Our reading on theater suggests that the entertainment industry had a certain amount of independence from politics. That is, they could subtly insert a message into their writing to critique or satirize the Cold War or Communism. However, this is not permanent, as we see playwright like Arthur Miller face HUAC's interrogations.
But also, the government seems to be catching on to the large sphere of influence that entertainment (especially film and television) can have over American thought. How does the government start to adapt media-like policies to send its own messages across? Why, then, does the government focus so strongly on education? Does the government see it as having a similar influence to entertainment? How so?
You got to get to the children. The children and newest generation is the most important. They are at a part in their life when molding and getting them to think differently is a lot easier. Entertainment is huge because children tend to gravitate to television and media with open minds. Entertainment can change their minds and change their outlook on the world. Same with education. As a student in elementary school, I remember thinking that everything the teacher told me was true. If the government could control what gets taught to the youth, they could shove as much propaganda and "politically correct" history lessons the kids and their families wont even know what hit them.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as if the government sends its message across in all kinds of media whether it was the increasingly popular television or art or anything else in this age because, as the article states, this era was a time of "accelerated consumerism" In other words, at this point in time people would buy into anything they heard or saw. Education was also the primary method of spreading the "american" thoughts/ideas because it targets the most vulnerable part of the population: the youth. This almost reminds me of the way the youth were exploited in Nazi Germany. Just like in Germany, the american children are extremely susceptible to all kinds of ideas and by educating children at a young age, government has the power to develop future generations that think and act in certain "americanized" and "anticommunist" ways.
ReplyDeleteEducation definitely is one of the major ways to spread ideas. When it comes to the youth, they will believe anything they hear and some will still have those beliefs as they get older. I love Nicki's comparison to Nazi Germany. Of course the government sees education as a way to influence the public; the government wants to be in control. One way the government started to adapt media-like qualities is by the Pledge of Allegiance being said in schools with the phrase "under God", because Communism was said to be "godless".
ReplyDeleteWhat Mitch said actually makes a lot of sense where you really have to get them young. ideas and ways of thought are established, in many ways, very young and education and forms of entertainment are huge factors in a child's life. And something that the government probably knew they could use was the commonality between school and lets say, a TV show are the morals to the story. You learn in history class what worked and what didn't and maybe the bad guys on television would be a communist so the kids get the idea without even knowing its being put into their heads.
ReplyDeleteMost successful campaigns to capture the general public are through extensive focus on the youth. They are the ones who are the most likely to accept a new idea, and will hold those ideas into the next generation.
ReplyDeleteA great example of this is advertising, throughout history and even still today. The products are things that the young have never seen before but they feel like they actually need them. It relates to the the ideas that they feel are necessary for society. Even though they are young and inexperienced, they will hold onto ideas for a long time which will make a big difference in a country.
Congress immediately lost trust in the television industry after the famous quiz show cheating scandal of 1958. More dishonesty in shows was revealed as the government began to deeply investigate. Regarding education, the reading explains how, "the federal government did not just concern itself with educating children, but also in educating the general public of the dangers of the Atomic Age." This period was the time of the famous "Duck and Cover" clip, which ensured children that they were safe if there was ever a nuclear war. I think the government sees education as a similar influence as entertainment because young children believe anything their teachers say. It doesn't say this anywhere in the reading, but it can be implied. Just like entertainment, if children are engaged and learning new things, they will believe what they are told.
ReplyDeleteMitch is definitely correct when he talks about how important children really are. Government has a very big opportunity to take ahold of the youth. They can talk all about these political concepts and what is right and whats wrong. The government can control it all. People don't realize the influence that children have. If they successfully control the children's culture, it will mean they have the entire next generation under their control.
ReplyDeleteEntertainment consumes the lives of millions of Americans, and messages can easily be slipped into entertainment to get people to think a certain way, without them realizing the gradual change in their way of thinking. As most said, the children are a key audience and one that is easily captivated and swayed. With children eventually becoming the wave of new voters, the government understands the importance of getting their messages across at a young age. Similar to advertisement agencies, the government knows the right way to frame their ideas to make them appeal to their target audiences.
ReplyDeleteJust like kids in China are required to join the Communist Youth up untill today, and the Hitler Youth during the world war ll era, kids from a young age have almost no distrust and just simply suck anything they were taught from their teacher and subtly internalize it before they even realize what is what. What the US government was thing is probably children were consider the potential future leaders of the capitalism and warriors to battling communism.
ReplyDeleteI've been sick so, I'm sorry this is late...
ReplyDeleteIf you want to convey messages and make people believe in something, there is no better way than to go over education. children's minds are easily shaped the way you want them to be, because they didn't have as much experience in their lives. It is easy to pull somebody on the anti-communist side, if this person hasn't been on a particular side before. Good example for this is, as already mentioned by others, the Hitler Youth.
Entertainment is another practical way, because it makes it possible to execute propaganda in a very subtle way, you can influence people by entertaining them and making them believe that the ideas they get from it rose from themselves. This is why in history, governments always used education and entertainment to convey ideas.
with regards to education, its is plain, simple, and equally despicable. We even in the modern age have been exposed to slightly if not completely indoctrinating ideas that are just now coming to light. If we are still exposed to it now, while to our knowledge the government isn't 'actively' pushing propaganda on us, then HUAC makes now look like we have been reading the most unbiased and inhumanly detailed accounts of human history (which hint hint they're not). If you can give your propaganda access to children, then in essence you've won. Due to our early years almost solidifying us as individuals and what we call upon to base our interpretations of facts and the world, just imagine being able to shape that to your will would do to a generation? Look no further than Nazi Germany, the crowning example of such malicious practices.
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