Politicians are known to be some of the biggest liars in the world. Washington D.C. is the "home of the liars." The movie Wag the Dog, is The title is a play on the old saying, “the tail wagging the dog." In other words, the dog is in charge. He wags his tail. That phrase means, the dog is no longer in charge. The tail is wagging the dog.
The 1997 film Wag the Dog, is a dark political satire that explores the dangerous intersection of media, deception, and power. In the movie, a spin doctor and a Hollywood producer fabricate a war to distract the public from a presidential scandal. This story is exaggerated yet plausible portrayal of how easily perception can be manipulated to serve political agenda's. Could our leaders really go this far to win votes or cling on to power?
According to Merriam-Webster, "The tail wagging the dog is a idiom that usually refers to something important or powerful being controlled by something less so. Its earliest use is in the 1858 play Our American Cousin. The 1997 film Wag the Dog shortened the phrase and added the additional meaning of "superfluous (military) action in order to distract from domestic scandal" (America's Most Trusted Dictionary).
The story intruded into real politics not long after its release. In 1998, when Bill Clinton's scandal regarding Monica Lewinsky broke, he was accused of wagging the dog: Three days after admitting he had inappropriate relations with Lewinsky, he ordered missile strikes against two countries, allegedly to divert public attention from his sex scandal.
The phrase "wag the dog," refers to a strategy where a political leader engages in diversionary tactics, often involving military action or another high-stakes maneuver to distract the public from a pending or existing scandal. The "wag the dog," strategy capitalizes on the rally-around-the-flag effect, where citizens tend to support their leaders during times of crisis. This is a well-documented psychological phenomenon where, during crisis, the public tends to support national leaders and overlook their shortcomings.
Works Cited:
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). America’s most trusted dictionary. Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/
An essential guide to the language of power. Political Dictionary. (n.d.). https://politicaldictionary.com/
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