Syriana. Munich. Goodnight and Good Luck. Brokeback Mountain. Fun With Dick and Jane (seriously). Notice a trend?
The movie theater is now one of the left's most powerful tools. Just ask Michael Moore if you don't believe me. All sorts of leftist tripe, subtle and glaring, is filling our nation's movie screens. America is in the midst of a huge culture war, and Hollywood has decided to use the assets available to it to take part in the battle-which of course means intelligence will not be a factor.
American cinema is being converted into a propaganda machine. For the doubters, let me flip it around. When was the last time you saw a conservative film? Maybe a movie about the evils of the Islamic holy war, the merits of capitalism, even one about America as a force of good in the world? Or, dare I say it, a movie with a positive take on the Bush administration?
As you know, those movies aren't being made. That's because the Hollywood crowd feels sympathy for the terrorists, detests Republicans and sees America as an obstacle to a better world. Like their frequent beneficiaries in the Capitol, the Hollywood elite are growing increasingly disdainful, and accordingly they are using their medium more and more as a means for advancing their far-left agenda.
Of course this is not limited to the silver screen. Shows like Queer As Folk, The "L" Word, Will & Grace and Sex and the City, all do their part to promote alternative lifestyles and erode traditional values.
When the script writers for The West Wing have Martin Sheen's character say things like the second amendment is a "stupid-ass amendment," they're not just thinking about ratings. Hollywood wants to promote its views-and it knows popular TV shows and movies will do more to change the landscape of America than George Clooney's moronic interviews ever could. (Most recently, Clooney showcased his brilliant analytical skills by explaining to Jay Leno that the Iraq War was all about oil.)
Speaking of late-night entertainment, David Letterman, who's made little effort to hide his contempt for conservatives, recently demonstrated how far leftist entertainers are willing to go. Letterman invited Bill O'Reilly on the show, and right before O'Reilly came out, Letterman surreptitiously stirred his pencil in O'Reilly's drink. He timed it carefully so that O'Reilly had probably just exited the green room. Since the cup was on Letterman's desk, O'Reilly later asked if it was his water, and, snickering, Letterman informed him that it was and then got a good chuckle watching O'Reilly take a few sips. It was a disgusting and transparent display.
Of course, this sick little prank was overlooked by the mainstream media. But can you imagine what the outcry would have been if Letterman did that to someone like, say, Jesse Jackson or Ted Kennedy?
For the entire interview, Letterman attacked and insulted O'Reilly, even telling him that he thought "60 percent of what you say is crap." Unfortunately for Letterman, he knows nearly nothing about politics and he came off as a typical angry, ignorant leftist. To see for yourself, go to O'Reilly's website, where a video of the interview is posted.
By contrast, when Jane Fonda was promoting the inspired film Monster-in-Law, she stopped by Late Night and Letterman fawned over her with such deference it looked as though any moment he'd stoop down and kiss her feet. Maybe he did after the show.
There is no doubt that the left has a monopoly in entertainment and that it's one they guard carefully. It's no coincidence that Michael Moore may be sitting at home right now admiring his Oscar while Mel Gibson didn't even get a nomination for his heralded film, Passion of the Christ. It's also no coincidence that once-fading star Alec Baldwin, who's made a name for himself as an outspoken leftist, has now seen a massive career resurgence, along with fellow Bush-hater Sean Penn. Hollywood is in fact so left that its most prestigious members-the actors, actresses and directors who have won Academy Awards-give approximately 4,000 percent more money to Democrats than to Republicans.
From Jamie Foxx's passionate pleas for the clemency of quadruple-homicide convict and Crips founder "Tookie" Williams to Kanye West's comment during a live Katrina relief concert that "George Bush doesn't care about black people" (I guess he didn't hear that Bush's African AIDS program is the largest in American history, or that it turns out the Katrina victims were disproportionately white) America's entertainers are fighting mightily to promote their leftist agenda. There is a huge ideological war being waged for the future of the country, and after the education system, the entertainment industry is the left's most influential resource. And believe me, they are going to use it.
So next time you go see a movie or watch TV think about who-and what-you may be supporting.
Stephen Miller is a Trinity junior. His colum n runs every other Wednesday.
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