Hollywood’s negative impact on society Essay Example

poisonous to the youth, especially the vulnerable teenagers and young adults. The fact that the American youth grow up watching films like the Godfather that depict crime as a desirable way of life, is quite detrimental to the moral lives of these youngsters and it no wonder if they end up in crime (Potter 1999). The American society has in fact woken up to the morally destructive nature of Hollywood’ product as the same was a debate subject in the 2000 presidential elections.

In addition to glorifying violence, Hollywood has gone overboard in its shameless glorification of illicit sex. Hero and heroines must cap their act by engaging in some sexual escapades. It not surprising to find an entire film based on sex and explicit sex at that. This glorification of illicit sex on the screen defeats the purpose of sex in the society, especially the sacred place of sex on the marriage bed (Potter, 1999). Research has shown that this leads to many young people engaging in sex illicitly, and paying for it with guilt, teenage pregnancies and contraction of venereal diseases.

Culturaally, Hollywood leads to depravation (Fowles, 1999). This because for one; Hollywood’s language is mostly vulgar. Language is the means of communication, and is intrinsic to the acquisition of knowledge. Knowledge is one of the major ways of preserving a culture. Thus the vulgar language of Hollywood impacts society negatively. It important to note that vulgar language was one of the chief reasons that made the American public to lose confidence in President Nixon and not only the cover up of the Watergate break ins.

Hollywood biases the public politically. This is because

Hollywood tends to depict people from the Middle East negatively (Potter, 1999). This unnecessarily prejudices the American public against the said people, and leads to mutual mistrust between the said people and America. This political predilection is not healthy for political future of the country (Gauntlett, 2005).

Conclusion

America is at a precarious precipice. For over two hundred years since America’s declaration of independence; America has been a world leader in every sphere because of the strong moral and cultural values bequeathed to us by our forebears. Now we are about to destroy that because of failing morality, and our country’s most admired institution is party to that destruction. No wonder the cliche that ‘a great civilization can only be destroyed from within’ is true. Let us not, by uncritically endorsing and imbibing from Hollywood, destroy America.