Winning the War against Truth: Scandal, Spin and Stockholm Syndrome in Wag the Dog

Film as Text. Wag the Dog (Barry Levinson, 1997) chronicles the behind-the-scenes machinations of a political public relations expert – otherwise known as a spin doctor – hired to aid the re-election campaign of an incumbent President of the United States in the midst of accusations of sexual misconduct with an under-age girl. This analysis focuses on the parallels between two sets of conflicting perspectives that are at once explored in and created by the film.