The public agrees, this is the movie that best captures the American experience

When World War II ended and the Cold War began, the United States emerged as a beacon for the world. Its cultural industry, economic system, and way of life were exported across the globe. And this has remained the case for several decades, with American society displaying patriotism even during the country’s most difficult times—the hippie movement against the Vietnam War was a turning point. However, in recent years, that perception held by many within the United States has been eroding, to the point where critical voices have been growing louder. The relationship with its political leaders is perhaps what has generated the most frustration in society, which has begun to question those quintessentially American values that have historically been upheld.

In this context, many have begun to criticize various aspects of the country. This is demonstrated by the latest poll published by The New York Times, which asked its readers which movie best defined the American spirit. The surprise was that, contrary to what one might expect, movies like ‘Top Gun’ or ‘The Godfather’ did not take the top spot. The most frequently mentioned title was ‘Idiocracy’, a 2006 film directed by Mike Judge. The film depicts a dystopian future in which a soldier who was cryogenically frozen 500 years ago awakens to find himself the smartest man in the world—a title he holds only because of the limited intellectual capacities of those inhabiting that world, which has been ravaged by human stupidity.

Parallels with Today’s Society

At the time, Judge embarked on this project with the goal of shining a light on the problems he saw in society—from rampant consumerism and the influence of advertising to the lack of critical thinking. One of the characters who best embodied all these ideas was President Camacho, played by Terry Crews. The actor portrayed a former wrestler who had become the leader of the United States. Although the film didn’t make much of an impact when it was first released, the passage of time has allowed it to take on special relevance—especially in light of recent events.

Following the event held at the White House to celebrate Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, many were quick to compare it to the movie. Even Adam Kinzinger, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, had already referenced the film a year ago in a post on his personal X account: “If anyone defends Trump saying there will be a ufc fight on the White House lawn never listen to them again.” He accompanied this text with an image taken directly from the movie, showing the moment when the line “It’s got electrolytes!” is spoken.

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