"Wag the Dog" Questions

1) Explain the metaphor 'wag the dog'. What does the title of the film suggest?

The metaphor of wag the dog is the fact that a dog can be in charge of wagging a dog's tail, therefore, the "dog" is whoever is in charge. The title of this film suggests that the media is the dog that controls how people behave and act upon things.


2) Who is Mr. Fix-it? What does he do?
Mr. Fix-it is Conrad Breen. He is the one who gives the media relations from the president.

3) What is the significance of the producer's house being bigger than the White House? What message does that relay?
The significance of this is in reality the producer is more powerful than the president. He has more money and more control and can choose what is shown in the media.

4) Explain the significance of ' We remember the slogans, but we don't remember the war,' in terms of media's effectiveness.
The significance of this is that slogans stick with us. If we are hearing the message the media is trying to display to us, it is more likely that we will remember the slogan the media created.

5) Explain the significance of “Of course there’s a war; I’m seeing it on TV!” in terms of media’s effectiveness. 
The significance of this is that people tend to believe what is shown to them. News is the way of "educating" the public in a sense, so the general public who doesn't have the ability to see what is going on behind the scenes takes the pieces of information in the news as fact, no matter what.
6) Who seems more powerful, the producer, or the President? Why?
The producer seems more powerful because he is in control of what is put out in the media. The producer decides when the president is shown and has the ability to make him say what he says to his audience.
7) The merchandising of products such as the “303 Burger” which Schuman “ate” behind enemy lines is often reflected in our society today. Provide another example of this type of merchandising. 
Microsoft products being placed throughout the seasons of the TV show, "Parks and Recreation."