Machiavelli in the (Real) World?

Between three midterms and going to class, it was a long week. The only thing I wanted to do Saturday morning was lay in bed and watch all the TV shows that I had missed over the past seven days. First on my list was Gossip Girl, a show that follows a group of five extremely privileged friends in New York through high school and beyond graduation. When I started last Monday’s episode, “Dirty Rotten Scandals,” I should have immediately known that it would get me thinking about Poli Sci 101—even without a title so suggestive of Machiavellianism and dirty hands.

For those of you who aren’t caught up on the fictitious Upper East Side drama, Serena van der Woodsen is currently at war with her new boyfriend’s teenage daughter, Sage. The episode became particularly heated when Sage tricked Serena into believing that the two had finally made peace. Sage was able to convince Serena to use her connections and gain Sage a spot as a model in an upcoming fashion show. Sage purposefully ruined the show because she thought her father would break up with Serena if appeared their relationship was causing problems and causing her to act immaturely. After learning the truth, Serena compared Sage to Machiavelli.

For Sage, the ends justified the means; it was worth the embarrassment if it meant her father would leave Serena. However, Sage’s actions are not an example of dirty hands or Machiavellianism because both her actions and intentions were morally wrong. Machiavelli believed in doing whatever was in the best interest of the state, even if it meant acting with dirty hands, or doing something that may be morally wrong if it will lead to something that is morally right. However, Sage was not acting in the best interest of others, only herself. 

Serena and her friends have all been guilty of scheming at some point, but rarely for any reason other than personal gain or enjoyment. The storyline between Dan, a writer, and his friend Nate, the editor-and-chief of a New York newspaper, was also a large part of last week’s episode. Dan recently wrote a book and told Nate that he could publish it in his newspaper. However, when a better deal came along from Vanity Fair, Dan, who is known for trying to avoid the plotting and drama between his friends, decided to leave Nate behind. In one of the final scenes, Nelly asks Dan how it feels to finally start “playing by [his] own rules.” Dan replied that it felt good, but dirty.

Dan knew more people would read his piece and he would receive more fame if he betrayed Nate. By giving the publishing rights to Vanity Fair, Dan was only bettering himself. In this scene, Dan was referring to dirty hands. However, just like Sage, his actions weren’t Machiavellian, they were just selfish.