The functional crew

Students: Evelyn M. and Daniela U.

“Nothing in the world is particularly impossible if it is divided into tasks”, said by Henry Ford, this famous phrase summarizes the essence of the well-known manufacturing system called Fordism. Developed by this significant businessman during the 1940s and 1960s, Fordism was based on industrialized and standardized form of mass production. It was designed to make productivity more efficient. Certainly, hierarchical control, mechanization, specialization and fragmentation of work seemed to be the most relevant characteristics of this economical model. But... Do you have a minute? Have you ever thought that this popular economical method could be applied not only in factory workers, but also in animated trains in a TV show for children?

Division of labour is one of the particularities of Fordism that can be mainly appreciated in “Thomas and friends”. This is an animated children television series that deals with a group of trains and humans working on the railways of the island of Sodor. The tv show first appeared on the IVT network in October 1984. The series displays the tank engines´ adventures. All of them are managed and every member of the group is in charge of one specialized task. Without doubts,” Thomas and friends” reproduces the Fordist philosophy to its young audience.

“Wake up lazy bones! Do some hard work for a change!” This is the sweet way in which Thomas, the train engine leads on his partners when it is time to take on journeys and start work. He exposes leadership over the crew and, as one of the innocent songs affirms, he is the number one. Many times the sweet train is the one who organizes the teamwork. One clear example of this can be seen in one chapter called “Thomas, the manager”. Here, Thomas convinces his mates to push wagons of coal because the railway inspector is supervising their assignments. The devoted tank thinks that if the inspector sees locomotives working hard, then the crew will be consider as useful and efficient. Through this clear sample of Thomas´ attitude, one can notice that hierarchical roles are present behind the useful crew´s performance as it was in the industrial method, Fordism. Top managers, division managers, headquarters, short run coordinators, and longer run coordination were some of the roles executed in the factories in order to operate in the organizational structure of labour. In this case, Thomas would clearly represent a manager.

Take, for example, the figure of Sr Topham Hatt, the fat controller. The locomotives work under his strict and firm control. While we move our heads and sing along we will realize that “Sr Topham keeps an eye on every engine passing by” and that “every tank has to be useful and take care of his supervision”.This is another clue that allows us to recognize the controlling system in the TV programme that was implemented in the Fordist technical revolution. Strict control and discipline were the elements that led to an increment in the productivity. Unfortunately, the song is extremely fun and captivating to let us stop and reflect upon its real meaning.

What is more, catchy and entertaining, the following extract of a Thomas´s song make us enjoy it letting its chorus going round and round in our minds along the day. “All with different roles to play, round Tidmouth sheds or far away, Percy pulls the mail on time, Gordon thunders down the line. Emily really knows her stuff, Henry toots and huffs and puffs. Edward wants to help and share” In this way, the different characters’ roles are stated and so everyone is able to know the precise task that each employed locomotive is in charge of. For sure, this extract of the popular TV show soundtrack resembles functional division of labour and decomposition of tasks that took place in Fordism in order to transform the condition of production.

So, why is it that young children are exposed to this economical system and its characteristics in a TV show that is supposed to entertain? Not all the TV programmes should be consumed as innocent or harmless amusement for our kids. “Thomas and friends” is a reflection of a way of production. Really attractive and by using beautiful colours and charming trains , it goes straight to our children´s minds. This show, full of different characters, inculcates not only how to work always on the same task, but also to be cautious about whom our superiors are. The whole series is a clear example of this, and behind the trains, engineers of their own world, there are many steady and severe ideas that not all parents would want their children to learn, yet.