Letter to the Editor: Considering social and cultural context

To the Editors:

In regards to the article “The Melania documentary and the disconnect in modern democracy” from the February edition of the Smoke Signal, I believe that it is more important than ever to interpret pieces of media in the context of our social climate. The documentary, in its garish displays of wealth, serves to show the disparity between the wealthy class and common Americans, whether that was its intention or not. The more plausible intent was to create a grand, romantic view of this nation’s politicians, and I find that the analysis does a good job of reasoning why this falls flat. 

There is a deep strain between the spending of the government and the increasingly unaffordable prices of common goods such as groceries. Americans’ struggles are entirely ignored, formulating a poor message from the White House to the people. For a documentary about a political figure, it discusses little about politics, only pushing this narrative further. My only critique regarding this piece is that it lacks substantial information on the documentary itself, only providing statistics for rising prices and increased government spending. For an analysis of a movie, it talks little about the movie, although I could see how this could have been intentional in order to spotlight the implications of the documentary above itself as a standalone piece.

Overall, I appreciate the in-depth analysis of not only a new movie, but also its context and where it stands in society. It is easy to look at the ostentatious lifestyle and admire it, but the context of what America is going through as of late changes its meaning. If anything, I find that the most important takeaway is that nothing exists in a void, and everything has a social and cultural context and implication.

Junior Naomi Kai