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Morality, Complexity, Experts, and Systems of Authority in House, M. D., or "My Big Brain Is My Superpower"

The University of Toledo

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mike.dubose{at}utoledo.edu.

	Abstract

At first, House, M. D. appears to be a medical procedural show, as it follows a physician and his team around as they diagnose mysteriously ill patients. However, rather than following procedure, House shows the protagonist Dr. Gregory House avoiding work and subverting the hospital’s policies, procedures, and authority. Dr. House’s success comes from his wit, intellect, and problem-solving abilities, all of which allow him to work outside of both standard medical practices and the hierarchy of his hospital. This article argues that House, rather than being the procedural it appears to be, is in actuality a superhero program. Dr. House’s intelligence is his superpower (much as is the case with comic superheroes), and it allows him to ignore traditional authority in favor of his own method. Consequently, House calls into question the very status and existence of both authority figures and mechanisms of control in the postmodern landscape.

First published on October 9, 2009
Television & New Media 2009, doi:10.1177/1527476409343800


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