America is about our media. Our political leaders are mediocre, our innovations are no longer unique or unequaled, our products are no longer the best and the most well made, and our exports are, with the exception of our media, middlin.But damn- we lead the world in media. And at the top of the heap are the movies.
We aspire to be like the people in them, we coddle the people who make them like our royalty, and we hold them up as our heros.
Good for us. This year's Academy awards showcased NOT the movies that made the most money and were the easiest to export, market, write, or explain. They were about REAL life, and the way we in America have taken our ideals and run from them as fast as possible, trying desperately to not worry about things, not deal with issues, and not do anything other than superficial image repair.
They were not movies that were supported by the current political leaders, the larger religious leaders, or the people with money. We watched some of the most searing social issues, from race relations and our feelings about intimidation in "Crash", through our feelings and social reactions to artistic leaders in "Capote", our failure to continue to hold our media to higher morals represented in "Good night and Good Luck", through the real, painful, and serious adult views about who we love, how we love, and what the hell we do about it in "Brokeback Mountain".
They were damned good movies.
They should give closed minded people pause.
Hollywood and the "liberal media" are not out of touch- but our enemies would like to repeat that lie often enough to brainwash a million americans that want safe, easy, simple lives with clear cut answers.
That ain't now, and it ain't here.
posted by Renaissancewriter at 8:19 PM
3 Comments:
Well, and they were a showcase for our Gods, of course, the Movie Stars. Our own vast Greek mythology. Larger than life figures. The icons whose lives we dream about having. With their loves and their losses. And their MONEY! Oh, my, the MONEY! But seriously, you're right. Hollywood (in the good sense...if there is one) shapes far more lives and destinies, spreads the democratic word through portrayal of the human condition, far better, and with more influence in the world, than Bush & Pals could ever dream. Simply because it IS human and, of course, a magnificent art form. And people DO know that.
Well, I hope something or someone can represent us in some sort of positive way. We surely could use that right now.
Patricia- fear not. MOST of the world is smarter than the 49% that voted for Bush- and they know that most of us are hostages on this bizarre "raid the treasury, wage a war, bill the government, get some medals" ride. They know that we are bigger than Europe proper, and have just as many strange burg holes as they do- but we aren't lucky enough to have them living in countries run by dictators that squash their weird views.
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