Original artwork, not a still
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ‧ 1979
Only six people in the Galaxy knew that the job of the Galactic President was not to wield power but to attract attention away from it. Zaphod Beeblebrox was amazingly good at his job.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The presidency is described as a device for hiding where power actually lies. Its public importance is therefore a distraction, and Zaphod’s apparent excellence has an unexpected meaning. The final sentence praises him for drawing attention, after the preceding sentence has exposed what that attention conceals.
Context reviewed
