In American Horror Story: Cult, the show’s seventh installment, writer and director Ryan Murphy depicts some of the injustices at play in modern America, along with the amplification of these injustices in the midst of intensified levels of fear. AHS: Cult focuses on the maniacal yet charismatic Kai Anderson and his quest to take over the world in Charles Manson fashion. Opposed by local restaurant owner Ally Mayfair-Richards—who has become aware of Anderson’s malevolent intentions—Anderson strives to spread fear across the world and take his violent cult to the next level. Luckily for residents of the United States, Ally arrives with the FBI just before Anderson unleashes his army, bringing Anderson’s plans to a screeching halt.
While this season centers around fear and vulnerability, many conflicts arise from injustices and inequality. One episode highlights the the unfair treatment of immigrants in America and some widely propagated stereotypes regarding this issue. After one of Ally’s employees is killed, the police are quick to point to his immigrant coworker, Pedro Morales, as the prime suspect. While Ally and her wife (the co-owner of the restaurant) vehemently defend the character of Morales, the detectives involved seem intent on pinning the murder on this him regardless of evidence suggesting his innocence.
In addition to racially-motivated conflicts, a power struggle between men and women arises within Anderson’s cult as the show explores a variety of gender-related issues. Inspired by the ideology of former cult leader Valerie Solanas—who instructed her followers to kill all men because of their suppression of women—some female members of Anderson’s cult form an alliance after being pushed to the brink by the sexist behavior of the male cult members. These struggles, along with the Pedro Morales saga, reflect the concept of the Other that we have discussed throughout this semester. Despite living in a modern American society where all individuals are supposed to be treated equally, AHS depicts women and immigrants and outsiders looking into the window of Kai Anderson’s white male-dominated world. Additionally, Anderson’s cult embodies the ideas of fundamentalism as well. Adhering to strict principles and codes as Anderson instructs, members of the cult are willing to do anything to maintain their positions.
Overall, AHS: Cult depicts the struggles of both immigrants and women to gain equality in America while simultaneously depicting the fundamentalist principles involved in cult membership. Using a half-witted band of radically sexist men (Anderson’s cult) to incite the rage of the female characters, the writers of AHS emphasize the idea that men are afraid of powerful women. Anderson continually mentions the importance of inciting fear in others, acting as a satirical take on the current state of gender issues in America. Although the portrayal of injustice inflicted upon women by men was by no means subtle, the show uses this injustice to expertly build upon the identities of the protagonists. Specially, while Ally is depicted as an overly anxious and mentally ill pessimist in the season’s first episode, her experiences throughout the series slowly but surely mold her into a strong and tenacious leader. Ultimately, this molding of identity culminates in the final realization of the theme of women’s empowerment, when Ally overtakes Kai and becomes the last leader standing. In the end, the AHS writers intend to inspire conversations about the formation of identities, power dynamics, and injustices, and cause viewers to wonder which path they would choose when faced with similar predicaments as the Cult characters.