Election 2016 - How Action News 5 Becomes Days of our Lives

     The results of the presidential election have brought discomfort and division into the general populous of the United States. While this division may be amplified by forms of media, it exists; creating a dichotomy in which one's value and belief in the country has been quelled, or strengthened. Within this great divide resides numerous gridlocked citizens, who have observed a lack of viable candidates from the start of the election. In order to explain the unprecedented polarization of the election, one must observe the basic concepts that caused it to spawn. The Waldo Moment provides an explanation through conflict between a stalwart, experienced Liam Monroe and the brash, no-nonsense, fictional character, Waldo. 

     Liam Monroe is an image of the ideal politician. He has years of experience under his belt, which has enabled him to become a familiar name among the public. In addition, he makes regular appearances in the media, and interacts with citizens in order to gain insight into their opinions. While the qualities and actions of Monroe are seemingly favored, the public has become disinterested and skeptical regarding the political process. Waldo takes advantage of the situation by breaking the monotony, dishing out insults and altering the image of a politician. Through his crude and demeaning humor, Waldo gains a significant following of dedicated supporters. At times, this excessive loyalty leads to violence.

     The followers of Waldo delved into extremities in order to resist the eradication of a newly cherished personality. An insult against Waldo was an attack at their freedom to sponsor any political candidate, despite their unconventional message, strategy, or accolades. The delusion of empowerment aided a tumultuous campaign led not by a viable candidate, but a commodity. As the episode concluded, the dystopian future in which Waldo was globally exported warned viewers to avoid being led by emotion and the dismissal of logic. 

     Viewing the recent election as a parallel to the fictional episode is an extreme in itself. However, there are lessons to extract from it than can be applied to one's political outlook. For example, an underlying message involved sacrificing all skepticism to the media. The personality of Waldo and Monroe was fabricated by the media. While Waldo was fully immersed into multiple media outlets, including mobile applications, the message of Monroe, including his rebuttals, grew faint. Many citizens of the United States invest their attention in particular news outlets, rather than performing the proper due diligence by examining the bias and careful editing of multiple stations. We tend to veer toward the message that incites powerful emotion, and become fixated with a skewed perspective. This is not only problematic regarding our political preference, but the way we interact with fellow citizens. Various outlooks clash through daily interactions, forming distrust between friends and colleagues who become appalled after experiencing a lack of like-mindedness in those who they share other, more important commonalities with. 

     The seemingly caustic nature of the recent election was not created solely by the antithetical personalities of the candidates, but through the tunnel vision of the public, who had become new initiates to a cult of outrage. In their eyes, the political process was a form of entertainment, a drama that led to real consequences that would immediately affect their livelihood. This certainly did not affect every citizen, but became overbearing, reaching a climax in which no global issue appeared as pressing. We often forget to relax, taking a step back and patiently examining scenarios through collections of lenses. Our lives have been permeated with instant gratification. However, we cannot receive answers to every question, even when it seems that our media has provided them for us.