Censorship and Hollywood Blacklist - 3497 Words

Over the course of the 1950s, a frantic and reactionary fear of Communism permeated the American consciousness, touching nearly every aspect of American life. This fear was evident nowhere more visibly than the entertainment industry, which found itself the object of attacks from Congress, the public, and even the regulatory agency of Hollywood itself. These attacks resulted in a blacklist of writers, directors, and actors accused of being Communist sympathizers, and almost everyone on the blacklist was unable to find work as a result. However, the Hollywood blacklist was not an unusual idea, and by examining the history of the blacklist with an eye towards Hollywood censorship more generally, it becomes clear that the blacklist was barely the latest in a long line of production companies and regulators agreeing to the tough demands of the public. This trend points toward more of the same kind of censorship and coercion in the future, because Hollywood studios are facing many of the same economic difficulties that encouraged them to gleefully participate in the blacklisting the first time around. Before examining the Hollywood blacklist in more detail, it will necessary to provide some historical context regarding the historical censorship of the entertainment industry and the anti-communist furor of the mid-twentieth century. To begin, one must go all the way back to 1930, with the establishment of the Motion Picture Association of Americas (MPAA) censorship code, whichShow MoreRelatedCensorship Through Mccarthyism And Blacklisting In Hollywood1562 Words   |  7 PagesCensorship through McCarthyism and Blacklisting in Hollywood One s surroundings ultimately impact their thought process and decisions. In order to spread ideas, people often look to the media. 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As Tony Shaw and Denise J Youngblood, authors of, Cinematic Cold War: The American and Soviet Struggle for Hearts and Minds, described, â€Å"The climate of fear induced by the blacklist put an immediate end to hopes of some in the film industry during the Second World War that Hollywood would shift to t he liberal left.† Because of this fear of being blacklisted filmmakers who wanted to continue their careers needed to make sure that their work promoted American ideals. These idealsRead MoreAgriculture Bangladesh2732 Words   |  11 PagesMost Resilient Copyright Infringer? he Pirate Bay (TPB), a Swedish Web site (Piratebay.org), is one of the worlds most popular pirated music and content sites, offering free access to millions of copyrighted songs and thousands of copyrighted Hollywood movies. In June 2011, The Pirate Bay reported that it h ad about 5 million registered users, and 25 million non-registered users (so-called free riders). 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