So, 10 years ago, 20th Century Fox released ‘Idiocracy," a satirical film addressing the concerns of the American population growing more and more stupid with each generation. The comedy blamed the intelligence problem on natural selection; people with low I.Q.’s were reproducing at a faster rate than individuals with high I.Q.’s. With intentions of advancing the nation, the military started experimenting with the freezing of two individuals. After many complications, the frozen people woke up five hundred years later and found that the entire population had declined due to the lack of intelligence, creating economic and political issues within the country.
When I envision the United States operating under a Donald Trump presidency, I envision a nation similar to the one depicted in the film ‘"Idiocracy." Much like the humor within the movie, a country run by Trump is a joke.
With no political experience and what seems to be little common sense, Trump imitates Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho, the president in the movie. From celebrity roots, to using profanity in public speeches in order to attract an audience for the way they “say it like it is”, Camacho and Trump have gained popularity in the same ways. In the film, anyone could hold a political position, regardless of their experience levels. One of the secretary positions was given to a young man who simply won a contest, yet he was expected to make decisions that affected the entire country. With Trump’s republican nomination, it seems as if anyone can become president, regardless of their qualifications (or lack thereof).
In the movie, all of the American citizens in 2505 are motivated by two things: money and sex. With Trump’s business background and inappropriate comments about his own daughter, it is hard not to notice the parallels between both futuristic outcomes. With all of the smartest people using resources to research new methods of enhancing sexual behaviors, there was no longer advancement in other areas of the world. All of the people were obsessed with making money but were too ignorant to understand what they were doing to acquire the money and/or use it effectively. It was easy to witness in the movie how the agendas of those with political influence altered the motivations of the people of the country.
While those are just a couple of the similarities between the two worlds, there are many more to be found within the film. What was written to be a very far-fetched depiction of a comedic dystopia has turned into a topic of conversation. ‘Idiocracy’ writer Etan Cohen took it upon himself to point out the grounds of similarity between the current election and the movie when he tweeted, “I never expected #idiocracy to become a documentary.”
As a concerned citizen, I would highly recommend everyone watch the movie in order to use it as a PSA in regards to the upcoming election. Electing men like Camacho or Trump could be detrimental to the quality of life among the United States’ citizens and to the progression of society. It is in the best interest of everyone living in the United States to consider a world where a man like Trump could potentially ruin the country we live in. Don’t let our country become a comedy.
