As construction ramps up on the arena for UFC Freedom 250 outside the White House, some critics on social media and beyond say the spectacle feels eerily similar to scenes from a popular satirical movie.
The comparisons to the 2006 Mike Judge film “Idiocracy” have spread across social media as photos of the large outdoor setup circulate before next month’s event on the South Lawn of the White House.
Here’s what to know about the construction and its comparisons to the movie starring Luke Wilson.
What is being built on the White House lawn?
A 90-foot tall, open-air structure is currently being built outside the White House as the centerpiece for the June 14 Ultimate Fighting Championship event.
The main card includes at least eight U.S.-born fighters.
A 5,000-seat arena will be included in what President Donald Trump has said will be the “biggest event we’ve ever had at the White House.”
Above the arena will be what promotors are calling “the claw,” a massive lighting structure built in Europe specifically for this event.
Why are people comparing the UFC Freedom 250 construction to the “Idiocracy” movie?
In Mike Judge’s satirical film, set 500 years in the future, the United States is depicted as having devolved into a society where entertainment and corporate branding overwhelm political seriousness.
So when images of the UFC arena outside the White House began appearing, some people felt they were all too familiar.
“Idiocracy totally predicted what the White House would look like in the future,” one person wrote on X. “All they needed to add was a UFC arena in place of the above-ground pool.”
The movie famously features a shot of a the White House front lawn dotted with trash, debris and a rusty swimming pool.
“Idiocracy is looking more and more like a documentary,” another user said.
Others have suggested the blending of political symbolism and pay-per-view spectacle feels like a real-world version of the movie’s exaggerated vantage point of a future America.
The comparisons have been amplified by the movie’s over-the-top wrestling scenes, which people are comparing to next month’s UFC fight.
“Mike Judge must be a time traveler. Nobody is this accurate,” an X user said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: ‘Idiocracy’ at the White House? UFC arena has the internet buzzing
