‘Slavery, Like Nothing Else, Is What Defines Us as a People, as a Nation’

Everyone knows the South lost the Civil War. What this film presupposes is… maybe it didn’t?

CSA: Confederate States of America is framed as a television documentary from a universe in which the South won the Civil War and slavery never ended, complete with archival footage and commercials from the other world. More contemporary satire than rigorous alternate history—especially as it replaces communism and the Cold War with Canadian “abbies” and a “Cotton Curtain”—the film is at its best when their CSA is indistinguishable from our USA. The brief Cops parody, Runaways, is one such standout moment, as is the punchline for the “history lesson” about the film’s seemingly made-up brands before the credits:

Today, the use of slave imagery in the promotion of products often goes unnoticed.

Just ask Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben.

You can watch CSA on Netflix or rent it at Amazon. Here’s the trailer:

Thanks to Derrais for turning me onto this.