In 1943, Walt Disney created a short film called Chicken Little. Most people, we are sure, are familiar with the Chicken Little story. You may have read it as a child or read it to a young person.
A peek into Wikipedia provides an explanation of the Chicken Little story and the happy poultry farm that includes Cocky Locky, the leader, Henny Penny, Turkey Lurkey, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Poosie, and of course, yo-yo yielding Chicken Little. All are happy, feeling safe, secure, and living in a well-protected farmyard with a high wooden fence and a well-armed farmer. Little do they know that the villain, Foxy Loxy, has shown up looking for a poultry dinner. With the intent of outfoxing the fowls, the fox turns to a psychology book for guidance. He states to himself, “Why should I just get one when I could get ‘em all?” The book directs him to the best way to manipulate the entire flock and it recommends beginning with the least intelligent one which he quickly identifies as Chicken Little.
In the next passage, the book directs Foxy to tell them a “Big Lie.” After hitting Chicken Little on the head with a piece of wood, Foxy convinces Chicken Little that the “Sky is Falling.” Chicken Little, the least intelligent one, panics and runs for his life as instructed by the fox. He runs to the pen where the others believe Chicken Little’s story to be false, especially the leader Cocky Locky.
Feeling defeated, the fox once again refers to his book and finds a passage that reads, “Undermine the Faith of the Masses in their Leaders.” The fox whispers through a hole in their wooden fence and somehow plants rumors and doubts about the intelligence and leadership of the gaggle. A rush of panic begins as the avians spread the word. The rumor reaches Cocky Locky who feels his authority and leadership are threatened. Feeling successful with his feats, the fox makes his next move.
Foxy Loxy, disguised as one of the group, then flatters Chicken Little and convinces him to challenge and reject Cocky Locky’s leadership. Chicken Little does so and announces to the avians that he is the new leader and that he will save their lives. Consequently, an argument ensues between Chicken Little and Cocky Locky about whether the sky is really falling! Chicken Little convinces the others that the sky is falling and follows the fox’s suggestion to run for the cave for “protection.”
In a panicked hysteria anticipating disaster, they follow Chicken Little’s advice and leave their safe and secure coop and head for the cave. Not knowing that the cave is the fox’s den, once inside Foxy Loxy seals up the entrance. With no escaping their actions, the fat fox gets what he has been jonesing for which is a hen and turkey dinner. The fox, fat and happy, then puts their wishbones in a row resembling a war type grave site. End of story….
The demise of the happy pullets was solely based on the threat that the sky was falling and creating hysteria! And that’s a children’s book?! Well, yes and no…
Walt Disney made two versions of the Chicken Little movie. The first was released in 1943 during World War ll. This animated film was one of a series of wartime propaganda shorts produced at the request of the US government for the purpose of discrediting Nazism. In the original movie, the “psychology book” was that of Mein Kampf and swastikas were shown as the wishbone graves but were both removed.
Yes, surprisingly, Chicken Little is an anti-Nazi film showing the evils of mass hysteria and it was an allegory for the idea that fearmongering weakens the nation. Today, we can see that the Chicken Little story and the right-wing Christian Nationalist movement have much in common. They share:
- A Dim-Witted, Least Intelligent Leader
- A Big Lie
- The Sky is Falling Theory
- An Unscrupulous Fox Type
- Mass Hysteria
- and Manipulation for One’s Own Benefit
Dim-witted, Orange Chicken Little Trump
Foxy was quick to find that Chicken Little could be easily manipulated because he lacked intelligence and real-world experience. Sound familiar? And the “Big Lie” that led thepoultry coup to slaughter represents the symbolic end to Democracy through hysteria and the rejecting of wise leadership.
And now, 81 years later, we have our very own orange, yo-yo yielding Chicken Little and our Foxy Loxy Putin. Accompanied by those like dim-witted, lying Alabama’s Britt, the crazies are running the Asylum – Lindsey Graham and the Bible Thumpers and the throw out the Constitution, Mikey Johnson. And don’t forget an eager Republican right whom we bet is hurriedly reading the self-help book on “How to Live with a Fascist President.”
Today, our least intelligent Republican leader, Chicken Little Trump, and Fox Putin continue to create chronic hysteria while steering their far-right followers directly into the fox den, potentially at the cost of our freedoms and posing a direct threat to Democracy as we know it.
Beware the hungry fox…for in the words of Eugene O’Neill, “There is no present or future – only the past, happening over and over again – now.”
Hungry Putin
