In light of recent events, it has become clear that America has never been united. If anything, we are a country divided by money and government.
While we all play the blame game about why our country is becoming the equivalent of Woodstock 99’s events, we seem to forget in the heat of the moment who’s truly to blame.
However, the movie They Live by John Carpenter illuminates who’s to blame. It highlights how money and morals divide our country.
‘They Live’ is a movie about the Haves and Have-Nots, in which the Have-Nots find out the truth about the elites.
The elites turn out to be aliens who take over and rule the world through subliminal messages. However, these subliminal messages can only be seen through a unique pair of glasses.
John Carpenter has mentioned how the movie was based on the economic policies under President Ronald Reagan. This movie, however, was not Communist but criticized these policies and the need for a system that satisfies all Americans.
Even though this movie was painted as a sarcastic film, we can see how it relates to today’s society.
THIS IS YOUR GOD
As mentioned above, one of the factors that divides America today, or any country in fact, is the economy. Money can make us selfish in various ways, to the point where Carpenter criticizes how it does. He does this by subliminally saying, “This is your god.” This message was from a scene where the main character, John Nada, sees a magazine clerk holding some cash.
This scene takes something that we only see as “just money,” yet we know its true power in our society. Money can cause people to become selfish or even cause arguments.
Money is needed to survive in America. The more money you have, the more power you have. The “aliens” in this movie are the elites who rule our society due to the power they have in their pockets. However, when we think about who fueled those pockets, we move on to America’s consumerism habits.
CONSUME
America is known for being a capitalist society and for influencing new trends. When ‘They Lived’ (1988) was released, everyone was influenced by fashion seen on MTV or celebrities (such as Madonna, Pat Benatar, or even New Wave groups).
However, consumerism was still very slow compared to what it is now. We always have technology at our fingertips and know what’s on the rise in fashion. As James Hetfield from Metallica mentions in his interview with MTV back in 1986, “People who are like ‘Whoa, it’s the new fashion! Gotta go buy it.’ Then have something from last week hanging in their closet.”
Understandably, everyone wants to be up to date with current fashion trends, yet it causes harm simultaneously. People are giving tons of money to companies that cause damage in terms of the environment and to their consumers.
Many companies will do anything to make a quick buck, even if it means rushing a product that isn’t safe. Not only that, but it has reached a point where there is a lack of individuality. People are no longer expressing themselves through their emotions but through someone else. There is also a lack of individual thoughts, which leads us to our third subliminal message.
NO INDEPENDENT THOUGHT
As we consider how our spending habits influence our thoughts, we should also consider how our thoughts influence us. We no longer think for ourselves; we are quick to agree with everyone else. It’s important to remember that the media is not always the truth and could be spreading lies only because they can. It is easier now to persuade people into a way of thinking that is simply harmful.
We have normalized relying on someone else’s word instead of our own. It is important to voice our actual opinions instead of giving into someone else’s. Not doing so can lead to making decisions that don’t actually satisfy you and losing a sense of self. This proves how quick we are to surrender to anyone.
SURRENDER
During this movie, as John Nada realizes who the elite are, they try to shut him down and get him to obey authority. He doesn’t do so, and this pushes the elites to try and kill him.
The word surrender speaks for itself. As much as some people may try to protest, we still have to deal with the hand we are dealt. It’s understandable why some rules and laws may be put in place, but sometimes, it’s ridiculous that rights are still up for debate.
In a place where it’s “land of the free,” we should never have to discuss the rights of a human due to what’s “right” or “wrong.” Government officials should never have a problem with someone’s existence if they are not causing harm. This should be the case, but it’s not. No one should ever have to live in fear because of their government. A government is meant to protect its citizens from what puts them in harm, not cause harm.
These four quotes provide an understanding of how a movie produced 36 years ago can still apply to our society today. It is a shame that as the years go by, we haven’t grown; in fact, we’ve taken a few steps back. We all must realize that in order to have a better country, we must all work together instead of being divided.
