Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Randy Newman: Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man)

In the film, Forrest unknowingly revealed the illegal activities preformed by the Republican president, Richard Nixon in what is now called the Watergate Scandal. Although Forrest did not actually unveil the scandal, the movie did successfully portray the disbelief of President Nixon's actions. In the book Major Problems of American History, Senator Sam J. Ervin explained in detail the violations preformed by Nixon and his administration. He said, "They used campaign funds to hire saboteurs to forge and disseminate false and scurrilous libels of honorable men running for the Democratic Party primaries..."(438) The Watergate scandal left Americans to doubt their leaders and government.  Americans found it difficult to trust the Democratic system when the greatest Presidential scandals of history was being unveiled. 

The Watergate Scandal was not the only aspect of Nixon's presidency that citizens were displeased with. Americans originally elected Nixon thinking he would be a conservative Republican president that would support a small government. However, his actions once he gained the presidency proved likewise. The book Hist 2 states, "...Nixon became an advocate of many liberal causes, but he did so while weakening the supposed Eastern Establishment he despised." (473) With a majority of Americans in disagreement with Nixon's presidency, many political opinions began being expressed through music- which was also seen in Forrest Gump.

In Randy Newman's song "Mr. President (Have Pity on the Working Man), he expresses his disagreements with president Nixon. He says " Maybe you've cheated/ Maybe  you've lied/ Maybe you've finally lost your mind/ Maybe you're only thinking 'bout yourself." Newman boldy slanders President Nixon and his administration in his song. He is pointing fingers at Nixon and accusing him of many things that the rest of the American public were beginning to think. This song is played in the movie because Forrest lives admist all of these hard times. With the historical moments that Forrest experiences in his life, it is only fitting that the music reveals the emotions of the American citizens. 

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