Movies and Influence

Those are simple minded people and their brains are easily swayed to violence. Meanwhile, civilized people watch movies like "A Beautiful Mind" and "It's a Wonderful Life". I find myself to be neither of those people. I instead laugh at jokes from movies like Neighbors, The Hangover, and Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle.

Probably one of the most dramatic examples is the shark-hunting mania in the wake of Jaws which lasted for decades and significantly reduced numbers of many species. Author Peter Benchely was mortified by this outcome.

I remember "Midnight Express" and "Not Without My Daughter" were accused of promoting negative stereotypes about Muslim people in Turkey and Iran. Disney movies have long been accused of promoting unrealistic body standards for both male and female characters and for the "damsel in distress" female characters who are rescued by the heroic male characters. Stephen King allowed his 1977 book "Rage" to go out of print after many school shootings in the 1990s.

Demi Moore influenced many young women to sport short hair with the movie Ghost. It was a worldwide phenomenon!

And then there's the enduring, phenomenal influence of Bruce Lee in many areas of our culture.

I read this in a movie book (Can't remember which one), but it was mentioned that after "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" that the criteria to have someone committed was a little tougher.. And then a few years later with Reagan, it didn't surprise me that many state hospitals were closed down.

John Hinckley Jr., would be assassin of Ronald Reagan, was motivated by an obsession with the movie Taxi Driver and Jodie Foster who played a child prostitute in the film.