Texts can use power to reflect things that have and can happen in real life. Power can be represented in many ways and shapes an understanding of events, personalities of people and situations. Power is an insatiable desire craved by countless people that can be achieved through numerous methods. It is seen in texts such as the film, Wag The Dog, the novel Animal Farm and in Martin Luther King's speeches.
Power is with the image makers. In the film "Wag The Dog" a phony war is created to divert the American public's attention from their wayward President, mere days before (re)election. The viewers turning on the set for America vs. Albania's news bulletins are deliberately manipulated to believe there is an actual crisis that requires blind patriotism. Once Wag the Dog's pageant is determined a success its flamboyant producer wants to roll credits, but the spin doctor cannot allow this to happen, and cancels his life.
"Pure Hollywood." Hmmm. Be aware. Be very aware.
This comedy focuses on the machinations of power as a presidential spin doctor (DeNiro) teams with a Hollywood producer (Hoffman) to manufacture a fake war. Believe it or not, these two characters are the closest physical representation of the president in Wag the Dog. Their actions and comments shape our view of the president who they represent. The scenario of the president's alleged misconduct with a firefly girl is used as an extreme parody of recent political attentions which American political figures have been receiving. While a president, like any other human, must be considered capable of such misconduct, the likelihood that a man in his position would either have the opportunity or take the risk is quite small. The question of whether or not the president is actually guilty of the alleged misconduct is never answered. By .
leaving the question of guilt without answer, the story reinforces the power of the media. As Conrad Brean points out, the truth of the accusation does not matter in the election time; truth or not, the publicity will detriment the president's image and his ratings.
