My response to a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece comparing the appeal of "The Dark Knight" to George W. Bush

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121694247343482821.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries


The appeal of films like "The Dark Knight" (and "300") is simple -- literally: they are simple.

The world they depict is one of simple stark contrasts: good guy vs. bad guy, a moral code vs. anarchy; inner fortitude vs. concupiscent abandon. They are popular with a broad swath of Americans for the same reason that John Wayne, "pro wrestling" and Rush Limbaugh are. And why Christians gravitate toward the cut and dry rules of the Old Testament instead of the subtle self-awareness that Jesus himself preached.

A lot of Americans -- maybe the majority -- like things simple and easy. The worldview the dry-drunk George W. Bush offers ("you are either with us or against us", there is no appeasement with those we label our enemies or even recognition of their human equality to us, the comforting "American Ascendancy" that Rush conjures up) is easier to think about than the more demanding worldview that Barak Obama admits we need to embrace (all other nations and people are no lesser than us, the developing global interconnectedness demands we understand and appreciate the tenuousness of America's position and the real long-range effects of our actions).

"The Dark Knight" and "The Axis of Evil" are like comfort foods. Easily eaten, yes. The wisest choice to properly take care of our lives, no.