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Hollywood and Social Values
The Dole/Medved attack on Hollywood's nihilism, undermining of social
values, promotion of violence and social decay, etc. is interesting
because it echos an earlier radical discourse. In fact, in a curious
way the Right has taken up many of the 1960s Left's worst arguments:
the virulence of the Right discourse on the State before and in the
wake of the Oklahoma bombings echos some of the most extreme argument's
of 60s ultraLeftism. And in response to the Clinton administration
critiques of talk radio, increased FBI surveillance, restriction on
rights to bear guns and firearms of various sorts, etc, the more moderate
Right of Dole, et al, is coming on like Left libertarians, protecting
our rights, etc.
Well, in fact, Hollywood film, like all forms of media culture is a
contested terrain, a cultural arena where all the social forces
advance their positions. Some Hollywood films are disgustingly sexist,
racist,homophobic, mindlessly violent, anti-social, etc, though
these are mostly rightwing films. Other films undermine sexism,
racism, etc and advance pro-social values of various sorts.
So, yes, Hollywood films are saturated with social values, or undermine
dominant values in various ways, but this requires highly differentiated
contextualization, ideological analysis and critique, etc, and not
one-dimensional denunciation.
Douglas Kellner
kellner@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
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