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| Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum in Magnum PI. (Photo Credit: Fanpop.com) |
During the first week of multimedia class, we watched the pilot episode of Magnum PI titled "Don't Eat the Show in Hawaii". It always an interesting and entertaining experience to watch a show based in Hawaii. As someone who has been born and raised there, I can't help but argue that these shows give only a narrow view of what Hawaii is and only highlights the glamourous side of white sandy beaches and palm trees or the more sensational side of corruption and drugs. As a critic, I have to admit that this episode follows the same trend, yet as a viewer, I was greatly entertained by the episode's thrilling story line and couldn't help but find main character, Thomas Magnum and his amazing mustache, likable.
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| From the opening credits. |
Here are some excepts from my media literacy essay on the episode.
[Background of the show and episode] "Initially, the show was supposed to take place in Los Angeles, but when the Hawaii Five-0 series ended, CBS and creators refashioned the concept to take place in Hawaii so that the production unit didn’t have to move out of the islands. The show is about a private eye named Thomas Magnum (played by Tom Selleck) who lives on tropical estate owned by a writer. The two-hour pilot titled “Don’t Eat the Snow in Hawaii”, originally aired on CBS in May of 1980, introduces us to Magnum along with other recurring characters. In this episode, Magnum is trying to clear his deceased friend Dan Cook’s name by finding the real murderer after Cook’s death is falsely ruled a drug overdose."
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| (Left to Right) Rick (Larry Manetti), Magnum, Higgins (John Hillerman), and (In back) TC (Roger E. Mosley). |
"The episode does a particularly good job at introducing us to the main character. The camera angles give us the illusion that Magnum is at our level and that we can relate to him. Occasionally, Magnum even breaks the fourth wall by looking directly at the camera. We also get a hear what’s going on in Magnum’s head through voice overs. The voice over also gives us closure about whether or not Cook’s name was cleared at the end of the episode. Magnum’s devotion to finding out the truth about his friend’s death shows how loyal and how much he values friendship. His relationships with other characters like Higgins, TC, and Rick are also “well established” (“Detective Digest”)."
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| "You looked Magnum!" Magnum (Selleck) breaking the fourth wall by smiling at the camera. |
[On the main character, Thomas Magnum] "Magnum is such a quintessential alpha-male with the chest hair, “monster bod” (Vanneman), and all. He likes beer, cars, and having fun, but interestingly enough, “never seemed terribly interested” (Vanneman) in women. He refuses an offer to swim with the two playboy bunnies that were staying at the estate and instead takes out a beer and continues making some phone calls. He also rejects Alice’s offer to begin a romantic relationship which in a way I respected that gesture because he didn’t want to take advantage of her emotional state, but I also figured that it’s partly because of the fact that he doesn’t seem interested in settling down with anyone. In his journal article, “Tight Pants in Paradise”, Alan Vanneman refers to Magnum’s relationship with women as “an odd blending of father/big brother and cabana/stable boy” and despite being considered “irresistible to women”. I don’t see anything wrong with Magnum’s lack of interest in relationships. It’s obvious that his main focus is himself and he’s living out the young man’s fantasy of living in paradise and driving fast cars."
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| Magnum testing out the security system at the estate owned by wealthy writer Robin Masters. |
[On the lack of minorities] "I can’t help, but complain about the lack of “locals” and other minorities since the show takes place in one of the most diverse places in the US. Every major character on the show is caucasian except for TC (who is African American and we all can assume why he’s there). There’s a few minor characters who are non-caucasian, the medical examiner (played by a Japanese American actor from Hawaii. Yay?), the valet worker (who is supposedly local, but who knows if the actor was), Snow White (who is supposedly Asian (right?), but is played by a Guatemalan actress), and the thug that kills Cook (who is supposedly local, but I doubt that the actor was Hawaiian or from Hawaii). Other than that, it’s a “haloe” world and the locals are just accessories. Vanneman writes about the “astounding condescension to the actual Hawaiians” and states that the purpose of the natives is just “providing local color by dancing the hula and producing native art that is collected and appreciated exclusively by wealthy whites”. I did get that particular vibe from this episode even though that quote was referring to the show as a whole since one of the only prominent “local” characters in the episode was a bad guy and the fact that the locals were just sprinkled around for color in scenes like at Rick’s nightclub. As far as the part about serving the wealthy whites, I don’t think this particular episode gave that idea at all. However, I wouldn’t be surprised because a lot of these Hawaii based shows (Magnum and the original and current Hawaii Five-0) has portrayed Hawaii as this playground for the wealthy."
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| Pamela Susan Shoop as Alice Cook, Dan Cook's Sister |
[On the portrayal of women] "One thing I also didn’t like was the strong undertones of women being presented as fragile and emotional beings that handle anything (Magnum even suggests this when he comforting Alice in one scene). The “Alice” character “lack[ed] interest and definition” (“Detective Digest”). I rolled my eyes so hard when Alice randomly runs out of the car and screams in the rain (like what was that about). Don’t get me wrong, I understand that her brother just died and it’s normal to cry, but you can tell that this show was written by men because the only purpose of the Alice character was to “act upset and emotionally needy” (“Detective Digest”) just to prove the stereotype that women are weak and need the constant guidance of men (disgusting)."
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| This doesn't need a caption, obviously. |
Despite some of these observations, I couldn't help but enjoy this episode of Magnum P.I. It was indeed entertaining and that’s all the really matters right? I encourage everyone to check the show out. The first six seasons are available on DVD and this particular episode is available online on Youtube (For ethical reasons, I cannot give a link, so search for it yourselves!) and probably Hulu, Netflix, etc.
Works Cited (and for further reading on the episode and show)
"Full Cast & Crew." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081103/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast>.
"Magnum Mania!-Episode Guide-"Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii"" Magnum Mania! N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Feb. 2014. <http://magnum-mania.com/Episodes/Season1/ Dont_Eat_the_Snow_in_Hawaii_1.html>.
Vanneman, Alan. "Tight Pants in Paradise." Bright Lights Film Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.
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