As a whole, Americans claim to be more accepting than they used to be. But is that really the case? With recent stories about movie theaters boycotting Disney films for alleged “gay” moments and the overall cry from conservative thinkers for cleaner and more Christian films, acceptance of everyday life really doesn’t seem to be a concern among certain film viewers. Some critics are claiming Hollywood has an agenda and that by being more diverse they are leading America in the wrong direction.
According to the Los Angeles Times, conservatives are accusing Hollywood for promoting ideas like corruption, extramarital sex, and the homosexual agenda. All of these they claim are contrary to American values. But is this true? Are films really endorsing ideas that are opposing towards American standards?
To answer this, we first need to decide what counts as an American value. In a list compiled by Andrews University, the college defined what America’s core values are. At the top of the list were individualism and equality.
Yes, makers of Beauty and the Beast confirmed that there is a gay moment in the film. However, sources have claimed that this moment is very small and if one did not know of it, they most likely wouldn’t notice it at all. Yet, some movie theaters are refusing to show the picture and one mother has gone viral for cancelling her children’s Disney World trip because of the homosexual agenda she is sure Disney is now sponsoring.
Let’s get real. First of all, there is no such thing as the homosexual agenda. So, conservative film critics can rest their heads knowing that Hollywood is not trying to promote it. Second of all, in the name of equality, Disney is very much in line with American values by including this moment in their new feature. There is an estimated 9 million adult members of the LGBTQ in America. People who until recently did not receive a lot of recognition on the silver screen.
But Beauty and the Beast isn’t the only film this year that has upset some people. Comedian Jordan Peele’s horror film Get Out breaks down racism for white people. The use of horror movie tropes to deconstruct suburban racism has garnished mixed reviews from audiences. As the movie rose to the top of the box office, many were claiming that the film was racist against white people. Of course, racism is indeed against American values. However, the movie isn’t really racist. Instead, Peele used the film as an avenue to portray to mass audiences in a satirical way how racism actually feels. Therefore, the film is within American values because not only does it push for equality, but it is also an attempt to show people what a problem racism is.
At the 2017 Academy Awards, Moonlight was nominated for eight Oscars. It won three. The film touches on themes of sexuality, race and isolation. It has elements that might be considered corrupt, drug promoting and part of the gay agenda. But just because these elements are in the film does not mean that corruption is what Hollywood is trying to promote. The film promotes American values of individualism and equality. Its use of an all-black cast is something that hasn’t often been seen in the mainstream media. The story about a gay man does not promote the homosexual agenda, because, as we’ve already established, there is no such thing. Instead, it tells the raw story of a person’s journey to find himself, something that every American can identify with.
It is not Hollywood’s goal to make films which push any sort of agenda, left or right. In fact, Hollywood’s only goal is to make money. And their strategy is to tell stories that real people can relate to. Can Hollywood do this without showing things like sex, drugs, racism, or “gay moments”? No. Not really. The fact is that there are all sorts of different stories to tell. Some of them are nice and clean, and some of them show a tougher, darker, grittier side of life. But by telling all stories, whether they promote Christian values or whether they are about other aspects of life, Hollywood is simply catering to American values of individualism and equality.