A timely ‘Twilight Zone’ irony

Our Covid-19 lockdown had an eerie “Twilight Zone” feel to it. Now, I’m leaning into the 1959-1964 TV series to explain another modern phenomenon: Trumpism.

I’ve wondered how I’d explain Trumpism to people like my parents who died long before Donald Trump’s rise to the White House.

Explaining to the uninitiated would have once been challenging. Today, I’d simply direct them to “It’s a good life”, a 1961 “Twilight Zone” episode about an evil six-year-old boy—Anthony—who has incredible mental powers, but absolutely no sense of humor. He uses these powers to keep his family and neighbors in line. Anthony reads their minds and only allows them to have “happy thoughts.” No one can think for themselves lest they incur dreadful punishment from the mean—some might say narcissistic—boy. Their well-being depended on them obeying his every command.

I’d advise my parents to watch the episode, imagining in place of Anthony, a caustic 78-year-old man in perpetual tantrum mode. “That, Mom and Dad, is Trumpism.”

A sequel 40 years later, “It’s still a good life”, concludes with Anthony’s somewhat kinder daughter, revealing superior powers to her father’s. This revelation causes Anthony to “grow” as a person.

Any irony between Anthony being humbled by a much younger woman and current events is purely coincidental.

I’ll reserve happy thoughts for now. Ask me again after the election.

Jim Newton

Itasca