Death of Drama

Over at BigHollywood.com, S.T. Karnick discusses the decline of drama movies in America due to their politicization by Hollywood leftists.

I'd say he's right but that this isn't a new trend. The Drama Movies of the 60s and 70s were arguably left-leaning because playwrights have been producing progressive plays for decades and its easier for Hollywood to adapt than create.

But this is nitpicking. Mr. Karnick points out that genres such as Comedy and Action have been successful because they offer the escapism folks want. While there is a chicken and the egg element to this argument, the deep basic fact about comedies, westerns, sci-fi and action movies is the heart of their genres revolve around basic human conditions. Around the overwhelming question of "How do you behave as a human being after being kicked in the groin (comedy), facing a gunfight (western), in outer space or dangling from suspension bridge while fighting spies?"

Fight or flight, love or hate, laugh or cry, those are the deep core reactions to human situations found in well crafted films of all genres. However, writers of comedy and action movies must inevitably go to the right in certain genres like the individualism inherent in the "we must do something" of most action movies.

Now like comedies, sci-fi and action films, Ancient Greek dramas struggled with the concept of the "tragic flaw" as a deep core value that must be maintained or violated in the face of an extraordinary situation. The truth that makes you laugh or the struggle for right that drives action, these are the great-great-great-great grandchildren of Ancient Greek Dramas.

These deep cores are tossed down the drains of the kitchen sink in modern dramatic plays and films. Modern Drama politicized and devolved into political propaganda for the leftwing progressive movement decades ago. And every few years, they get bolder and bolder, until we are "stuck" with the repugnant dross on film screens today.

Or not.

What leftwing Hollywood does not understand is that they are the ones out-of-touch. They are the ones with the poor values and bad taste, not the American consumer. These modern drama films fail to make box office because Hollywood no longer asks "how will this play in Peoria?" but "how will this play in Manhattan's West Village Angelika theater?"

In short, Hollywood no longer values mainstream America. Filmmakers no longer wonder if their parents or grandparents or children can watch the film they are making. They are only interested in performing an intellectual/creative circle jerk with their like-minded friends.

Then they wonder why their modern dramas do not make money and blame the consumer for not swallowing their money shots.

This intellectual/creative self-pleasuring is rampant throughout all creative industries. I stopped being an advertising copywriter because I was nauseated by the complete lack of interest in actually selling product. You see it every day on TV and in print.

Seriously, who wants to eat a sandwich that came out of an oven that implies it gets sexual gratification from toasting said sandwich? Eeeew!

Journalists have decided their opinion is more important than the facts. Advertising is failing to do its job and sell product. Fiction no longer sells in bookstores compared to cookbooks, self-help, and non-fiction because fiction is as out of touch as the Modern Dramatic movie is.

Theater, film, journalism and schools are the major tools of propaganda in any socialist state and we've let them creep into our own great America without a fight.

Yet we can fight back.

When we take no place no value on this leftwing-propaganda-disguised-as-entertainment, when we do not buy movie tickets to such weak fare, then we are taking positive steps towards free thinking liberty where choices and values are more diverse than Hollywood can possibly imagine.