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Angel

Should "Angel" Tv Series Season 4 help you vote for next President ?

Tuesday 7 October 2008, by Webmaster

The pundit: Jonah Goldberg (National Review Online)

What they recommended: Angel, season four.

What it’s about: An extra-dimensional being (played by Gina Torres) appears on Earth, and everyone who sees her becomes totally devoted to her and starts to worship her. She brings peace and prosperity, and only Angel’s friend Fred can see that she’s really a hideous monster.

Why is this good election-season material? Goldberg tells io9:

In the story, the world is mesmerized by a god from another dimension played by a charismatic black woman who truly does bring universal peace and love to the planet. Her only price: we all must worship her (and provide her with a statistically irrelevant number of humans to eat) and unify around our love for her.

I don’t think Obama is evil or a villain of any kind. But the lesson is pretty valid. Obama is the high priest of a cult of unity. Unity can be useful, but it is also very, very dangerous. That’s why the founders conceived of a system of divided government, after all.


1 Message

  • Should "Angel" Tv Series Season 4 help you vote for next President ?

    8 October 2008 05:13, by Tampadan

    There are many similarities. Adulation of a Messiah figure. The inability of the followers to coherently verbalize why they support their idol. The acceptance of vague platitudes as solutions.

    I feel that BTVS offers similarities also. When Obama said (paraphrased) "If it is determined that I can be of assistance regarding the financial crisis, then I’ll make myself available" It brought to mind Buffy’s line "If the Apocalypse comes, beep me." Palin’s teenage daughter’s name is Willow. Palin herself is more than a little buffy-esque, heroic, with an appealing naivety. She is rejected out of hand by the "in" cliques which heap abuse on her. Finally the established authority (the traditional press) are doing what they can to get rid of her.