They Live is primarily a film about how media is used to control society and that only benefits the creators. The plot of the film is based on this idea. It's easy for general audiences to agree with Nada and feel suspicious of the media after watching They Live. However, I would argue that Nada is actually the antagonist of the film and the aliens are the victims. It represents discrimination and They Live is about racism and anti-immigrant sentiments. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay There is a lot of evidence that They Live is about media corruption. The media is seen throughout the film as simple, controlling messages. People often watch television without thinking. It is believed that the media only helps the rich to become even richer. There is a feeling of not being free because the media manipulates people. The news machine prevents people from seeing what is really in front of them. But there is also a lot of evidence that the film is about racism. From the beginning there is a black man preaching about aliens trying to control humans, further evidence of the corruption of the media. But it also says that they are “our owners” and “they are our masters”. The decision to use these names and the race of those who say them may be linked to slavery. Next, several images appear on the television screen. There is an eagle, representing America, the land of the free. Then Native Americans are shown, and America has a history with Native Americans that is completely at odds with the idea of ​​freedom. Finally, a happy white family is shown as if to distract viewers from thinking about the injustices towards Native Americans. The rest of the film focuses on modern racism. In They Live, Nada sees the media as manipulative and evil through her sunglasses. The sunglasses make him see the true meanings, such as consuming and obeying. He can only see these messages in black and white, otherwise see things for what they are, stripped of all their makeup. He sees aliens, who are supposedly trying to control humans, by the same means. But there is little evidence in the film that these aliens are trying to harm the human race. When Nada puts on the glasses for the first time, he is intrigued by the messages he sees. He only becomes concerned when he sees aliens and immediately blames these messages on them, creating a reason to fear them. This thought process is similar to how foreigners become scapegoats for issues such as a struggling economy. The black and white images mean that Nada can only see things as good or bad. From his point of view, real American citizens are good, and aliens are bad. Nada is not having an enlightening experience. He wears sunglasses, which represent the blurring of his vision and his inability to see the aliens as good people. The aliens are depicted as a threat to Nada because they chase him and try to kill him after he sees the truth. Their portrayal as skinless bodies makes them seem unattractive and scary to the public. Nada can now also see the cars following him. For these reasons, passive audiences will see aliens as the bad guys. However, these are also ideas that lead to racist and anti-immigrant sentiments. People classify others as foreigners based on their appearance. Foreigners were feared and treated badly because they look different and practice a different culture. They are also accused of being spies for other countries, like the machines that spy on Nada. Recall that Nada was the first to become