Today is one of those days where I struggle what to feel. There are times where I feel sad because of all the anguish and heartache so many people have to deal with. There are times I'm angry that I can't escape the memories of ten years ago. There are times I am scared of having to face another day like this. Another day where the inexplicable becomes all you can try to explain. This is a day marred by history, scarred by fate, and enveloped by fear, but we prevail.
Pop culture inevitably changed because of 9/11. As did everything else. We had to think of how to conceptualize and express ourselves differently. We had to find a way to address terrorism, promote heroism, and entertain. So in honor of today, I'd like to present some examples of how post-9/11 culture infiltrated popular culture.
This weekend I couldn't help but notice that USA is essentially running a 2-day NCIS marathon. For anyone who doesn't know what it stands for it means Navy Criminal Investigative Service. Essentially, it serves as the police department for various criminal offenses. The show is part procedural sleuth show and part counter-terrorism agency. I've watched several episodes of the show and while it is not outwardly obvious that it is about preventing terrorist attacks, one of the main characters is symbolic of the 9/11 change. Ziva David (Cote De Pablo) was part of a supposed terror organization and is brought in for questioning. In exchange for a pardon, David is offered a role on the team helping with terrorist threats. The show will enter into its 9th season next week and has no signs of slowing down. It is also one of the highest rated shows on television and has a spinoff in NCIS: LA.
The Dark Knight is probably the most popular movie addressing post-9/11 life without explicitly talking about terrorism. It mirrors the confusion we suffer in the fight between good and evil. Bruce Wayne didn't know rather to be the person he was born as, shaken by his parents' death, alone, and discontent or be the creation of his youth, Batman, brash, aggressive, and in search of justice. As dark as the movie is, it mirrors how we feel trapped between looking out for justice and serving ourselves primarily.
Today is by no means an easy day for any of us, but unlike those on that fateful day ten years ago we can still look ahead with hope.
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