We All Live in WandaVision Now

Disney+ has a hit on their hands with Marvel’s WandaVision. They’ve also given us a near-perfect metaphor for our current cultural moment.

~~Spoilers Ahead~~

Perhaps the most prominent secondary characteristic of Science Fiction as a genre is the way it allows us to play, in narrative form, with ideas that trouble us. The original Godzilla explored post-Nuclear Age fears. Zombie stories help us ask if we are comfortable with reducing humanity to biological machines who only eat and reproduce. Event Horizon comes along and gives us a chance to ask if what we call science is more closely related to what we call religion than we’ve assumed. And Marvel’s own Infinity War provided a fantastical sandbox that gave us an outlet to think through what life would be like if the mythology of Peak Oil and Global Overpopulation were actually true.

WandaVision picks up that tradition from Infinity War and carries it into 2021. I assume most of you are watching the show but, if not, here’s a quick summary: Wanda Maximoff, a superhuman of incredible power, creates an artificial reality out of the town (and residents) of Westview, NJ modeled on the sitcoms she watched as a child.

And how does this speak to our cultural moment?

To put it as plainly as possible: Those of us living in 21st Century Western culture are now subject to the fantasy-land preferences of the most powerful people in the world – whether we like it or not. If you break with their artificial and imposed narrative you get the Monica Rambeau ejection. And when reality imposes on their construct they double down, make it bigger, and dare the real world to do something about it.

We Live in the Fantasy Land Creation of Cultural Elites

Where to begin? Amazon Web Services cannot host Parler because Parler is where the 2021 Capitol Riot was planned but everyone acknowledges Facebook and Twitter were actually where the planning took place.

Let’s stay with Amazon: Amazon is free, as a private company to cut Parler off from their webhosting service but, of course, Masterpiece Cake, another private business absolutely must provide its services to anyone, no matter the company or owner’s policies.

Fallon Fox, a biological male, bragging about crushing women’s skulls in combat sport is a sign of progress. And a 6’1″ ~250 pound biological male playing women’s Australian League Football is no threat to women or women’s sports. In fact, it would be hatred to suggest otherwise.

2020’s summer of riots, including the creation of the CHAZ in Seattle and the months-long assault on the Portland Federal Courthouse, following the death of George Floyd is to be seen as MLK’s “Voice of the Voiceless” but, of course, the Capitol riot is “an assault on sacred temples of democracy.”

This is a woman and it is morally outrageous to suggest otherwise. However, Dr. Levine’s support for ~~amputating~~ mutilating body parts and injecting young children with synthetic hormones which lack long-term effect testing is, well, wonderful.

Get the picture? If not here are some pictures.

Here’s what our ruling elites tell us the world of synthetic humanity they’ve created looks like:

Here’s reality, though:

If you’re paying attention you’ll notice that the phrase, “your truth” shows up in episodes seven and eight of WandaVision – first on the lips of Monica Rambeau and then Agatha Harkness. “Your Truth” trumps The Truth in Westview, WandaVision, and the Brave New World Amazon, Facebook, and political Progressives are forging for us. Subjective reality is quite fine in our own Westview, as long as that subjective reality is their subjective reality and you happily agree.

You had better not notice, though. If you do? Keep your trap shut. Or else.

Those fools who dare break with The Preferred Narrative get ejected from public life with no jury (beyond the Twitter mob of public denunciation), no trial, and no appeal.

Here, again, where do we start with justifying this claim?

How about a documentary about Clarence Thomas being removed from Amazon during Black History Month with no explanation?

Or Ryan T. Anderson having his New York Times Bestselling book questioning transgenderism removed for Wrong Think (notice Yahoo News’ journalistic objectivity in using “transphobic” in the headline – remember: Preferred Narrative Above All)?

Should we talk about Marvel’s parent company Disney also firing a strong, independent female voice from the cast of their hit show The Mandalorian because she… spoke as a strong, independent woman.

And What Happens if the Preferred Narrative Breaks Down?

They go bigger, stronger, harder, and more expansive – for your good, of course.

It doesn’t matter who gets caught up or how miserable the experience is for those trapped in its field. The Preferred Narrative must be preserved at all cost.

Honestly, the only thing missing from Disney+ version of 2021 is a group of people caught up in Wanda’s simulation who are glad to be there, glad to have their thoughts and lives dominated by her outside control because they prefer it to real life. Eventually we know WandaVision will stop (in the show); a scene where a group of Westview town folks rally to have it turned back on would make the metaphor complete.

What Does the Future Hold?

As I write this the Season Finale has yet to air. The most recent episode, “Previously On“, took on a monumental task – restoring our sympathies for Wanda, who we as an audience came in liking but who we also have to recognize has become a monster driven by her grief. The recipe for this is well used – add an even badder bad guy, threaten the kids (ironic, considering the metaphor), and show us all the trauma Wanda has suffered.

This is really the justification used to prop up our own version of 2021 – there are people who are really sad and really angry. As someone else noted, “The short form is this: ‘You are in deep sin because I am sad. And the sadder I get, the worse you must be [for disagreeing with me].’”

Guilt, even guilt by proxy, is a powerful motivator. Powerful enough, it appears, to sustain willful participation in the Hex we currently live in – at least for now.

Here’s the thing about Artificial Realities, though – eventually Actual Reality intrudes. Your 3D goggles need fresh batteries, you MMO provokes a Blue Screen reboot. In real world Artificial Realities people often die before the Hex comes down. But reality does eventually re-assert itself. Trauma, in some form, has been the fuel and fruit of our current Artificial Reality. The re-emergence of Actual Reality is sure to bring plenty of that too. I have no idea what it will look like and I don’t know what the mechanism will be but make no mistake: it will show up eventually.