Which charismatic leader is less likely to be a lizard from outer space? You decide.
by Corey Alderdice
President Obama is a alien lizard from outer space.
It’s not the claim of opponents of the President’s healthcare reform efforts. Instead, it seems to be the allegorical underpinning of ABC’s reimagining of the early 1980s television miniseries V.
Anyone who has sat through an honors high school English class where they read George Orwell’s Animal Farm can attest to the power of achieving political commentary through the use of allegory. As it turns out, a pig is not always just a pig nor is a horse always just a horse. In the case of V, a story about an alien invasion is not just a sci-fi yarn about visitors from another planet.
An article from Slate this week poses the question “Is V a political allegory?”:
More than a few journalists and bloggers have remarked that it’s possible to read V as an allegory hostile to President Obama and sympathetic with the birthers and other nutcases who believe him to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The charismatic Visitors load up their “bandwagon” by “spreading hope.” In using their sophisticated iguana technology to provide free medical services, they promise “universal health care.” Indeed, if the show is to have the symbolic import that we expect from a science-fiction story, this is the only possible way to read V as a coherent text.
The original miniseries, which aired in 1983-84, did not seem to hide its message. The Visitors from the series were painted as Nazis, building upon a generation still very familiar with the ramifications of WWII and the Nazi occupation of Europe. Still entrenched in the Cold War, it had a resonate message for American audiences.
The Wikipedia entry for the series details it as such:
The story became a Nazi allegory, right down to the Swastika-like emblem used by the Visitors and their SS-like uniforms. There is a youth auxiliary movement called the “Friends of the Visitors” with obvious similarities to the Hitler Youth, and Visitor broadcasts mimic Nazi-era propaganda. The show’s portrayal of human interaction with the Visitors bears a striking resemblance to stories from Occupied Europe during World War II with some citizens choosing collaboration and others choosing to join underground resistance movements.
Where the Nazis persecuted primarily Jews, the Visitors were likewise depicted to persecute scientists, their families, and anyone associating with them. They also distribute propaganda in an effort to hide their true identity. Some of the main characters in the initial series were from a Jewish family and the grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, frequently commented on the events of the past again unfolding. Once they are in a position to do so, the Visitors later declare martial law to control the scientists (and resistance fighters) as well.
Before we get too caught up in things, it is important to note that only one episode of the series has aired. However, based on the events of that episode, the plot of the original series and teasers for upcoming events, it’s not too hard to guess where this thing is going. Don’t ask the producers, though, as they’ll play coy on the matter.
What is particularly unique about V is that this marks the first overt critique of the Obama administration in the mainstream media. We are all certainly aware of the back-and-forth between the White House and Fox News; however, one year into his presidency, it seems as though Obama is finally being examined with a less-than-favorable eye in Hollywood entertainment. The Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel muses on some characteristics of the Visitors’ leader, Anna, and her message to the people of Earth that might seem familiar:
Promotional teasers have been running for weeks on ABC with the tagline, “They gave us hope. We gave them our trust.” Hope, of course, was a keynote buzz word during last year’s presidential campaign.
Isolated, this coincidence would not be an issue. However, the parallels to contemporary politics are relentless.
Visitors, whose case is made by an extremely telegenic leader, endear themselves to the people of Earth with, among other things, the promise of universal health care.
Their leader, Anna, is a proponent of one-world government.
Anna also is a compelling speaker as well as a master at manipulating media. Though a smile never leaves her face in public appearances, behind closed doors she is ruthless and controlling. One of her decrees is she will deal with only friendly TV news organizations. Any tough questions and the interviewer and his network will be ostracized.
What, then, does this mean for an Obama administration that is struggling to build consensus on healthcare reform, yet to shake off claims by “birthers” regarding his citizenship and reeling from Republic gains in this week’s elections? Maybe very little. Maybe a whole lot. Only time–and additional episodes of the series–will tell.
In the meantime, check out this lovely piece of propaganda in favor of joining the Visitors.