America has just celebrated our Annual Labor Day Holiday … or tried to. As is their wont Trump & Allies are trying to suck the oxygen out of the room by flogging Afghanistan fantasies and faux Presidential decorum, thus dragging out his grievous insult to all America’s War Dead since the Civil War with his political photo-op stunt at Arlington National Cemetery a week ago.
Election 24 is now really just around the corner, and every Tom, Dick, and Harry (or Tammy, Donna, and Harriet) is making his (and her) election predictions. Most of this stuff is ultimately destined to end up as loose electrons in the ether universe, but there are moments. It can be interesting sometimes to consult the Past Archives and look for predictions made in advance, before anyone knew exactly what the contest would be.
Seeking a bit of entertainment relief this weekend, I happened upon a delightful sports comedy, family-values focused movie (rated G) from Walt Disney Productions (2005), the sixth and final entry of a series. It is full of joy, which we are all in sore need of today. It has a cast of star actors, some romance, NASCAR level racing, middle America street car racing, a demolition derby, an underdog heroine, a trash-talking bully bad guy who hawks branded product endorsements, financial cliffs, and quite an ending.
Given just a slight eye squint, the movie also offers a strong prediction for the ultimate result of the 2024 Presidential Election Race. Just one interpretation, but it won’t be proven or refuted until all of America’s Voters decide on November 5th.
The source for this prophetic movie allegory is Herbie Fully Loaded (2005). It is available on many major streaming platforms, including Disney, Apple, Amazon, Sling, and Google Play. The most important section to deconstruct here is the final race sequence lasting about 20 minutes from !:15 to 1:35 in the video. (Movie 1:41 total)
The entire movie is fun to watch, and a pretty good family value for a $4 streaming rental. It did a respectable $144 million in Box Office Grosses worldwide when it played in 3,500 theater for a 6 month period during the summer of 2005, 19 years ago. I recommend you watch, enjoy a few laughs, and get to relax just a bit of the tension in your shoulders from all the political venom and shouting around you.
And tomorrow you might take a few moments to think again about the allegorical interpretation of the storyline the movie suggested to one observer of the film.
Draw your own conclusions, but consider these parallels from the movie and present-day political events.
The final race sequence comes at the California Speedway during the time of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series (2004–2007). Professional race drivers are cameo players. Name actors in the movie include Michael Keaton, Justin Long, Breckin Meyer, Cheryl Hines, and Jimmi Simpson. The two main antagonists are played by Lindsay Lohan and Matt Dillon. (for our purposes Harris and Trump). Harris’ sidekick is the movie’s eponymous sidekick Herbie the Racing VW (for us the underestimated Tim Walz).
From Wikipedia:
“Various real-life NASCAR drivers and/or their cars from the 2004 racing season can also be seen, including Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (car only), Casey Mears (car only), Kasey Kahne, Jeremy Mayfield (car only), Tony Stewart, J. J. Yeley, Bobby Labonte (car only), Terry Labonte (car only), Brendan Gaughan, Mark Martin (car only), Ward Burton (car only), Carl Edwards (car only), Jimmy Spencer (car only), Mike Bliss (car only), Scott Wimmer (car only), Greg Biffle (car only), Jamie McMurray (car only), Rusty Wallace (car only), Brian Vickers, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch (car only), Elliott Sadler (car only), Matt Kenseth (car only), Michael Waltrip (car only), Ryan Newman (car only), Scott Riggs (car only), Boris Said, Joe Nemechek (car only), Bill Elliott (car only), Sterling Marlin (car only), Jeff Burton (car only), Ken Schrader (car only), Morgan Shepherd (car only), Jeff Fuller (car only), Bobby Hamilton Jr. (car only), Robby Gordon (car only), and Kevin Harvick (car only)
In the story, the experts and bystanders mock and belittle the Woman in Question and her race car, since it looks different than their prejudices about the kind of vehicles Winners Drive. Their Champion is a preening, overconfident bully named Trip Murphy who uses every opportunity to merchandize his name and make money, while ignoring and demeaning his support staff just trying to do their jobs. All the while assuming women find him irresistible, and always ready to autograph a hat or bald skull. In the middle of our story, the Heroine in her car with the engine heart of a grand champion knocks the snot out of the boastful fancy driver and his million-dollar stockcar in a public street race before an astonished crowd whose eyes are opened about true performance versus superficial appearance.
In the second round, the anti-hero plays a sneaky mind game and wins a temporary victory in an unofficial $10,000 prize auto-themed elimination racing match he cooks up (with a secret deal to race for pink slips), in order to dominate the woman and restore his badly bruised ego from the first public humiliation. He ices the advantage by sending her car to be the crash dummy in a 10-car full-on demolition derby. At the last moment the heroine regains her footing after her self-induced stumble, and the final round official race for the real prize is on.
As the race cars are setting up for the high speed 500-mile race oval-track start, the anti-hero can’t believe She is back and the Winner’s Crown is in play. He really thought he would cruise to victory after his earlier sabotage move went unchecked. After the final pit stop, and a last minute set of dirty tactics during the race, the Woman and her car dodge his last desperate slam, make a final run along the outside rail above and past him to reach the checkered flag and final victory, while Trip crashes his fancy race car and his chance to win the Big One in front of a huge crowd on official race day..
When you follow this allegory line, if you look closely there are some possible Easter Eggs embedded in the film. The proper race car driven by Trip Murphy (our blowhard anti-hero) is a decaled-up Camaro ZL1, Number 82. It has a black and orange paint scheme with prominent Cheetos sponsor’s decals hogging the front hood and ample along the rear quarter. In the present 2024 election context, in a flash the connected terms 80-year-old, orange crowned, product hawker, and cheater just spring to mind unbidden. From one simple picture. Who could have guessed this beforehand?
Up to this point, you might say well ,so what. In any two-antagonist to the end contest, only one combatant can win, so it’s just a 50-50 bet who will be the winner. What’s the big deal?
Except, that’s not the end of this movie story. The nasty guy, former winner, thinks the female heroine’s car is possessed and that there is some conspiracy against him by evil spirits. The movie ends with the anti-hero acting insane, being led away yelling and screaming by men in white coats to a waiting ambulance.
No doubt, the movie’s creators did not anticipate events in 2024. They were making a G-rated sports comedy film for families to watch together for fun. But symbolic stories and myths always hold deeper, unseen meanings. Sometimes when future events play out the circumstances just seem tailor made.
I think the parallel story symbols here are striking. Harris & Walz beat Trump’s Campaign going away at the Flag in November; Trump finally just loses his grip.
The movie has fantasy components. It is a fictional work in a movie series aimed at kids and their parents. Does anyone doubt there are more than a few fantastical moments in the current Election 24 campaign? (Such as I can pretend I’m still President in 2024; I think I’m still running against Biden because I don’t like the switch; I have bigger crowds than Martin Luther King; I think windmills kill whales; I made a perfect phone call to Georgia’s governor after the 2020 election; only I can fix it; I’m the most pro-labor President ever; I can stop the War in Ukraine in one day with a phone call to Putin; and I’m smarter than all the Generals, Economists, Doctors, in fact nearly Everyone else.)
Make of these portents what you will.
Reading this post over again, it does have a fantastical feel. I pinch myself, and no it is not any more fantasy-filled than watching and listening to the political side show engulfing and surrounding voters in America 24/7, at ever increasing volume.
In Psalm 8:2 King David says: “Out of the mouths of babes and little children…”
Here endeth our allegory.
In any case do yourself a small kindness and watch the movie for a couple hours of entertainment. Keep your Cool. And whatever you think, Make Sure to Vote and have your own voice counted this November.
Everyone will be better off if you do.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbie:_Fully_Loaded
https://www.racingcircuits.info/north-america/usa/auto-club-speedway,-fontana.html
https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl358188545/
https://www.streetmachine.com.au/features/herbie-fully-loaded-2005-movie-review