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AUTHOR Getz, Glenn TITLE "The Lone Ranger" Rides Again: Recurring Images of the Justice Hero in "The Equalizer." PUB DATE Nov 87 NOTE 33p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Speech Communication Association (73rd, Boston, MA, November 5-8, 1J87). PUB TYPE Reports - Research/Technical (143) -- speeches /Conference Papers (150)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Broadcast Television; *Characterization; Comparative Analysis; *Cultural Context; Females; Males; *Mass Media Effects; *Popular Culture; Programing (Broadcast); Sex Role; Television Research IDENTIFIERS Archetypes; Equalizer (television Series); *Heroes; Lone Ranger (Television Series); Male Female Relationship; *Television Criticism
ABSTRACT A study compared the two television series, "The Lone Ranger" and "The Equalizer" to see whether the protagonists conform to the American archetype of the justice hero--defined as the hero who deals with crime in society. A formula analysis of the two television texts reveals that both heroes are male, scrupulous, independent, possess almost superhuman faculties, are aggressive and violent, show very little emotion, are mysterious (the masked Lone Ranger rides into town in time of trouble and leaves immediately after controlling the situation, while the Equalizer is an ex-secret operative based in New York City who accepts no payment for his help), and attractive to women. For all practical purposes, the Lone Ranger and the Equalizer are the same man. Sidekicks in both series serve a similar function: they do the dirty work and act as foils. The criminals are always male, and their victims are nearly always vulnerable females. The opening credits of'The Equalizer," depicting a dark and frightening urban atmosphere, consist of a barrage of images of men and women interacting. McCall, the hero, is highlighted at the end of the sequence - -a masculine protector and a father figure. Th% more youthful Lone Ranger shows his masculinity in brilliant escapes and close calls. The justice hero in both series stands alone (functioning as a vigilante) outside the law enforcement system. Close study of these texts suggests that the television justice hero has remained virtually intact in his mythic structure over the past 30 years. (Notes and references are attached.) (NKA)
*********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** "The Lone Ranger" RidesAgain: Recurring Images of the JusticeHero Oo in "The Equalizer"
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U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Othce of Educational Researchand Improvement L.I.J EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document hag been race yed from the person Orreproduced as orivinating organization M. tor changes have beenmade to improve repioduction Quality
Points of view or OpiniOnS statedm thus docu rnent do not necessarily representOttlCoal OERI position or policy
Glenn Getz University of Puget Sound Communication and TheatreArts Tacoma, WA 98416 (206) 756-3335
Paper Submittedto the Student Section 1987 Speech for Presentation at the Communication AssociationConventicn
"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE T"'S MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY ln 0 ;lenn C. Cetz
TO TF i EDLI,1:ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERICI BEST COPYAVAiLSOLE "The Lone Ranger" Rides Again:
Recurring Images of the JusticeHero in "The Equalizer"
When discussing justice heroesin American television,many people have wondered whatever happened to the old-fashioned,gun- slinging hero of the western serial. One thing is certain;few of the justice heroes on prime-time television today wear whitehats,
ride charging stallions andsnuff out evilacross the land with a hearty "Hi, Ho, Silvers" The accoutrements of thewestern justice hero have changed with a changing American culture. However, the basic qualities of the characters and situations inmany shows, like "The Equalizer," have remained very similar to old west heroprograms, like "The Lone Ranger."
In order to learn about American culture, it isuseful to analyze successful televisual texts--programs on televisionthat contain myths or symbols that many people recognize insome way (sometimes called "common codes"). Critics can learn aboutcultural ideals
through the study of heroes intelevision programs. When a particular style of hero manages to stand the test of time,such as the justice hero in both "The Equalizer" and "The Lone Ranger,"critics are able to study them for a better understanding ofcultural values for living.
This essay will provide a critique of "The Equalizer,"a poplar prime-time series on CBS. The essay will employformula analysis to show how both the structure of the showand the qualities -r the hero are similar to "The Lone Ranger,"a series about a justice hero in the old west. The essay will bedivided into five sections: Critical Tools of Analysis, Characteristicsof the Justice Hero,
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Gender and the Justice Hero, Justice HeroVersus Justice System, and finally, Implicationsfor Further Study.
Critical Tools of Analysis The justice hero, a popular theme in Americanculture, seems to have remained basically -the same overan approximate thirtyyear period, as indicated by the similaritiesbetween the two shows under study. "The Equalizer" andthe ":anger" bothdemonstrate heroic attributes; they are male, scrupulous, independent,aggressive, and mysterious. They show littleemotion and are attracti . to women. The presentation of the male and thefemale is rigid;women are helpless victims ofcriminal violence who need masculineprotection and guidance in orderto survive. "The Equalizer" makesstrong statements concerning the justice system'slack of effectiveness in the United States. The style of crime fieting explored in theshow may reflect the strong-armed methods of lawmen inearly television westerns. Speculations will bemade regardingreasons for the justice hero formula's success for so manyyears and the implications of the values presentedin the twc programs (especially thecurrent program, "The Equalizer") willbe discussed. As a survey of American literature and historywill attest, heroes are very important to American culture. We seem to constantly look up to cultural heroes for leadership,support, and entertainment. Why is it important to study the heroes ofa culture? John G. Cawelti notes thatthe study of a popular story pattern, suchas the pattern in "The Equalizer," ". . . reveals both certainbasic concerns that dominatea particular culture and also somethingabout the way in which thatculture is predisposed to order or dealwith those
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concerns."1 Kent Ladd Steckmessergives some examp,s of this in his book, The WesternHero in Histor and Le end: The short life of Billy the Kid illuminates several aspects ofWestern history. It reveals the unsettled state of society and theambiguity of "law" on the Southwesternfrontier.
The heroes also personifiedtraits which Americans have always admired. Courage, self-reliance, and physicalprowess hgve usually been rated highon the scale.
The study of heroes is importantbecause their stories reveal
information about the culturefrom which they come. In the same manner, changing heroic qualitiescan reveal changes in specific culture. As Cawelti puts it:
Significant changes inthe valuations or relations ascribed to elementsin the formula (hero story)probably indicate significantaifferences in attitudes and values.' One of the more obvious differences between "TheLone Ranger" and "The Equalizer" is the setting. The First takes place ina small,
rural, developing westerntown while the secondtakes place in the large, urban, developed eastern city of New York. Both places were
considered centers of activitywhen the showswere new. During the Ranger's days, the expandingwestern frontierwas still a popular theme. Today, big cities get allthe attention--New York isvogue. The difference in timebetween the twoprograms may give us a clue to more general and visible changesin American culture,as well as some of the less visible andmore subtle changes. One medium rich with images of theAmerican hero is American television. Television programs almostalways have a hero, or at least an anti-hero, of some kind. Critics can gain insight intoa
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culture through thestudy of television because it is suchan immense and powerful tool. Gronbeck commentson television as a powerful attitude influencer:
If television has the power to . . . determine whatyou attend to and how you perceive it--then itfollows that television can significantlyaffect how you react toyour world (your attitudes) and whatyou do in it (your actionsor behaviors).5 Richar.: Adler, in his book UnderstandinTelevision: Essa s on Television as a Social and Cultural Force,writes about the immensity of television programming in theAmerican culture: The television sethas become the primary source ofnews and entertainment for most Americansand a major force in the acculturationof children. Television hastr,nsfcimed the country's political processes . . . Television, in short, pervadesand alters thecontemporary American environment. Television is both powerful and immense. Millions of people in other countries watch our programs and producedefinitions for the word "America" that may be quite far fromthe truth. The medium has had a great impact on Americans, as well,considering the fact that about ninety-seven percent of allAmerican homes haveone or more television sets.?
In order to study televisual images ofthe justice hero,it is necessary tochoose a textual tool for analysis. Because of the tlme gap between"The Equalizer" and "The LoneRanger," a careful criticism of the programs themselves willbe thc most revealing. How will formulaanalysis faCIitate a discussion of the traitsof the herocommon to both the current prime-timeprogram and the celebrated serialfrom America's past? According to Cawelti,in his essaytitled "Myth, Symbol and Formula,""symbols and myths 6 5
(because of theirpower of integrating feelings and attitudes)
shape the perceptions and motivationsof those who share them."8 This does not necessarilymean that attitudes of individuals who 1 watch "The Equalizer" will suddenlychange in response to the
dramatic, violentprogram. Nevertheless, the audience findsthe
show entertaining forsome reason, or it would not beso popular.
Viewers continue to share withthe creators of thatprogram some
basic perceptions about howthe world works.9 It follows, then, that watching the show may affect how people perceive andinteract
with reality, although exactlyhow perceptions are affectedis not always clear.
A television program,as with any other type of literature, is a complicated structure of ". . . symbols or myths whichare imaginative orderings of experience . . . (and can be defined as)
images or patterns of imagescharged with a complex of feelingand 10 meaning . Cawelti definesa formula as symbols and myths
that form a "set of generalizationsabout how all the parts of the 11 story have been combined to makesense. Formula analysis is useful
because it allows us to integratethe myths and patterns of myths
that are observable ina text with ". . . other aspects of life . . . as a question of why certaingroups of people enjoy certain "12 stories. The critic's job is to providepossible answers to that question in order to learnmore about American culture.
Cawelti gives hisanswer to the question (whyare cert,in stories popular) using theformula analysisapproach:
. . . not because they embodysome
particular ideology . . . but because they maximizea great many interests. Thus, in analyzingthe cultural significance of sucha pattern, we cannot expect to arriveat a single
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key interpretation. Instead, we must show how a large numberof interests and concernsare brought
into an effective orderor unity. -) Our major critical task, then, is to show how 'thetexts "maximize" a large number of audience interests. 14 When we compare the interests in a text today with those in a text of thepast, we can determine how interests have changed or remained thesame over a period of time. Critical tools of textual analysis, such as formulaanalysis, make this possible where empirical tools cannot. The elements of the justice hero formula can be analyzed to determinehow interests have been brought together to enable thejustice hero to survive for so long and to determine what implicationsthose interests have for American culture.
It is obvious, on the face of it, that "TheEqualizer" is a successful text. It occupiesa prime-time slot at CBSand we can safely assume that it has a large viewing audiencewho watch it consistently and "share" or recognize the mythspresent in the television show.15 The program's popularitymakes it worthwhile for study, because it involves a largegroup of Americans. This was also true when "The Lone Ranger" was anew show. Many people across the United States watched "The Lone Ranger"quite regularly, setting aside that block of time for theprogram. "The Lone Ranger" has, interestingly enough, stood the testof time and is theoldest adventure series still 16 shown on television. However, the important fact is that it was popular when itwas new. Before examining the similarities ofthe two shows by demonstrating that theyoperate from thesame formula, it is necessary TO briefly reviewthe characters andsettings of thetwo stories. "There is always one who wields the swordof Damocles, one 7
self-appointed God . . . that's me . . . that's me."17 These words are spoken by vigilante Robert McCall, themain character in "The
Equalizer." Played by British actor EdwardWoodward, who became famous as Harry "Breaker" Morant in the Australian filmof that name, McCall is a former CIA secret agent who quit because hedid not approve of the organization'sactivities. Today he protects helpless victims of big city crime as a "privatecontractor." He does not accept money for any of his work, beingindependently wealthy, and his newspaper advertisement reads: "Odds Against You? Need Help? Call the Equalizer." Every week a desperatefemale victim phones McCall, who always arrives intime to devisea plan and bring the ri.minal to the 18 justice he deserves. McCall's only motivation seems to come from a desireto protect innocent citizens. This hero is a well-dressed, silver-hairedgentleman who is both charming and clever. Woe to those felonswho underestimate "The Equalizer."
"With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, thedaring and resourceful masked rider ofthe plains led the fightfor law and order in the early west. Return with usnow to those thrilling days of yesteryear. The Lone Ranger ridesagain!"Most of us are familiar with this particular hero story. The Lone Ranger,a young man who wants to protect the innocent,travels across the plains exposingcriminals and helping good people get out oftrouble. He wears a black mask to protect his identityand hi. Indian friend, Tonto, accompanieshim on his meritable quest for law andorder. The plot of each program revolves around the mainfigure: .the justice hero. When analyzing thetwo texts, then, itseems fitting to begin by examining the characteristicsof those justice heroes.
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Characteristics of the Justice Hero What is a justice hero? The word hero refers to " . . . a
man noted for feats of courage or nobility of.purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his life . . . ."19 The justice
hero is the hero who deals with crime insociety. Usually this
person first discovers a problem, then decideson a solution, or
plan, deals with conflict while workingtoward that solution and finally solves the original problem. However, being a justice
hero involves much more than simplysolving problems of crime.
There are usually specific qualitiesassigned to the hero,
depending upon the particularculture being discussed.
Most of these qualitiesare identical in "The Equalizer"
and "The Lone Ranger." Both heroes are male, scrupulous,independent, possess almost super-human faculties,are aggressive and violent, show very little emotion,are mysterious and are attractive to
women. The only real differencebetween the two characters,
other than the different timeand setting they exist in, is their
age--the Ranger is ayoung man, the Equalizer is an olderman.
This difference raisessome interesting questions that will be covered more fully in thesection on gender.
For all practicalpurposes, the Ranger and McCall a'e the same man. Their sidekicks, Tontofor the Ranger and other CIA men for McCall, are men. The criminals are alwaysmen, from the killer to the rapist tothe extortionist. In fact, the only characters that are notmen are the victims themselves, whoare almost always women. With these similaritiesin mind, let us review the major characteristicsof the American "justice hero."
The two justice heroesare men of scruples. Steckmesser
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explains this heroic quality:
. . . the basic appeal of thelegendary heroes is that they served goodcauses. They were servants of justiceand truth, defenders of the meek and theoppressed. They became actors in thegreat allegory of Good versus Evil,an allegory whose roots are deep in American history. . . . Because Americans havegenerally cast themselves in idealistic roles,they have been able to identify with theseheroic representa#ves of the national character. "The Equalizer" is a scrupulous do-gooder who,fortunately, is independently wealthy andcan afford to work for free, adding
modesty and charity to hislist of heroic traits. McCall's integrity is dramatically displayed during an episodetitled "Nightscape," in which a woman has been raped and McCallmust track down her vengeance-bent husband as well as threecruel rarlsts. He walks into a local pub, shows the bartenderseveral photographs of the criminals, and asks if he hasseen them recently. The bartender, typed as an uncomplex slob, asks "Whyshould I care?" Enraged by the man'slack of feeling, McCallgives an emotionally powerful speech on the importance of samaritansin a vicious and violent world. Reacting as if he hadbeen shaken back to life (and feeling somewhat ashamed) thebartender gives McCall all the information he needs. This scene shows howearnest the protagonist is in protecting people. He doesn't do itfor money, fame or connections; he does itbecause he isa "good" person. Although Robert McCall's scruples may not beconsidered noble by all who watch the show (he kills the offenderquite regularly), the character is presented as a wise man who is doinghis best to make the citya better place to live.
This is also truefor the Ranger, whoroves the land looking 11 10
for crooks to bring to justice. He wears a black maskto hide his
identity and never sticks around longenough for people toreally thank him. In a typical scenario, aftersaving an innocentman from hanging by revealing the true killer, the "Lone Ranger"is
offered reward money. He refuses it, asking thatit be given to the newly-freed man and hiswife-to-be.
Justice heroes areindependent--they do thingson their own. In Symbolic Leaders, Orrin Klapp discusses thisindependence: A would-be symbolic leadershuns bureaucracy, impersonality,mechanization, interdependence, oran equalitarian mass from which it is difficultto stand out. He avoids close associationwith colleagues, henchman, managers and otherswho might make it hard for him to holdthe spotlight alone . . . who might steal thescene from him; conversely, heprefers as co-workers colorless persons who 21 can act as foils . . . . Both the Ranger and McCall have "foils" in each episode: the Lone Ranger has his Indian friend and McCall has other secretagents
(or former secret agents)who assist him. Tonto, an Indian who owes his life to the Lone Rangerbecause of a heroic deed, follows the white man wherever hegoes, much as a loyal dog would. He is a necessary sidekick; he does the unheroic thingsthat need to be done--stabling horses, setting up camp, being beatensenseless. He also provides a necessary point of contrast thathighlights the hero's charisma. For example, Tonto's dialogueconsists almost totally of questions. "What we gonna do, Kemosabay?" is his usual response to a critical situation. This gives theman in the mask an opportunity to explain his latest successfulplan. He appears quick-thinking and intelligent in comparisonwith Tonto's dull wit and shallow mind.
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Sidekicks in "The Equalizer"serve a similar function; they do the dirty work and act as foils. Each week a different agentaids McCall's work by looking up information in a computeror tracing a phone call. Tonto, appearing onevery episode of "The Lone Ranger," may be a more consistent sidekick than McCall's agents,but the
similarities remain. They are secondary characterswho follow McCall's orders, ask questions,run errands, sit for hours watching suspects, and fail to make any original contributions to"the plan." These agents are always uncharismatic in someway. They are either computer geel.,:s or were fired from the CIAbecause they made too many mistakes. As Klapp mightsay, the minor characters cannot be too good looking or acting. They might upstage thelead, damaging the star role's independence. For example, duringa show in which a gambler kidnaps a horse racer's son, McCall enlists the aidof a former agent who was fired because of a gamblingproblem. In the episode that dealt withrape ("Nightscape"),a weaselly computer
programmer helps McCall find the rapistsby using some special software. Each of these sidekicks help the hero withoutappearing too important, charismatic or sensually pleasing. Another important characteristic of the justice hero inAmerican culture is that he always possesses super-human traits. Steckmesser
notes that ". . . the hero typifies exceptionalability in such frontier skills as trailing, marksmanship,and hand-to-hand combat with Indians and wild beasts. "22 Steckmesser isreferring to the old western hero, but the description alsoapplies to contemporary justice heroes. The hero always showsremarkable skill inevery situation he finds himself in. When a stagecoachrobber flees across the border into Mexicothe Lone Ranger disguiseshimself as a Mexican bandit, complete with a believableaccent. With the help 13 12
of U.S. and Mexican authorities, he lures the offender backinto the country where a waiting sheriffpromptly arrests him.
McCall has the best electronicsurveillance equipment at
his disposal and each episode involvesan assistant watching and
listening to suspects throughthese special devices. The Lone
Range- and the Equalizerare sure-shots with theirguns. They
hardly ever miss. Although Robert McCall is nota young man, he
still possesses remarkablysharp senses, quick reflexesand powerful muscles. When a fleein: criminalpushes a heavy oak coffin offa
shelf (intending to crushMcCall, standing below),the Equalizer
jumps out of harm'sway just in time. In another episode, McCall is attacked from behind by a much younger, obviouslystrong, dock worker. The gray-haired agentdefends himself withease and the wouldbe attacker finds himselfon the ground. Both of these men are supermen. They always win, they alwaysdo it with style and they are never seriouslyhurt. Not only are these heroes exceptionally powerful,but they are also very aggressive and quickto use that power. Orrin Klapp describes characteristics of heroes in his book SymbolicLeaders, identifying aggressivenessas one of the main qualities:
(1) the most activeperson captures the most interest, (2) theone who starts something is more likely to be a hero thanthe one who follows, (3) theone whc gives the crowd (audience) a thrill is likely to bea hero, (4) the winner of a fight islikely to be a hero.
All of these considerationsput a premium on aggressiveness, taken ina broad sense; they give the advantageto the one who seizes the initiative,pushes where others will let be,starts a fight. Americans dislike,or think they dislike, aggress4.eness, butthe fact gqmains that
fights create heroes . . .
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The hero in both shows being discussed 4 especiallyaggressive. Recently, McCall joined forces with another formerCIA man to track down a kidnapper. The other agent began theinvestigation by
questioning his contactson the street. McCall soon tires of the slow, unproductive method and finally decidesto take the "direct approach." McCall quickly extractsthe information he needsby threatening to turn in a gambling bookie who is pretendingto be blind in order to improve business. The aggressive stylepays off every time .n McCall's world. Steckmesser writes abouta mythic hero in history, a hero who was alsovery aggressive:
The John Smith legendlies at the source of this heroic tradition. The Smith of history was inmany respects an ideal type-figure for the Westernheroes who ci followed him (suchas the Lone Ranger). He was of humble origin . . . and made his reputationas a fighter and man of action . . . . By dictatorial methods within the (Jamestown)colony, and by strong-handed dealings withthe Indians outside it, Smith savedthe,Anfant settlement from extinction.4.' If one were to change the name John Smith inthat last quote to Robert McCall or the Lone Ranger (and then changethe circumstances to fit the story), both versions would make perfectsense. The two characters are so similar in this quality,as in many, that they are practicallyinterchangeable. Violence is another characteristic these twoheroes have in common. Old "Lone Ranger" episodes are filled withfist fights that seem gentle when compares with today'stelevision, but were violent for their time. Robert McCall gets inhis share of violent incidentsand in one story he thrusts a man's headthrough a car window. The Ranger uses scare tactics when helocks two wrong-doers in a jail where they themselveshave set up an explosion 15 with blasting powder. At exactly five o'clock the jail willexplode, killing them both. The masked man will only releasethem from their
cell of death if they tell the truth. Death threats are commonplace
on "The Equalizer." McCall recently told twogangster-types that if they did not do what he wished, he wouldhunt them down and kill
them. While interrogating one ofthose same men, McCall instructed
his assistant, Mickey, to throwthe man out the window because he
refused to talk. The room they occupiedwas on the fifteenth floor, at the very least.
Emotional displaysare unacceptable elements in the justice
heroes of these programs. Emotion has changed slightly sincethe Lone Ranger's time, however. The hero in that show only showed
stern, serious looks withan occasional smile or painful grimace.
Today, Robert McCall experiencesone other emotion: guilt. After a rough day of rapist-killing, he bears hissoul in front of the
woman he is dating. He expresses some guilt, butsuch an outpouring is unusual and poorly developed. The emotion is portrayed through
camera close-ups of watery eyes, butno real breakdown occurs.
These heroes are not allowed toshow many tears because, perhaps,
such a display might be seenas weakness. Technology may explain
slight changes in therange of justice hero emotionsover the years.
Changing camera capabilitiesand modern styles of filming allow
close-up shots that focuson facial expression. In contrast, there
were very few close camera shots in"The Lone Ranger." The camera usually remained ata medium ur long shot, including full bodies
of several people ata time.
Mystery is yet anothercommon element in the two television programs. The Lone Ranger hasa secret identity--he wears a black mask and no one, except Tonto,'mows who he really is. The viewer 16 15
is led to believe that the Rangerdoes this out of modesty; healways
leaves the scene before he can beembarrassed by compliments. "The
Equalizer" wears a metaphorical mask. He is a former secretagent for the CIA, a mysterious organizationfilled with top secret materials. "Control," a character who playsthe head of the agency, often
appears on the shcw seeking information,advice or assistance from McCall. Control, played by Robert Lansing,and McCalldiscuss past political scandals but viewersare never given the whole story--it
all seems very secretive. People helped by McCall oftendo not
understand who he is or why hehelps them. "Who do you thinkyou are?What are you doing?Do I know you?" asksone female in a show. This strikes some viewersas similar to the inevitable
closing dialogue of "The LoneRanger:" "Who was that masked man?"
MMemories of Manon," for example,is an episode of "The Equalizer" that involves a kidnapped woman who must find the identity ofan
informant or see her fatherkilled. Her apartment has been bugged,
she is instructed not totell her father, and shehas no idea who
"Chrysallis," the informant,really is. Notes written on napkins, secret meetings and othersurprises fill the story. McCall is shrouded in secrecy and his background becomes more mysteriousas he encounters people from his past. McCall sees and knows all. He has connections everywhere. He is a kind of "Shadow" who ". . . knows what evil lurks in the heartsof men."
McCall is charmingand attractive towomen, as is the Lone Ranger. Viewers of the older serialmight remember how beautiful women swooned over the sight of the Rangerin his tight pants and black mask. Today, virtuallyevery episode of "The Equalizer" contains sexual tension between McCalland a woman. He is divorced and dates especially attractivewomen who are about 17 16
his age. Unfortunately, his work oftengets in the way of his
social life--one of his datesgets killed and he isleft to care for the woman's daughter. His concern for the securityof females is revealed at the end of an evening with one particularbrunette. He offers to walk her to her apartment doorupstairs, with only her safety in mind, but she protests, thinking he hasulterior motives. In the end, courtesy wins and they ride up theelevator, arm in arm. McCall also b-?ings flowers to many of hisfemale clients, but only when they are in the hospital. Throughout these sexual scenes McCall remains a gentleman and a respectablefather figure.
McCall's dates must bedisappointed--all theyever get is an occasional kiss on the hand. He never mixes businesswith pleasure, either; when a young female client is attractedto McCall and makes some seductive suggestions, McCall playsinnocent: "I beg your pardon? What?" McCall, as a justice hero, is much olderthan the Lone Ranger. The lead in "The Equalizer" has gray hair, a wrinkledface, and wears glasses for reading. One possible explanationfor the age difference could involve changing perceptionsof power. Politicians are making a much stronger display through the televisual medium today than they did when "The Lone Ranger"was new. Power is now seen in the hands of men like President RonaldReagan, a senior leader who has made his reputation as the "GreatCommunicator," especially on the twenty-one inchscreen. With age comes wisdom and power, according to this culture,therefore McCall'sage aligns him with real-life decision-makers in stateand national legislatures. "The Equalizer" is seen as a powerful governmentfigure in other ways, by former occupation and by association. Robert McCall used 18 17
to work for thegovernment as a CIA agent. He had a greatdeal of power within that organization, judging from hisknowledge of missions in years past,and he had seniority. McCall continuesto possess incredible influence on the agency through itsleader, Control. McCall often helps Control out ofa jam as a favor to a friend. In one episode, for example, hesaves Control's life when a KGB agentkidnaps him. McCall is quite a bit older than thehero in the white cowboy hat, but thisadds a dimension of masculinity to his . character that theRanger does not have; McCall is a fatherfigure. He treats womenas if they are all his daughters, sometimesprotects them without theirrequest or consent, and the dialoguebetween him and young womenon the show is always short and direct: "Pack your things. We're leavingou're in great danger."He never bothers to tell thewomen how they are in danger or how heplans to protect them (or why) because he treats them likechildren. McCall, like all good fathers, knows what isbest. Thus far we havelooked at several traits that makeRobert McCall and the Lone Ranger into justiceheroes. The similarities the far outnumber4differences, illustrating that "TheEqualizer" is sort of a modern-daywestern and that qualities of heroesadmired by Americans havechanged very little. Exploring thedifferences in the two justiceheroes is also useful, as wellas exploring the effects of genderin each show.
Gender and theJustice Hero Another importantelement of most texts involvinghuman characters isthat of gender. Many psychologistsagree that a person's environment (parents, peers,socialnorms and pressures to conform) determines his or her genderidentity. Those traits 19 18
we traditionally label "masculine" or "feminine"actually have very little to do with the physicalsex of the person involved.
The televisual texts being exploredin this essay are especially
interesting because the genderroles for men andwomen in both
justice hero showsare practically identical,even though "The
Lone Ranger" and "The Equalizer"are thirty years apart. This section will identify and examinethe traits associated with masculinity and femininity inan ef%rt to reveal values present
in the texts. The implications of thesevalues will be discussed further in the concluding sectionof the essay., The first clues about gender given to the viewingaudience of "The Equalizer" are anything but subtle. The opening credits, which set up the mood for the entire show andintroduce the main
characters, consist ofa barrage of images of men andwomen interacting. These pictures includewomen being watched, followed and touched against their will by male strangers. All the scenes are in a big city and the mood is dark and frightening. Police sirens wail in the distance. A terrifiedwoman peers out of her apartment door into a dark hallway. Her baby screams in the background. Another woman misses hertrain at the subway and is cornered by a man. Suddenly a dark, mysteriousfigure in a long overcoat appears. The camera pans and lightfinally shines on the stern, confident, intelligent face of "The Equalizer,"Robe ''t McCall. This short sequence gives away most of theseries' plots; it identifies McCallas the hero, strangemen as the villains, and women as the victims.
What is considered "masculine" in "The Equalizer,"and how is this different from masculinity in"The Lone Ranger"?McCall is the ideal masculine hero inthis world. As stated earlier, he is 20 19
violent, aggressive and unemotional. He possesses outstanding
physical strength and superiorintellect. An air of untimate seriousness dominates discussions with other agents and"Control," although an occasional chuckle may arise during the finalminutes of any given episode. Criminals are treatedquite brusquely,
usually with threats of violence,pointed weapons andarm twisting. McCall takes charge over every important situationhe finds himself in and never hesitates or flinches. These traits may be considered inherent to displays of "masculinity"in both "The Equalizer" and "TheLone Ranger." The Ranger, for example, is quick-thinking, shoots silver bullets withincredible accuracy and takes his business seriously. Fighting crime isno laughing matter.
How does McCall interact with women on the show? First of all, take into the account the fact discussedearlier; women are the victims in "The Equalizer." They are always in needof help and are never in control of their own life situations. McCall comes to get them out of trouble, to takecharge, to bringa plan of action. They follow his orders accordingly andare usually very cooperative, trusting McCall to make thingsright. McCall treats them as a father might treat hisdaughters--concerned looks,a gruff take-charge tone of voice and short imperativesentences. He rarely tells themexactly what the situation is andnever asks them for advice. In short, as we have said beforethe protagonist in "The Equalizer" isa father figure. Time and time againhis character assists single-parent, mother-led families. When a woman's newborn son is stolen by criminalswho will sell it to the highest bidder, McCall saves the childand puts the kidnappers behind bars. During the finalAments of the story,McCall and 1 20
the mother (Mrs. Daniels) while strolling in thepark. Mrs.
Daniels is a widow. !'4ote the dialogue that :;akesplace:
Mrs. Daniels: "You know, I'l]never forget what you've done for
us both, and I . . . I don't even know howto begin to thank you." McCall: "Well, I'll tell you howyou can thank me. You can drop
in and see me . . . and you bring littleTommy with you." Mrs. Daniels: "You look out for us." McCall: "Yes, I will."
The three of them walking through the park forma tableau of sorts-- they are a family for that brief moment, and McCallis the father. Later in the series, a black teenager is accidentallykilled by a paranoid volunteer policeforce. The youth's younger brother, Eugene, and mother are left alone to fight for justice. After McCall has brought the killers to face their crime, hestands with Eugene and Eugene's mother near the warehouse where thekilling occurred. The mother a ks McCall to come home with themfor dinner and he accepts the invitation. This image of fatherhoodis an integral part of McCall's masculinity. When, for example, McCallhelps protect an old fling's daughter, Evette Marcel, he discovers thatshe is his real daughter. Perhaps McCall's roleas a father helps to explain the program's popularity--each of us may secretlylong to be taken care of, to be parented.
"The Lone Ranger" isnot portrayedas a father figure, although he possesses all the other masculine traitstLat McCall has. Picture if you will: A screaming girl in a yellowor orange frock is bound to the train tracks. A powerful locomotiveis charging toward her and will soon cuther in two with its massive form. But wait: Who is the figure in white riding over thehill to the right? It is Danny Good Deed come to save the day! With a slash of his sharp 22 21
knife he cuts the ropes that tie the maiden to metal beamsof doom.
With a strong, sweeping gesturehe lifts her now limpbody (oh my,
she has fainted) from the tracksand gallantly leaps fromthe path
of,the death train. Masculinity for the Rangermeans brilliant escapes and close calls (the closer the better). Masculinity means treating women with a kind word and a gentle,but assertive, manner. Most of all, masculinity means protecting helplesswomen from harm and seeing law and order winthe game. What is "feminine" in the texts being consideredhere?How do women act in the two programs? Female characters in bothprograms are victims. This is especially true in "The Equalizer,"as virtually all of the victims are women. These women come froma variety of
backgrounds, including mothers,wives, working women,young women, older women. The diversity ofbackgrounds indicates that allwomen are targets of crime in the big city, regardless of theirdifferent occupations, economiclevels, marital status,ages, or physical appearances. These women have onlyone thing in common; theyare vulnerable. Women are portrayedas helpless victims who need masculine protection inboth the old westernand the new crime drama. Although women are not victimized as consistentlyin "The Lone Ranger," that hero is still famous for hisrescues of females-- females who have usually been kidnapped andharassed uy some dastardly dude who never shaved a day in hislife. "The Equalizer" is even more obvious. Notice these TV Guidedescriptions: McCall enlistsa despondent agent (sidekick) to aid a blind musiccritic (helpless woman) who thinks theman who raped heryears before is after her again.25
McCall is on the trailof a serial killer, leaving little timeto help an aspiring actress who has fallenin with thewrong crowd.26 23 22
A woman turns to McCall for help after her newborn son is kidnapped from a hospital, and McCall 14rns up a baby-selling operation.4(
"Joyride," an episode that dealt with theselling of crack,
illustrates how McCall givesa teenage girl (an addict) a new family
and a new start on life. Another woman, who even helpsone of McCall's
old foes frame him for murder, isportrayed as a victim of themen who hired her and took advantageof her unfortunate situation. McCall gives her anew start as well.
Not only are women consistentlyvictims, but they are also in
need of masculine protection inorder to survive. Women are dependent on men, women are emotional, andwomen are not equipped with the
adequate intellect and strengthto save themselves. All of these qualities combine to createa specific definition of "femininity."
Ruth, a member of one "Lone Ranger"cast, is upset because her
fiance has been sentenced to deathfor a crime he did not commit.
Ruth flees to a local church wherea man of the cloth cares for her
and arranges for a meeting withthe masked man. The woman is eager to accept the Ranger's plan and follows his orders to theletter.
She is dependent on thepriest for her salvation. She is dependent on the hero for her protection. The Lone Ranger alwayssaves the fair maiden, then delivers her home to her father, husband,brother or boyfriend. The woman isnever portrayed as surviving on her own or defending herself. Significantly, she is never leftalone with another woman;a man must be present to protect her. The same is true of today's justice hero in "TheEqualizer." For example, ina show early thisseason, a young woman calls the Equalizer because her father has been kidnapped. McCall leavers her with his son to guard her while he tracksdown the kidnappers.
24 23
In yet another show, a youngman is sent home to "take care" of his
mother (the victim) while the Equalizerpunishes the criminals.
When McCall finds therape victims husband in "Nightscape," he
brings the man andwoman together. She asks her mate tocome home
and "take care" of her. The couple attends counsellingto treat the psychological and emotionaldamage caused by the rape, but
talk about self-defense classes isnot heard.
Women are dependent onmen for any kind of real action, whether
that action involves goodor evil. When a woman's husband is
framed for drug dealing andsentenced to prison, she tries to
make a deal with the judge. The judge, a man, offersa lesser
sentence in exchange for sexualfavors from her. She contacts McCall, who begins to workon the case, but she decides to take
the judge up on his offeranyway. McCall stops her just in time.
This woman had two choices:trust a man to expose the realcriminals or have sex with a man who wouldreduce her husband's sentence. The women in each television series are emotional; theyoften cry, scream and become frightened. Cannonball McKay,a comically tough female stagecoach driver,maintains her poise until all seems hopeless. Then, she weeps. It is interesting to notethat when her secret marriageis revealed to everyone in the town,
Cannonball sheds her leatherriding gear and donsa dress with petticoats. She, too, is dependentupon the hero, the Lone
Ranger, to solve her problem. A female constructionworker on "The Equalizer" is scared after a terrifying chaseand begins to cry, but McCall comfortsher.
Being feminine in "The Lone Ranger" and"The Equalizer" means being dependent, helpless, emotional andweak. These traits seem to be exact opposites of those discussed inthe earlier masculine 25 24
section of nis paper. In the context of the justicehero formula, these gende: definitions are consistent and have remainedrelatively unchanged aver time.
Justice Hero Versus JusticeSystem Before continuing, it isimportant to make the distinction
between "hero" and "system"absolutely clear. The hero in each story is the one who stands alone: Robert McCall, the LoneRanger. The system ie the structure for law enforcementestablished by society: the police departments,the courts, the sheriff. In order to appeaj. to the interests of the largestaudience possible television shows sometimes need to deal with issuesand values that are current. "The Equalizer" addressesseveral current issues: violence against women, big city crime, the vigilantephenomenon. One reason for the incredible appeal of thejustice hero in America,
especially the hero in"The Equalizer," couldbe that the program addresses high ,:rime and a perceived inability of theconventional justice system to deal with crimc effectively. The show, filmed in New York, may be written to appeal specificallyto an audience on the east coasj,:, where heavily populated citiesstruggle with the problems of crime control. Some viewers might befrustrated with the tureaucratically cloggedjustice system thatseems to protect the guilty and spit in the face of theinnoccnt--they might appreciate the strong-armed method of dealing withcriminals that McCalluses. "The Equalizer" always gets justice and offendersare usually killed by the end of the show. Retribution is alwaysserved. Writers of the show portray the policedepartment (justice system) as bumbling,inadequate, bureaucratically inept,brutal, stupid, and senseless. Officers are McCall's scapegoats andhe avoids no opportunity to criticizethem. In "Nightscape," the 26 25
police chief issues a warrant for the arrest of a rape victim's
husband (intent on revenge, he stalks the subways in search of the
offenders). McCall is not pleased- -the police always seem togo after anyone but the real criminals. In another story, a black
teenage boy is harassed and accidentally killed by the "citizen's
patrol," a volunteer police force. McCall shows that the police
department is inadequate by making up for their mistakes. The killers themselves are a branch of the police department--a branch
that, according to McCall (who is always right), should have been
disbanded long ago. Note McCall's closing statements to the very
uncharismatic police chief: "None of this would have happened if
you had done your job."The police department, week after week,
sends ten armed officers and five cars (sirens blaring) to thescene of a crime, after McCall and an assistant have everything under
control. Although the Lone Ranger always seems to be doing the
sheriff's job in that series, justice scapegoatsare not as pivotal
as they are in "The Equalizer." There is an nderstanding that
(between episodes, I suppose) the sheriff does somethingother than listen to the Ranger's advice.
"The Equalizer" is a type of vigilante. This series began
some timP after the Bernard Goetz subway killings New York.
Goetz, a previously victimized citizen, took the law intohis own
hands by shootir": several black youths whom he suspectedwere going
to rob him. He was proclaimed a hero by the public, bringingon a host of national attention and extensive coverage in the media.
Vigilanteism is acceptable, even praised, in McCall'sworld. McCall does scold a young boy for buyinga gun to kill his brother's
murderers, telling him vengeance will not bring justice. However,
actions speak louder than words here, because minutes later McCall
27 r' 26
does just what he claims iswrong: vengeful violence. Implications for Further Studs
How do these shows affecttelevisual audiences? In order to
answer that question, it is usefulto identify the valuesor
assumptions contained withinthe texts. These values are perceived by the viewers, whether they be childrenor adults, and may affect how we deal with "reality." The assumptions in "The Equalizer" and "TheLone Ranger"are very similar, indicating a lack of any significant change in society regardingthat particular set of assumptions. The assumptions Ihave listed here fall into two main categories: assumptions about justiceand assumptions about gender.
Assumptions about Justice:
1. Good always triumphsover evil. 2. It is easy to distinguish between good and evil. The lines are always clearly drawn.
3. We cannot depend upon the justice system (police, courts)for our safety and protection.
4. Vigilanteism isan acceptable form of lawenforcement. 5. We need vigilantes inorder to make up for the justice system. ineffective
Assumptions about Gender:
1. Men are (and should be)super strong, super intelligent, and unemotional. macho
2. Men should not develop any traditionally femininecharacteristics. 3. Men should be theprotectors of women.
4. Men should tellwomen what to do. 5. Men, both heroes and criminals, controlsociety. 6. Women are more vulnerableto crime than men.
7. Women are victims and shouldnot use their own capabilities. resources and
26 27
8. Women should depend uponmen for their safety.
9. Women want men to tell them whatto do and treatthem like children.
There are some problematic features in"The Equalizer." First, justice is over-simplified. Second, the assumptionspresented in the text are presented as real--there is no attempt atsurrealism in the production of the text. Third, men andwomen conform to
an idealized set of gender constraints. Contrary to Robert McCall's world, women are not helpless--rape preventionclasses and self- defense programs have proven that fact. On the other hand,women are targets for crime. Perhaps this show will increaseviewer awareness of violence against women. Is the authoritarianpresentation of masculinity somehow attractive to the audience? Considering that this brand of machismo isa major component in the episodes,
perhaps the answer isyes. "The Lone Ranger" is surprisingly similar in terms of the gender-related valuespresented in "The Equalizer." Does this lack of changeover thirty years reflecta stagnant society? Have our value systems withregard to gender progressed so little?
A study of two televisual texts, "The Lone Ranger"and "The Equalizer," indicate that the justice hero has remainedvirtually intact over time. Each hero is traditionallymasculine, very
independent, scrupulous,and super-human. Women are invariably portrayed as "damsels in distress" with noone to turn to for help but the paternalhero. Formula analysis permitsa thorough critique of the two television series and enablesus to compare the mythic structure of the two justice heroes, proving theirsimilarities and explaining their differences. We have learnedsomething about American culture through a study of twoof its televisionheroes. 29 28
Changing presentations ofthe justice system in the UnitedStates have also made us aware ofcurrent issues in American justice.
Whatever happened to the gun-slingingtough guys of the old west--the Matt Dillons and theLone Rangers? The old west hero is still around, relativelyunchanged. He just turned in his horse for a SAAB, puton a three-piece suit and moved toNew York.
30 29
Notes
1. Cawelti, John G. "Myth, Symbol andFormula," Journal of Popular Culture, 8, Summer 1974,p. 4-5.
2. Steckmesser, Kent Ladd The Western Hero inHistory and Legend, University of Oklahoma Press, 1965,p. 254.
3. Ibid, p. 255.
4. Cawelti, p. 8.
5. Gronbeck, Bruce E. WritingTelevision Criticism, Science Research Associates, Modules inMass Communication, Masscom, Chicago, 1984, p. 4.
6. Adler, Richard P. UnderstandingTelevision: Essays on Television as a Social and Cultural Force, PraegerPublishers, New York, 1981, p. xi-xii.
/. Ibid, p. 11.
8. Cawelti, p. 4.
9..Ibid, p. 6
10. Ibid, p. 1.
11. Ibid, p. 4.
12. Ibid, p. 4.
13. Ibid, p. 4.
14. Ibid, p. 4.
15. Ibid, p. 6.
16. Glut, Donald F. and Harmon,Jim The Great TelevisionHeroes, Doubleday and Company, Inc.,New York, 1975, p. 37. 17. Damocles, a character in Greekhistory, is usedas a metaphor of impending danger. McCall's use of the wordis meaningful by itself, but it also showshim to be well-educatedand cultured. 18. The word "he" in thiscase refers to the maleperson only; all the criminals in "The Equalizer"are male. 19. American Heritage Dictionary,Second College Edition,Houghton Mifflin Company, 1982,p 608. 20. Steckmesser, p. 255.
21. Klapp, Orrin Symbolic Leaders,Aldine Publishing, 1964,p. 226. 22. Steckmesser, p. 243.
31 30
23. Klapp, p. 227.
24. Steckmesser, p.3.
25. TV Guide, October 15, 1986.
26. TV Guide, September 17, 1986.
27. TV Guide, December 17, 1986.
32 4
31
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