Finding the Limelight

Does Hollywood Still Embrace American Exceptionalism? This seems to be a rhetorical question. The answer is plain and simple: no. But a recent discussion at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) called on conservatives to challenge the system in order to preserve the culture.

It’s rare that Hollywood produces messages in favor of conservatism. More often than not, it would seem as though Hollywood, while claiming to be a form of mere entertainment, finds a way to incorporate hidden liberal meanings into its messages. This is far from the idea of American exceptionalism.

In less than a month HBO will premiere their film on Sarah Palin, Game Change. The movie will seek to demonize and vilify the former Alaska Governor and 2008 GOP Vice Presidential Candidate. Yet, how many people overlook the film The Undefeated, a pro-Palin documentary released in the summer of 2011. The film’s director, Steve Bannon, sat down at CPAC to discuss why Hollywood fails to embrace the notion of American exceptionalism.

According to Bannon, “There’s acts of commission and acts of omission,” when it comes to Hollywood. He explained, “Many people detest what makes America great.”

He said that “lived American values” are no longer part of Hollywood. Bannon explained three recent examples of Hollywood failing to stand on America’s side. The first in the group is the surge in Iraq that took place between 2004 and 2007. “Hollywood didn’t celebrate it,” he said. “Young Americans would lay down their lives for Sunnis… Even in The Hurt Locker, there’s no show of patriotism there,” Bannon argued.

The second example he referenced was Avatar. “Anybody who paid for that ticket ought to call themselves out,” he said to the crowd. “Conservatives have whined about this movie,” but explained that whining is not what conservatism is about.

Due to his close work in directing The Undefeated, Bannon has spent significant time studying the constant ridicule of the conservative voice. “It’s not her they detest. It’s you,” he said explaining that the “mainstream” can’t stand the idea of conservatism. “We’re losing our country and the reason we’re losing it is because we’re losing our culture.”

Chuck Woolery’s familiar face brought some hope to the panel’s conversation as he pointed out the thing that makes America different is its “pioneering spirit.” The former “Wheel of Fortune” and “Love Connection” host represents a Hollywood face that actually does embrace American exceptionalism. Woolery recently released a series of videos on YouTube that shed light on the ironies of the liberal mindset.

According to Woolery, “Hollywood has become the spoon that feeds us. We have to be careful and work very hard.”

Ben Shapiro, a young columnist and the driving force behind Benjamin Shapiro Legal Consulting, explained, “We are defined by our culture. We are impacted by the television and movies… If you want to bring change, you have to work with the culture.”

Shapiro referenced the fact that narrative matters to the American public. This is why he thinks Hollywood has been so successful. “When Hollywood does something, the American public follows.” Shapiro said that since he is from California and withparents who have been involved in production, he can safely claim that“Hollywood is certainly putting messages in their programming.”

Bannon explained that he doesn’t foresee any changes in Hollywood anytime soon – unless the American public acts that is. “Conservatism won’t happen in the studio system, it has to happen at the individual level.” He gave credit to Mel Gibson for his 2004 production of The Passion of the Christ. Bannon said that if people want to support conservatism in Hollywood they should go see movies like the upcoming action film, Act of Valor. “If it makes more money, then they’ll make more like that,” he said. The film touts family, honor, and freedom and stars a team of active duty Navy Seals.

Shapiro seems to think that the only way to stop Hollywood, or at least change it, is to stop putting money into it. “Until we put our money where out mouth is, we can stop complaining.” He urged people who want to make real change to take their opinions to Hollywood. He encouraged conservative students not to sign up for internships with conservative think tanks but to instead go spend time in Hollywood to find a way to challenge and fit their message into the content.

He said, “The conservative movies we make are in your face. We have to slide our messages into movies.”

Jocelyn Grecko is an intern at the American Journalism Center, a training program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia. Jocelyn has spent the past four years in the nation’s capital as a Media Studies undergraduate student at The Catholic University of America. She will graduate in May 2012.

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