They Live — 1988
The Matrix — 1999
The Good Place — 2016
How protagonist(s) discovers the hidden bureaucracy
They Live |
By curiosity and accident or forced on you by someone else |
The Matrix |
Offered by someone else to a select few but your choice if offered |
The Good Place |
Anyone paying attention, no matter how unintelligent, will eventually figure it out |
Protagonist(s) relationship to the hidden bureaucracy
They Live |
Bureaucracy is purely parasitic |
The Matrix |
Bureaucracy somewhat parasitic but symbiosis possible |
The Good Place |
One protagonist part of the bureaucracy and the other much lower in the hierarchy but all required for progress |
Risk of revealing the hidden bureaucracy
They Live |
Ostracism, problems for family and possibly death |
The Matrix |
Ostracism, problems for career and possibly death |
The Good Place |
Loss of friends and place above bottom in hierarchy |
Method of fighting the hidden bureaucracy
They Live |
Guns |
The Matrix |
Your mind and guns but your mind more effective |
The Good Place |
By improving yourself and making relationships |
Mainstream acceptance of hidden bureaucracy media at the time
They Live |
Cult film |
The Matrix |
Trilogy of major motion pictures |
The Good Place |
TV series just granted a third year |
In short we are closing in on a world where open discussions of American bureaucracy can take place and admit that everyone is a bureaucrat to some degree — not just the government. Perhaps in another 10 or 15 years we can see a show about the all encompassing American bureaucracy without bothering with the sci-fi wrapper or a protagonist isolated by suddenly realizing the truth.