The decline of the hierarchical Organization in Popular Culture

Being a fan of the popular Space Saga “Star Trek”, and especially of the “Next Generation” Enterprise with Captain Jean Luc Piccard, I cannot help but notice the stark discrepancy in tendency to currently popular Television Series.
Star Trek and the Star Fleet is largely based around a huge hierarchical military organization. The chain of command is clearly defined, the captain receives orders from Star Fleet, the first officer respects orders by the captain, and everyone else respects orders from the first officer and the captain and so on. But it does not stop there, there are further roles within the organization, that supplement the strict hierarchical order. There is the doctor and the counselor, both of which are below the captain, in the chain of command, but never the less can override the will of the captain as experts, should they decide that the captain is incapable of fulfilling his obligations because of a medical or emotional condition.

In a way, the structure is laid out almost like a game of chess, where different roles have different advantages and disadvantages that can override each other in complex scenarios, making strategic games possible, and interesting.
I regard Star Trek as a historical artifact, that allows us today to take a peak into a system of cultural thinking an expectations that has changed not so long ago. A TV-Series is in a way a reflection of the society that created it, and a reflection of the society that were its primary consumers.

And in comparing the series to todays popular television shows, I cannot help but notice quite a stark contrast. So I keep asking myself, what has changed. What has changed in the perception of society in the perception of writers and producers, as well as consumers that made such a change inevitable.

Of course, there are series that contain plots that are concerned with hierarchical structure, and military organizations, Game of Thrones being the most prominent one that comes to my mind. But the topic of this series is never to indulge in the intricacies of a hierarchical organization, but rather to wreck havoc in every possible way of backstabbing and killing leaders and moving hierarchies around.

This is in stark contrast to the Star Trek series, where the concept of the structure of Star Fleet is never questioned as such. It is accepted as a de facto institution. The game is about how to work within the confines of this structure, and seldom and only in far and in between edge cases to question Star Fleet structures as such. So that does happen, but it is the exception, rather than the rule.

And if a series is not about wrecking havoc and creating intense drama and violence, it goes of into the other end of the spectrum.

Take all of the popular sitcoms, like Friends, How I met your mother, Big Bang Theory, The office and probably some more. These Series feel more like a kindergarten of childish innocence. The characters trapped in a Hell of Douglas Copelandian Nihilism. Nothing is serious, everything is wrapped in layers of self-depreciating sarcasm and cynicism. The Brave new World, everything is fun and games, and nothing is serious or important. The topic is no longer about creating great things, and exploring unknown territories, but rather it is about cuddling up in a warm and safe nest, and exchange pleasantries with ones fellow inmates. Every screwup can be shrugged of with a joke, and every tragedy with an outbreak of over acting dramatization, often about not much more than spilled milk.

Contrast this with seriousness of uncomfortable conversations between the leading officers of the Enterprise. Where they spend time pondering how their next move will be perceived, and whether it is moral and ethical to proceed in a certain path. Whether it is a viable tradeoff to insult the feelings of an adversary, or even if stall or a bluff is an appropriate response. None of those Strategic meetings are taking place in modern TV.

Is it that people have changed, that desires and goals have changed, or maybe it is our perception. The idea that we are no longer seeing us as serious and important in the things we do. That in fact the seriousness in which Jean Luc Piccard and his mates acted were overacting devoid of any resemblance in the real world, where all is actually fun and games.

Well, that is probably for everyone to decide for him- or herself.