Make Our Society Great Again Agents of Shield
Curiosity'due south Agents of SHIELD is making fun of Trump, but satirizing political controversies is nothing new for Curiosity Comics, even if it's rarely been this on-the-nose.
Some Background
The current storyline has the protagonists thrust into a virtual world where reality has gone pear-shaped and evil has inexplicably won. Hydra won the war against SHIELD (reversing the events of Captain America: The Wintertime Soldier). May saved a little Inhuman girl, only to see her crusade a greater tragedy in America (reversing the events of AoS episode "Melinda"). Mack, who long ago lost his daughter, is united with her over again (rectifying events reference in AoS episode "Deals with Our Devils"). Jeff "Patriot" Mace regretted being a imitation hero, but here he is the real thing (fixing the state of affairs revealed in AoS episode "Patriot"). And virtually significantly, Fitz – who never had a skillful relationship with his father – at present has an astonishing relationship with his male parent. Unfortunately, his father is evil, so in this earth, Fitz is evil.
And therein lies the satire. May's mistake and Fitz's heel-turn enabled, against all logic, evil took over America. And at present Fitz is spouting disturbingly familiar phrases.
UPDATED May ten to include quotes from each of the "Agents of Hydra" episodes.
"Fact from Innuendo" and "The Resistance"
In the beginning part of the "Agents of Hydra" arc, the episode "What If?," teacher Mr. Coulson explains how of import information technology is to dissever "fact from innuendo." A quick Google search shows the top several hits for this phrase tie to an Op-Ed diggings those who leaked White House information. Similarly, Coulson is quick to defend Hydra and shut down anyone who questions the established narrative. Subtle.
More than importantly, the remnants of SHIELD fighting against the Hydra-controlled government are called "The Resistance," a title that has taken on new significant in recent months.
"Make our guild great again"
Upon learning "subversives" (i.e. the surviving SHIELD agents) are trying to destabilize their government in episode "Identity and Change," Fitz (as 2d-in-command at Hydra), orders his top agents to track and neutralize the threat. It should go without proverb that this allusion is a little on the nose. Or at least on the ruby-red cap.
"Beaten to within an inch of her life. Nevertheless, she persisted"
In "No Regrets," Fitz tortured Daisy – whom he one time had a severe crush on in the existent world – disturbed by her claims that he's "one of the good guys" in the "real world." Her story never changes, despite the torture, and he utters words that accept get the rallying cry for women's empowerment ever since Sen. Mitch McConnell unironically used as a polemic against Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
And then, wow. Marvel is actively satirizing the current political climate, albeit in a show that has ever-decreasing viewership and one that has been moved to a deadly timeslot. And yet, this is probably the best flavour of the evidence, not just because the creators are willing to take these satirical risks, just for the development of the characters, the incorporation of the comic book source fabric, and the creative risks the prove has taken, dividing the season up into three singled-out arcs ("Ghost Passenger," "LMD," and now "Agents of Hydra").
"Culling Facts"
In "All the Madame's Men" (a title referencing the story of the Nixon autumn chosen All the President'southward Men), Hydra faithful Bakshi (who died in AoS season 2) is now a cable news star with a cult of personality espousing Hydra rhetoric. Later Bakshi makes uncomfortable advances on his female person employees, Coulson'due south team take over the studio and circulate their ain message. Coulson quickly establishes the basis rules: "Hydra doesn't think nosotros're smart plenty while we're being fed alternative facts," clearly referencing the now infamous defense from Kellyanne Conway.
"Fake News"
In the terminal total "Agents of Hydra" episode, "Good day, Cruel World!," Agent May finally realizes she'due south been working for the wrong team, and declares everything Hydra has been feeding them is "fake news." Not so subtle.
How it ties to Hydra-Cap
Should Marvel even be satirizing the authorities? In the comic book storyline boot off this calendar week with the release of Hole-and-corner Empire #0, Steve Rogers has had his own reality-altering heel-turn, and simply as Fitz is in the bear witness, Cap is now leading a Hydra overthrow of the authorities in the comics. Once over again, reality is being altered, brains are being washed, and – perhaps not-completely unintentionally – the real earth is being made fun of.
Is satire okay hither?
But why not? Sat Night Live has been skewing the powers that be since its inception, and fiction has been used to lambast world leaders for centuries. Gulliver's Travels, seen incorrectly by many as a children's story, tears apart the institution and completely eviscerates people and institutions almost at the time saw as untouchable.
Satire in Comic Books
Leaving aside obvious works of comedic satire like Mad Magazine or Cracked, and subversive works of underground comics like the misanthropic works of R. Nibble, mainstream superhero comics have been making fun of the real world since Superman.
Early on Superman comics – which inspired Grant Morrison'southward New 52 revisionist origin story – had the archetypal hero fighting fictional corrupt politicians and business men. These were the very same people who caused the Great Depression that Superman's earliest readers grew upwardly in.
Captain America famously punched Hitler, and while this doesn't seem like a large deal from today's signal of view, that was a controversial political statement in 1941. Not everyone was willing to admit that Hitler might be a bad guy (and some nonetheless struggle with that), and Marvel received decease threats considering of information technology. That came from a conscious conclusion past publisher Martin Goodman (Stan Lee'due south relative, and the guy who gave him his start writing gig in Helm America Comics #3). Goodman said that if these heroes were meant to stand up for what was right in the world, they had to pick a side in Europe's war. In the end, they were proven correct.
Other comics, including other Marvel comics at the time, participated in the fight in subtler ways, with fictional countries continuing in for Germany, or representing Hitler's political allies, merely the results were the same. Hitler and his clones were popping up everywhere.
Sometimes, comic creators paid the cost for their stances. EC Comics, today best known for Tales from the Catacomb, scoffed at the fashion mainstream publishers ignored or minimized segregation, and really sanctioned a story satirizing the stupidity of stratifying lodge based on skin color. The consequence? Censors told them to change the chief grapheme'south race or face the consequences. They chose the latter, and ceased publication for decades.
In the '70s, Helm America was forced to bargain with the changing views of patriotism following the traumatic events of the past 2 decades. With several high profile assassinations and the admission that President Nixon was direct involved in illicit activities, many Americans had lost faith in, or at least respect for, the nation and the government. Cap, as a symbol of the nation, could non lose religion, but when he learned the villainous Clandestine Empire group (for whom the electric current storyline is named) was led by the president himself, he finally gave up the uniform. Although the comics couldn't say it at the time, everyone knew it was Nixon.
Fastforwarding to today, Marvel has every right to poke fun at those in power, regardless of which side of the separate you lot fall.
It's the American affair to do.
Source: https://monomythic.wordpress.com/2017/04/20/agents-of-shield-makes-satire-great-again-while-targeting-trump/
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