Facing the Fascism: How This Season’s Emmy Contenders Pepper Storytelling With Real-World Perils
On this final season of Prime Video’s “The Boys,” Homelander — played by Antony Starr and described by showrunner Eric Kripke as “our sociopathic Superman” — decides he’s going to be the new God, and he’s going to make the world believe he’s the new God.
“We had endless conversations about, like, is that too far?” Kripke told me recently on an Emmy FYC panel at Sony. “Are people going to say that’s just stupid? Are we jumping the shark? I was having long conversations with marketing, like, ‘We have to be careful about how we introduce the idea. We have to build up to it. It’s too much.’ “And then, 48 hours before we air, Trump releases that image of himself as Jesus. Can you please give us an opportunity to do satire?! Can you not make the world crazier than our fucking superhero show?! So yeah. I’m tired.”
By the way, Kripke and his staff wrote that storyline two years ago. “People are like, ‘Wow, you are really hitting it! Are you guys all high-fiving?’ And I’m like, ‘No, we’re all so sad.’”
Pause for collective sigh. It’s difficult to satirize power, corruption and egomaniacal leaders in an age where real life transcends the most over-the-top, cartoonish ideas that Hollywood writers could imagine. I often say that it’s even hard to watch “Veep,” the great HBO comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the inept VP-turned-POTUS Selina Meyer. Now, I’d vote for Selina Meyer in a heartbeat.
A year ago for one of my Awards Circuit columns I wrote about the very real threat of fascism taking hold in the United States — and how popular culture might depict these dark times. The column got mostly positive reactions — well, except from media outlets that are cheering on our descent into authoritarianism.
There was even one elitist host who fronts the least funny talk show on television — and to prove that point decided to devote an entire laugh-free segment on my column. I mean, thanks, bro, for the press! And my response, to quote Don Draper addressing Michael Ginsberg in the elevator on “Mad Men”: “I don’t think about you at all.”
What I do think about is the massive grift coming out of the White House, and the billionaires who have essentially bought and control our government and media. Last year, shows like “Andor,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Boys” offered prescient depictions of what happens when we spiral into authoritarianism.
It almost feels strange for shows not to address what’s going on in the real world, and thankfully some are finding ways to reflect the current state of affairs. “The Boys” is continuing its stark take on what happens when corporate and government leaders weaponize their popularity for their own ends. “The Testaments” expands “The Handmaid’s Tale” story of living under oppression, and finding ways to rebel against the powers that be. “For All Mankind” features a police force roaming the corridors of a Mars base, indiscriminately locking up citizens. (This most recent season “For All Mankind” was shot in 2024, before the current terror of the unchecked ICE secret police — but sadly, we could predict something evil like that was coming.)
Then there are shows set in the real world that are also alluding to our current environment — including, recently, “South Park,” “The Pitt” and “9-1-1,” all of which have tackled ICE raids and other brazen acts by this administration.
Now, you may argue that entertainment should be where we escape our woes, and I get it. People are exhausted by the daily onslaught of bad headlines. The corruption is so rampant that it’s hard to keep track. Our wealthy leaders are getting richer by demanding quid pro quo from companies like Paramount, Disney and Meta. Mysterious figures are winning millions of dollars by placing bets on U.S. war plans before they happen, and everyone looks the other way. But Ramy Youssef teaches Elmo an peaceful Arabic word, and Fox News is on red alert.
Taking on fascism isn’t right for every program. But for creators who believe they have a duty to reflect some of the uncomfortable truths about what our world has become, this is not a time to shrug and ignore our predicament. And while shows like “The Boys” recognize that we can’t escape reality — at least they can have some fun through the endless sighs.
“We had endless conversations about, like, is that too far?” Kripke told me recently on an Emmy FYC panel at Sony. “Are people going to say that’s just stupid? Are we jumping the shark? I was having long conversations with marketing, like, ‘We have to be careful about how we introduce the idea. We have to build up to it. It’s too much.’ “And then, 48 hours before we air, Trump releases that image of himself as Jesus. Can you please give us an opportunity to do satire?! Can you not make the world crazier than our fucking superhero show?! So yeah. I’m tired.”
By the way, Kripke and his staff wrote that storyline two years ago. “People are like, ‘Wow, you are really hitting it! Are you guys all high-fiving?’ And I’m like, ‘No, we’re all so sad.’”
Pause for collective sigh. It’s difficult to satirize power, corruption and egomaniacal leaders in an age where real life transcends the most over-the-top, cartoonish ideas that Hollywood writers could imagine. I often say that it’s even hard to watch “Veep,” the great HBO comedy starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the inept VP-turned-POTUS Selina Meyer. Now, I’d vote for Selina Meyer in a heartbeat.
A year ago for one of my Awards Circuit columns I wrote about the very real threat of fascism taking hold in the United States — and how popular culture might depict these dark times. The column got mostly positive reactions — well, except from media outlets that are cheering on our descent into authoritarianism.
There was even one elitist host who fronts the least funny talk show on television — and to prove that point decided to devote an entire laugh-free segment on my column. I mean, thanks, bro, for the press! And my response, to quote Don Draper addressing Michael Ginsberg in the elevator on “Mad Men”: “I don’t think about you at all.”
What I do think about is the massive grift coming out of the White House, and the billionaires who have essentially bought and control our government and media. Last year, shows like “Andor,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Boys” offered prescient depictions of what happens when we spiral into authoritarianism.
It almost feels strange for shows not to address what’s going on in the real world, and thankfully some are finding ways to reflect the current state of affairs. “The Boys” is continuing its stark take on what happens when corporate and government leaders weaponize their popularity for their own ends. “The Testaments” expands “The Handmaid’s Tale” story of living under oppression, and finding ways to rebel against the powers that be. “For All Mankind” features a police force roaming the corridors of a Mars base, indiscriminately locking up citizens. (This most recent season “For All Mankind” was shot in 2024, before the current terror of the unchecked ICE secret police — but sadly, we could predict something evil like that was coming.)
Then there are shows set in the real world that are also alluding to our current environment — including, recently, “South Park,” “The Pitt” and “9-1-1,” all of which have tackled ICE raids and other brazen acts by this administration.
Now, you may argue that entertainment should be where we escape our woes, and I get it. People are exhausted by the daily onslaught of bad headlines. The corruption is so rampant that it’s hard to keep track. Our wealthy leaders are getting richer by demanding quid pro quo from companies like Paramount, Disney and Meta. Mysterious figures are winning millions of dollars by placing bets on U.S. war plans before they happen, and everyone looks the other way. But Ramy Youssef teaches Elmo an peaceful Arabic word, and Fox News is on red alert.
Taking on fascism isn’t right for every program. But for creators who believe they have a duty to reflect some of the uncomfortable truths about what our world has become, this is not a time to shrug and ignore our predicament. And while shows like “The Boys” recognize that we can’t escape reality — at least they can have some fun through the endless sighs.