HOW HOLLYWOOD TOOK OVER YOUR TV

Book Review – Primetime Propaganda – Ben Shapiro

Ever wonder why so many TV shows just land with a thud when you try to watch them?  Comedies that aren’t funny, dramas laden with pathos rather than plot?  Sadly, those reading my blog are not the audience the producers are after.  Conservative TV is a thing of the past.  Part of our annoyance and displeasure with what is broadcast is that the writers, actors, directors, producers and other industry players seek to convert us through these shows.  It can be subtle.  So often, you just find you don’t like a show, without really knowing why and despite having it highly recommended by friends.  I never “got” Seinfeld or Friends.  Turns out, there’s a good reason why.

Ben Shapiro Lays it Out

In the book “Primetime Propaganda,” Shapiro carefully delineates the history of television, reminding us old folks of long-gone shows with positive family values.  Remember “Father Knows Best?”  Didn’t most of us wish we had a father who could solve all our problems in a short segment?  By starting at the beginning of TV, Shapiro shows us the steady, unchallenged progression from providing live TV shows sponsored (and sometimes owned) by a single advertiser.  Most originated out of New York; only when taping became possible did a lot of TV move to Hollywood. New York was a different place.  In the city, only a small group of creative people lived there at the time, vying for recognition among a more diverse audience.  Hollywood was nothing till TV came to town, where a large number of Lefty creative types set up shop there.  With fewer people on the conservative side, they could make inroads on the sensibilities and plotlines of shows. 

There was still a fight between money-men and creatives until the Viet Nam War and the Summer of Love came along.  With all that accompanied that period, more progressive programming was tolerated and even welcomed.  Message-based TV became increasingly prominent, and even shows I enjoyed, like the Mary Tyler Moore show, really advanced a point of view.  Grant Tinker, Mary Tyler Moore’s husband, wanted to create a set of values in viewers as well as find her a job. 

Do We Even Have a Choice?

Ever wondered why we can have 300+ channels and nothing to watch?  The argument the Left used to justify their programming was that viewers always had a choice.  But did we?  In fact, very little programming appealed to conservatives, though many found tolerable shows to watch.  Still, changing channels didn’t necessarily bring us real choice.  And TV, by its nature, is addictive. 

Interestingly, around this time, broadcasters (really narrowcasters), began to cater primarily to advertisers, not viewers.  That’s where the money was.  They skillfully sold ad minutes on a show, so they could try to appeal to a wider group of ad executives.  Using Nielsons and other flawed rating systems (I was in an early Nielson family), they could make advertisers believe they were selling to a desired audience.  But oddly, the hot audience was young people, the ones with the least disposable cash.  (However, they are influenceable).  If you’re catering to the richest group, there would be a very different offering.   But instead, the young were featured as the most desirable group to advertise to, so what they wanted to watch became the majority of the offering. 

We could blame creatives, but writers always infuse their views into their writing, some more skillfully than others. Stephen King is notable for avoiding too much politicking until he wrote “Gwendy’s Button Box,” where the writing is a condemnation of Trump and the Tea Party.  Still, there are many creative conservatives. Where is their voice?  Surprisingly, conservative and religious programming actually brings in a wide audience.   And money. 

The Government-Television Conspiracy

As with the Internet, the government supports liberal platforms and programming that supports Democrats.  This support can really crowd out more diverse, interesting shows.  With all the consolidation of channels, you don’t really have choice.  Republicans have done a poor job of jumping in and making their influence known.  That would make a difference.

The Internet May Change Everything

We may find more choice now with anyone able to create programming.  Make sure you show support for things that support your views and values.  And read Shapiro’s book.  It’s an amazingly well researched story of that addicting box.