Title: Tyrant, Season 1. Episode 1 (20:10-20:55)
Tags: Power Elites, Democracy, Public Action, Freedom, West, Psychological Illiteracy, Control, Totalitarianism, Dictatorship
Author: M. Dakkak
Date: Mar. 30, 2015
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A Cable Network FX TV Series, Tyrant is an American drama television
series based on a fictional Middle Eastern country Abbudin which is ruled by a
tyrant who uses and abuses the privilege of power. With an application of
Mills' The Power Elite, this analysis
explores a scene where the main notions proposed by Mills come into place. The
scene illustrates the role of the Power Elite in making decisions
regarding all aspects of a nation hence gaining control over military,
economic and social power. The notions of democracy and freedom
are frowned upon as they go against order and control. The president
-the Tyrant views his power position as a governor against chaos. He
uses Mills' proposed notions of psychological illiteracy through psychic
management and manipulation to persuade people to think that freedom is
simultaneously linked with chaos and disaster. The scene also shows the
Dictator supporting Mills' notion of Public Action, which is taken only
by the assumed needs, and decisions of experts rather than the man on the
street. Bassam on the other hand, the Westernized son of the Tyrant, presents
the hybridity between the two where he brings notions of American/Western
democracy to the East. Being a member of the Elite himself, he gains power
within the Elite circle, yet also struggles to guide actions towards modern-day
Western ideologies as opposed to the totalitarian dictatorship of Abbudin.
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