Does V Go Too Far?App
// November 8th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Review, Scifi, Television
The history of Sci Fi is littered with allegory. Some number among legends, others are quickly forgotten. Earlier in the year I argued against the blatant political idolatry that had spread from mainstream media to the comics industry.
A great writer can persuade more minds through creative subtext than by blatant pandering to a pandering to a particular audience. As writers, I believe it is necessary for us to rise above petty politics and our love or hatred of a particular politician when engaging our audience. The point is to expose people to different ideologies rather than the rhetoric of political parties.
As of this past week, ABC (a television arm of the Disney Corporation) aired the pilot for the re-imagined 80′s show V.
V tells the story of an alien race referring to themselves as V’s, or Visitors. The V’s promise the human race technology, improved life-quality and the potential for utopia. While most of the human race embraces the Visitors, some believe that they have come to destroy humanity.
In essence, the new show is very similar to it’s predecessor. But as the say, the devil is in the details. Since the pilot’s airing, many have noticed certain similarities to the Conservative movement’s statements about the United States Government. Some bloggers are arguing that the show is a blatant attack on the Obama administration and that the V’s leader Anna (played by Firefly/ Serenity alum Morena Baccarin) is meant to represent Barack Obama himself as charming but ultimately duplicitous leader. 
The staff deny these claims.
Still, it’s hard to ignore the similarities. And I have no intention of deny that it is clearly meant to echo the sentiment of a majority of the American populace.
While I agree that V is meant to be a political allegory, I disagree with the belief that is an attack on the President. Instead, I would argue that it is more an attack on the strategies of Progressive Movement. Granted, President Obama and his administration are at the center of the Progressive takeover, but one can hardly argue any particular personal similarities.This is a battle of ideologies and tactics.
The real questions that the media should be asking is whether V is (first and foremost) a good show and if it works as a persuasive allegory.
For a story’s subtext to reach an audience, first it needs to create that audience by way of good storytelling. Second, the underlying message should never become distracting. Standing on a soapbox isn’t going to change anyone’s mind, and no one wants to be preached to by a science fiction show. George Orwell’s 1984 may be one of the greatest sci fi allegories of all time. It demonstrates how a bloated government interested in “the greater good” can eventually smother the rights of the individual. But what works for the story is the fact that it never mentions people or parties. And in point of fact, I have no idea what political persuasion Mr Orwell was before his death. It isn’t the point.
The author should never get in the way of his/ her story; either for ego or “the greater good”.
On the first part, V definitely succeeds. While it wasn’t instantly addicting, it made me care about the characters and what was going on. As to the second part….
V gets more right than it gets wrong.
But it still gets a few things wrong.
If I were to start a perfect coup, I would follow the same methods as the Visitors.
- Appeal to their sensibilities. Finding attractive, young people to spread your message is a good start.
- Tell them what the want to hear. Promising people in turmoil that you are the answer to their prayers is easy to believe for most, because humans have a need to believe in something.
- Indoctrinate the young. Children are great for the skillful manipulator. They’re looking for something to believe in, and have a nearly oedipal desire to prove their elders wrong. Convince them that you are the way of the future and their parents just don’t understand. And once the future is yours to control, the present won’t be far behind.
- Keep them focused on your ideas rather than the details. The point is to make the believe, to make them hope. Because once they learn to rely on you for their salvation, you can convince them of anything. Anything can be done for the greater good.
- Control the flow of information. In the age of the signal, the man who can manipulate the media is king. If you control what information the people have access to, you can make them believe anything.
In the pilot of V, the Visitors promise the people of Earth a utopia where all are one under one government. They promise Universal Healthcare. All of the V’s appear to be young, attractive humanoids with a great sense of humor, making vague promises of hope and peace. They take children up to their amazing space ships and woo them into being ambassadors for the aliens in their respective communities. When being interviewed by News Anchor Chad Decker (played by Party of Five’s Scott Wolf), the V’s leader Anna only agrees to be interviewed by him (and only him) so long as he follows her rules and never casts the Visitors in a bad light.
Those who argue that this is an attack on the administration need to take a step back. The truth is that these actions work because they’re universal. The cause and the people don’t matter. It’s a process of manipulation.
While the show makes a few more specific references, they never commit the cardinal sin. They never get specific. Words like Socialism and Fascism never enter into it. With the exception of the mention of Universal Healthcare which hits the viewer with all the subtlety of a blunt axe, the story remains an ambiguous allegory. It isn’t perfect, but objectively speaking, if you were to take a step back from the turmoil engulfing the American people, this story could work anywhere.
Anna is a charming, beautiful leader. To sum her up as being Barack Obama ignores the fact that history is filled with such leaders doing the exact same thing, each with their own agenda.
The producers and writers of V have chosen to take risks by doing this story in the present societal atmosphere. Did they go too far? In my opinion, no. Before I started writing this article, I would have disagreed. But as I reviewed what was truly there, I think it’s a fine line. While they may have alienated some fans, they tried something. And for the time being it seems to work.
But at the end of the day, they’re telling a good story. As a writer, I can respect that.
