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All Media is Political, Whether You Like It or Not

Happy Midterm Elections!

The U.S. midterm elections are just over two months away. The Ugly Monster formally endorses any and all candidates who are furthest to the economic or material left in their respective races — unless they did something bad.

Also, all art and entertainment is political. If you don’t agree, keep reading. All the stories below either have Friend Links or they’re not paywalled.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

‘Top Gun’ and the Mythology of American Imperialism by Lady Horatia

“…the enemy is very clearly a War-on-Terror, post-Bush adversary. How can I tell? Because the threat that Maverick and crew is tasked with destroying is a uranium enrichment plant in an unnamed country.”

Credit: Universal International

The Radical Political Origins of ‘Spartacus’ by Steven Klett

“Due to Marx’s praise, Marxists — especially orthodox Marxists — would take Spartacus’s name and story as a symbol of a heroic revolutionary proletariat.”

Credit: Sky Studios

‘Mussolini: Son of the Century’ and How To Talk About History by Giulia Picciau

“This idea is clear since the opening beats of the series. The same person who we’re taught to regard as the personification of evil is portrayed as a pathetic coward whose only talent is exploiting people for his own schemes. A power-hungry little man who just wants to be revered. It doesn’t matter if it’s through love or fear, he either doesn’t know the difference or doesn’t care.”

From our friends at Worldbuilding Wednesday…

Credit: Orbit, Tor Books, Margaret K. McElderry Books, and Riverhead Books.

Decolonizing speculative fiction: 5 must-read Black worldbuilders by Daley W.

“Legendborn and it’s sequel Bloodmarked were huge YA hits, an urban fantasy series that explores King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and the lasting impact of colonization and chattel slavery. Deonn manages to tackle all this through excellent worldbuilding and the lens of her own experience as a Black woman in America.”

Credit: Zach Fernandez

WTF is Art? by Zach Fernandez

“I often see those here and in other online spaces expressing their distaste that media and art have become politicised. “I hate being bashed over the head with a consciously intended message” is expressed, suggesting that modern movies, and art in general, are falling further into sermons, forcing a specific world view and teetering on the edge of propaganda. But my question is, when has art not been propaganda?”

Credit: Marvel Comics

Expiring Utopia: Why Disney Fails the X-Men by anjenü

“Coded in the DNA of X-Men is a story about tolerance and progressiveness. From them, we can learn that though the world would wish to push us back and lull us into complacency, we must mutate society’s status quo into something better.”

Credit: Rowan, Rook, and Decard

Nazis are Bad — ‘Eat the Reich’ by Oscar

“Eat the Reich is a tabletop roleplaying game about exsanguinating nazis. It’s World War II and you’re a bunch of vampires dropped into nazi-occupied Paris on a mission to kill Hitler. Players apply boatloads of occult power and ultraviolence at, onto, into, and through every fascist that gets in your way.”