Blaming media for the actions of a few lunatics is a tale as old as time. In the 80s "satanic panic" the media was pushing the narrative that heavy metal and dungeons and dragons were turning all the kids into devil worshipping axe murderers.
Movies certainly can be, and often are, propaganda designed to persuade the audience in a political direction. However, I've never believed that abdicates personal responsibility for one's actions. Blaming media for people's actions leads down a dark path. That's how you end up with UK style censorship and oppression of free speech. That people are powerless to resist the sway of "bad" ideas and so presenting those bad ideas in a public forum becomes a crime.
Further, in the summer of 2020 love, the riots were perpetrated by more than just a few lunatics. (The chaos was also seeded by undercover cops, happened only in Federal Reserve cities, in poor neighbourhoods to be bought up and renovated.)
Half of everyone is stupider than average - so it doesn't really take much peer pressure to untrain citizens into problems. We need to recognize patterns, trends, and impacts. Media analysis and cautionary lessons are necessary to understand how to avoid or deal with the extremes of incendiary content and censorship.
Calling it out is not where it ends.
Unless we have millions to produce a "good" movie or few, the masses will always be at the mercy of the ethics presented and consumed. Fortunately we can also use alternative and indie media. We need to call out the "bad" ideas and, to your point, also point out that more bad ideas (censorship, etc.) will not make it right.
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Blaming media for the actions of a few lunatics is a tale as old as time. In the 80s "satanic panic" the media was pushing the narrative that heavy metal and dungeons and dragons were turning all the kids into devil worshipping axe murderers.
Movies certainly can be, and often are, propaganda designed to persuade the audience in a political direction. However, I've never believed that abdicates personal responsibility for one's actions. Blaming media for people's actions leads down a dark path. That's how you end up with UK style censorship and oppression of free speech. That people are powerless to resist the sway of "bad" ideas and so presenting those bad ideas in a public forum becomes a crime.
I agree.
Further, in the summer of 2020 love, the riots were perpetrated by more than just a few lunatics. (The chaos was also seeded by undercover cops, happened only in Federal Reserve cities, in poor neighbourhoods to be bought up and renovated.)
Half of everyone is stupider than average - so it doesn't really take much peer pressure to untrain citizens into problems. We need to recognize patterns, trends, and impacts. Media analysis and cautionary lessons are necessary to understand how to avoid or deal with the extremes of incendiary content and censorship.
Calling it out is not where it ends.
Unless we have millions to produce a "good" movie or few, the masses will always be at the mercy of the ethics presented and consumed. Fortunately we can also use alternative and indie media. We need to call out the "bad" ideas and, to your point, also point out that more bad ideas (censorship, etc.) will not make it right.