually look. That's what small town America is really like, except without the promise of high speed rail. I think that show was all about socially isolating and embarrassing Chip in every way possible, which in car-centric America includes not being able to drive.

Similarly, I'm not sure the environments were used in that depressing way, I think they were chosen because of how inherently soul-sucking and run down they really are. America used and abused its countryside until it was no longer the capital generating center, then it was abandoned along with the people still living there.