At the time of its release,They Livewas lambasted by critics, and some may say for good reason. The storytelling was clunky, the acting overly dramatic, the music painfully repetitive, and the dialogue uproariously on-the-nose. But mainly, the story was seen as so implausible that it was impossible to suspend disbelief. My, how times have changed.
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John Carpenter’s dystopian sci-fi drama (some may argue, accidental comedy)isover the top, but in the years since its 1988 release,They Livehas transformed, now considered a cult classic to all, and a prophetic masterpiece to many. In it, wrestler-turned-actor,“Rowdy” Roddy Piperplays George Nada, a man down on his luck in downtown Los Angeles. Coming into possession of a box of sunglasses, he begins to see the world in black and white, literally, as the frames take away all artifice from the world, allowing him to see its true nature, with particular focus on society’s elites (who appear as mechanical aliens) and their underhanded methods of control. For those who haven’t yet had the pleasure of this campy treasure, it’s not all doom and gloom, but these days, watching it is like holding up a mirror.
A Consuming Obsession With Fame
Early on in the film (now streaming onNetflix) we see a woman on a daytime talk show, professing her love and desire for fame. Clutching herself in seeming ecstasy at the thought, she gushes, “All I ever have to do is be famous…people watch me, and they love me, and I’ll never grow old.” Her ambition comes across as both embarrassing and grotesque, but one may argue her ideals are now more common-place than ever.
Shares, likes, and followers spring to mind in a society that not only thrives on visibility but also requires it. Fromreality showsto TikTok, it seems everyone these days is aspiring for their own 15 minutes of fame.
Infighting Among The Same Social Classes
Right from the beginning of their tumultuous friendship, Nada and his new coworker, Frank, (Kieth David) butt heads over their opposing ideologies. Frank, a pessimistic skeptic, shares his cynical views that “[t]hey who have the gold, make the rules,” while Nada “[believes] in America” and instead “follows the rules,” implying doing so will lead to reward.
Their tensions escalate, especially, because of Frank’s unwillingness to be told what to do - even if it’s just donning a pair of sunglasses. His obstinance leads to one of themost famous fight sequences of all time(hilariously satirized inFamily Guywhen Peter fights the giant chicken). But the back alley brawl isn’t really about sunglasses; it represents societal tensions when members of the working class feel powerless, turning their aggression toward one another rather than pointing to the true sources of their struggles: a rigged system of economic disparity. Today, these ideological clashes are all too reminiscent of liberal versus conservative belief systems among working-class voters.
Over-Policing Of The Poor And Disenfranchised
Early in the film, there is a sweeping raid on the homeless encampments where both Nada and Frank live. Complete with bulldozers, smoke bombs, and S.W.A.T. teams in full tactical gear, the destruction is the penalty for existing outside of normative bounds. Those who resist are beaten, while the rest are left displaced.
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If that sounds familiar, it’s because what unfolds on-screen reflects a constant state of affairs in both low-income and homeless communities across the world; punishing the most vulnerable in society is often seen as preferable to humanitarian solutions.
Rampant Homelessness In Major City Centers
From the opening scenes of the film, Carpenter creates a bleak, dystopian world in browns and grays. Make-shift beds adorn the sidewalks, while folks use cardboard to protect themselves from the rain. Nada eventually joins a welcoming community of tents and makeshift shelters where, in stark contrast, it overlooks the skyscrapers of downtown.
It seems every major city in the world is currently dealing with both a housing crisis, forcing people onto the streets to form tent communities. Never before has the issue been so dramatic and noticeable, and the situation is only getting direr.
An Obsession With Consumerism
A salient trope in the film regards society’s obsession with shopping. Over again, audiences are bombarded with television ads for frivolous products, and it’s those who cannot buy whose eyes are glued to the television sets.
While society certainly needs businesses to thrive, the underlying message in the film is that by convincing people to spend their money, the class structure will either remain the same or the divide will become ever starker. With purchasing power at an all-time low and advertising at an all-time high, unfortunately, it appears Carpenter’s crystal ball has struck again.
Subliminal Messaging Through The Media
Throughout the film, the spokesperson for the uprisers repeatedly speaks of how television is used as a means of control, “even when the set is turned off.” This control is woven into the fabric of society, causing its citizens to be compliant. Each scene is campier than the next, but the message still rings true.
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One could certainly argue that as a society, we no longer just unplug. Continuously affixed to a screen, people of today are constantly bombarded with soundbites, trends, images, and ideas. The only difference between then and now is thatwereally never turn it off.
The Use Of Labels To Justify Persecution
Once the uprisers are discovered, the aliens send human police officers to apprehend them (not doing the dirty work themselves, of course, as doing so would put the aliens in harm’s way). The rhetoric used to justify capturing the uprisers is that they are actually communists. The situation quickly goes from zero to 100 and is delightfully over-the-top; nonetheless, the sentiment is unfortunately familiar.
Placing scary-sounding labels onto entire groups of people is, of course, nothing new, but in today’s world, there are more than a few that get thrown around as a means of fomenting hatred and fear: Socialists, Marxists, Hacks, Cronies, Toadies, Extremists. Saying the Woke or Radicalanythingreplaces intelligent discourse and triggers members of both sides to blanket an entire group under a one-word title. It doesn’t matter anymore if there’s any truth or meaning behind it.
Advertising As A Form Of Mind Control
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With social channels having the ability to tally our interests with precision, seemingly everyone has had an “I was just thinking about that” moment when a new barrage of ads fills their screen. The question (now) is who’s controlling whom?
A “Dismantling Of The Middle Class”
As stated by the uprisers spokesperson, the disparity of wealth inThey Livehas caused the reconstruction of social classes. No longer are the days of hierarchical wealth but rather, the Haves and the Have Nots. In fairness, the film could have been titledHow The Other Half Lives.But where’s the fun in that?
Again, this prediction is not far off in its accuracy. With the cost of housing seemingly doubling every five years and the rate of inflation rising by the minute, the middle class is becoming extinct. Add on the obvious stagnation in wages, and we’ve found ourselves moving further and further to the bottom of the barrel, while those who pay said wages reach for the stars, literally.
Civilian Space Travel For The Wealthy Elite
It’s doubtful that Carpenter ever imagined this to come to fruition, but here we are. In the film, the elites who sell out to join the aliens are given the privilege of space travel, so they can escape the ever-depleting Earth.
RELATED:The Best 80s Sci-Fi MoviesWith civilians and celebrities shelling out major bank to see their home from above (not to mention the talk of colonizing other planets) it’s shocking to say thatThey Live’s depiction of space travel isn’t too far off. We’ll have to see what happens in the next 34 years.
