Perceiving Imagined Enemies in Harun Farocki's Serious Games I-IV

In this essay I look at the techno-production of modern-day enemies through a reading of Harun Farocki’s Serious Games I-IV, a four-part video series in which he critiques the use of virtual reality simulators in the training of new recruits to the U.S. Military. My analysis is focused on the imaging and imagining of potential enemies within racial and religious frameworks. I argue that the virtual representations of some persons as potential threats have a real impact on how African, Arab, Middle-Eastern, and other persons of color are profiled as threatening, and subject to suspicion in reality on a daily basis. I analyze Farocki’s video installation as telling of the effects that media, political rhetoric, and popular culture have on shaping the image of enemies and adversaries today.