Table of Contents
Introduction
Hollywood has translated the idea of health to mean image. Image is known the catch word in the society, and that image is that presented by Hollywood’s actors who dominate the prominent place in driving the societal values. Hollywood has a unique Omni-presence in the world; thanks to the information and technological revolution that has swept across the world. Hollywood’s heavy investment in technology has given the much celebrated and aped industry an edge, which is the envy of both detractors and admirers of the motion pictures industry (Fowles, 1999).
This brief essay will show how the giant industry has contributed to the moral decay of the American public and the world at large. With adequate prove, this paper will highlight the artistic derailment that has been caused by the California based industry. The entertainment products of Hollywood are to be blamed for much of the country’s increasing crime rate and juvenile delinquency. This and much more will be highlighted in the discussion.
Hollywood’s negative impact on society
Hollywood has poured billions of dollars into its movies, television shows and into the state of the art technology to emerge one of the most successful industries, encompassing thousands of companies in this century. Because of the said investment it has had a monolithic and leviathical influence on the American society. This gigantic influence, instead of building the American society into what its founding fathers envisioned, is slowly but methodically destroying this great society and civilization (Gauntlett, 2005).
Morally, Hollywood’s products are degenerative. They glorify and immortalize violence as an acceptable way of life. Hollywood’s films are full of gunfights and knife fights that are morally poisonous to the youth, especially the vulnerable teenagers and young adults. The fact that the American youth grow up watching films like the Godfather that depict crime as a desirable way of life, is quite detrimental to the moral lives of these youngsters and it no wonder if they end up in crime (Potter 1999). The American society has in fact woken up to the morally destructive nature of Hollywood’ product as the same was a debate subject in the 2000 presidential elections.
In addition to glorifying violence, Hollywood has gone overboard in its shameless glorification of illicit sex. Hero and heroines must cap their act by engaging in some sexual escapades. It not surprising to find an entire film based on sex and explicit sex at that. This glorification of illicit sex on the screen defeats the purpose of sex in the society, especially the sacred place of sex on the marriage bed (Potter, 1999). Research has shown that this leads to many young people engaging in sex illicitly, and paying for it with guilt, teenage pregnancies and contraction of venereal diseases.
Culturally, Hollywood leads to depravation (Fowles, 1999). This because for one; Hollywood’s language is mostly vulgar. Language is the means of communication, and is intrinsic to the acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge is one of the major ways of preserving a culture. Thus the vulgar language of Hollywood impacts society negatively. It important to note that vulgar language was one of the chief reasons that made the American public to lose confidence in President Nixon and not only the cover up of the Watergate break ins.
Hollywood biases the public politically. This is because Hollywood tends to depict people from the Middle East negatively (Potter, 1999). This unnecessarily prejudices the American public against the said people, and leads to mutual mistrust between the said people and America. This political predilection is not healthy for political future of the country (Gauntlett, 2005).
Conclusion
America is at a precarious precipice. For over two hundred years since America’s declaration of independence; America has been a world leader in every sphere because of the strong moral and cultural values bequeathed to us by our forebears. Now we are about to destroy that because of failing morality, and our country’s most admired institution is party to that destruction. No wonder the cliché that ‘a great civilization can only be destroyed from within’ is true. Let us not, by uncritically endorsing and imbibing from Hollywood, destroy America.
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