https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2010/03/29/the-man-in-the-mirror/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 02:46:27 -0400<![CDATA[Mirrors which systematically distort images perform two functions. The first is to show us freaks because we want to see them. Funhouse or carnival mirrors are said to pander to the public&#8217;s sense of cruelty. People like to stare at grotesques even when it is themselves. The second purpose is political. Propagandists have long known that nothing rivets a public&#8217;s attention like monstrosities. &#8220;When you encounter a person whose nose, mouth or eyes are distorted in a way you have never encountered before, you instinctively lock on. Your gaze remains riveted, and your brain stays tuned for further information.&#8221; And if you are told it is something to be hated and feared, you will believe it until further notice. The Nazis portrayed the &#8220;Eternal Jew&#8221; as sickly and malformed; their films showed groups of Jews emerging from doors juxtaposed with rats fleeing a sewer. This made it so much easier to justify the extermination of Jews in their millions.]]>Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:20:01 -0400<![CDATA[Richard Fernandez]]>https://pjmedia.com/richard-fernandez/2010/03/29/the-man-in-the-mirror-n189698