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Wall-E's Puppet Master Revealed: It's Al Gore!

Posted by Brian Fairbanks

 

The right wing has gotten tired of trying to find something wrong with Obama's mortgage or which hand he uses to wipe away his Muslim tears while he salutes the Nazi flag. They have a new enemy, one who''s smaller than an ogre but still bigger than John McCain: Wall-E.

Although we haven't seen the movie, we've heard for weeks that Pixar's latest animated film would feature some political content, including some "left-wing propaganda." 

“It was like a 90-minute lecture on the dangers of over consumption, big corporations, and the destruction of the environment,” Pollowitz writes at Planet Gore, National Review’s global-warming blog. 

I have been a huge fan of Disney Pixar's movies. Parents are usually just as entertained as their kids are. With WALL-E, that's probably true only if you thought An Inconvenient Truth was Oscar-worthy. As for me, Pixar's latest offering was Godforsaken dreck. From the first moment of the film, my kids were bombarded with leftist propaganda about the evils of mankind. [National Review]

It’s propaganda! We’re talking about a movie that foists off on little kids the idea that human beings are bad for planet earth. And that’s not true. Why are human beings bad for planet earth? … If you take your kids to this, understand they’re going to come away with the idea that mommy and daddy are bad for the planet and the planet would be better off without them. [Lars Larson on MSNBC.]

Other conservatives disagreed with these assessments, with some bloggers/writers supporting the argument that Wall-E is actually right-wing propaganda:

“I was relieved to see a kids’ movie in which the obligatory message of ecological apocalypse is framed in terms of jeopardizing our own humanity, rather than being mean to poor Gaia,” writes Matt Frost at The American Scene.

Robert Patrick J. Ford of The American Conservative suggests that “Wall-E” is... more right-wing than left-wing. “The real tragedy of these callous conservative critics (say that three times fast) is that they are missing the real lessons of the movie, ones I found immediately attractive to a traditional conservative,” Ford writes. “In the film, it becomes clear that mass consumerism is not just the product of big business, but of big business wedded with big government.

Did you see Wall-E? Let us know what your thoughts are on the film, its quality, its political content, and anything else you think of. 

Via Political Wrinkles. 


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Comments

Alex said:

I just saw Wall-E about an hour ago, and you can't deny the fact that a "left-ist" message is being broadcast.

From mountains and mountains of garbage piled next to abandoned 'mega-stores' to the president of the main corporation telling citizens to "...stay the course..." the message is being slapped into the faces of anyone who walks into the theater.

However, it's not to say that the message takes away from the film. The animation in Wall-E is mind blowing, and the opening sequences which are nearly dialog-free are on the same level as some of the silent films from the early days of cinema. Regardless of one's political affiliations, the movie is definitely worth seeing on the big screen.

July 8, 2008 3:46 PM

Whit said:

Saw it.  Twice.  It was fantastic and my kids don't hate me for existing, so that's good.

It just goes to show you that anyone with an agenda can mold and contort anything they want so that it "promotes" their beliefs- you know, like the bible.

July 8, 2008 3:47 PM

Bajonista said:

I saw it, and immediatly realized that Conservatives that hated Happy Feet and March of the Penguins will hate this movie. I'm just surprised it hasn't gotten much more press.

The story was sweet and entertaining, and had more to say about humanity than most "serious-non-animated" films do this summer.

This could be one of my favorite Pixar films. I dunno if it can stand up to Finding Nemo, but we'll see.

July 8, 2008 6:07 PM

spasmak said:

I've seen Wall-E, and the film certainly has a message that is environmentalist and anti-consumerist.

But I don't view either of these ideals as inherently partisan.  Conservatives are allowed to be conservationists.  They are also allowed to hold the opinion that waste and overconsumption are bad for individuals and society as a whole.

Despite what's been said, I found the more touching message of the movie to be involved with individuals' disconnection from their world and from each other.

July 9, 2008 10:24 AM

Veylon said:

Why is only Shannens article on National Review covered? Why not Frederica's, which is positive and much more in-depth?

Anyway, you can find plenty of conservative tropes in Wall-E as well. A dutiful, selfless, loving, blue-collar worker is the hero. A hedonistic nanny-state is the villain. Hard work, innovation, and frugality are the keys to the future.

Also, the 'evil' corporation that destroys the world is also the one that makes the effort to save the people and clean up. Very odd.

July 17, 2008 1:16 AM

About Brian Fairbanks

Brian Fairbanks, the Senior National Political Correspondent for Hooksexup, is a filmmaker living in the wilds of Brooklyn. He previously wrote for the Hartford Courant and Gawker/The Consumerist. He will be first against the wall, come the revolution.

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about the blogger

Emily Farris writes about culture and food for numerous publications and websites you've probably never heard of, including her own blog eefers. Her first cookbook will be published in fall 2008. Emily lives in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with her cat, but just one . . . so far.

Brian Fairbanks is a filmmaker living in the wilds of Brooklyn. He previously wrote for the Hartford Courant and Gawker. He won the Williamsburg Spelling Bee once. He loves cats, women with guns, and burning books.

Nicole Pasulka is a Brooklyn writer and editor who's always on the lookout for the dirty. Her other virtual home is at The Morning News, where things are squeaky clean most of the time.

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