Keep Politics in Entertainment!
PHOTO COURTESY OF Manuel Franco
October 20, 2022
This year, both Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” and HBO Max’s “House of The Dragon” have sparked controversies for how they’ve handled political themes and messaging in their stories and reigned the debate of whether or not political themes have a place in entertainment at all.
I believe that politics and entertainment are inherently entwined. It’s impossible to completely separate the two, nor should we attempt to. Instead of pushing creators to completely emit political themes from our entertainment media, we should try to approach the content with open-minds and critique, regardless of if we agree with it or not.
Jason Wilson is an AP English Language and Composition teacher here at Millikan. His class regularly analyzes themes in both film and literature. “Politics is a part of life,” he said, “It’s in everything, you know. Why would entertainment be any different?”
This isn’t to say that every piece of entertainment does, or even should, attempt to tackle complex political and social issues head-on, nor that the ones that do are automatically better for it, or even do it well. Rather, creators shouldn’t be afraid of inserting political themes in their story when it serves it well, and audiences shouldn’t be afraid of engaging with politically charged entertainment just because it may make them uncomfortable.
The best stories are the ones that question and challenge the audience and leave them thinking by the end, and those are so often the same ones that people take offense to. For that reason, politics should always have a place in entertainment.
Jason Wilson • Oct 22, 2022 at 6:10 pm
Great piece Rebecca! Keep ’em coming!
Yoseline Poveda • Oct 21, 2022 at 6:00 pm
On October 20, Rebecca Wilson wrote an article titled “Keep Politics in Entertainment!” and I must say, I completely agree with everything that was said in the article and am impressed with how the author executed their point. Starting with popular entertainment that has been in controversy was the perfect introduction to this topic, as it was what caught my attention to feel intrigued to see what had to be said, as I am sure was the case for most readers. The removal of politics in entertainment would be detrimental, especially in the world today. Politics have always played a huge part in our society and how we facilitate our lives, and though the concerns for the controversy that have become a prevalent topic in this discussion are valid, they also prevent certain shows such as South Park and the shows listed in the article from having any sort of voice to speak out on subjects that need to be brought to viewer’s attention. It all comes back to the question: if political topics aren’t discussed in entertainment, when will they ever be? Entertainment culture is what brings us together in our society, and we need to have a presentation of political issues in order to have a common factor to discuss with others. As Mr.Wilson pointed out, it is as if they go hand in hand as politics are ever present in our lives, and should be in our entertainment as well. I am currently a student of Mr.Wilson’s and commend you for your inclusion of his view in this article, he is definitely the person who comes to mind when covering these types of topics. The closing statement of the author is what really resonated with me. Without politics there, entertainment would definitely be less compelling and wouldn’t be able to appeal to its audience because of how neutral it is. Thank you for bringing light to this topic, it has been something that has been on my mind and should definitely be discussed.
Ricardo Guzman • Oct 21, 2022 at 3:26 pm
On October 20, Rebecca Wilson wrote an article titled “Keep Politics in Entertainment!” The article discusses, as the title suggests, the subject of whether or not we should include social/political ideas in the entertainment we digest. The article takes a very open-minded approach to the topic, claiming that we should support the inclusion of politics in our media, for the reason that it is too interwoven with every facet of life, as well as the fact that it challenges viewers’ established ideas. While I very much agree with this sentiment, as life would be so much duller without opposition to provoke one’s own ideals, it begs the question, when is so much too much? The article does acknowledge the fact that not every show should implement political ideas, and that some shows may not do it well, it doesn’t answer the question of what we should consider too much politics – if there even is such a standard. Is there a line that authors/creators shouldn’t cross? Should consumers simply accept that every topic should be realized? How do creators become aware of the fact that some political ideas are a hindrance to their show, or a concept that buttresses it? What time of entertainment is more fit to handle such topics? Should comedic shows include such topics? Though it is crucial to not alienate yourself from social ideas in entertainment, It is just as important to realize the possibility that there is subject matter that can only be handled in certain ways – if at all. Thank you for writing such an interesting topic.
Kirk McNagny • Oct 21, 2022 at 2:01 pm
On October 20, Rebecca Wilson wrote an article titled “Keep Politics in Entertainment!” The article mentions the relationship between politics and entertainment and emphasizes that we should not attempt to peel them apart from one another. I completely agree with the article, especially in that engaging in entertainment that is potentially uncomfortable when it comes to politics should not be shied away from. This being said, it may be beneficial to mention why some forms of entertainment do not touch on certain political themes due to coming off as divisive to their audience. Some of the pieces of entertainment may want to maximize their monetary gain and for this reason not want to touch on topics like politics. Regardless of whether it is right or not, it is key to understanding why it happens. This piece does mention very important points encouraging the challenging of the audience and getting them to question their preconceived ideas through the form of entertainment. Another point made is that we should look upon content with open minds and be willing to question the content opening up a dialogue which is very important. Media mentioning different political themes should not spark controversy and is definitely important to understanding another viewpoint and what someone with different ideas has to say about a topic.
Vidafe Taylor • Oct 21, 2022 at 9:55 am
On October 20, Rebecca Wilson wrote an article titled “Keep Politics In Entertainment!” in which she acknowledges that politics are in every aspect of our lives in society, so entertainment should not be an exception. In this article, Wilson quotes that “politics and entertainment are inherently entwined” and that an attempt to separate the two would leave a piece of media with no modern day connections where it could greatly benefit from one. Not only did I enjoy reading this article because I share a very similar view on the topic of politics in media, but also because the points brought up by Ms. Wilson are so clear and concise while also touching on the other side of how every piece of media does not need to have an underlying political theme. On a personal level; I feel that when you remove all senses of political commentary or references from the media, you are choosing to ignore a subject that affects other’s lives every single day for the sake of your own entertainment. This lack of social awareness can lead to an overall ignorance regarding important political subjects, so when these topics are injected into media we consume everyday we are naturally more inclined to pay more attention to our surroundings in society. In my opinion, Wilson’s words were very easy to understand and take into consideration. I have nothing but good things to say about this article.
Sean Ryder • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:59 pm
On October 20, Rebecca Wilson wrote an article titled ¨Keep Politics in Entertainment!¨ The article talks about the controversies that have been sparked by recent pieces of media and the political themes that they include. I thought this was an amazing article and it pertains to a topic that I care about a lot. I think that Wilson does a great job in presenting her feelings on the subject. I too believe that we should continue discussing politically charged and/or somewhat controversial themes in our media. Discussions around these topics are extremely important to have, in a time in which media literacy and critical thinking skills seem to be neglected by most. As Wilson says in the article, ¨The best stories are the ones that question and challenge the audience and leave them thinking by the end¨, I also think that the media we consume should be meaningful and impactful to our thoughts on the world around us. Especially in a world where the term ¨political¨ is used so loosely, almost any meaningful opinion someone could have on a topic is going to be considered ¨political¨ by those who oppose it. If the media we consume has no greater meaning or thought behind it, what’s the point? We need to keep things controversial, keep pushing boundaries, and keep progressing in the way we tell our stories.
Mya Delaney • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:55 pm
On October 20, Rebecca Wilson wrote an article titled “Keep Politics in Entertainment!” The opinion piece addresses the controversial issue of politics in entertainment. She gives a beautiful explanation of why politics should remain in entertainment due to the fact that politics are a prominent part of all of our lives. It is important, now more than ever, to remove the stigma surrounding the discussion of politics in everyday life. We cannot censor topics that make us uncomfortable or else we will never achieve change. We need to talk about these uncomfortable topics as a society, such as racism, sexuality, rape culture, the gun problem in America, et cetera, in order to correct previously incorrect prejudices and attitudes! Over quarantine, I came across a quote that resonated with me; “Don’t ignore something because it makes you uncomfortable.” Too often we, as a society, turn our backs to events and wrongdoings that we do not want to know about. That is not the way to go about life. We need to reform so many systems and ways of thinking, and that will never happen if we continue to pretend (which is exactly what is happening) that women aren’t being murdered in the Middle East for “incorrectly” wearing their hijabs, that children aren’t dying in Yemen due to the heartbreaking humanitarian crisis they are facing, that black people aren’t still being unjustifiably murdered at the hands of white men. All of these issues need to be portrayed in entertainment to educate and to make society uncomfortable with the harsh realities of our world. A perfect example of this is Netflix’s new-ish original movie called Purple Hearts. The movie was incredibly well done because it touched on the struggles of people with diabetes who are already barely making ends meet and on top of that have to spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on insulin simply to survive. While it made some people uncomfortable, it simultaneously illustrated the hardships of people with diabetes, immigrants, and people living in poverty. That is why it is so important to continue portraying politics and humanitarian issues in entertainment. Thank you for bringing awareness to this issue!
Angelika Dela Cruz • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:53 pm
On October 20, Rebecca Wilson wrote an article titled “Keep Politics in Entertainment!” The article gives insight on the issue of politics being avoided in media and that this should not be the case. It was mentioned that politics is apart of everyday life and I could not agree more. Politics affect every single one of us, and it is inescapable. It only makes sense that it is a topic that is educated upon, and not shied away from. Media is a good, interesting way to reach many people, and a good tool to bring awareness to various situations. This article also does an incredible job of acknowledging the other extreme end of this. Not every piece of entertainment has room for social commentary. Instead, they should look at their audience and what their piece of entertainment is trying to accomplish. Then, decide whether or not politics fits into their agenda. I do not think that Cocomelon and their viewers would benefit from the statistics of the Ukrainian conflict. Adding on, the sentence written stating “…and audiences shouldn’t be afraid of engaging with politically charged entertainment just because it may make them uncomfortable.” perfectly instates the balance entertainment should have when it comes to politics. It should not be recklessly inserted into everything, but it should not be a taboo topic. This issue is consistent and prevalent in simply just existing. This article does an excellent job of observing it, explaining it, and giving input.
Bennett Hreschuk • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:50 pm
On October 20, Rebecca Wilson wrote an article titled “Keep Politics in Entertainment!” This article tackles a very prominent topic in today’s world regarding whether or not political agendas and ideas should be represented in media like shows and film. I agree completely with the author’s assertion that politics should absolutely be allowed to be a part of TV shows. The examples given in the article are new shows: “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” and “House of The Dragon”, which both have been very scrutinized over their themes of racial and gender equality/representation respectively. It seems to me that both of these shows have no reason to cave to any pressures from outside influences about changing the themes they explore. House of the Dragon especially should keep to what the writers and production team have been doing for a number of reasons. Firstly, the show has received incredible commercial and critical success so far (already being green-lit for three more seasons). Secondly, the material focused on in the show is adapted mostly from the novel “Fire and Blood” by George R. R. Martin and the political themes explored are also a key part of the plot of the book as well. Finally, the most important reason, and what I take as the author’s main idea, is to preserve the creative freedom and integrity of the show runners. By allowing them to write and produce the show they believe in without interference over silly topics like political agendas it will allow for a better overall show. A recent release that I feel can learn from this is Disney Plus’s “She-Hulk ” which goes above and beyond with its political themes and in many ways this is a detriment to the actual plot of the show and makes it less enjoyable. Trusting show runners, actors, and everyone involved to be true to their vision is more important than the political beliefs of the often overly-judgmental public.
Danielle Nabong • Oct 20, 2022 at 1:49 pm
On October 20, 2022, Rebecca Wilson wrote an article titled “Keep Politics in Entertainment”. It talks about how often political themes are shown in the media, and the many different opinions regarding it. It was refreshing to hear someone positively agree with shows who include their political opinions in the content they create. It feels as though most people today believe that the media should remain neutral, as they are watched by numerous different people, and can instill biases. However, the writer makes a great point about how politics is in our everyday life either way, regardless if we realize it. I liked how it emphasized that keeping an open mind was important when consuming media and that challenging the audience’s views is what makes good entertainment. I concur that having politics in the media is a good thing, as it allows people to further contemplate the happenings around them. Although, I do wonder what the writer’s opinion on news channels being heavily associated with certain political parties is. People may not exactly watch it for entertainment, but it is still a form of media that heavily influences people’s opinions. Would the author say that news channels are also entitled to instill their political opinions in their media?