The Libertarian Populism of The Lego Movie | The American Spectator - Michael Turk:
February 27, 2014 - "As the parent of small kids, it was inevitable that I would see The Lego Movie, but I was totally unprepared for the reaction I had ... at best, I expected a typical kids movie. At worst, I expected more liberal indoctrination in the form of children's entertainment.
"Instead, I found a classroom lesson in the ideals of populist libertarianism.
"For those who are unfamiliar, and hopefully without revealing any spoilers, the movie tells the story of an unexceptional construction worker living and working in Bricksburg, a megatropolis that mirrors our own reality, with interchangeable pop bands, overpriced franchise coffee bars, and TV shows that appeal to the lowest possible denominator. Emmet, our reluctant blue hero, falls down a hole, discovers the 'Piece of Resistance,' and finds himself anointed 'The Special' — the citizen who will fulfill a prophecy to bring down Lord/President Business.
"Now, much has been written by conservative thinkers about the producers' choice to make 'business' the villain of the film. Focusing on that single aspect is a mistake if you want to get the real meaning. As the movie progresses, we see that Lord/President Business has used nearly every facet of popular culture to subdue the masses and stifle their creativity. Everything must conform to specific instructions. These instructions are Bricksburg's regulations and are strictly enforced by government in the form of Scribble-Face Bad Cop.... Creating outside those regulations is not allowed."
Read more: http://spectator.org/articles/57950/libertarian-populism-lego-movie
'via Blog this'
February 27, 2014 - "As the parent of small kids, it was inevitable that I would see The Lego Movie, but I was totally unprepared for the reaction I had ... at best, I expected a typical kids movie. At worst, I expected more liberal indoctrination in the form of children's entertainment.
"Instead, I found a classroom lesson in the ideals of populist libertarianism.
"For those who are unfamiliar, and hopefully without revealing any spoilers, the movie tells the story of an unexceptional construction worker living and working in Bricksburg, a megatropolis that mirrors our own reality, with interchangeable pop bands, overpriced franchise coffee bars, and TV shows that appeal to the lowest possible denominator. Emmet, our reluctant blue hero, falls down a hole, discovers the 'Piece of Resistance,' and finds himself anointed 'The Special' — the citizen who will fulfill a prophecy to bring down Lord/President Business.
"Now, much has been written by conservative thinkers about the producers' choice to make 'business' the villain of the film. Focusing on that single aspect is a mistake if you want to get the real meaning. As the movie progresses, we see that Lord/President Business has used nearly every facet of popular culture to subdue the masses and stifle their creativity. Everything must conform to specific instructions. These instructions are Bricksburg's regulations and are strictly enforced by government in the form of Scribble-Face Bad Cop.... Creating outside those regulations is not allowed."
Read more: http://spectator.org/articles/57950/libertarian-populism-lego-movie
'via Blog this'
No comments:
Post a Comment