To Boldly Go...
Liberal friends of mine used to love to watch The Left Wing. Oh wait, I mean The West Wing. They would dream of what it would be like to have a liberal president. Some of them, especially the physicians, now know to be careful what to wish for.
Hollywood has a left wing slant. It is reinforced with a politically correct attitude. Any movie dealing with political issues is immediately "critically acclaimed." It is the same way if an actor dies in production or the film deals with homosexuality. It will immediately receive accolades. Bonus points if you insult religion.
I do not watch much television except for sports and an occasional news program.
The last show I watched with any regularity was Boston Legal. It was a well done show but the constant liberal grandstanding by Alan Shore (James Spader) in court could get tiring. The portrayal of Denny Crane (William Shatner) as a conservative suffering from Alzheimer's was also a bit much.
Star Trek has always been a favorite of mine. In all of its reincarnations it has plenty of political messages both subliminal and overt. It is a study in the way liberalism has changed in this country.
Captain James Tiberius Kirk (William Shatner) was a true 1960s liberal who was not afraid to thwart an enemy physically. He was a JFK liberal who stood up to enemies. There was not nearly as much moral relativity as you see today.
Captain Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), on the other hand, was always looking for a way to talk his way out of situations. Problems just magically solved themselves without getting dirty. He is a Jimmy Carter kind of liberal. The "Prime Directive" ruled the day which is the ultimate in moral relativity guiding policy that cannot interfere with the culture or laws of another species.
One could describe Picard as "civil."
The Star Trek earth is a fantasy Utopia where money is not required. Now, when Gene Roddenberry died, an edge finally worked its way in. Despite the continued liberal undertones, the weaknesses of the perfect world were addressed.
There is an occasional show that runs to the right and is more than just family fodder. The liberals favorite target always seems to be 24. It is a show I have never seen.
A few years back the portrayal of a Muslim family as terrorists on 24 drew fire from the politically correct. It seems like a plausible plot despite liberal complaints. Imagine if someone had bothered to take an honest look at the child of Palestinian immigrants Dr. Nidal Hasan? There is a price to pay for ignoring reality.
All of it is entertainment. If you get too caught up in the politics and the lack of realism it can ruin the fun. The problem is not every viewer can see the underlying political messages. That is especially true for young viewers.
The liberal takeover of the education system is a topic for another day. Hollywood and the entertainment industry in general is a much more powerful force of indoctrination.
It can be subtle. An episode towards the end of the first season of Star Trek:The Next Generation involved the crew finding 3 people from the past. They were a housewife, an overly capitalist businessman, and a drug addicted country singer. They picked conservative symbols and portrayed them as dolts. They could have easily chosen a welfare mom, a union member, and a drug addicted rap star but it would not have fit the agenda to tweak the right.
This is nothing new. Writers have had agendas throughout history. Learning how to extract those messages is one of the pillars of a liberal arts education. Dartmouth offers a course on the ancient political messages in The Bible which would make religious people apoplectic.
Unless you are reading an instruction manual on how to assemble a bookcase, chances are the writer had a hook for his piece.
A grand example of an agenda is coming. The country is starting to catch a glimpse of the nonsense that will be spun by The Palin. It will be aided by The Posse including everyone from Sean Hannity to Bob Lester. Safe to say, Katie Couric will not be invited. Katie will be hard at work spinning things for Barak Obama.
Column writers have no pretense of objectivity. They have a position. They come up with data to support it. They make the argument.
It is not their job to present the other side. It is not their job to cover every angle.
It is hard to tell if politicians really believe what they say. They are often purposefully evasive. They are trying to avoid to stir up the emotions that politics always bring.
Most columnists do not play by those rules. They are more concerned with what they see as right rather than being popular. The view is never concealed like it is with other media.
Sometimes it is better to be Captain Kirk. Sometimes it is better to be Captain Picard. The danger is when people do not know or deny the Captain is at work.