Definition of representation
Representation refers to the speaking or acting on behalf of someone else (Milbank 3). This word is widely used in the political context during elections. The people exercise their democratic right to choose leaders who would represent them in various levels of government. The most common manifestation of representation is parliament where legislatures are elected as representative sample of the greater national population.
Examples in Wag the Dog and Little Brother
The movie Wag the Dog depicts the influence of politics on the media and the ultimate media influence on the people. The movie was produced in 1997 to depict a fake war in a country called Albania (Levinson 1). The purpose of the movie is to distract the public attention from recent sex scandal involving the president who intends to run again for another term in the upcoming election. The media is used to create a narrative that some Albanian terrorists attempted to smuggle atomic bombs in the United States of America. Although no one know knows what is going on, people begin to believe in what they see. This is a form of injustice meted upon the people by the leaders they chose to represent them. The narrative that the media creates does not depict the true situation as it is happening on the ground.
Cary Doctorow’s Little Brother narrates the story of a young man named Marcus who challenges the Department of Homeland Security. Marcus’ arrest, torture and questioning come against the backdrop of a terrorist attack in San Francisco, California (Doctorow 11). He is arrested without a cause, thereby raising concerns on human rights, loyalty to authorities, and invasion of privacy. Marcus soon realizes that the authorities pay no regard to the rights upon which the country was built. Throughout the development of the story, it is clear that the tribulation of Marcus in the hands of the state confirm an authoritarian regime which does not uphold the democracy and the rule of law. The stabbing of Darryl and infringement of the rights and freedoms of the people in this city are manifestation of failed representation.
How the term is at play in media in perpetuating inequality
In the Wag the Dog, there is an attempt by the spin doctors in the movie to create an impression that there is war in a bid to make the population to develop a sense of patriotism. Amid this confusion, everybody stands behind the president despite his relationship with a young girl. The CIA discovers that the whole plan and bring the war to an end. The country believes another attempt by the spin doctors to invent a hero that should be saved (Levinson 1). These episodes point to the abuse of people by leaders chosen to represent the people. The media is used to create a perception that is different from the actual state of events.
The attempt by the media to cover the actions of the president demonstrates injustice and lack of decency on the part of leaders who rule. It follows that the media can be used as a tool to misinform and hoodwink the public into believing a story even if it is different from the reality. From the movie, it is clear that the reality is not what people know or see or feel. Instead, reality refers to stories told to people or pictures presented to people thorough the media. Thus, the media presents to people what it wants people to believe. In some cases, the media makes people to believe what it wants them to believe. Wag the Dog underscores the influence of the media on the actual population. In essence, a lot of media distraction is taking place in the movie because everything episode seems exaggerated and over-emphasized. The population or audience watching the movie would be stupid to recognize the dramatic patterns taking place.
The influence of media in real life cannot be gainsaid. Media influences people’s opinion and help them to build up the opinion. Politics has either a positive or negative influence on the media. It is possible for the media to interpret the words of politicians whether they are true or false, and convey the truth or fiction to the public. Subsequently, the public may be influenced by the type of message that the media communicates to them. A perfect example of this proposition is former US president George Bush and his involvement in the war in Iraq. The scenario has bizarre similarity with the events in the movie. In this case, the media can manipulate and misperceive an idea and convey it to the public in a way that it gives a different meaning. In the image, Bush is seen with an aggressive expression and a stern look which neither focuses on his audience nor look down in a sense of shock. In this case, the media utilizes imagery to depict Bush as a serious man to the enemy. It gives an impression of a man who is unrelenting to give up unless he wins the war in Iraq. Comparing Bush’s look and the look on the president case over the threat of terror, the look draws interesting parallels.
In the movie, there is an episode in which an Albanian girl walks with a kitten over a bridge (Levinson 1). The girl manages to rescue both herself and the dog from an imminent attack in village scheduled for atomic bomb. The occurrence of an Albanian girl and the dog is symbolic. The fact that the girl manages to escape from an impending attack is an indication of liberation from the York of slavery and dominance which the political leadership ascribes to. The bridge represents a complete turnover in the life of this girl. The freedom of the girl is significant in this movie because it represents a win over the barbaric rule by the president.
Little Brother continues to expose the illegal activities of the department of homeland security. This happens after Marcus advises the young people in the country to use Paranoid Xbox discs (Doctorow 87). Like Wag the Dog, a system of failed representation and brazen oppression dominates. Despite his activism, Marcus feels disappointed that Darryl is spending his life in custody. At this point, the media’s deliberate attempt to alter the narrative is evident. An investigative reporter reveals the happenings long after many young people are arrested. Towards the end of the novel, a government leader reveals that he had information about the place and time when another terrorist attack would occur (Doctorow 283). This leader fails to inform the DHS about this matter because it would help his man to seek a reelection. It is clear that the both the novel and the movie reveals the failure of leaders to reduce injustice. The media is often caught in the mix, unaware of when and how to trade between reality and fiction.
Counteracting the injustice
In light of the foregoing, it is indubitable that representation is an important concept in the political system. However, choosing leaders to represent the public does not guarantee proper and effective representation. Some of these leaders use the media to create perceive that misleads the public. The novel and the book have pointed out misrepresentation as a form of injustice that should be fought. To counter this injustice, there is a need for strong advocacy of human rights. Citizens can rise together to demand transparency and accountability among leaders. Leaders who fail to exhibit honesty and integrity should resign voluntarily. The media should play its watchdog role and avoid conflicts which may arise due to the failure by leaders to represent their followers effectively.
Works Cited
Croteau, David, and William Hoynes. Media/society: Industries, images, and audiences. Sage
Publications, 2013.
Doctorow, Cory. Little Brother. New York. Tor Books. 2008.
Levinson, Barry. Wag the Dog. 1998.
Milbank, John. Beyond Secular Order: The Representation of Being and the Representation
of the People. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.
