RIP Gene Wilder: 5 Lessons About Capitalism Willy Wonka Taught Us

2.) Laziness Produces No Glory

Before video games or the internet, couch potatoes wasted their days by watching TV all the time. Such was the case with Mike Teavee, who had no aspirations or dreams outside of his television set. Unlike many of the previous children, Mike had little desire for wealth or riches and instead was content with taking whatever was handed to him.

Because he lacked the drive to get on TV through Hollywood, Mike wanted to use the labor of the Oompa Loompas to get him there without work. Because Mike didn’t understand the mechanisms one must maneuver to truly reach a public audience, his brief moment of fame was just a facade and shortly ended, along with any hopes of a normal life.

Had Mike understood that people in the world of film toiled long hours for their fame, perhaps he could have worked himself to obtain it instead of using what others worked for to get there. His delusions mirror many of today’s generation who don’t have the ambition to pursue their dreams in the job market.