One of Roger Ebert’s reps at Cannes posed an interesting question inspired by a line from the new film Monsters vs. Aliens: “Once again, a UFO has landed in America, the only country UFOs ever seem to land in!” It is indeed an intriguing question: why do aliens always seem to invade the USA?
Kiefer Sutherland, who plays the general W.R. Monger, gave an interesting answer: because the films are made in America. Jeffrey Katzenberg gave a humorous, yet sensible answer: “We had it coming!” I think this is indeed why aliens would choose to invade America: because America is a well-known and well-off country. The United States is probably the most successful country in the world in terms of economic and political power. (Of course, reasons like this are the same reasons America is hated overseas, which has lead to terrorist attacks.) Alien races in movies are often depicted as intelligent on Earthling affairs, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the aliens knew in advance of the prosperity and political clout of the United States and chose it intentionally: if the United States were destroyed, it would have a major effect on the world economy, and the President of the United States is probably the most well-known political leader, so it’s not surprising they’d choose him as the “leader” they want to be “taken to.” Although, as Kiefer points out, it may be a bit of Americentricism in play as well.
Why do you think aliens always seem to choose America?
In general that makes sense. If the aliens are smart, they go to the place most recognized on Earth as “the leader.”
I know that it offends some touchy Europeans, Canadians, Chinese, etc. to mention this, but right now, in 2009, the United States is still recognized as such around the world, for good and ill.
That said, I think it would be interesting to have these kind of alien vistation movies set in other countries, if only to mix up the narrative. All the American movie cliches-- the farmer bumpkins discovering aliens in their barn, the President addressing the world, the same NASA/Air Force/CIA/Men in Black crew of scientists/agents, etc.-- are kind of stale.
Aliens landing in Tokyo, Paris, or heh, Mecca. . . that would automatically be more creative just by being different.
If you watch anime, you’ll find that they mostly invade Tokyo, though some invade other parts of Japan. Hokkaido is about as far as they get from Tokyo, however.
Well, as for that specific example, an American movie showing aliens occupying Mecca, or worse yet destroying it, would be politically … um … sensitive.
