From The Propaganda Professor:
As we have seen repeatedly, genetic fallacy — better known as “shooting the messenger” — is a very common propaganda technique; if you want to deflect attention away from the message, just cast aspersions on the person delivering it, and many people will divert their focus to that instead. (One reason this works so well is that people are generally more interested in hearing about other people than ideas.) For right-wingers, this often means attacking entertainment celebrities — who tend to be not only highly visible to the public eye, but overwhelmingly liberal or progressive. And this has given rise to the very, very common right-wing whipping boy of the “Hollywood Elite”.
This derogatory label has been applied quite frequently to just about anyone of even slightly progressive tendencies who is even remotely connected to the entertainment industry. It’s been especially amusing, for example, to see Al Franken and Michael Moore branded as “Hollywood Elites” when they were living and working thousands of miles away from Tinseltown — and their work was thematically and stylistically just as removed. But wait, we can top that: just recently, some right-wing website ran a story about “Hollywood Elites” that sported a cover photo of President Obama.
The word elitism bears a connotation of snobbery. But anyone who thinks Hollywood celebrities are snobby probably has spent no time around them. Well, I have.
This was an interesting article.
I’ve always found it disingenuous the Right-Wing Media-Sphere’s vapid attacks on “Hollywood”, for many of the reasons brought up in the article. The Limbaughs and Hannitys of the world are fabulously wealthy for expressing their opinions. The Candace Owenses and Charlie Kirks of the world are looking to become fabulously wealthy for expressing their opinions. Yet, another group of people sometimes (Sometimes, because they usually don’t have daily radio and/or TV programs) use their platform for a different sort of activism are vilified?
I find it disingenuous because these people 1) Often bemoan censorship of “conservative” thought or the taking away of their 1st Amendment, but have no trouble turning around and doing it to other people. and 2) The sheer fact that there are “Hollywood” types that are “conservatives” should put an end to the “Hollywood Elite” myth, but it doesn’t.
Honestly, I feel “Hollywood” is less of a ‘Shooting the Messenger’ fallacy and more of a Red Herring. Much of “conservatism” relies on pointing out and directing adherents to demonizing groups of people to keep the flock in line. Look at Limbaugh; His fans gleefully refer to themselves as “Ditto Heads” and simply want to parrot what he says. It feels good being part of an In-Group. Part of the team! So when Limbaugh attacks a group of people, “Liberals/Progressives/Democrats” they are shunted into an “other” category that negative emotions can be projected at and blame can be given. Blame for unemployment woes. Blame for cultural changes that are spun as ‘bad’. Blame for not getting that promotion. Blame for not getting that contract. Blame for having to pay taxes. Look at Trump. Protestors are now Terrorists. “The Caravan”. “Fake News”. Hannity often opines how “Some Liberals can be your friends, but they can’t be your spouse”… or at least he did when I was an avid, daily listener during my PM Drive-time. The othering of people and the dehumanizing of people is part of “conservatism”. It makes the nasty, awful, hateful things they say and do more palatable.
The “conservative” idea of “Hollywood” is just another group of people to target with hate and blame as an alternative to having to deal with reality and the hardships of life we all experience. A common “conservative” motto is to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, but it turns out they are way more of a fan of just blaming China for a Virus rather than do things to deal with it or blame “Mexicans” for lost job opportunities. Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps requires introspection, which doesn’t give your brain the endorphin hit that demonizing and generalizing people gives you.
And yes, I’m quite aware of the irony in what I write. I’m willing to not making this generalization when the Limbaughs and Hannitys of the world earn their wealth and popularity with positivity, adherence to the common good and demonstrations that they actually believe in E Pluribus Unum.
The radical Right loves to demonize an entire industry with howls of, “Hollywood elites!”
When a con uses that term I respond, “Yes, and how about Clint Eastwood, James Woods, Jon Voight, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronald Reagan, and above all Hollywood celebrity Donald Trump? Or is it the old double standard IOKIYAR, It’s OK If You Are Republcian.”