In 'The Waldo Moment' a disheartened and depressed comedian puppeteering a crude cartoon character named Waldo gets thrust into a political race against his will in order to generate publicity. As he reacts aggressively through Waldo to the scorn of the 'real' political candidates, his popularity grows. The public relate to his disrespect and disregard for traditional politics despite him having no party affiliation, no campaign promises, and no political values. The comedian begins to fear that Waldo may well cause serious damage to the political system and tries to plead with the public not to vote for him, but gets fired and thrown out by his employer who takes over, immediately using Waldo to encourage violence against him.
This episode, compared to the ones that come before it, has a less instantly apparent message. There are no shocking moments that stand out from the rest and no sense of building tension as the episode advances. The message, subtle as it is, only becomes more prominent until the final credits scene in which it is apparent that Waldo has become the figurehead of a dystopian future.
The terrifying concept about this episode doesn't so much slap you in the face as it does with, say, White Bear, but is a creeping sensation like something chill climbing inside your trouser leg: that modern politics as we know it can be destroyed utterly by someone uniting the votes of those who just don't like politics as it is now.That a figurehead can make no promises, have no values, no opinions and no policies, and yet it could rally enough votes to democratically obtain political power.
It's a horrific fact that dissatisfied voters can be manipulated into wanting CHANGE with no definition of what that change might be.When knowledge and understanding of politics is no requirement in the education system and is typically a pursuit of the upper classes, politics can be manipulated through ignorance. That manipulation has always been orchestrated through media; newspapers, radio, television, and now, the internet. The disillusioned and the angry and dissatisfied are in great numbers and this generation increasingly values the disrespectful, the irreverent, the rebellious, the blunt and honest, as well as the crude and ridiculous. If someone were to embody those things and offer to tear down the current, imperfect institution we have with no plans for what is to replace it, politics would become at the mercy of the subsequent whim of whoever was in control, regardless of whether that would improve society or devolve it into chaos.
Politics as it is does not reach out a hand to help that increasingly large and powerful group to join and understand it, nor offer compromise, and as a result becomes more and more precarious in its control.
This episode, compared to the ones that come before it, has a less instantly apparent message. There are no shocking moments that stand out from the rest and no sense of building tension as the episode advances. The message, subtle as it is, only becomes more prominent until the final credits scene in which it is apparent that Waldo has become the figurehead of a dystopian future.
The terrifying concept about this episode doesn't so much slap you in the face as it does with, say, White Bear, but is a creeping sensation like something chill climbing inside your trouser leg: that modern politics as we know it can be destroyed utterly by someone uniting the votes of those who just don't like politics as it is now.That a figurehead can make no promises, have no values, no opinions and no policies, and yet it could rally enough votes to democratically obtain political power.
It's a horrific fact that dissatisfied voters can be manipulated into wanting CHANGE with no definition of what that change might be.When knowledge and understanding of politics is no requirement in the education system and is typically a pursuit of the upper classes, politics can be manipulated through ignorance. That manipulation has always been orchestrated through media; newspapers, radio, television, and now, the internet. The disillusioned and the angry and dissatisfied are in great numbers and this generation increasingly values the disrespectful, the irreverent, the rebellious, the blunt and honest, as well as the crude and ridiculous. If someone were to embody those things and offer to tear down the current, imperfect institution we have with no plans for what is to replace it, politics would become at the mercy of the subsequent whim of whoever was in control, regardless of whether that would improve society or devolve it into chaos.
Politics as it is does not reach out a hand to help that increasingly large and powerful group to join and understand it, nor offer compromise, and as a result becomes more and more precarious in its control.
