What is Hollywood’s true agenda?

By Tom Quiner

Conservatives rail against the values depicted in entertainment that flows from Hollywood.

“They’re corrupting our nation!” is the outcry from the Right.

“Nah … they’re simply giving the public the entertainment they want. They’re simply in it for the buck, something you right wingers know somethin’ about” is the response from the Left.

“If no one watched, they’d stop making it. So don’t blame Hollywood, blame your next door neighbor” is the smug closing argument from Leftie.

I’m not so sure about that.

Do you remember a movie made in 2004 by the name of “The Passion of the Christ?” Hollywood railed against Mel Gibson for making the film. Mr. Gibson couldn’t get anyone to back it, so he put his own money on the line and paid for it himself.

Guess what? It grossed $611 million worldwide. (That’s $705 million in today’s dollars.)

If Hollywood is in it for the buck, why haven’t they produced a ton of high-quality Christian films since then? Let’s face it, Hollywood lives off of copying financially successful films. Why do you think they make sequel after sequel?

Profits. Nothing wrong with that.

So why aren’t they emulating Mr. Gibson’s monumental financial success?

I had a meeting last week with the Fleur Cinema about the possibility of staging a pro-life film festival there. The manager said one of the best films for the Fleur, financially speaking, was the acclaimed film, Bella, a film the pro-life community embraced and supported.

Bella was made by an independent studio and grossed four times its production budget.

Chew on that for a moment as we consider another controversial show:  MTV’s Skins.

MTV is the self-proclaimed “world’s premier youth entertainment brand.” Skins is a teen drama which utilizes actors under the age of 18. The show depicts sex, drugs, and teenagers acting inappropriately.

A recent show featuring teen nudity had to be edited to dodge child pornography laws.

Ratings are plummeting. Skins has lost half their viewership.

They’re losing advertisers in droves, including Subway, GM, Taco Bell, H & R Block, and Wrigley. A Taco Bell spokesperson said:

“We’ve decided that the show is not a fit for our brand and have moved our advertising to other MTV programming.”

So in light of the financial hit MTV is taking on Skins, are they ready to pull the plug? Just the opposite. They’re proudly sticking by it. They wish to proudly offend and alienate adults in advancing their hedonistic ethic.

Profits be damned.

Cinema is a magnificent artform. Television offers wonderful artistic opportunities. The market place has shown a hunger for quality programming.

Why is Hollywood so interested in creating morally objectionable entertainment that loses money?

Why is Hollywood so disinterested in creating uplifting entertainment that so consistently makes money?

What is their true agenda?