It's not "just a movie" or "just entertainment" - it is powerful propaganda

[.38 Special]

I can just about guarantee you that the average American spends more time watching television than he does reading the Encyclopedia Britannica. That would mean that, yes, the average person gets a large portion of his facts from television and movies. Not all of them, but a lot of them.

Do you spend more time in the encyclopedia than in front of the TV? I surely don't, but I am perfectly capable of understanding that entertainment shows on TV are not good sources of fact.

The human trait of assuming that the "average person" is significantly different from you continues to fascinate me.

 

[Golden Hound]

I watch TV once a year - when the World Series is on. I watch it with my dad at his house. My TV isn't hooked up to the cable. If I see anything on TV at any time other than that, it's because there's a TV on in someone else's house. Also, this year I watched the presidential debates. Other than that, no TV.

 

[.38 Special]

Well that makes you smarter than me, anyway.

Where do I report for reeducation?

<edit> Although hopefully you were smart enough to avoid taking anything seen on the presidential debates as fact.

 

[Golden Hound]

I don't think that TV makes people stupid - it's just that it provides a lot of opportunities for people who are ill-informed to get the wrong information. Ergo, if they don't understand firearms, how they work, how they are useful, the laws surrounding them, et cetera, then the mis-information on television will fill in the gaps for them. So, you'll have a bunch of people who think that AK-47s are the weapon of choice for gangsters because they see it on TV.

 

[.38 Special]

Which again brings us right back to the idea that the average person is so stupid that he or she will hear something on the Simpsons and take it as fact. Even though you wouldn't and neither would I.

 

[danweasel]

Oh Lord...

 

[Golden Hound]

The average KID might take something on the Simpsons as fact.

As for adults, I'm not really talking about cartoons with them so much as I am other forms of entertainment like movies and televison shows.

.38, you have got to win some kind of award for missing my point over and over again.

 

[AllAmerican]

Hmmmm. Family Guy and South Park are 2 of my favorite shows.

 

[Old Dog]

This statement caught my eye ...

... I am perfectly capable of understanding that entertainment shows on TV are not good sources of fact.

You may understand this ... but I believe that what's happening in many courtrooms today somewhat underscores the basis of the OP's thesis, and that is what's become known as the "CSI effect," where these juries composed of your "average citizens" seemingly can't understand why what they experience in court doesn't match up with how forensics is depicted on television ... and not a few people in the law enforcement and legal professions are concerned that this impacts not a few verdicts.

I understand what the OP is saying and share his concern about the entertainment industry's bias, but as some have noted, there's no one we can "denounce" all the nonsense to ... It all comes down to educating our kids.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

The O.P. is exactly correct; thank you.

 

[Leanwolf]

SINIXSTAR - "It's a conspiracy."

Well, not really. Not within the definition of "conspiracy." "An agreement to perform together an illegal, treacherous, or evil act...," but the denigration of gun owners and firearms at large, the lies and half lies constantly put forth in flicks and on teeeveee shows, yes, it is very deliberate.

I have been since early 1973, and am presently a current member of the Writers Guild of America, west. I've written many episodes for primetime network shows and also syndicated shows on teeeveee, mainly in the cops-'n-robbers genre. I've had one feature script produced for "big screen." (There are a couple of people on this forum who know I am not B.S'ing.)

I know many writers, directors, producers, actors, etc., who are as anti-firearms and Second Amendment as one can get. That is most of Hollywood. I've discussed and debated the issue many times with these people, and got literally nowhere. They have, in the main, been brainwashed from the crib to today by their parents, their teachers, college professors, the media, their peers, etc. They feed on each other's prejudices and reinforce their ignorance and hatred of not only firearms, but "the unwashed," so to speak, who own firearms and "prevent" "meaningful, reasonable, common sense" gun laws.

Facts, truth, real statistics, the Bill of Rights, are meaningless to them. In their idealism and blinding denial, they are locked into believing that "guns are evil," and "if we just get rid of guns, criminals won't be criminals," and "the world will be at peace."

It's a fantasy world in which they believe and no matter what, there is a happy ending with all living happily ever after. Why?? Well... 'cause the script writer wrote that happy ending on page 119, so all's well that ends well.

What is the answer?? Hell, I don't know. After 45 years of trying to convince my peers of the truth, using reason, facts, etc., I know that it is almost impossible to change the convoluted, naive, childlike media members, not only Hollywood, but the other members of the print medium, etc.

Anyone who thinks that movies, teeeveee, etc., are not extremely powerful propaganda tools to influence masses of people... never heard of Adolph Hitler, V.I. Lenin, Joe Stalin, etc.

That's just my take on it. Wish I could be more positive, but in my opinion, it ain't a'gonna change.

L.W.

 

[.38 Special]

As for adults, I'm not really talking about cartoons with them so much as I am other forms of entertainment like movies and televison shows.

You singled out Simpsons and Family Guy repeatedly in your OP. But so be it. We'll ignore the cartoons. So a question, open to answer from you or anyone else: if you see an actor on ER say that 360 joules is the appropriate level for the initial defibrillation attempt, do you accept it as fact? Or do you understand that this is make-believe and may or not be accurate?

.38, you have got to win some kind of award for missing my point over and over again.

There's a difference between "not getting it" and "not buying it".

 

[Joe Demko]

I don't buy it, either.

 

[Golden Hound]

So a question, open to answer from you or anyone else: if you see an actor on ER say that 360 joules is the appropriate level for the initial defibrillation attempt, do you accept it as fact? Or do you understand that this is make-believe and may or not be accurate?

I've never seen actually seen ER, but I would have to say that I would assume it to be true, because I would assume that a television show completely dedicated to the work of doctors in a hospital would try to get something like that accurate. I would assume that they have consultants and other people that give them information to make it as accurate as possible.

The difference here is that a television show, or television writers and producers, would not have an anti-defibrillator agenda. They would have no reason to consciously put out incorrect information about how defibrillators work. But it IS possible for people to have an anti-gun agenda and to thus deliberately put out incorrect information about how guns work.

I would say there are probably even fewer people out there who really know about defibrillators than there are who know about guns. So maybe a lot of people are getting incorrect information about the energy of a defibrillator. OK, fine. That's kind of bad, in the sense that I think that movies and shows should strive for realism, but I can live with it. In the case of firearms, we have a RIGHT, in the constitution, that is closer and closer to slipping away each day, especially with our next president. And so every bit of gun misinformation out there matters eminently.

 

[.38 Special]

I hope you warmed up before attempting that stretch. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself!

 

[Golden Hound]

What exactly is your point?

I have pretty clearly outlined mine. I'm still trying to figure out yours. I could definitely do without the sarcasm. What are you trying to say here, beyond a very nebulous and vague accusation of me "thinking that everyone else is stupid?"

If you're not going to agree with me, fine. Don't agree with me. But your opinion is obviously in the minority here.

I'm trying to keep this thread gun-related by bringing up specific things as they relate to peoples' perceptions of firearms and how they can be changed and influenced by film and television. You bringing up some weird analogy about a defibrillator is not on track here.

This thread is not about whether or not people accept every single thing that they see on TV as fact. This thread is specifically about the portrayal of GUNS in entertainment. Do you have anything to contribute to that topic?

 

[MIL-DOT]

I read some, but not nearly every post in this thread, so apologies if this this has been touched on already.
All I can say is that I can almost completely and totally guarantee that anyone that would say, "It's just a movie, so it doesn't matter," would be the very first to scream bloody murder if these shows were advocating a point of view that they deemed racist. All of a sudden, it wouldn't simply be
"entertainment that has no real impact", it would now be, "hate speech that is influencing society and poisoning the minds of our children".
Well,they can't have it both ways.
The video media is among the most powerful and potentially destructive forces in our society, and "the Left" dominates 90% of it. But boy do they pitch a fit over that other 10%.
Sinixstar, I'm guessing you have brilliant something to say.

 

[.38 Special]

What exactly is your point?

That the average person is not stupid enough to believe that things presented on entertainment shows are necessarily factually accurate.

I have pretty clearly outlined mine. I'm still trying to figure out yours. I could definitely do without the sarcasm. What are you trying to say here, beyond a very nebulous and vague accusation of me "thinking that everyone else is stupid?"

I don't see that accusation as being either nebulous or vague.

If you're not going to agree with me, fine. Don't agree with me. But your opinion is obviously in the minority here.

Argumentum ad populum.

I'm trying to keep this thread gun-related by bringing up specific things as they relate to peoples' perceptions of firearms and how they can be changed and influenced by film and television. You bringing up some weird analogy about a defibrillator is not on track here.

Which is why you wrote up a couple of hundred words addressing it?

This thread is not about whether or not people accept every single thing that they see on TV as fact. This thread is specifically about the portrayal of GUNS in entertainment. Do you have anything to contribute to that topic?

If you were only interested in hearing from folks who agree with you, you should have said so right up front. Could have saved a lot of effort...

 

[Golden Hound]

OK. You are entitled to your opinion. Thank you for making it more clear.

 

[MIL-DOT]

(QUOTE)"That the average person is not stupid enough to believe that things presented on entertainment shows are necessarily factually accurate."

I believe the average person IS "stupid enough to believe that things presented on entertainment shows are necessarily factually accurate".
I'll let our most recent election serve as a prime example. And yes, I'm counting most of our major news programs as "entertainment shows".

 

[danweasel]

I was watching the Simpsons the other day and Homer shot out his bedroom light at night. I do the same thing now! Because I am exactly the type of far-fetched moron that this post is afraid of!

The message presented in "Dirty Sexy Money" forced me to make a lot of illegal investments! Good thing I have also watched "Prison Break"!

 

[MIL-DOT]

(QUOTE)" I was watching the Simpsons the other day and Homer shot out his bedroom light at night. I do the same thing now! Because I am exactly the type of far-fetched moron that this post is afraid of!"

That post was totally stupid and shows a complete misunderstanding of what's actually being discussed. No one here thinks that any TV viewer believes there's really a guy in a red shirt named Gilligan stranded on a desert isle somewhere. The point is that a frighteningly large percentage of people DO adopt views and attitudes from what they see on the boob-tube, and that those views are suspiciously consistent.

 

[Just Jim]

Got to laugh real hard here, a real belly laugh.

That the average person is not stupid enough to believe that things presented on entertainment shows are necessarily factually accurate.

Heck the news isn't factually accurate yet still over 50 million people voted for BHO the gun grabber. You got a real stretch there telling me people are not stupid. Vote for a man that is going to steal your guns just because he looked good on TV...

I also get tired of liberals who say we have to reach across the isle if we want to keep our rights. McCain reached across and lost, just the same as we will. We need to protect our rights not deminish them.

jj

 

[HeavenlySword]

You do realize the average IQ in america is around 87...

 

[Joe Demko]

If you believe that the average person is that stupid, then I don't understand your motivation in wanting to continue making guns easily available to them. It seems to me that anybody as stupid as Mil-Dot and Golden Hound believe the average American to be can't be trusted with a gun. Why on Urth aren't you guys pushing for reasonable restrictions_tied to IQ_on gun ownership? Then wicked smart fellows like you would have guns while the great mass of dumbasses i.e. everybody else wouldn't be endangering themselves or you.