Mental Discharge
Sign In or Create AccountGet more content, post comments, and achieve things with an MD account.

Dr. Fauci Is the Scientist From The Dark Crystal

Jim Henson made a puppet movie forty years ago warning us about today.

  • Share on XShare a link to this article on your X feed.
  • Share on FacebookShare a link to this article on your Facebook feed.
  • Send to a Friend or EnemySend a link to this article to a friend or enemy via your e-mail client.
  • Share LinkCopy a link to this article to your clipboard.
  • Jump to CommentsView the comments for this article.

Scholars may debate whether it was Mark Twain or Lord Byron who first coined the phrase "truth is stranger than fiction," but it perfectly describes the 1982 fantasy adventure film The Dark Crystal. Jim Henson's story of puppets fighting evil to bring balance to the world parallels the chaos in today's headlines with exacting detail. The recently washed fabric of my underwear is in mortal danger at the notion Jim Henson was able to write about our current state of affairs because he was a time traveler from the future.

Think about it. The story of The Dark Crystal pits a young Gelfling named Jen, the last remnant of a once proud and free civilization, against the corrupt and tyrannical Skeksis in order to restore balance to the world of Thra. Who would name a fantasy world Thra in the 1980's and have an effeminate dude who can't grow a beard named Jen living it? Someone who grew up with words like "totes" and "adorbs" would, that's who.

The only plausible explanation is that Jim Henson must have been a Gen Xer—or maybe even a Millennial—who grew up amidst the mayhem we face today, discovered time travel, and journeyed back to the past to build a career as a storyteller in order to warn us of our impending doom. So, grab your wetsuits, conspiracy theory fans, because we're about to do some diving.

Just like our current political class, the Skeksis have a seething ambition for self-interest and an unquenchable thirst for power. The Dark Crystal is a source of connection that keeps everything in check, not unlike the tenets of free speech and the dissemination of information. It's been cracked wide open, spewing lies, clickbait, and fake news while a suppression machine and its gatekeepers make sure no one asks too many questions. It helps the Skeksis retain their authority much like Twitter, Facebook, and the mainstream media help Brian Stelter maintain relevance. Pit them against an autist protagonist who has been silenced his entire life, and you have all the ingredients for an insanely accurate depiction of today's world.

After the opening credits, we're shown the Skeksis surrounding their emperor in his private chamber, waiting for death to arrive so that one of them can usurp his power and continue a reign of terror. The resemblance of these creatures to the cantankerous shrieking of Nancy Pelosi is incredibly uncanny, as is their impatient and abrasive behavior, each drooling at the opportunity to seize an ornate staff that lies next to their dying leader. The emperor desperately holds onto it, choking through his final breaths with the incoherence and exhaustion of a Joe Biden speech. It's a scene that could replace the looming heirs portrayed as lizard monsters with the likes Soros, Trudeau, Andrews, Gates, Schwab, or Kurz and go completely unnoticed.

The frail and ending reign of the emperor is the future of Joe Biden.

The frail and ending reign of the emperor is the future of Joe Biden.

The Dark Crystal (1982)

Jen must travel through the various landscapes of Thra and reach the Dark Crystal to adjoin a shard he has acquired, purging the imbalance of the world and putting an end to the Skeksis. Among the many crystal remnants that exist, only the one True Shard can be used to heal the Dark Crystal. In our current dystopia where Jim Henson originated, shard technology is the representation of the common USB flash drive. Jen's shard likely symbolized VAERS data, censored medical expert testimonies, and links to falsely debunked independent journalism posted on social media platforms. It all makes sense now.

Kira, another Gelfling who has been forced to remain hidden beneath the shadows, joins Jen and is ready to lend a hand and a pair of wings. She is a stark reminder of those today who have been cancelled, but must rise above the mutiny of society to restore truth and transparency. This was Jim trying to tell us how to deal with fact checkers and misinformation four decades ago. Not even a George Floyd home video can get this deep.

Throughout Jen's adventure, he encounters characters such as Aughra, an oracle living in an observatory who can only signify the podcast musings of Joe Rogan. Hell, she looks just like him if he'd use a little Keeps and yanked an eye out. Jen must also contend with flying Crystal Bats, deployed to track and locate him, representing the eavesdropping tactics of the NSA and FBI with the same creepy disposition of the people they employ.

How could we have not seen it sooner that Jim Henson was trying to caution us about Antifa and Black Lives Matter? The Arathim, a spider-like race that are sent by the Skeksis to plunder and destroy everything in their wake, mindlessly ruin the lives of innocent podlings to maintain the status quo of the powers that be. Jim was preparing us for the future riots of 2020 while people were still rocking to Billy Idol's "Hot in the City."

The destructive nature of the Arathim was a warning about Antifa and BLM.

The destructive nature of the Arathim was a warning about Antifa and BLM.

The Dark Crystal (1982)

As Jen and Kira get closer to the Castle of the Crystal, we learn more about one of its most vile residents, skekTek. Also known as the Scientist, his primary role is to prolong the lives of his evil counterparts. He's discovered how to extract the life force from podlings and other creatures so as to quell any threats of defiance or resistance, ultimately making them the slaves of his bidding. His laboratory is ominous, tables and shelves scattered about holding vials, books, and mortar bowls. Cages hang along the walls holding captured animals and victims waiting to be used for nefarious experiments. Who does this psychopath remind you of?

No, nobody closed a window. The sudden lack of a breeze was from my butthole puckering shut at the realization that Jim Henson based this horrendous fiend on the malovelent exploits of Dr. Anthony Fauci. It couldn't be more obvious. The relentless desire to wield power, the horrifying medical trials he executed on innocent children, the erect nipples from torturing dogs, and the previous fabrication of AIDS information? They are all on display here. You can dust off your old VHS copy and still see the connections. Jim Henson was not only showing us footage of the Wuhan Lab, but a biopic of Fauci's entire career. Quick! Somebody send the 4K Blu-ray Anniversary Edition to Rand Paul!

skekTek aka the Scientist was a clue to the intentions of Dr. Fauci.

skekTek aka the Scientist was a clue to the intentions of Dr. Fauci.

The Dark Crystal (1982)

Alright, let's take a deep breath and calm ourselves down before someone has a vaccine-induced heart attack. The good news is there is light at the end of this terrifying tunnel. Jim Henson warned us about a nightmare we aren't convinced we can wake up from, but the movie's ending should tell us what is yet to come. After all, Jen and Kira are able to defeat the Skeksis by putting the shard back into the crystal. Jim Henson has been spot-on so far, so if his movie continues to play out as our reality is today, it's only a matter of time before Fauci succumbs to the mauling of a dozen Beagles as the world rejects the absurdity imposed by its failed leaders and those who blindly follow them.

Jim Henson may have died in 1990, apparently trapped in the past and unable to return to the present, but we can take comfort in his artistic integrity. Should tyranny strike again, his puppets and the stories they tell are our guides to critical philosophical and moral issues we can derive solutions from. We're now dealing with troubles from the CCP and Henson's next movie credit was 1983's Big Bird in China. Do you still have your wetsuit on?

Comments

Give us your hot take on this hard-hitting piece by joining Mental Discharge.

Sign In or Join Us

  • Scroll with the mousewheel

  • Swipe left or right

  • Scroll with left/right keys

Also In This Section

There Is an Epidemic of TV Hosts Who Are Complete Pussies

By Steven Cleamer

The arbiters of late-night are no longer in the business of entertaining audiences, but instead looking for their shoulders to cry on.

She-Hulk Proves That in the Marvel Universe, Men Are the Enemy

I may not know anything about comics or the Marvel universe, but I can easily spot a bitter, angry, insufferable woman.

Dexter: New Blood is Yet Another Master Class in Failure

Showtime fails its second attempt at giving a worthy ending to the horrific and exhilarating exploits of Dexter Morgan.

J.J. Abrams Killed the Star Trek Franchise

The 55th anniversary of Star Trek is a bittersweet reminder of a science fiction saga that no longer challenges moral, political, and philosophical dilemmas.

Sign In

Welcome back to Mental Discharge. We missed you. Enter your account credentials to jump back into the frey.

Forgot Password?

Don't have an account? Sign up!

Create Account

A Mental Discharge user account is free and gives you full access to the community.

Creating and activating your account indicates you have read and fully agree with the terms of use.

Reset Password

Forget your password? It happens to the best of us and also you. Enter your e-mail address below and we'll send you a link to reset your password.

Remember it all of a sudden? Sign in!