In the final season of Prime Video’s “The Boys,” Homelander, played by Antony Starr and described by showrunner Eric Kripke as “our sociopathic Superman,” decides to become the new god and plans to make the world believe he is.
“We had endless conversations like, “Is that too far away?” Kripke recently told me at Sony’s Emmy FYC panel. “Will people say that’s stupid? Are we jumping the shark? I had a long conversation with a marketer who said, ‘You have to be careful how you introduce ideas. You have to build on them. You’re overdoing it.’ “And then, 48 hours before it aired, President Trump released an image of himself as Jesus. Could you give me a chance to do some satire? Can’t we make the world even crazier than our superhero show?! Oh yeah. I’m tired.”
By the way, Kripke and his staff wrote that story two years ago. “People are like, ‘Wow, you’re really trying! Are you all high-fiving?’ And I’m like, ‘No, we’re all so sad.’ ”
I pause and sigh. It’s difficult to satirize power, corruption, and selfish leaders at a time when real life transcends the most over-the-top cartoonish ideas Hollywood writers can imagine. I often say I have a hard time even watching the wonderful HBO comedy “Veep,” in which Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Selina Meyer, an incompetent vice president turned president. Now, I would vote for Selina Meyer in a heartbeat.
A year ago, in one of my columns for the Awards Circuit, I wrote about the very real threat of fascism taking hold in the United States and how popular culture depicts this dark era. The column received mostly positive reactions, with the exception of reactions from the media cheering our descent into authoritarianism.
There was even an elitist host who hosted the least funny talk show on TV — and to prove that point, I decided to dedicate an entire No-Laughs segment to my column. In short, thank you, members of the press! And my response, to quote Don Draper to Michael Ginsberg in the elevator in Mad Men, is, “I’m not thinking about you at all.”
I’m thinking about the great discord coming from the White House and the billionaires who have effectively bought and controlled the government and the media. Last year, shows like “Andor,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Boys” offered prescient depictions of what happens when we slip into authoritarianism.
It seems strange that shows don’t cover what’s happening in the real world, but thankfully some shows find ways to reflect the current situation. “The Boys” continues to take a hard look at what happens when corporate and government leaders weaponize their popularity for their own ends. “Testament” is an expansion of “The Handmaid’s Tale” story of living under oppression and finding a way to rebel against authority. “For All Mankind” features police roaming the hallways of a Mars base, locking up civilians indiscriminately. (This latest season, “For All Mankind,” was filmed in 2024, before the current horrors of the unchecked ICE secret police happened. But sadly, it was predictable that something so evil would happen.)
Additionally, there are shows set in the real world, which also hint at our current environment. Recent releases include “South Park,” “Pitt” and “9-1-1,” all of which grapple with ICE raids and other brazen acts by the current administration.
Now, you might argue that entertainment should be a place where we can escape from suffering, and I agree. People are tired of being bombarded with bad headlines day after day. Corruption is so widespread that it is difficult to track. Our wealthy leaders are getting even richer by demanding compensation from companies like Paramount, Disney, and Meta. Mysterious figures are winning millions of dollars by betting on America’s war plans before they happen, and everyone turns a blind eye. But with Ramy Youssef teaching Elmo peaceful Arabic, Fox News is on high alert.
Embracing fascism is not right for every program. But for creators who believe they have an obligation to reflect some of the uncomfortable truths about how our world is, now is not the time to shrug and ignore our plight. And shows like “The Boys” recognize that we can’t escape reality, but at least we can have some fun through the endless sighs.
