One of the worst films ever made is also one of my favorites. The 1968 political rock ‘n roll fantasy, Wild in the Streets, set the standard for dystopian political silliness that was both shockingly original and ludicrously unbelievable.
Max Frost (played to perfection by Shakespearean actor Christopher Jones) was the biggest rock star in the world. Sen. Johnny Fergus (Hal Holbrook) used Max and his band at one of his rallies to promote lowering the voting age to 18. Max took it upon himself at the rally to advocate for lowering the voting age to 15, using the anthem “Fourteen or Fight.” This set off a nationwide series of protests and “youth riots” that eventually led to the passage of a Constitutional amendment that lowered the voting age to 14.
Max is elected president at age 24 and begins a reign of terror against anyone over 30. His administration implements a “Final Solution” to the generation gap, declaring anyone over thirty “obsolete” and shuttling them off to “re-education camps.” He doses the water supply with LSD.
Max’s pathetic, clueless mother (Shelly Winters) and Senator Fergus are sent to “re-education camps” along with the rest of the adult population.
The end of the film is perfect. As Max enjoys his absolute power, he passes a group of even younger children (around age 10) who look at him with the same hate and disdain he once felt for his parents. One child tells him, “We’re gonna put you away, old man,” suggesting that the cycle of youth rebellion will eventually overwhelm Max as he approaches 30 himself.
The film suffers from political overload and preachy speeches. But as sheer 1960s political fantasy, it rocks.
Wild in the Streets was one of several youth rebellion movies of the 1960s that suggested the world might be a better place if young people controlled the levers of power. Privilege is a 1967 British musical science fiction comedy-drama film that tells the story of a pop star used by the powers that be to divert people from political activity. Eventually, the musician is overused by the government and fades into oblivion.
Privilege was so incendiarilly radical that the British Film Office banned it. It’s available on Prime Video for $3.99.
The most recent entry into the “youth revolt” genre was just released by Young Adult (YA) writer Soman Chainani. Young World is a fresh take on Wild in the Streets without the campy, self-conscious wink at the audience.
“Young World,” from author Soman Chainani, features teenager Benton Young, who launches a successful write-in campaign for President of the United States, igniting a movement that inspires others across the world to follow suit.
Teens end up leading several of the world’s most powerful nations — at least until one of them is killed at a global summit, turning the story into a whodunnit where Young is the prime suspect.
Between the lines: Chainani, who also wrote the popular young adult series “The School for Good and Evil,” told Axios he hopes the book will inspire students to recognize their political power.
Chainani says young Americans are being asked to inherit a country hurdling towards crises. That knowledge led him to outline four tenets to ignite the global revolution in the book.
They are: Regulating AI and protecting job opportunities; addressing climate change; combatting economic inequality, and preventing the leading cause of teenage death: gun violence.
“Older politicians have had decades to potentially safeguard those four tenets, and the fact that they haven’t means that… they’re just unwilling,” Chainani says.
Why is that, do you think? Maybe there is a lot of disagreement about how to “safeguard those four tenets.” It’s simple for brainless youth to solve the problems facing us by simply dictating a solution.
Hitler would have been proud.
Chainani says if 18-year-olds are allowed to serve in the military, take on debt, or face life in prison, barring them from running a “functioning democracy” defies “common sense.”
He argues that lowering the presidential age requirement could energize young voters, pointing to the influence of progressive New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“I think [young people] want to support one of their own,” he says. “I am convinced with every shred of my being that in the next few years, you are going to see a young person come that captures their imagination.”
Where is Max Frost when we need him?
Related: Spencer Pratt Can Win Because Angry People Vote. Just Ask Former Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic
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