Politics is the entertainment branch of industry.
Genuine
Yes. In Bob Marshall, interview with Frank Zappa, 21–22 October 1988, with Carolyn Dean and Gerald Fialka; transcription credited to Loren Gagnon, reproduced by AFKA.
Checked against Bob Marshall, interview with Frank Zappa, 21–22 October 1988, with Carolyn Dean and Gerald Fialka; transcription credited to Loren Gagnon, reproduced by AFKA, in the text of a page scan, not the image.
- Where
- Bob Marshall interview, 21–22 October 1988; opening discussion distinguishing politics from civic obligation and policy
- Source
- Bob Marshall, interview with Frank Zappa, 21–22 October 1988, with Carolyn Dean and Gerald Fialka; transcription credited to Loren Gagnon, reproduced by AFKA
- Checked
- In the text of a page scan, not the image
Researched by AI. Entry updated 24 October 2026. Editorial review: pending. How we check
About this quote
The scene
Marshall asks about the relationship between Zappa’s musical work and political activity, particularly his opposition to the PMRC. Zappa distinguishes civic duties and practical policy decisions from the political spectacle he calls industry’s entertainment branch. He goes on to defend giving voters information they need for decisions.
What it means
Political performance can serve commercial interests and distract from substantive decisions about government.
Often misread
The circulating military-industrial-complex version is not the wording in this interview. Nor is Zappa saying civic action is pointless: he explicitly defends informing voters and distinguishes public policy from political showmanship.
Also shared as
- A misquotationPolitics is the entertainment division of the Military Industrial Complex. Listed under Disputed on Wikiquote. This wording substitutes a particular military-industrial complex for industry in general; it was not established as Zappa’s exact wording in a primary source in this run. Do not treat the verified status of the shorter original as verification of this variant. Where it was seen
Topics
Related quotes
- In this context, the PMRC’s demands are the equivalent of treating dandruff by decapitation.
- This crippling of individuals I consider the worst evil of capitalism. Albert Einstein
- A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Hilarious are the weak who think they are good because they have no claws. (paraphrase) Friedrich Nietzsche
- The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it’s profitable to continue the illusion. (paraphrase)
Sources
Cite it
Frank Zappa, Bob Marshall, interview with Frank Zappa, 21–22 October 1988, with Carolyn Dean and Gerald Fialka; transcription credited to Loren Gagnon, reproduced by AFKA. Checked at Quotogeny, https://quotogeny.com/q/politics-is-the-entertainment-branch-of-industry/ (24 October 2026).
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People who checked this entry against its source, under their own names. Their checks do not change the verdict: an editor reviews every entry.
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