Special interest groups have been influencing the U.S. entertainment industry for a long time, and more recently foreign governments have insisted on changes to movies that make them look good. China is probably the most notable example as the Chinese government has direct control over which American made movies get shown there.
But this could be worse. With the ownership of AMC theaters and Legendary Entertainment, the Chinese company, Dalian Wanda, now wants Carmike Cinemas. The theaters can show Chinese movies all day long if they like, or they can exert influence on film makers to get what they want into or out of American made movies. For background, see Hollywood, Chinese-style, which contains this glimmer of suspicion:
Fortunately, Congress is aware of China’s subtle power play. The promised GAO review came in response to a request from 18 bipartisan members of Congress to investigate Mr. Wang’s dealmaking and the effects of Chinese propagandizing through state-supported companies. Rep. John Culberson, Texas Republican, also asked the Department of Justice to launch a review of the Foreign Agents Registration Act to see if the “foreign propaganda influence over American media” was being sufficiently addressed. Wang Jainlin, the Wanda CEO, will be in Hollywood this week on a public relations tour promoting his government’s offer to subsidize American film making in China.
Television probably takes a passive view of the Chinese as the networks are currently so obsessed with Donald Trump, having gotten him the nomination and now hoping to tear him down. E.g., Count of Trump-Lampooning TV Shows Nears 30.*
Fortunately, Americans have a healthy skepticism when they view main stream media and their products. Right? Right? Well, I can dream, can't I?
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*Going against the grain was the recent decision by NBC to pull a Donald Trump themed episode. Maybe they made a hero out of the Billy Bush character, and the suits couldn't have that incongruity.
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