Hollywood’s Anti-War Inactivism

by Eric Brown

What’s happened to Hollywood? Or rather, what’s happened to the society I live in today? Two days from the writing of this article is the 5 year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Whether due to that or some other reason, there has been a surge of anti-war “activism” in Hollywood in the form of movies. And everyone from Susan Sarandon to Reese Witherspoon is jumping on the band wagon.

We all know Hollywood is centered on money and more than likely, almost entirely dictated by the US government. But if that’s the case, why the poor results with the anti-war movies? Or better yet, why the movies at all?

With movies like Redacted and Last Man Home doing horribly in the box office (Rendition was beaten by a re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas the weekend of its release), what impression is being given by the whole of Hollywood?

Consider Michael Moore, he told the truth and since has been scorned by much of Hollywood and most of the US government, but he won an Academy Award. The American public secretly wants the truth, but at times is afraid to challenge the lies and deception.

Moore didn’t break box office records by sending his family and friends to see his movies.

The Theories

I have theories upon theories surrounding this topic. Let’s face it; Hollywood is inundated with the “Look at me! Look at me!” attitude. If narcissism were dollars our economy would be at its strongest ever. We also know that in the sixties, anti-war activism drew a tremendous amount of attention.

So has Hollywood simply become another war profiteer, but trying to play the wolf in sheep’s clothing? Or is the American public so tired of reality that they refuse to go see anything that might inspire them to realize that even when daily life gets hectic, you have to stand up and say, “No, this isn’t right!”?

I think it’s both.

Between the apathetic nature that has become a standard in this country and the corporate takeover of the world, I have come to realize that the latter paves the way for the former.

I think: If you wanna go see an inspiring anti-war movie, go see Schindler’s List. Not only will it show you what an anti-war movie should look like, it will show you what a war profiteer looks like. Then take that image and apply it to modern day Hollywood combined with the US government.

It’s a simple case of a movie made to appeal to the anti-war personas in the US and beyond so that the corporate conglomerates and the politicians in their pockets can profit. Hence, war profiteering.

The problem with this is one half of the public is too busy with their blinders to see the movie or see the purpose of the movie and the other half is too full of anthropoids to care.

“Too many people focus on this product [money] and forget that marketing is an activity that covers the entire spectrum of conceiving, creating, developing, promoting and delivering a thing, a person, a cause to the intended public, and that’s not the end of it. The money provides the energy; it is not necessarily the end result…. The desirable end result is not always income.” - NDK Creative Artist

That’s not to say that some in Hollywood are not making legitimate attempts to be active. George Clooney with his movie Syriana has done quite well at spreading a message of what war is and how it affects us all.

The Problem

The problem between the two is that Clooney did his stuff how many years ago? Most of these others are jumping on the band wagon a little too late for my tastes considering they are some of the wealthiest, most influential faces in the country if not the world.

Where are the artists, movie makers, writers (oh yeah, they’ve been on strike) of yesteryear?

I don’t know about you, but I struggle to understand Hollywood fully and the hidden agendas that are apparent if not clear. I mean, Disney was Nazi (so go rumors I have heard, I am not stating this as fact by any means), and I’m pretty sure every major actor out there has thought, at one time or another, that they were above the law.

You Decide

So the questions remain.

Is Hollywood conducting activism or capitalism?

Why do some activists like Moore get lifted up on a pedestal for telling the truth in a sea of lies and then get pulled down like a Saddam statue?

I guess you get to decide for yourself. I have my own opinions. If you have one you’d like to share, please do. I love the viewpoints of others.

Where do we go now?

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