Monday, January 7, 2013
Hey, check this out! My first post-project post! Something out there must have caught my attention.
So, kinda contrary to the prediction from my December 3rd blog, our congress has managed to skid our country right to the edge of the precipice that was the fiscal cliff. Now, it doesn't take a genius to realize that this means that our country could still be in plenty of financial danger (hence the edge of the precipice metaphor), but for the most part, the American Taxpayer Relief Act, despite being a 2012 bill that managed to get passed in 2013, has given us worried Americans a moment of rest. That is, until February or so, when the debt ceiling deadline starts to loom large and we go through this whole thing all over again. *sigh* So, as congress goes ahead and gives itself a pat on the back, and the country gives out an audible groan, either from A) Not liking how the budget ended up or B) exasperation from ending up here in the first place
Fitting Scumbag themed meme
So, how has this played out in a more comprehensive way in terms of political imagery. Well, one thing that became very apparent was that in the weeks and days leading up to the end of the 2012 session was that fiscal cliff commentary and blame started to become less and less about the disfunction of congress as a whole, and more about the trials and tribulations of budget power players who didn't want to be stuck with the blame when/if a deal wasn't reached like President Obama, Mitch McConnell, Grover Norquist, and especially John Boehner, who some wondered might lose his speakership over not being able to put a deal through. And nowhere was this better represented than in my favorite meme of 2013 (thus far): Les Fiscal Miserables.
The film version of the musical Les Mis was released back in December to wide anticipation. Directed by Tom Hooper and starring everyone from Anne Hathaway to Hugh Jackman, it has purportedly lived up to the hype (I don't know, I haven't seen it yet. GOSH! KYLE! GET ON THAT!) So, the country and the world is on a bit of a Les Mis craze right now. And what better than a cultural phenomenon all about solitude and struggle to comment on contemporary politics?
Ain't that the truth
Meanwhile Boehner makes quite the Thenardier
Until of course things start to fall apart
All of these have come from lesfiscalmiserables.tumblr.com, which I highly suggest that you check out. On it, you can watch the characterization of all these budgetary players play out from New Years eve when the crisis came to a climax. Boehner crying. Obama's eventual rally and the "triumph" of getting a law signed at all. Grover Norquist not taking anyone's shit. It's all there.
Now, was taking the whole of congress and breaking it down into a complex groups of not-quite-heroes and not-quite-villains a good way to view this event? I'd say so. I believe that before, when no one was able to claim (or really even wanted) responsibility for the situation, compromise was impossible. Yet, not unlike a classic novel or renowned musical, when the public begins to perceive the motives and standpoints of the characters involved, a plot begins to develop.
This isn't to say that we should be happy about the budget, or unnecessarily proud of our leaders. The one common theme across all the commentary about this budget is that it's not one that anyone is entirely happy with (especially when all of the pork barrel projects in it came to light, from NASCAR to Hollywood. That's where it seems that next big public reaction is probably going to come in response to this budget, and along with it will probably come a slew of images). Yet, maybe it's just my opinion as an image analyst, but it's good to see political imagery actually bring about understanding as opposed to just distracting people from worthwhile issues. And perhaps helping to instigate change along the way.
