Hollywood: Nuts & Bolts

The reason entertainment, particularly Hollywood, lionizes liberal presidents comes down to the basic principal of geography. Where is Hollywood? The great state of “fruits & nuts:” California. California is largely a liberal and democratic state. Although there are some areas that may be more conservative due to the wealth in California, the state is considered a blue state.

Long before film was considered to have a political nature, a man by the name of Eadweard Muybridge strung together a series of images and projected them to make The Horse in Motion (1878), considered to be the first movie ever made. There’s no underlying political message hidden in this clear-cut movie (as far as I know) but the roots of Hollywood span from a man, although originally from England, mainly resided in San Francisco, California. Another example of the early beginnings of film leaning towards a liberal persuasion is one of the first controversial political movies Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939.) Although the viewpoint may not have been considered liberal at the time, those issues recognized in the movie would today fit the depiction of liberal ideals today.

Is Hollywood liberal because the roots of industry were largely a liberal people starting an unbroken wave of liberalism in movies? Or did Hollywood start out unaffiliated and became liberal when the artists and free thinkers migrated there because that’s where the industry began? That’s similar to asking the age old question of “which came first, the chicken or the egg?”

Are there any movies that portray a conservative president in a good light? Not any that I can recall. There may be a few comedies that lash back at liberal portrayals, such as An American Carol (2008) which finished 9th in box offices it’s opening weekend (ouch!) Or movies that hide the heroism of conservative presidents - or so Andrew Klavan says about The Dark Knight (2008) although I tend to disagree- but none that blatantly try to portray a conservative president in the Hollywood glow that liberal presidents are cast into.

The basic truth is that entertainment is largely rooted in liberalism and intended to entertain a highly liberal audience. There are just no trends that allow room for conservative views (and presidents) in Hollywood.

Beth Goin