Is Hollywood unintentionally doing more to benefit the RKBA than harm it?

[Nom de Forum]

The creation of this thread was primarily inspired by two things. The recent thread about Feminism and Gun Control,

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=787056

and a story and poll I saw in the popular press (not the gun press). The story was of a little girl sent home with a note from school that claimed that her Wonder Woman lunch box was inappropriate because it encouraged solving problems with violence. The accompanying poll had 98% of respondents indicating they thought that was hogwash.

I think it is a fairly common belief that most of Hollywood’s major players (in front and behind the camera) are anti-gun. It is certainly my belief. Hollywood makes huge amounts money and possibly more money by percentage with films and television programs that have guns being used than any other type of film/program. Beginning in the 1970s portrayals of women defending themselves with guns in roles as police, soldiers, and secret agents increased. Today women are often portrayed as not needing any men with guns to defend them. If the producers and actors of these portrayals give any thought to the beneficial influence of their products it is probably limited to thinking it is appropriate women to only be armed members of governmental organizations. I think women are at least equally and probably more influenced to believe they as private individuals have the right to and can use a gun for self-defense and that contributes to empowering them to be the societal equals of men not just legally but in reality. I think Hollywood's enormous output of action films may cause the Hollywood anti-gunners to be hoist on their own petard. What do you think?

 

[Old Dog]

I would tend to agree that Hollywood motion pictures are fostering increasing interest in firearms and shootings. Video games are also helping our cause.

Jodie Foster makes what's essentially (as the writers and producers probably thought) an anti-violence, anti-gun movie ... which actually makes women think more about the fact that firearms are probably their best option when it comes to self-defense ...

Clint Eastwood sold an awful lot of S&W Model 29s ... Mel Gibson (in a series in which the first movie was semi-worthy but subsequent sequels turned into distinctly anti-gun message trash) probably sold a lot of Beretta 92s (as I'm sure Chow Yun Fat did for Inox Berettas in his movie). Who didn't want a matched pair of 1911s (or Desert Eagles) after watching Milla Jovovich, Thomas Jane or Nick Cage?

Even some motion pictures which clearly attempt to impart themes of violence is bad and guns exacerbate violence go to such length with choreographed gunfights that the message is lost and most viewers are probably sitting back enjoying the action rather than contemplating the movie's message.

Then you've got guys like John Milius, who goes for a strong pro-2A theme in his flicks, or Michael Mann, whose striving for realism in his cinema gun battles actually stirs up strong pro-gun sentiments ...

 

[TimSr]

I liked that commercial that recently came out showing armed thugs breaking in on an unarmed woman with a child with an anti-gun message following a commercial that looked like it was written by our side.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

I think the OP has confused the issues of the individual person beliefs of individuals of Hollywood with goals of the television and motion picture industries. TV, motion picture, and the news media (as well) are all about making a profit. They don't stay in business if they don't make a profit.

Most of the people in those industries are against rape, violence, and victimization, but the industries make steady profits on these topics as well.

Contrary to the commonly held belief of many pro-gun folks, these industries are NOT out to get rid of guns. That would be very detrimental to them and they know it. They do revel in the controversy of guns, however, and just like in the movies, in the new media, if it bleeds, it leads.

 

[GAF]

There a plenty of pro gun celebrities.
Go forth and search the internet and you will find.

 

[Lord Teapot]

video games are definitely helping the cause with young folks. i am an example of a raised-as-leftist, who was introduced to firearms, and subsequently previously unknown conservative viewpoints, via my experience playing fps games. other than those games i would not be here.

 

[Nom de Forum]

I think the OP has confused the issues of the individual person beliefs of individuals of Hollywood with goals of the television and motion picture industries. TV, motion picture, and the news media (as well) are all about making a profit. They don't stay in business if they don't make a profit.

Most of the people in those industries are against rape, violence, and victimization, but the industries make steady profits on these topics as well.

Contrary to the commonly held belief of many pro-gun folks, these industries are NOT out to get rid of guns. That would be very detrimental to them and they know it. They do revel in the controversy of guns, however, and just like in the movies, in the new media, if it bleeds, it leads.

Regardless of what you or I believe, Hollywood does not need the existence of private ownership of firearms to make money from movies that have guns. They don’t even need real guns to make “gun” movies. Checkout all those fake guns used in low budget cable television productions being made in Canada. Sure the higher budget Canadian productions use firearm but that is besides the point. I have a friend in industry who works behind the camera. His opinion is that most of the people he rubs shoulders with believe to varying degrees that most guns should be restricted to the police and “authorized” users. Hollywood may not be “out to get rid of guns” but most in Hollywood are not intentionally supporting private ownership.

GAF - There a plenty of pro gun celebrities.
Go forth and search the internet and you will find.

I guess that depends on your threshold for determining “plenty”. I do not need to search the internet to determine that celebrities and the movers and shakers behind the camera who openly support the RKBA are definitely in the minority. I am very much aware of celebrities who are pro-gun. I recently stood in line next to Sam Elliot at the deli counter at Vintage Grocers in Malibu while waiting to get lunch. Celebrities don’t get much more pro-gun than Sam.

Regardless of Hollywood's intentions, I believe that over the last 40 years women are increasingly portrayed as capable using guns professionally and privately for self-defense. That has to be making a favorable impression on girls and young women. One of the best defenses of the RKBA is increased acceptance and use of guns by women.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I did not know that Sam Elliot was a very pro gun sort of guy.
I've always liked him as an actor and have heard that he is a very nice person both on and off the set.

 

[alexander45]

Definitely just look to dear Ole burt gummer, Michael gross is anti gun dandy of the first order specificly states that he played burt extra paranoid to show what loons gun guys are. Yet I bet if you ask any 20 somthing just getting into shooting they will probably tell you they love Burts crazy back side I know I do hell main reason I want a double rifle is probably that damn movie.
Hollywood tends to get overly artistic when trying to barf out a sentiment so it often gets lost in the noise or is so in your face it wrecks the movie (see star ship troopers for a great reference on both points. First one message lost, second and third it's so loud and makes the movies so terrible I put the movies in the does not exist in my mind pile.)

 

[PJSprog]

video games are definitely helping the cause with young folks.

Perhaps in some cases, but I'm not entirely convinced this is always true. While those games certainly do "introduce" young players to various firearms, they also have a tendency to instill misinformation about both the guns and shooting in general. My own youngest step-son is a prime example of a kid who "thinks" he knows a lot about various weapons systems based on what he's learned from video games. Turns out, he knows next to nothing of real useful knowledge. In spite of several attempts by his mother and I to introduce him to the real world of firearms, he has exhibited little to no interest in that reality ... because it's not as exciting as what he "experiences" through his games or action movies. I have a couple of shooting friends who have had similar experiences with their own children.

I certainly wouldn't recommend using video games to introduce young shooters to the world of firearms. Not based on my own experiences, anyway.

 

[Sunray]

Hollywood motion pictures are fostering more outright BS about firearms than anything else.
Video games are only helping kids(isn't only kids either) think they have skills they do not.
Don't be blaming Canadian movie makers for firearm fakery. That started in Hollywood. Movies made here are made here because of the low cost and, um, talent/skill, yeah that's it, of the workies. And the tax benefits.

 

[Nom de Forum]

Perhaps in some cases, but I'm not entirely convinced this is always true. While those games certainly do "introduce" young players to various firearms, they also have a tendency to instill misinformation about both the guns and shooting in general. My own youngest step-son is a prime example of a kid who "thinks" he knows a lot about various weapons systems based on what he's learned from video games. Turns out, he knows next to nothing of real useful knowledge. In spite of several attempts by his mother and I to introduce him to the real world of firearms, he has exhibited little to no interest in that reality ... because it's not as exciting as what he "experiences" through his games or action movies. I have a couple of shooting friends who have had similar experiences with their own children.

I certainly wouldn't recommend using video games to introduce young shooters to the world of firearms. Not based on my own experiences, anyway.

I agree. Another example of delusional belief in having skills not possessed are the guys playing Air Combat video games who comment on aviation forums about knowing some particular aircraft has capabilities that never existed in reality. It is incredible to read some of the stuff posted. It would be very similar to someone here posting that with his gun he can do what this guy does: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Nobody

 

[Nom de Forum]

Hollywood motion pictures are fostering more outright BS about firearms than anything else.
Video games are only helping kids(isn't only kids either) think they have skills they do not.
Don't be blaming Canadian movie makers for firearm fakery. That started in Hollywood. Movies made here are made here because of the low cost and, um, talent/skill, yeah that's it, of the workies. And the tax benefits.

I agree Hollywood is "fostering" much bovine excrement about guns.

I don't believed I was "blaming Canadian movie makers for firearm fakery", only using them as but one example of how gun movies can be made without real guns. I fully understand the reasons why so many Canadian productions are on U.S. cable/satellite television. I cannot escape not knowing that. My wife spends too much time watching them on Lifetime and Hallmark.

 

[vito]

I'm not sure how much influence any of the media have on people's gun issue positions. I grew up in a era where the Western was king, but on all of the Western TV shows, no one ever actually gets killed. Guns are used to shoot the bad guys gun out of his hand, or the hero uses a handgun on a galloping horse and shoots the bad guy just enough to wound him and stop him. Yet I did not grow up, nor did anyone I know, to think that guns could really be used that way. Even as kids we knew what was real and what was not.

What bugs me are the commercials for home security systems that show a woman and children home alone, an intruder breaks in, and she sets off the alarm. Not only does the intruder immediatey flee, but the phone rings seconds later with someone from the security company asking if the person needs help. It never shows the reality that the bad guy might not go running just because an alarm starts, that the call from the security company might not happen for several minutes, and if the police are called they will not arrive instantaneously. I wish the ads said something like "get our alarm system, and get a gun and learn how to use it to keep your family safe".

 

[C0untZer0]

Well watching The Walking Dead made me go out and buy more ammo, and a 26" Estwing axe,

and a 19" long screwdriver,

and an Estwing "Weight Forward" combat hammer,

and an Ontario Knife Company "Old Hickory" ice pick

 

[Nom de Forum]

Well watching The Walking Dead made me go out and buy more ammo, and a 26" Estwing axe,

and a 19" long screwdriver,

and an Estwing "Weight Forward" combat hammer,

and an Ontario Knife Company "Old Hickory" ice pick

You must be especially resistant to Hollyweird's manipulation. Your wallet remains relatively thick in comparison to those fanatics buying Colt Pythons to be just like Rick.

 

[RugerBob]

Rick is awesome in the roll. But most people who follow hollywood don't see much news.
When they do it's either right or left, seldom un biased.

 

[C0untZer0]

I wonder how many people in California who don't have a firearm even know that if they needed one they'd have to wait 10 days.

 

[Nom de Forum]

Many people claim Hollywood has not been much of an influence on them. Things I have read over the years insist that even people who do not see much of Hollywood's products are indirectly influenced by them. I think the influence of something so pervasive in our society is impossible to evade.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

I wonder how many people in California who don't have a firearm even know that if they needed one they'd have to wait 10 days.

Just the ones who do not believe in being prepared...

 

[jmace57]

Lord Teapot said: "video games are definitely helping the cause with young folks. i am an example of a raised-as-leftist, who was introduced to firearms, and subsequently previously unknown conservative viewpoints, via my experience playing fps games. other than those games i would not be here."

My son, who unfortunately has no interest in firearms, was visiting and when I opened my gun safe immediately said "oooh, a Mosin-Nagant...an M1-Garand...a 1911 Colt" - recognized them all from "Call of Duty".

 

[Leanwolf]

VITO - " ... I grew up in a era where the Western was king, but on all of the Western TV shows, no one ever actually gets killed. ..."

You must not have ever watched "Gunsmoke." Matt, Festus, Newly, used to burn down the outlaws with alacrity and dispatch.

L.W.

 

[JTHunter]

As for pro-gun Hollyweird types, let's not forget that Tom Selleck is/was an NRA board member and Gerald McRaney used to have a hunting show on cable.