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Introduction InternatIonal PolItICs In FIlm and televIsIon It has become a cliché to point out that we live in a world in which international events affect our lives. Yet when most people think of television and international politics, they naturally assume that the connection has something to do with the news. This book starts from the premise that television and film can actually give us a deeper understanding about world politics. It will not argue that film and television can replace reading and research— but, by understanding how important political topics are covered in popular culture, we will have a better appreciation of how societies understand issues, problems, and potential solutions. To begin with, consider some important questions: What is the relationship between popular culture and politics? Whyshouldthoseofusinterestedinpoliticspayattentiontopopularculture? The answers can be complex and multifaceted. Popular culture is a reflection of the way society believes the world operates. As the name suggests, popular culture has broad appeal. This is not a culture that is available to only a few; it is widely available to many people. Although popular culture has existed in all societies and all times, the unprecedented power of film and television as media has meant that the dissemination of messages now transcend time and place. Films and other moving-image mediums have the ability to convey a great deal of information and emotion, often without words. Ideas and reactions can be transmitted with a glance or a smile. Film and television are powerful ways to transmit messages and ideas. We live in a world in which the moving image is ubiquitous. The process of incorporating moving images into our popular culture began in the 1890s with the invention of motion pictures on filmstrips, and continued in the 1940s and 1950s with the mass production and acquisition of televisions by 1 2 World Politics on Screen millions of people. Such images are constants in our lives today, with motion pictures being delivered to us by a plethora of electronic devices. While the method of delivering moving pictures to audiences continues to change, there is no doubt that the moving image will remain an important—and perhaps ever-increasing—facet of modern life. If you stop and think about it, it is remarkable how much of our everyday lives are shaped by popular culture. Sometimes we build our schedule around accessing popular culture. Our adherence to our favorite television program or song is often an indication of who we are as a person. On a date, a question about popular culture is often a way to get to know another person (“What’s your favorite band?” “What’s your favorite TV show?”). Sometimes our pretensions might get the better of us and we might claim not to be impacted by popular culture, but even for such individuals it takes only a few seconds to realize how pervasive film and television are in our lives. Many people like to quote favorite scenes from movies in everyday language—who doesn’t know someone who says, “Show me the money!” (from Jerry Maguire, 1996) or “I’ll be back” (The Terminator, 1984) in an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice? The idea of “an offer he can’t refuse” from The Godfather (1972) has become a verbal shortcut for an unpleasant task that must be done, or else severe consequences will ensue. On a deeper level the stories we tell each other describe who we are, who we want the world to think we are, and what we think the world looks like. Stories become metaphors for our lives. In 2006 an online news organization announced that Americans know moreabout The Simpsons(theanimatedtelevisionfamily) thanthey doabout the First Amendment. Indeed, a survey by the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum found that more than half of Americans could name at least two members of the animated family, and 22 percent of Americans could name all five members of the family (Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie ). On the other hand, only one in one thousand (one-tenth of 1 percent) of Americans could name the five freedoms protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution (freedom of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition for redress of grievances).1 One could interpret this as how ill informed Americans are about their constitutional rights and history (which might be true). Another interpretation might be to note the overwhelming influence of popular culture. The Simpsons is showing on television almost daily around the world; on the other hand, it is very...

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