Hollywood’s Propaganda Is Meant To Demoralize You
Why are we tearing down heroes, venerating villains, and inverting morality in stories?
The most effective propaganda is often the most subtle, and a particularly insidious form has infected storytelling.
Stories not only reflect a civilization’s health, but they shape the morals and values of its people. Fiction, especially fantasy, is an immersive medium, and while sometimes derided as “escapism,” it serves as a powerful tool for shaping moral foundations.
In Hollywood and the publishing world, stories are increasingly inverting morality, disgracing heroes, and venerating villains.
The latest example of this trend appears to be A24’s film, The Death of Robin Hood, as evidenced by the grim, violent trailer released in early January. In one scene, Robin Hood, played by Hugh Jackman, laments about all the people he’s apparently slaughtered.
The movie poster is more explicit: He Was No Hero.
What is the purpose of this film?
Perhaps it will be a decent movie, but it won’t be original, as it’s not the first adaptation to cast Robin Hood in a more negative light.
Is Hollywood simply out of ideas? Or is there a darker agenda lurking in the subtexts of these stories?
Look no further than Netflix.