An analysis of how Silicon Valley technology companies and leaders misinterpret or misapply themes from Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, illustrated by a Department of Homeland Security meme referencing the story.

The Conversation

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Fathom Entertainment
On October 30 2025, the Department of Homeland Security in the United States posted a Tolkien meme. It pictured Merry Brandybuck – one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s four hobbit protagonists in The Lord of the Rings – speaking to another hobbit Pippin at the climax of The Two Towers, the second of Peter Jackson’s film adaptations. 
Merry, the older and wiser of the duo, is trying to persuade Pippin not to return home to the Shire. He wants