The Serious Political and Racial Effects of Mass Manipulation and Misrepresentation of Ideas
‘Did he bend your reflection?
Did he make you forget your own name?
Did he convince you he was a God?
Did you get on your knees daily?
Do his eyes close like doors?
Are you a slave to the back of his head?’ – Warsan Shire, 2016
Directed by Barry Levinson, ‘Wag the Dog’ is a black comedy exploring the widespread consequences of mass manipulation as orchestrated by spin doctor Brean and Hollywood producer Motss, in order to protect the repute of the President in the imminent elections. While the misrepresentation of reality does not always have observable consequences, there are severe effects in the long term. As Shire expresses, Brean and Motss ‘bend …show more content…
Through the course of the film, the men lose clarity, deciding to ‘resolve’ the hurdle posed by the CIA by positioning a mentally ill Army prison convict on the front of their campaign. They embellish his past to that of a war hero, preparing a military funeral when he is shot by a farmer for attempted rape of his daughter. Notably, Motss consistently loses reality, living in his own fantasy of a film production. Undeniably, he dismisses each problem that arises as ‘nothing’, comparing them to past film making endeavours. His altered reality ultimately leads to his death, arranged by Brean as a heart attack when Motss threatens to reveal his part in the war production. His failure to perceive the production as the blunt ploy to revive the President’s candidacy it is proves fatal. Ultimately, the propaganda is utterly worthless, employed to maintain an immoral leader. A nation is lied to, artifice is spun with no one the wiser or at least that is what Brean aspires to. The lie dehumanises America’s people, reducing a nation to believe what is spoken by its authority and manipulating them for personal power and benefit. In addition, the film demonstrates how the people are gullible to such manipulation, not only accepting the reality presented to them but embracing it by singing songs celebrating the war heroes of the fake war. Therefore, Brean and Motss’ misrepresentation of reality has serious consequences not only for their own morality, but for Motss’ fatality as well as the blind parody of the American
‘Did he bend your reflection?
Did he make you forget your own name?
Did he convince you he was a God?
Did you get on your knees daily?
Do his eyes close like doors?
Are you a slave to the back of his head?’ – Warsan Shire, 2016
Directed by Barry Levinson, ‘Wag the Dog’ is a black comedy exploring the widespread consequences of mass manipulation as orchestrated by spin doctor Brean and Hollywood producer Motss, in order to protect the repute of the President in the imminent elections. While the misrepresentation of reality does not always have observable consequences, there are severe effects in the long term. As Shire expresses, Brean and Motss ‘bend …show more content…
Through the course of the film, the men lose clarity, deciding to ‘resolve’ the hurdle posed by the CIA by positioning a mentally ill Army prison convict on the front of their campaign. They embellish his past to that of a war hero, preparing a military funeral when he is shot by a farmer for attempted rape of his daughter. Notably, Motss consistently loses reality, living in his own fantasy of a film production. Undeniably, he dismisses each problem that arises as ‘nothing’, comparing them to past film making endeavours. His altered reality ultimately leads to his death, arranged by Brean as a heart attack when Motss threatens to reveal his part in the war production. His failure to perceive the production as the blunt ploy to revive the President’s candidacy it is proves fatal. Ultimately, the propaganda is utterly worthless, employed to maintain an immoral leader. A nation is lied to, artifice is spun with no one the wiser or at least that is what Brean aspires to. The lie dehumanises America’s people, reducing a nation to believe what is spoken by its authority and manipulating them for personal power and benefit. In addition, the film demonstrates how the people are gullible to such manipulation, not only accepting the reality presented to them but embracing it by singing songs celebrating the war heroes of the fake war. Therefore, Brean and Motss’ misrepresentation of reality has serious consequences not only for their own morality, but for Motss’ fatality as well as the blind parody of the American