Scientific MethodEpisode 35: Subliminal
Tiffany and Ruth must work together to investigate the strange power a potato chip company has over Edge Wood’s inhabitants.
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Fantastic! The episode at once unmasks the insidious nature of marketing and the ridiculous lengths to which most of us prey to that marketing bend our wills to it. Potata, I would contend, is more like a Homeric god than she is like Vampira–Potata is impulse reified but dubiously connected to some sort of external agency (in this case Mr. Burkle). She is a cultural and societal product (here, the brainwashing of the porgramming in the tv) and manifests as a product culturally sculpted minds (the brainwashed), which compels them to action: an internal force visualized externally. I’m not being tongue-in-cheek about this, either.
Your analysis of Potata is most excellent.
Mr T is right, Potata is very like a Homeric god. I compared her to Vampira, only in so far as Vampira was scary (as she was, at least in “Plan Nine From Outer Space”). —we are all addicted to something, are we not?
Oh, my, what a fine episode! And namely, because it gives Tiffany a chance to heroize for once! Also, because of the powers we discover in the possession of the mysterious Ruth. I can see now why the Professor failed to object when she showed up and began hanging out with the Skoobie Gang (do they have a name of their own?). He didn’t object, because he was too afraid! She is fantastically strong and martially artistic! Also…cold-blooded, and generally horrifying, in her administration of justice! Kudos to the person who played the unscrupulous Mr Burkle. Also a delight: the phantom Potata. She out-Vampiras Vampira. She is more fearsome than Chiquita Banana. –The four members of the gang who were under the influence were quite, quite funny. (Question: what was the tune being played on the tv just before sign-off? Is it something they play in the UK?)
RE: the group name, there was a discussion at the beginning of episode 19 but nothing was ultimately chosen. I’ve been calling them the Scientific Method team, but I’m open to suggestions.
The tv tune was just a stock sample that I slowed down.
Thanks for watching!