This could be a classic tale that will last down through the ages. The theme is vanity, mass propaganda, fear, conformity, lazy thinking. All New Age issues.
Without giving away too much of the complicated plot, the plot line involves a vastly successful New York real estate developer, dubbed The Emperor, who has become so vain that he falls for a scam worked by three unscrupelous garment manufacturers (redundant?), who offer to fit him with a suit that will be so fine that only the most discriminating, discerning, and intelligent people will be able to see it. The price is a million bucks, but The Emperor is enchanted with the concept and goes for it.
The Garment Guys show up with their tape measures and pins, measure, consult, and measure again. They set a delivery date, take their deposit, and go to work. Meanwhile, The Emperor plans a grand party to show off this hi-tech tailoring and invites all the best people, jet setters, ex-presidents and other politicians, Hollywood movers and shakers, TV personalities, the Media... Everyone who is Anyone. The Garment Guys arrive on the designated day with a caravan of bearers of boxes, mirrors, hairdressers, camera persons. The Emperor stands on a little pedestal while they coif him, dress him, photo him, and generally admire the effects of this remarkable suit.
However, The Emperor is shocked when he eventually turns to admire himself in the mirror. In his reflection he is stark naked. His surprise is the only thing he covers well. If he can't see the hi-tech suit, then that means he is not so discriminating, discerning, and intelligent as he supposed he was. Whoops. But not to worry. He didn't get where he was by looking weak or uncertain. He covered his momentary shock by outdoing all the rest in complimenting the Garment Guys on their craft. (He was right in that respect.)
You can imagine the rest of the story. The party is a hugh success with live network coverage, interviews with various personalities, speeches, expensive food displays, and other generally extravagant and obnoxious displays of wealth and waste. You can also imagine the folks at home watching on TV are laughing their sox off. Right? Wrong. They too are hooked by the scam. If they can't see the suit, then they aren't discriminating, discerning, and intelligent with it personalities themselves. So they too marvel and exclaim about how the suit shows off The Emperor's figure, enhances his virility and sucess, etc, etc.
The story is generally well-written and thought-provoking. But the ending is weak. The Party is televised after prime time, so there are no children up to watch it—except for teenagers of course, and they aren't really children but wannabe adults.
In the original version of this tale, a child (generally considered innocent and honest) exposes (as it were) the scam. That did not happen in the current version. Today's children are, like adults, as sucked in by brainwashing as adults. After all, to think for one's self reflects anti-social behavior.
One more reason why sociopaths are such an elite group.