《怪獸電力公司》－－皮克斯的新經濟美學

Monsters, Inc.: The Pixar Aesthetics of the New Economy

在後福特主義中，「新經濟」是一個建立在網絡與資訊科技上的意識型態論述。新經濟支持者宣稱，網絡與資訊科技能成就更多財富與幸福。在工作上，新經濟管理強調以網絡式的同儕平等取代官僚和階層；以社群主義的團體合作取代勞動分工，一舉打破勞動疏離。值得深究的是，大受歡迎的皮克斯電腦動畫公司可謂新經濟論述的最佳代言人。除了總裁凱特莫提出的管理論述與新經濟雜誌相互唱和，皮克斯也提倡同儕分享與工作即玩樂的辦公室文化，以滋養個人創造力。本文認為，以皮克斯身體力行新經濟管理的情況下，大部份的電影又以社群主義為主題，具體演示團隊合作的過程，應視皮克斯電影為一種新經濟美學。更重要的是，皮克斯的新經濟美學應透過新經濟傾斜的生產關係與網絡科技來分析。本文將專注在《怪獸電力公司》與《怪獸大學》兩部電影，以自我反身性來分析，批判新經濟的管理論述與網絡狂熱，解構新經濟所隱含的新自由主義勞動寓言。

The New Economy is a post-Fordist ideological discourse of network and information technology (IT). The proponents argue that the network and IT can create more wealth and happiness. In work, the New Economy claims to end labor alienation with peer-sharing and collaborative communalism. Intriguingly, the Pixar Animation Studios is a model of the New Economy. Besides the fact that Pixar president Ed Catmull actively participates in the construction of the New Economy discourse, the studio promotes a workplace culture of peer-sharing and spontaneous play to nurture creativity. Given that most of the Pixar animated movies also revolve around the kind of communalism the studio professes to provide its employees, they embody the very aesthetics of the New Economy, which I argue should be examined in a way that accounts for problematic production relations and network surveillance. Focusing on Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Monster University (2013), I will read both films as self-reflexive of the studio, explore their cinematic aesthetics, and seek to deconstruct the neoliberal labor allegory of the New Economy.