 |
In 1972, Martin Caidin published his novel Cyborg. When his protagonist, Steve Austin, crashes
during a test flight, he suffers numerous injuries. Steve's friend, Dr. Rudy Wells, is a pioneer in
the field of bionics. He operates on
Steve, and gives him mechanical parts to replace limbs and organs damaged in
the crash. His prosthetic legs allow him
to run faster than before. His
replacement arm affords him the strength of a battering ram. His replacement eye includes a camera, and can be taken out of its socket when desired.
One of the fingers in his new arm contains a gun. A radio transmitter is even implanted in a
rib. With these expensive bionic aids,
Steve utilizes his new abilities as an agent for the Office of Strategic
Operations (OSO).
The novel proved popular, and in 1973, three TV movies were made. The following year, “The Six Million Dollar
Man” debuted as a weekly TV show. Steve became
a less dark and isolated character. While
he lost his implanted gun and radio-rib, his other bionic abilities were
enhanced. These changes helped adults
and children bond with him, and Steve Austin became a household name. When Jaime Sommers arrived in the two-part
special, “The Bionic Woman,” she proved so popular that she soon gained her own
weekly show. Many children (including
this author) grew up playing with Steve Austin action figures, or acting out imaginary
bionic adventures with their friends.
Recently, my wife and I rediscovered “The Bionic Woman” on
DVD. We enjoy this older show’s slower
pace, the less gritty storytelling, and the warmth between Jaime, Steve, Dr.
Rudy Wells, and Oscar Goldman, the head of the Office of Strategic Intelligence
(OSI). As a child, I envisioned Steve
and Jaime as superheroes, and dreamed of having my less powerful limbs replaced
with enhanced bionic ones. As an adult,
what struck me was Steve and Jaime’s fragility.
Sure, their bionic limbs granted them increased strength and capability. Yet,
through continually utilizing such super-abilities, they occasionally exceeded
the limitations of their bionics. In the two-part special, “The Return of
Bigfoot,” Steve faced off against the even-stronger Sasquatch. During a fight, the nuclear power packs in
Steve's legs burst. His life was only
saved once Jaime acquired a miracle drug from the aliens controlling
Sasquatch. Likewise, Jaime must be
careful not to exceed the capabilities of her own bionics, or the stress could
initiate a fatal cycle of bionic rejection.
As this was a realization that occurred to me
forty years after Steve Austin first appeared, I wondered if I was reading too
much into the shows, or if they resonated in a special way with the handicapped
community during the original broadcast years.
I wrote to Kenneth Johnson, who created Jaime, and served as executive
producer for "The Bionic Woman." I asked
him this question. To follow is his
response:
Yes, the
disabled community had a special connection to the bionic shows. I got many
heartrending letters -- particularly those from disabled kids -- who wanted to
know where they could get such parts for themselves. I always wrote back to
explain that they didn't exist at that time, but maybe someday. As indeed they
now do - though not to a super extent.
So, while I was playing with my Steve Austin action figure, and naively imagining
having my arms and legs cut off and replaced with superhuman limbs, there were thousands
of viewers who lacked flesh-and-blood limbs. They didn’t seek superhuman enhancements,
just the abilities I took for granted.
I realize many will excuse my hubris on the grounds of age, and I agree that we grow in knowledge and wisdom as we age. But I wonder what the dreams of childhood say
about my character today. Does our basic character change that much? Or is my vision
still too inward? Is that why I
periodically struggle with my moods? And
if so, how can I widen the scope of my vision--perceive those in need that I
could help, and lend them what assistance I can--while still remaining focused
upon achieving my own goals?
With thanks to Martin Caidin, Kenneth Johnson, and all those involved in the books and the shows that inspired our
bionic dreams,
Dragon Dave
In the next post, I’ll talk about those who dreamed much nobler dreams
than I, and how those gave birth to a better reality.
Related Dragon Cache entries:
No comments:
Post a Comment