After watching "The National Anthem" for the second time I found myself just as immersed in it as my first viewing. I already knew the Prime Minister's fate but the slow realization that he actually has to go through with the fornication is the real payoff. This idea of using the internet, specifically youtube, as vehicle for terrorism is great and shows how the internet can still be seen as the digital wild west. What I found particularly interesting was how the show addressed the way we use social media and how it is so prevalent in modern life.
Once the video appears online it is impossible to remove it because of the endless copies made. This shows how the internet can serve as an endless archive and how it makes forgetting something impossible. This idea is also addressed when there is a disclaimer before the live shoot of the Prime Minister. The Government makes it illegal to own or replicate any form of the video, blacklisting it. I wonder if this also mean foe other countries or just Britain itself? The show also provides an example of sexting in order to receive information. Every time her source won't give her information she sends anther nude getting what she wants. This only leads to trouble when she is eventually shot.
The final twist of the episode is revealing that this whole plot was created by an artist. IT was the complete opposite of what everyone thought and will continue to think because of the coverup of that detail. This is a good commentary on how the media can use terrorists as a scapegoat for any threat. The fact that the artist chopped off his own finger and disguised it shows how media can be manipulated to alter what is thought to be true.
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