by Todd Gregory, cross-posted from Media Matters
The Muppets. SpongeBob SquarePants. Dr. Seuss. Beloved icons of childhood entertainment in America, or subtle forms of anti-business indoctrination that brainwash your kids into hating capitalism?
Thank goodness we have Fox to ask these questions.
Lou Dobbs sounded the alarm again tonight on his Fox Business show:
DOBBS: Now, an “Unmentionable” — a story you won’t hear anywhere in the liberal national media, or nearly all of the national liberal media. Hollywood is once again trying to indoctrinate our children. Two new films out this year, plainly with an agenda, plainly demonizing the so-called “1 percent” and espousing the virtue of green-energy policies, come what may.
The first, Dobbs said, is an animated film called The Secret World of Arrietty, and the second is Universal Pictures’ computer-animated version of the 1971 Dr. Seuss classic The Lorax.
The graphic that aired during a clip of the movie declared, ” ‘Lorax’ Movie Pushes Anti-Industry Message”:
Dobbs found the message of these two movies reminiscent of President Obama’s recent speeches on taxes. For support, he played clips of Obama, complete with an “Indoctrinating Our Children” graphic:
Dobbs then said, “The president’s liberal friends in Hollywood [are] targeting a younger demographic using animated movies to sell their agenda to children.”
As Dobbs asked his panel about “this sort of insidious nonsense from Hollywood,” the graphic read, “Tree-Hugging Dr. Seuss Character Featured In New Universal Movie”:
The position that Fox is ultimately espousing when it whips up this paranoia is that any pro-environment lesson for kids is a form of “indoctrination.” Fox reacts in a different manner when people deliver conservative messages to young people.
This piece was originally published at Media Matters for America.
Previous in TP Climate Progress
Highly recommended viewing…
Lee Brain, Northern Gateway Pipeline Joint Review Panel Speaker, Delivers Stirring Message (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/22/lee-brain-northern-gateway-pipeline_n_1295061.html
Vancouver Observer highlighted, it was “the most moving moment” of the hearings.
Lee Brain may claim to be “no one in particular,” but after a speech delivered last weekend to a pipeline review panel, many identify him as the oil man’s son who “does not see eye to eye” with his father.
Brain concluded his speech by asking whether people will choose to embrace a new way of life or “a predictable path that leads to the slow, inevitable decline of a civilization.”
Brain’s correct, and morally sane, but the collapse will not be ‘slow’. The signs of acceleration are everywhere about us.
Demented imbeciles!! Look, a set of historical photos of the trees we used to have…what’s not to love?
http://witsendnj.blogspot.com/2012/02/where-have-all-forests-gone-long-time.html
Well Dobbs may worry about “this sort of insidious nonsense from Hollywood” but I have to worry about this sort of insidious nonsense from Fox News. Are they trying to use stupidity like Luke Skywalker uses the force?
With the Right there is a sort of unnatural selection at work which advances the stupidest and most vicious. To make matters worse the Right need to indulge in ever more extreme displays of imbecility and moral insanity to get the same ‘kick’ as they used to, and to please their Masters, who have become similarly jaded. Habituation leads to increasing excess, as we can plainly see. They will keep on getting worse and worse, because there exists no feedback mechanism of individual conscience or dissent from within the group that would say, ‘Hang on-you’ve gone too far this time!’.
I wonder if Mr. Dobbs even knows what the movie is about – apparently Universal dumped the original story (from the Seuss book) almost completely.
An example of this can be found below where a gas car from Mazda is “Truffula Tree Certified”:
http://green.autoblog.com/2012/02/20/mazda-cx-5-joins-the-cast-of-dr-seuss-the-lorax/
The car will actually be featured in the CG based movie. Seems like the story might be quite different – and Seuss is likely turning over in his grave.
Here’s a great page:
“The Lorax Endorses WHAT?”, written in Seuss’ian prose that talks about the car and movie:
http://www.fittingroup.com/blog/advertising/the-lorax-endorses-what
in·doc·tri·nate/inˈdäktrəˌnāt/
Verb:
Teach (a person or group) to accept a set of beliefs uncritically: “broadcasting was a vehicle for indoctrinating the masses.”
Kind of hard to do this when the message is based on science and logic.
Ah, some hilarious anecdote:
I remember that in the 90s, the (now defunct) FOX Kids aired an episode of the Mighty Morfin Power Rangers (MMPR)where the greenhouse effect and global warming were treated explicitly (they however confused the greenhouse effect with the CFCs ozone depletion, wasting an opportunity to teach the difference between UV and IR radiation to the children).
In short, the villains wanted to destroy the Earth using CO2 global warming…
… and this was FOX, some 15 years ago…
Ah, those were the days FOX had a minimum amount of decency…
As a final note, the executive producer and creator of Power Rangers, the Egyptian-Israeli Haim Saban (that had a company called Saban Entertainment, fused with FOX)sold Fox Kids in 2002 to Disney.
In 2011, his new company, Saban Brands joined Nickelodeon (the channed that aired the Spongebob Squarepants show so criticized by the FOX News commenters) to air a new season of Power Rangers , re-bought from Disney.
As the MMPRs said, I can only say “It’s Green Energy Time!…
… maybe with the addendum “Down with the pollutocrat propaganda machine!”
[edit]
Oops, I wanted to say, about Saban:
the Egyptian-Israeli Haim Saban (that had a company called Saban Entertainment, fused with FOX)sold Fox Kids in 2002 to Disney, but in 2011, his new company, Saban Brands joined Nickelodeon, the channed that aired the Spongebob Squarepants show,(…) to air a new season of Power Rangers, re-bought from Disney.
Good for Saban that now he has long ago broken his links with that monster called News Corporation(FOX).
If this is war, then is not The Lorax our Pas De Calais and Lou Dobbs an unwitting Garbo? If only we could now make that surprise landing at Normandy.
The Lorax endorses caring. Caring about anything, but money, these days makes you a socialist.
In a Rightwing dominated world you can also care for yourself (they are big on egomania) and that precious property, your family (so long as they follow orders).
Look he is also naked!
Many a time have I seen the Lorax at The Club sitting far too close to Tinky Winky and they were whispering to each other in Spanish! Send ice to check birth certificates too Lou!
It is funny and scary looking at Fox News in Australia. It is so over the top in its bias and misinformation that is saddening that any person with half a brain would watch it seriously.
I don’t think most people in the US realise that George Orwell’s prophetic novel “1984″ was not about the Soviet Union but more accurately describes nations like the USA with its constant war, disenfranchised “proles” and maliciously controlled media.
Unfortunately we are starting to get the same rubbish on our networks though….
Mazda
reforestation
left wing collectivism
and International House of Pancakes…
The Lorax is shilling more product than Billy Mays while Seuss’ estate is shamelessly bleeding every penny from the Truffula tree like syrup to be refined and poured on tasteless waffles.
Bizarre!
Seems that right-wing radio talk show hosts “are simply not that bright.”
I wonder why Dobbs doesn’t accuse Dr. Seuss of propaganda. That’s where the message in the movie originates, after all. He calls the book a “classic”. Is Hollywood trying to indoctrinate simply by adapting it for the big screen?