Comments on: Penny Wong a Climate Change Skeptic?

By: TerjeP (say tay-a)

TerjeP (say tay-a) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 12:00:36 +0000

I saw Avatar tonight (in 3D at the IMAX in Darling Harbour). I thought it was a great movie even if some of the narrative was a bit black and white and some of the characters a bit 2 dimensional (to counter the 3D effects perhaps). Clearly the whole gaia thing was a bit weird but if mountains can float then why not trees that channel spirits.

By: Tim R

Tim R — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 04:20:20 +0000

I agree with Shem. The leftist propaganda isn’t a deliberate conspiracy or anything. Hollywood is simply now dominated by writers/producers/directors/actors whose morality aligns with leftist ideology. And a person’s morality usually comes out in their art even when this is not the main intention of the art.

Here’s an example article of how left wing hollywood propaganda goes so far it attempts to distort history http://www.brookesnews.com/100102che.html
Written by author Humberto Fontova http://www.hfontova.com/
His style is over the top (eg/ lots of argument ad captandum) but I think overall he’s making very good points.

By: Yobbo

Yobbo — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:32:10 +0000

In the comments it’s brought up. It’s not so much a libertarian film as an individualist one. But it’s still cool.

By: Fleeced

Fleeced — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:32:41 +0000

I didn’t see The Incredibles on the list – that’s an excellent family movie celebrating individual excellence, and decrying what the main hero refers to as the “celebration of mediocrity”

By: Tim R

Tim R — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:26:52 +0000

Hollywood has been left leaning since the 60s. I think people are so used to it now, it’s not even noticed.

Re: list. Brazil is probably my favourite movie ever and I love Dark City and Firefly too.

By: rogerthesurf

rogerthesurf — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:25:22 +0000

There might be global warming or cooling but the important issue is whether we, as a human race, can do anything about it.

There are a host of porkies and not very much truth barraging us everyday so its difficult to know what to believe.

I think I have simplified the issue in an entertaining way on my blog which includes some issues connected with climategate and “embarrassing” evidence.

In the pipeline is an analysis of the economic effects of the proposed emission reductions. Watch this space or should I say Blog

http://www.rogerfromnewzealand.wordpress.com

Please feel welcome to visit and leave a comment.

Cheers

Roger

By: Yobbo

Yobbo — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:00:14 +0000

Btw reason has a nice list of right-leaning sci-fi flicks here, to wash the avatar taste away.

http://reason.com/blog/2010/01/12/liberals-and-libertarians-at-t

By: Shem Bennett

Shem Bennett — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:58:58 +0000

I guess it depends on what you mean by propaganda.

I think Hollywood directors and producers make messages that align with their own sense of morality and their own biases. And they often do that to try with the knowledge that it can influence others.

But I’d call that soft-propaganda at best. Unless you include Michael Moore and similar documentaries (from both sides) which are clearly propaganda in nature.

By: Yobbo

Yobbo — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:44:23 +0000

I don’t think Hollywood is deliberately pumping out propaganda

Well that isn’t true at all. They always have done and it’s usually been one sided. There are a few propagandists from the right (Clint Eastwood, Parker/Stone and Mel Gibson are a few examples) but hollywood has a long history of message movies from the left.

By: Shem Bennett

Shem Bennett — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:57:54 +0000

I agree, Fermista. I think that quite often it’s the non-aggression message that people respond to, but because it’s wrapped in environmentalist packaging people start believing in other environmentalist messages.

A lot of people that support left-wing causes aren’t deeply left-wing in their convictions. Sure they hate homophobes and Christian bigots. Sure they think that the colonisation of Australia was bad. But they aren’t incompatible with libertarianism.

I thought the Na’vi were over-glorified noble savages, that were dumb and stubborn to not trade. And I wish the corporation could have been shown in a more favourable light (maybe Unobtainium actually has a property that allows it to help in the treatment of cancer). But overall I found the decision of the Na’vi legitimate and the destruction of their property illegitimate.

I don’t think Hollywood is deliberately pumping out propaganda, I think a lot of directors have just been convinced that the world really is in trouble. So they are telling stories about the immediate future (as they see it).