Satire Can Save Us ... If We Let It
A viral White Lotus scene mocking all of us might hold the key to bridging the political divide
“Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own." - Jonathan Swift.
That’s a fancy way of saying that people see what they want to see.
Case in point? The viral reactions to the The White Lotus dinner scene (you know the one).
You’ve probably seen the tweets. Read the thinkpieces. Interacted with the TikToks mourning the “devastation” that comes from learning a friend voted for Trump.
Except that’s not what this scene was about.
Most of the takes seeing this scene as “HBO throwing shade” at Trump voters aren’t just missing the point. They’re proving it by falling into the same trap as the characters: mistaking social hierarchy for moral high ground.
Satire and Character Dynamics
Let me remind you: at its core, The White Lotus is a satire of the elite, peeling back the layers of its characters to expose their flaws and hypocrisies.
Kate, Laurie, and Jaclyn, three “lifelong” friends, embody this approach. Their relationship is less about genuine affection and more about maintaining appearances.
When Kate's political leanings come to light, it’s less a shocking revelation and more an inevitable crack in their already brittle facade.
Laurie and Jaclyn's reactions aren't rooted in genuine concern or moral outrage. This is not the deep-seated betrayal that some commentators are portraying it to be.
The whole point is that Jaclyn and Laurie seize upon Kate's admission as just another bit of ammunition in their ongoing, unspoken competition.
As Michelle Monaghan (Jaclyn) noted, the characters use gossip and grasping for moral high ground to distract from their own insecurities and troubles, a behavior that “we can all relate to.”
Moral High Ground is an Illusion
If you’ve been on the internet at all since the 2024 US Election season, you’ll be familiar with the ongoing “votes = morals” discourse. It’s impossible to escape.
Through that lens and depending on your own positions, you may see Laurie and Jaclyn as actually occupying the superior morality due to their political beliefs.
And to that I’d say, context is important.
The show's overall narrative and character development challenge this notion.
When we zoom out, we can see that the disdain for Kate isn't about ethics, but about finding a vehicle with which to villainize her. The women's superficial judgments and ongoing gossip highlight the performative nature of their friendship, where virtue signaling replaces genuine understanding.
Through looking at these characters in full context, it’s clear that political alignment doesn't inherently equate to moral integrity.
A Mirror to Society
The White Lotus doesn't just tell a story about a group of friends on vacation; it holds up a mirror to society, reflecting how political affiliations can fracture personal relationships. The dinner scene is a microcosm of a larger cultural moment where political identities often overshadow personal connections. By satirizing this reality, the show invites viewers to question the foundations of their own relationships and consider how genuine they are beneath the surface.
And that’s exactly the brilliance of The White Lotus: the blend of sharp social commentary with compelling storytelling.
The depiction of friendships strained by political differences isn't just a plot device; it's a reflection of our times, urging us to understand the true nature of our personal connections.
And to bring it back to Jonathan Swift: just because you don’t see yourself in the mirror of satire, doesn’t mean you aren’t there.
The real question isn’t whether you can see yourself in satire … it’s whether you’re able to admit it.