If you're a fan of the movie Idiocracy, you've probably already noticed that today's political climate is eerily familiar -- and you're not alone.
In a recent tweet, the screenwriter of the 2006 satire said even he's a little surprised at how unsettling the similarities are.
I never expected #idiocracy to become a documentary.
— Etan Cohen (@etanjc) February 24, 2016
Etan Cohen co-wrote the cult favorite with Mike Judge, and neither seem exactly thrilled to have "called it" correctly.
“People will email and post stuff on my Twitter that’s like, ‘Hey, you predicted it right!’ So that’s always nice," said Judge in an interview with The Verge. "But it’s not always nice because you want the world to become a better place.”
If you haven't seen it...
- A remarkably average man wakes up from a long, cryogenic sleep to a world where's he's the smartest person alive.
- This future America is steeped in anti-intellectualism, and the movie showcases (humorously) how that led to severe national decay.
- A machismo pro wrestler is President, and you can get a law degree at Costco.
Cohen has been the brains behind many popular scripts. High budget movies like Tropic Thunder and Men in Black 3 top the list. But, apparently, he never intended for Idiocracy to "come true."
"I thought the worst thing that would come true was everyone wearing Crocs," he tweeted as a follow up.
Just last month, actor Terry Crews reprised his role as POTUS in the film. He took to Twitter, calling attention to how wild this run-up to the presidential election has been.
PRESIDENT CAMACHO says:
ALL Y'ALL NEED TO STOP TRIPPIN. CHILL THE F OUT, 'MERICA#CAMACHO2016 pic.twitter.com/qj7UgLU20V
— terrycrews (@terrycrews) January 14, 2016
You can watch President Camacho's State of the Union address here:
And if you're in for a treat, you can take this "Trump or Camacho?" quiz to see if you can pin down which quote belongs where. In that vein, let's not forget that Trump has heavily invested in professional wrestling. Just watch this clipof him getting punchy on WrestleMania.
If you think this comparison is extreme, or even that citing Idiocracy at all is exaggeration, fine. However, there's an undeniably troubling blur between entertainment and politics that's apparent in Donald Trump's success.
However, the film touched on a supposed "root" of the problem, and even threw around the idea of eugenics. If it's not clear, those aspects of the movie aren't necessarily a healthy perspective when it comes to social decline. You can read Gawker's dissection of this aspect here. (Or simply read this six panel comic that summarizes the article pretty well.)
Either way, Judge made his attitude on the situation rather succinct.
"Yep, we’re doomed. Might as well make jokes about it."
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