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| Ron Headrest | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Created by | Garry Trudeau |
| In-universe information | |
| Origin | United States |
| Nationality | American |
Ron Headrest is a fictional character in the comic stripDoonesbury.
During the 1980s,Garry Trudeau thought it would be fun to do a political parody of the television programMax Headroom (of which he was a fan). He combined the concept with the president,Ronald Reagan, to produce Ron Headrest, the world's first electronically simulated politician (the name "Headrest" was a humorous allusion to the frequent and lengthy naps that Reagan was notorious for).[citation needed]
The idea was that Ron had been created to serve as a backup president during the long periods Reagan spent on vacation. He appeared as a stylized version of Reagan's head and shoulders on a television screen, complete withsunglasses. Because he was electronic, he would have no memory troubles, and his sense of humor and attitude were designed to appeal to young voters.
It ends up being a disaster: Headrest is stuttering and incompetent, openly mocks the administration he is designed to serve, and causes nothing but trouble. During the first week of his appearance, he flashes the White House's phone number on his screen and tells children to call if they wanted "rock-solid information onsafe sex" (because the number printed was accurate, the real world White House got calls which jammed their switchboards. Eventually, they got revenge by giving callers the number of Trudeau's editor).[1]
In the continuity of the comic strip, the White House staff is less creative and simply tries to turn Headrest off. But like his televised counterpart, Ron escapes into the airwaves and begins causing trouble wherever he can find a television and someone to listen to him. He takes particular delight in tormentingMike Doonesbury, whom he calls "Y-Person" (meaning "yuppie"). Headrest also seeks the1988 Republican Party presidential nomination in his own right, but withdraws from the race, promising to go intoreruns instead.
Ron appeared regularly throughout the Reagan andBush presidencies and then began to show up less frequently. He only appeared a few times during theClinton administration, and then disappeared entirely. The realRonald Reagan had retired and left the public view, andMax Headroom's program was long since gone, making the character far less topical than he had once been. AlthoughDoonesbury characters rarely disappear, Ron Headrest has not appeared since November 6, 1994.
