Impossible Choices? The Conservatism of "Breaking Bad"

Truth-Out ^ | August 30, 2012 | Michael Corcoran

[Clintonfatigued]

I wish I had watched this show. I haven’t see it yet and encourage comment from those who have. The story of a meth dealer does not sound like a show with a conservative message, but it’s worth noting that a number of mobsters from the 1950’s and 1960’s were staunch Republicans.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The article is a year old, just in case some people miss that.

[GeronL]

“staunch Republicans”

or they just wanted to pay less taxes?

[Borges]

This again.

[Impy]

It’s a great show. I haven’t gleamed any political message from it though.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

I can't wait to find out what Walt plans on doing with the M60 in the trunk of the Caddy he purchased at Denny's on his 52nd birthday.

[Waryone]

I doubt Walter White pays any tax on his drug money.

[gorush]

You should sign up with netflix and watch it from the beginning. It is great.

[wintertime]

We watched it from the beginning on Netflicks. We are waiting for the Netfliks final addition. We like watching one segment after another without the commercials.

[corkoman]

I read this last year - what tripe. Bad is phenomenally engrossing, especially for us chemistry majors.

The writer of this dreck blames capitalism on the downfall of Baltimore. Yeah right.

[Waryone]

I can’t watch the show myself. Too much language, realism in violence, and extremely intense situations for me. But my husband and son absolutely love the show.

Walter is a prideful man who though down on his luck (he develops cancer, his wife is expecting, his teenage son has cerebral palsy), will not take help from anyone — not friends, certainly not govt. He is almost like a modern day moonshiner fighting against the revenuers. One of which happens to be his brother-in-law.

If you are up to stomaching realistic gore and violence, creepy and extremely intense situations, you may enjoy it as much as the rest of my family.

[catfish1957]

I actually have watched Breaking Bad since Season 1. The premise of Malcolm in the Middle’s dad being a meth dealer seemed pretty far fetched at first. Wow was I ever wrong. Cranston’s three consecutive emmys are well deserved.

[arthurus]

Less tax or fewer taxes.

[corkoman]

That M60 weighs 20lbs with a loaded mag. Walt is not planning to carry that thing into battle. Must be part of a plan for a ‘last stand’. Its just the best show on TV. Along with game of thrones.

[vbmoneyspender]

Breaking Bad is a much better show than The Wire. As far as the show having messages, political or otherwise, it has one fundamental message which is that acting bad is not consequence free. The consequences may take years to catch up with you, but catch up with they will.

Or put another way, there's a freight train of karma coming at Walter White and there is nothing he can do to step out of its way.

[Tijeras_Slim]

It’s absolutely fascinating. Walter White’s decent into evil is magnificent acting by Bryan Cranston. Of course it’s also filmed in Albuqeurque, and I know most of the places where it was shot.

[vbmoneyspender]

Breaking Bad Seasons 1 thru 5

[Bernard Marx]

Cranston’s three consecutive emmys are well deserved.

Agreed. But I've never figured out his compulsion on both shows to romp around in his Jockey shorts.

[GeronL]

both