Discussing politics right now seems like a worse idea than tapdancing across a minefield after guzzling two bottles of vodka.
Alas, politics is a lot like Earth’s gravitational pull; inescapable, unless you have rockets for legs.
Politics quite literally governs our lives. Being the mechanism that we use to organise society and establish the rules its participants agree to follow, there’s no denying that politics is an intrinsic component of civilization. One might go so far as to say that everything is political in one way or another, including the stories we consume.
I wouldn’t though. Kind of.
The role that political commentary plays in media has received renewed attention over the last few years. It’s always been part of the discourse, but whether due to inflamed political tensions or the amplifying effect of social media, lately the topic has arisen more frequently and been argued over more vociferously.
There’s seemingly always something to be said about the political implications of a trending television show, or a discussion to be had about whether old books written by people with outdated values should continue being printed and distributed. Some have even taken to questioning whether political commentary ought to be a component of any story on the basis that its inclusion may alienate certain readers or viewers.
As tends to be the case with every contentious issue, two diametrically opposed positions on the role of politics in media have coalesced. There exist those who believe that politics should be divorced from all media, and those who assert that politics is simply an inextricable component of art.
I’m not much of a fence sitter – mostly because my balance sucks – but I’ve always found this subject difficult to broach because it often arises when a politically loaded piece of media is released. Aside from swan diving into an active volcano, I can’t think of anything less enjoyable than debating politics on the internet, and it’s incredibly difficult to avoid doing so while discussing the purpose of political commentary in storytelling. On the subject itself, I do have a strong opinion, and I’d prefer to explore without having to reference any current political or social issues.
I’m of the opinion that those who believe all media should be apolitical or that all media is necessarily political have a habit of talking past each when voicing their disagreements. This is very counterproductive, especially when the truth probably rests somewhere in the middle.
Perspective No. 1 – Keep Your Politics Out of My Movies/TV Shows/Games/Media in General
I consider this perspective to be very – for lack of putting in the effort to identify a more apt adjective – underdeveloped.
This position is typically informed by two beliefs:
1. The principal purpose of media is to entertain the reader/viewer, and therefore any reference to contentious topics hinders a work’s ability to serve as a vehicle for escapism; and
2. Every piece of media is a product, and the reader/viewer is a customer, thus the creators of media ought to appease them.
There is a certain truth underlying these propositions. Many people consume stories to simply be made happier, and if a creator receives any monetary compensation in exchange for their work, the media they’ve created is a product. However, neither of these propositions are necessarily true.
All media is art. A narrative is a piece of art before it’s a product, and the purpose of art in general is profoundly broad. Facilitating escapism is one such purpose, but it’s not the only one, nor ought it be.
Art imitates life, and politics dominates our lives. It’s not surprising then that political and social issues are a staple of storytelling and have been for thousands of years. Stories with political undertones are not unique to the 21st century, yet some act as though this is the case, all the while ignoring the blatant political commentary present in the stories they claim to love, presumably because they agree with the commentary or have failed to even recognise it as such. I’ve seen certain war stories be heralded as devoid of political commentary. This blows my mind. Labelling a war story as apolitical is about as reasonable as calling the Empire State Building a calendar.
If one were to be highly uncharitable, it could be said that those who espouse this perspective are being dishonest, and that in reality they’re perfectly comfortable with politics in media so long as it conforms to their worldview. However, if I were to be more charitable, what I think many intend to say when they demand that media be apolitical is that they don’t want to be lectured. This is far more understandable. After all, nobody likes being lectured except for lecture enthusiasts.
Imparting values onto a reader or viewer by tapping into their empathy through characters and circumstance is the unique strength of storytelling. It distinguishes narrative from exposition. Stories can prompt people to reconsider their values by placing them in the shoes of a fictional person whom they’ve to understand and cherish. This feat is typically accomplished when the hand of the writer is invisible, not when it’s slapping you across the face with a point.
The way in which a story delivers a political message is worth scrutinising. The message itself can also be criticized, even if it’s well conveyed. These are perfectly reasonable positions to hold. Conversely, the idea that a writer shouldn’t even attempt to tackle a political subject because it may upset somebody lives next door to “apples are edible neutron stars” on Absurd Avenue.
Perspective No. 2 – Everything is Political, Therefore All Art is Political
This perspective probably arose from a place of nuance, which makes it even more baffling that it’s utterly devoid of nuance.
This sentiment is often derived from a few observations:
1. Any conceivable subject or idea stemming from an interaction between two or more people is political because said subject is drawn from a society which is governed by rules, or from a person’s fundamental beliefs about morality and how society ought to be organised; and
2. The creator of a work has values which will invariably influence what they choose to express and how they do it.
Politics is an inextricable component of society. That much is inarguable. It weighs heavily on all of us, and probably always will for as long as human beings disagree with each other on matters of extreme importance. Politics and society go hand in hand.
However, you were to suddenly find yourself alone on an island in the middle of the ocean, aside from being very confused as to how you got there, your story would nevertheless continue, and what exactly would be political about it?
If I were to do some vigorous stretching, I’m sure I could conceive of a way to frame this hypothetical island story as a commentary on mankind’s insatiable desire to plant its flag on everything, but frankly, I wouldn’t be able to squeeze out such an explanation without bursting into laughter.
If everything is political, the word is meaningless.
Politics has a definition, one which tethers it to concepts such as governance, groups, and power dynamics. There are stories in existence which don’t heavily emphasise or even feature any of these concepts, even if they are outnumbered by the stories which do. Narratives which focus on individuals, the human psyche, or very fundamental ideas such as existentialism can very well be apolitical, in part due to the universality of these topics. A story can make a point without being political.
I personally find political commentary in stories to be incredibly important, but I also think that stories which strictly appeal to universal principles are valuable, as well as media which seeks only to entertain. What I would ultimately appeal to is the idea that creators should feel comfortable with exploring whatever subjects they want, without being derided for having the audacity to write about contentious issues or chastised as cowards for trying to write non-partisan narratives. There are always going to be stories which challenge us, and stories which seek only to enthral us, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s fine.
If that’s not okay with you, instead of reading books or watching films, might I suggest placing a carrot on your desk and watching that instead?