Like many 26-year-old men, I have fallen in love with Netflix’s Carmen San Diego. Everyone loves a story of redistributing wealth from the undeserving, back to the deserving: Robin Hood, Karl Marx, or whatever Atlas Shrugged is about. Carmen San Diego is a master thief, with unmatched skills. In her newest incarnation, Carmen’s mission is to steal from the stealers, or to make sure the world’s most steal-able goods stay un-stolen. She travels around the world, with her charmingly stereotypical Bostonian pals, thwarting the evil plans of the clever, and subtly, named “V.I.L.E”. “V.I.L.E” often tries to steal artifacts for their own personal enjoyment, a crime worse than any other. This often involves her proclaiming the importance of cultural heritage as her Bostonian friends say something very questionably close-minded. It is great to have a children’s show portray why we should hate New Englanders, and not just for their sports.
Unfortunately, Carmen does not live up to her own lofty values. In Season 4, Episode 1, she becomes very chummy with a high up official of the Chinese government. Huang Li, manger of one of China’s biggest banks and gold reserves is in danger of getting kidnapped, so “V.I.L.E” can extort him for China’s gold. Carmen needs to ensure that he and china’s gold stays save. You may now be asking yourself, why would a communist country have a major bank or gold reserve? Good question! Is China actually communist? Answering that would involve me getting further than two sentences into China’s Wikipedia article. You may also be asking yourself, isn’t China involved in various human rights abuses? First, that is capitalist and counter revolutionary propaganda. Second, you are absolutely correct.
Carmen Sandiego premiered in 2019 and is currently on it’s 4th season, so you know it’s good. Photo Courtesy Netflix
As we all know, from the 6th of October 1950, to the 23rd of May 1951, China invaded and annexed Tibet. What followed have been decades of oppression and conflict, with China trying to snub out and steal Tibet’s cultural heritage. As you are all also aware, the ethnically Turkish and Muslim region of Xinjiang came under Chinese communist rule in 1949. In order to assimilate the local population, the Uyghur, China has recently set up internment camps, while stealing their land and property; this is often called the Uyghur genocide.
Carmen San Diego’s actions ensured that China’s gold stayed safe. This brings up several issues. First, committing genocide is not cheap and china’s central reserve is surely used to fund it. Secondly, if China has expanded its borders through stealing land and property, it is safe to assume that its gold reserves have been bolstered through stolen wealth. If this is the case, shouldn’t have Carmen San Diego actually been the one stealing the gold? Why did she not? Does Carmen support an ethnically homogenous China? Or is she just a statist? In the previous season finale, she protected the English Crown jewels, so we know that she supports oppressive institutions, such as monarchy. Maybe Carmen explicitly supports the Uyghur genocide and made a conscious decision to ensure its continued funding.
The Carmen Sandiego franchise began in 1985 with the video game Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. In it’s original incantation, Sandiego was an antagonist, yet still held the postiion of anti-crimes-against-humanity. Photo courtesy The Avocado.
Who is really “V.I.L.E” here, an organization that wanted to steal some gold to throw killer parties and impressive their friends, or a master thief, who protects a genocidal regime?
Artless Troglodyte Media 