Over the years, there have been multiple occasions in which the entertainment industry has stuck it’s nose in places where it doesn’t belong. Instead doing their job of providing the general public with music, movies, and television shows that will amuse them, and divert them from their normal everyday life, people in Hollywood are using their status of high respect to influence others political views.
In August of 1972, as the Vietnam War was winding down, Jane Fonda visited North Vietnam. While she was there, she visited many of the places where the Vietnamese people were living, and also the Vietnamese soldiers. One photo that was taken of her instantly became famous. She was posing on an NVA anti-aircraft gun, the same guns that were used to shoot down American planes. While American soldiers were over in Vietnam putting their lives on the line for our country, she went to visit the enemy, and sit in the gun seat of anti-American weaponry. While members of our military were fighting for their lives, she was using her celebrity and money to protest the war, and influence others to do the same.
As a member of a highly respected industry, others took the views and opinions of Jane Fonda very seriously. When someone of that status goes to other countries, and makes statements such as Jane Fonda did, other countries begin to believe that they are the views of the entire country. Her anti-war feelings were construed as being the general sentiment of all Americans because she was the one who was famous enough to have here opinions documented and widely publicized.
Another celebrity who has used her fame for reasons other than entertainment is Sheryl Crow. She has not gone quite as far as Jane Fonda did in the seventies, but has still used notoriety to influence others. She frequently wears anti-war apparel at her concerts and other Hollywood events, and always sneaks in some sort of “no war” speech into all of her interviews.
In 2003 during a March concert in London, Natalie Maines, the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks, took a break from performing to make some very controversial comments. She claimed that, “we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.” A comment may felt was completely uncalled for, it caused many people to boycott them. Patrons that paid for those tickets did not do so in order to hear a political debate, they paid to hear a concert.
The authors both making sweeping statements about the political nature of the United States, but Ames addresses a more concentrated demographic of American society than Hedges. The latter points the finger at the venal egotism of celebrity culture for entrancing the public into complacency, and at America’s political leaders for orchestrating the fact, but he also places substantial blame on the people at-large for allowing themselves to be captivated by the entertainment industry. Ames discusses an issue in which the Millennial generation stands as the focal point, but she speaks directly to the teachers of these adolescents due to their position of influence. Although today’s youth are proven to possess a spark of political energy through their own volition—displayed through their generation-wide interest in dystopian literature—an environment of learning and in-depth analysis provides the best opportunity for the novels’ underlying calls-to-action to strike a chord with their young
“When a great democracy is destroyed, it will not be because of enemies from without, but rather because of enemies from within.” During the late 1940s and early 1950s, these words of Abraham Lincoln were all on the minds of Americans (McCarthyism). After fighting against Communism for decades, the fear of it taking down the country terrorized people’s thoughts. Even more so, people were extremely frightened of the idea that there could be Communists within the spotlights of American influence that were plotting the destruction of the United States. A fear swept the country for almost a decade, and it transformed every aspect of American culture. This transformation began in the entertainment industry and hit here the hardest. The fear of Communism completely spun the industry upside down and distorted everything that made American showbiz so distinct. Even today, the controversies of the 1940s and 1950s have left an impression on the current entertainment industry.
In Hollywood political conflict was also paving the way for what would later occur in Hollywood as the HUAC would attack the industry. Big business controlled the lucrative industry and the companies that controlled the market were eight major studios in Hollywood. The Metro-Goldw...
...and the people in the United States of America which improved the nation a great deal. She helped and ran movements and gained support for certain things. She said before, “I have spent many years of my life in opposition, and I rather like the role.”. she knew what she wanted to change and she worked hard to change what she thought was wrong. Eleanor had no problem in making it known that she supported certain things, and because of who she was and how she acted she usually gained support of her moral and political beliefs. She was a very influential and positive woman during the Great Depression.
...ever in change, and believed that America needed to make changes for the better. She voiced her opinion that America should not be content with what it had become, and was not afraid to share her opinion about what it should be. The 4th of July is a very important day for America and its people. Without that day, it would not be what it is today.
... was strictly a congressman’s war. “With all the silence and dignity of creators you can end wars and the system of selfishness and exploitation that causes wars. All you need to do to bring about this stupendous revolution is to straighten up and fold your arms.” She claimed that if Americans could strike against the war we could “Be heroes in an army of construction” (Keller, 4).
...klisted from the world of country music for daring to make an anti-war statement and questioning the president’s decision-making. The reaction to lead singer Maines’s statement and uncovered a misogynistic mentality that had been laying somewhat dormant in the country music culture. The swift and devastating reaction to the statement revealed the ugly consequences when one does not follow the stereotypical country music brand of womanhood. Verbal slurs and death threats, CD destruction, and removal of their music from the country station airwaves. However, the Dixie Chicks did not back down. They remained true to their convictions. Their song “Not Ready to Make Nice” made a clear statement. They had no regrets. The Dixie Chicks still remain a symbol for strong women in music as well as brought the problem with the status of women in the United States to a forefront.
...he ideals that women of the time were held to. Instead of focusing on the power women felt after winning the vote she demonstrated how helpless some women still felt in their lives. She painted a clear picture of the struggles a woman would feel being trapped in the position of being happy all the time. How feelings like that can lead to emptiness, alcoholism, and suicide attempts. Dorothy Parker was a woman before her time and left us even today revealing in the ideas and statements she made.
Jane Addams had always been against violence. She was kicked out of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She went to colleges and states all over the United States to spread her message of peace. After a lecture in Wisconsin, she wrote Newer Ideals of Peace. It changed the way that people thought of peace and social justice. Later on, she and
C. Delores Tucker, chair of National Political Congress of Black Women, said, "No one and no industry should be allowed to continue the social and psychological poisoning of the young minds of this nation that occurs with the music industry" (91). This belief of musical content being "poison" is prominent all over America. During the 1970's, record burning was a popular way to speak out against music content, and today protests are quite popular. Other ways of stifling these problematic artists may be through the pressure of having to use a parental advisory label or legislation passing bills. The head of the Boston Coalition for Freedom of Expression, Jim D' Entremont, explains one of the bills passed by Governor George W. Bush Jr. as "Prohibiting the state of Texas or any of its agencies in investing in any private concern that owns at least ten percent of any corporation that produces music which describes, glamorizes or advocates violence, drug abuse or sexual activity" (111).
In conclusion, I have learned that the use of mass communication that accurately depicts cultural and political issues can ultimately raise awareness. During my mission here on earth, I hope that my productions can to be different and somehow help the development of society as Lee has. Using the skills that Lee has obtained, he has accurately showed modern society that life is not all picture perfect. Despite all of the controversy and his downplay of stereotypical Hollywood setting and characters, Lee still stands strong toward the movement of cultures as a whole to a better understanding of life itself. This understanding can influence others to move toward change and innovative ways of promoting equality.
Recognize that the "Culture of Hollywood" is based on motion pictures as big business as well as entertainment.
January 6, 1973, famous anthropologist Margaret Mead published an essay in TV Guide in which she addressed her view of PBS’s series “An American Family.” This series was groundbreaking during that time because is followed the Loud’s, a California family who were neither actors nor public figures just average middle-class family, which was unheard of at the time. The Louds were filmed for seven months and the product was twelve one-hour episodes which showed everything from the monotony of their everyday life to the corrosion of Bill and Pat Loud’s marriage. Meade called this series “a new kind of art form” and marveled at the shows ability to show the drama and entertainment value of the average human condition. Forty years later, as Meade had predicted, reality based television and films have become more understood, respected and prevalent in our modern culture. Extreme success stories of documentaries such as Justin Bieber’s 2011 “Never Say Never” and countless reality shows indicates that a celebrity’s presence , musicians particularly, on reality media channels can change audience’s perceptions, promote new material and help them to stay relevant in the public eye. These “reality” documentaries and TV shows present the audience with carefully edited material that conveys only a fraction of that individual’s personality and character yet has profound effects audience perception and acceptance. The British boy band One Direction is a prime example of how using the model of framing in reality television shows and documentaries effectively promotes projects, molds the opinions of audiences, allows artist to appear more open and relatable and leads to extreme monetary success.
The Vietnam War led to what is currently the largest anti-war movement in American history (Skarda 4; Dunn). With over 500,000 participants, the protesters in the fall of 1969 all marched on Washington to show their opposition to the war (Skarda 4; Herbers). Protests got so vast and expansive that the FBI got involved (Miller). The FBI went as far as forging a letter to the newspaper as a “parent” who complained of “immoral character” (Miller). This incited many prestigious and well known people to step in and voice their anti-war statements and opinions, such as the speech “Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence” by Martin Luther King Jr (King Jr).
... she addressed many problems of her time in her writings. She was an inspirational person for the feminism movements. In fact, she awoke women’s awareness about their rights and freedom of choice. She was really a great woman.