Robert J. Avrech: Emmy Award winning screenwriter. Religious Zionist. Republican. Movie fanatic. Gun owner. Helplessly and hopelessly in love with my wife since age nine.
Hollywood has always exerted a powerful influence over popular culture, from fashion, to make-up, and now to radical leftist politics.
Hollywood movies are the most powerful tools of social and political propaganda the world has ever known. Think about it: America wins wars only when Hollywood believes in them and puts itself squarely behind America’s war effort. During World War II, every studio in Hollywood backed the Allied effort against the Axis. Hollywood’s stars raised money for war bonds, and studios produced films that went all out for freedom and liberty against the tyranny of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Hollywood played a huge role in America’s victory.
Contrast Vietnam. Hollywood, which was overwhelmingly anti-war, produced a series of movies that undermined the American effort against the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. America lost Vietnam. Hollywood knew that with a few clever, glossy films (such as “Coming Home” (’78), starring Jane Fonda) and their carefully-manufactured imagery, it could undermine American foreign policy and turn heroic GIs into psychotic baby-killers.
In our times, Hollywood has made about a dozen movies that argue against America’s military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not one of them was profitable, but the damage was done. America withdrew from both fronts. Islamic tyrannies will fill the vacuum — and Hollywood will never take notice or assume any responsibility.
Over the past few weeks Seraphic Secret has been changing over to Word Press. We have also moved to a new and faster server. In the next few days you will notice other updates. Our comments section now utilizes the excellent Intense Debate which allows readers to reply directly to one another.
Seraphic Secret will also introduce all those neat little social networking widgets that make connectivity so, um, connective.
In the switch, unfortunately, some comments have been lost and yesterday’s post, Haunted Hollywood, was mysteriously consigned to cyberspace, a spectral blog.
Sigh.
Seraphic Secret was born in May 2004. We have grown and changed in more ways than we can count. Karen and I hope that this new format will please our readers and make the Seraphic Secret experience positively seraphic.
There will be glitches—there always are—but we thank all our readers for their patience. We are, as Orson Welles used to tell his radio audience, your humble servant.
Much thanks to Terry “Trip” Trippany who has worked tirelessly to bring this blog into its new format.
Karen and I wish all our friends and relatives a glitch-free and inspirational Shabbat.
