An earlier version of the this post did not post correctly. This is an updated post.
“It’s good to be the king.” That was the classic line from Mel Brook’s History of the Word, Part I (He never made part II). This line is said throughou
t the movie, often during wanton behavior from different characters. In one part of the movie, Brooks plays King Louis during the French Revolution and he uses his power to oppress the people, gives the citizens of France rotten food, and treats people with contempt. The joke about being the “king” in the movie is centered on the fact that being the king allows one to abusive power… when it suits the king. Towards the end of the movie, the King Louis is running for his life because his “kingly attitude” catches up with him in the form of a mob!
When we look at kings in history, there are certainly kings who look like the Mel Brook’s King Louis and that leaves us with a bad taste in our mouths about the idea of kingship. We can easily see a king as one who does not deserve power and who abuses power. The idea that one person can assume leadership simply because his family has power and money is just downright wrong to us 21st century Americans. We come from a democracy!
