How Hollywood Tries to Corrupt Your Children, and How to Fight Back

Craig Dehut is a film school graduate and CEO of Appian Media. Appian Media has produced multiple documentary series filmed on location in Israel, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan. All their content is available free to watch and serves as a valuable resource for families, teachers, and preachers seeking biblically accurate content with high production values.

Craig and I talked about how Hollywood influences the culture, sometimes in subtle ways, and how families can fight back. Today, most people would agree when you say Hollywood is corrupting the culture. But this attitude is fairly recent. The mask has dropped. Hollywood’s agenda has become obvious.

But they have had an agenda for a long, long time. Far longer than most people would like to admit.

Hollywood's Influence

The American movie industry operated under the Hays Code, a moral code that governed what could be shown in films. Portrayals of the family, profanity, sex, violence, and more were all regulated.

Eventually, a theater agreed to show a movie with profanity. And nothing bad happened. No mechanism exists to actually enforce the code.

Explicit portrayals of evil, sex, violence, and more aren’t the only ways movies can negatively affect viewers. More skilled filmmakers know how to get people to feel a certain way. Audiences might reject something if stated outright, but gradually accept the same idea if it is skillfully embedded in a story.

Some examples:

• Creating morally gray protagonists so viewers justify questionable actions

• Using visual techniques like color to evoke specific emotions without viewers realizing what’s happening

• Employing camera angles, music, and editing to manipulate audience feelings

How Families Can Respond

1. Acknowledge the influence: Recognize that media does affect you and your children.

2. Research before watching: Use resources like Common Sense Media and Kids in Mind to evaluate content before viewing. Don’t trust their overall judgement. Really dig into the details, because they’re threshold of appropriateness is probably different than your own. Do not trust by default.

3. Consider filtering services: Platforms like VidAngel and Clearplay can help filter objectionable content from films. Take sovereignty over your entertainment choices.

4. Create better alternatives: Instead of just criticizing, learn the skills to create high-quality media that communicates biblical truth. Check out resources like Tomorrow’s Filmmakers.

5. Engage critically: Have conversations with your children about the messages in media, asking what lessons they learned and discussing the worldview being presented.

6. Ask the right questions: Instead of just asking "Is there anything bad in this?", ask "Is there something good, noble, trustworthy and praiseworthy in this content?" (referencing Philippians 4:8)

We also make some recommendations on what media to watch.

Take this seriously. You wouldn’t just grab random things from the grocery store to stuff into your mouth. Treat your media consumption with the same gravity. Stories feed your soul. Don’t force-feed it poison or junk food.