Movies Have Consequences

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

In 2012, I wrote an article about smoking and tobacco usage in movies. In the article, I cited research and figures from the American Medical Association (AMA), which stated that “Smoking in Movies Accounts for Nearly Half of All Smoking.” The AMA found that more young people were coming under the influence of tobacco because of the movies that seemed to glorify smoking and tobacco usage. The facts are evident due to the research. Unfortunately, the links I included in that original article no longer exist. Here is at least one other article that supports the findings of the AMA: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3616269/ (accessed 8/02/19)

So what did the AMA do when they discovered the connection between tobacco incidents in movies and young people starting to experiment with tobacco? They took their studies and findings to the producers in Hollywood. They showed them the facts and asked them to cut back on tobacco usage in movies and television. The AMA found a direct cause of increased tobacco usage among young people and Hollywood was part of the problem.

Hollywood actually agreed with the AMA and began dialing back the usage of cigarette smoking and other incidence of tobacco usage in an effort to combat the problem of young people starting to take up the practice of tobacco usage. Problem solved?

Not completely, but it certainly helped. It still boggles my mind when I see young people smoking cigarettes or “vaping,” today. Don’t they understand that it’s dangerous to their health? Sure they do, but they still see their celeb role models lighting up and they think, “that’s cool” so they try it and they also think cancer will never happen to them.

But aside from the fact that the AMA found a direct connection between the incidences of tobacco usage in movies and young people taking up the tobacco habit, it seems we’ve learned nothing since then, especially where violence in movies comes into play.

If tobacco usage in movies was found to have caused many young people to start on the road to tobacco usage in numerous forms, (some as young as 13), why can we not say the same thing about the fact that violence has not only gotten worse in movies, but the amount of gun play and level of blood, guts, and trauma leave absolutely nothing to the imagination and also has an impact on the minds of people in society? Wouldn’t this be a fair assessment? Why hasn’t this same AMA or other group(s) done studies on the level of gun play and violence in movies and asked Hollywood to reel it all back in?

I recently watched a movie starring Keanu Reeves with my adult son. The level of violence was absolutely appalling to me. I noticed my son didn’t really bat an eye because his generation has gotten used to it. I can compare and see the difference between what existed when I was a kid, teen or young adult and what exists today. It’s not just that people are shot (and there were lots of people shot in the movie). It’s the absurdity of all the gore, trauma and blood that literally splashed continuously onto the screen!

How can anyone in society watch a constant barrage of uber-violent movies week after week and not be adversely affected and desensitized by it? Heroes have become “anti-heroes” today. Reeves’ character was an assassin who was yes, trying to get out of it, but in the process, had to fight against many other assassins who were all trying to kill him for a fee. He is seen as “good guy” in the movie.

So what’s the problem? Bad guys going after bad guys and getting their just desserts. The problem is that nothing is left to the imagination anymore. Gallons of fake blood, special effects used to create realistic wounds and trauma, and a generally dark atmosphere in these movies all creates an advertisement that not only desensitizes viewers to the violence, gore and gun play, but also makes some want to try to emulate the anti-hero of the movie. This sort of mass brainwashing occurs daily in our society thanks to Hollywood.

In case anyone hasn’t noticed, there are people in society who are not all there in their minds. They walk on the edge between dark and light; sanity and insanity. They might appear normal to us but how much does it take to send them over the edge if/when they watch movie after movie that glorifies violence, gore and gun play?

I recall one celeb testifying before Congress a number of years back about gun violence in society. He said something to the effect that there’s no correlation between societal violence and what is produced in movies and on TV. Either he was willfully lying or is completely out of touch because for better or worse, movies and television at their heart are all advertisements. Society changes based on what is presented on celluloid.

Has society become so acclimated to violence and gore that it needs more of it constantly? I recently watched a 2016 movie that was star-studded. Had an interesting plot to it and was fun to watch. It received negative reviews and bombed at the box office. Why? It is likely that even though it included some violence, it wasn’t gory and over the top. Things were left to the imagination. The movie didn’t take itself too seriously and was lighter fare than most. Result? People weren’t interested. They want gore, uber-violence, sexual situations that leave nothing to the imagination. They want extremely dark movies because this is what they’ve been spoon fed for too long. They’re bored with anything less.

Many to most superhero movies and TV shows today are often dark and violent. It seems to be what society thrives on. I hold out no hope for a Batman movie that will pattern itself after the Batman of the Detective Comics from DC. It’s all about the “Dark Knight,” yet Batman wasn’t “dark” until that persona was introduced by Frank Miller. A new “Joker” movie is coming out that also appears very dark.

People constantly moan, groan and complain about all the gun violence in the USA and the world even though a person is more likely to die of cancer or car crash than a bullet. These same people never place any of the blame where it belongs: on Hollywood. If doctors were so concerned about the impact and influence Hollywood had on young people where tobacco was concerned, why are we allowing Hollywood to be free from responsibility where violence, gore and gun play is concerned?

Every time a mass shooting takes place, like the one recently at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, which was a “gun free zone,” or at a Mississippi Walmart, the go-to response is to call for “gun reform” or more “anti-gun laws” to go into effect. People stupidly think that more laws will make a difference when it is clear that they don’t. Since when has the law against murder stopped anyone who really wanted to kill someone from killing them? We have millions of laws in America against murder, assault, theft, not using cell phones while driving, speeding, littering, etc. Since when do these laws keep people from breaking them? They don’t. They only remind law-abiding citizens what not to do and law-abiding citizens normally comply. Those who couldn’t care less don’t comply.

The shooter in Gilroy is said to have legally bought a long rifle in Nevada. I’m not sure how, unless he was a legal resident of Nevada. He was too young to buy one in California. If he was a legal resident of California, he would not have been able to go to Nevada and buy a rifle in person and walk out with the gun. He would have needed it sent to an FFL gun dealer. Once arrived, he would have had to pay the transfer fee. However, the gun dealer would’ve likely balked in handing that rifle to the shooter because he was not old enough buy or own a long rifle in California since the age to purchase in California is now 21 and he was only 19.

Moreover, if he lived in Nevada and legally bought the gun there, it would have been illegal I believe for him to transport that gun into California. Moreover, to gain entrance into the Gilroy Fest, he used bolt cutters to cut through the fence to avoid security, where they would have searched him and found the gun. In other words, he broke numerous laws by illegally possessing a long rifle in California for his age, for destroying private property (the fence he cut through), and for illegally bringing a gun into an area clearly marked “gun free.” He broke the law to carry out his murderous rampage. What law would’ve prevented that? No law because he clearly did not care about the law.

Laws do not keep people from breaking them. Consciences do that. We live in the country off a dirt road. I pick up litter monthly. Why? Because people do whatever they want, whatever is convenient for them; beer cans, bottles, fast food wrappers and cups. cigarette packages, receipts, etc. But aren’t there laws that prohibit littering? Yes, and signs are posted as well noting big fines if you’re caught. That doesn’t stop people if they think they can get away with something. It happens all the time. Watch a few “bad driver” videos and you’ll see just how self-centered to stupid people are about the laws of driving. In this state it is against the law to even hold your cell phone while driving. It is amazing how many people I see in their cars holding their phones to their ears.

But the Left echoes the sentiment “if only there were more anti-gun laws!” They think more laws will make a difference and they want us to think they care about human life. They actually believe that gun confiscation will make a difference but these same people argue against the death penalty because they say it makes no difference. They’re wrong on both counts. These are also the same people who demand abortion up until the very moment of birth. Is life valuable or not? It cannot be both ways.

Hollywood is a major part of the problem society faces. The constant stream of movies and television shows that put gore, violence and gun play in front of us all the time has tremendous negative consequences, consequences Hollywood, most celebs and even politicians refuse to acknowledge. It is corrupting society.

People have become so desensitized to gore, violence and gun play on the screen that it’s ready for the next level. My only concern is what is that level?! It’s scary to consider because of the quality of graphically realistic effects. Hollywood should be dialing it back, but instead pushes onward with more gore, more violence and more gun play that will further desensitize and exploit the next generation of movie/TV watchers than this current generation. They’ve know if they dial it back, their movies will “flop” so they keep pushing the edge.

Hollywood has changed the way people think and it has not done so in a good way. It promotes ungodliness, evil and vile themes. It is not healthy at all.

Unplug from today’s Hollywood.

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective