Truth, Fiction, and Pure Propaganda
Remember the commemorations of the fiftieth anniversary of D-Day? It was 1994, and there was US President Bill Clinton on a beach in Normandy. Who can forget the images of him stooping to arrange some rocks (the only rocks on the whole stretch of beach) in the shape of a cross? Who can forget his declaration that what he knew of the second world war he had learned "from the memories of a father I never knew" and "from all those John Wayne movies"? The scene was so full of insincerity that it should have made even the most amature director of very low budget films wince in disgust. But never mind that. The TV cameras were there, and the event was recorded for posterity's sake: It was simply one of many Hollywood-contrived moments during the Clinton years.
And remember the movie "Wag the Dog" which describes a US President who attempts to avert bad press as a result of a sex scandal? In the movie the President hires a prominent Hollywood studio to stage a war against Albania. In a classic case of life poorly immitating art, less than a year after "Wag the Dog" was released, Mr. Clinton was in the midst of salvaging his reputation after committing purgery and engaging in a sex scandal that led to his impeachment. What better way to make a political come back than to rally the country to support a war? So after years of ignoring the situation, in March 1999 Mr. Clinton undertook military action on behalf of (surprise, surprise) the Albanian Kosovars. Was this mere coincidence, or was it a case of truth mirroring fiction?
Exit Mr. Clinton, and enter the Bush administration. The contrived imagery has faded, but not the role of Hollywood. The Bush administration has asked several screenwriters to help them attempt to identify all the places various terrorists may hide. The studios have also advanced the release of several movies with military themes and which portray the US as emerging miraculously victorious. The consensus view is that audiences now want to see war movies and no longer shun the idea of giving their children guns for Christmas. In fact some data suggest quite a few Americans are giving themselves real guns this Christmas.
Another change for the entertainment industry soon could be an audience shift away from the pop music "boy bands" such as the Backstreet Boys and non-"divas" such as Britney Spears. Why? The trends of the music industry tend to follow the cycles of the economy, and recessions do not bid well for pop. Consider these trends:
Latest Articles