I think many people don’t appreciate the level of historical cooperation between government in Washington D.C. and the entertainment industry in Hollywood. This story documents one example in which Congress passed a law that enabled the FBI to have full creative control over a popular TV show from 1965 to 1974.
How cute and innocent, one might say, given the context of the times. I would suggest, however, that similar arrangements still exist and are more sophisticated than ever.
Tidewater News and Opinion Forum 
He was almost a cult leader. He had enormous power due to his own myth making.
And he controlled a TV show that strengthened the myths and his popularity. Ego, ruthlessness and demands for unquestioning loyalty.
Oh, I am referring to Hoover.
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“I would suggest, however, that similar arrangements still exist”
Any evidence to support your suggestion that the government is exercising “full creative control” over any of the TV programming that we see? Which shows are involved? How do they keep their involvement so secret? Are they bribing or threatening writers, producers and directors into complicity? Inquiring minds want to know.
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He don’t need no stinking evidence. Just make the statement and semantic away any challenges.
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RE: “Any evidence to support your suggestion that the government is exercising ‘full creative control’ over any of the TV programming that we see?”
I suggested that similar arrangements still exist and are more sophisticated. I think so based on general knowledge.
For example, the revolving door between government and media whereby former senior officials become employees of news shows is well known. Also, I posted a story recently about the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference. I believe government and media decision makers use the conference to collaborate.
I see The F.B.I. story as evidence of direct collusion, not as old news.
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Here are two stories that detail the “more sophisticated arrangements” I alluded to:
https://www.salon.com/2013/02/28/is_hollywood_secretly_in_bed_with_the_cia_partner/
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/arianelange/fbi-in-hollywood
I was surprised to learn (from the Buzzfeed story) that the FBI conducts workshops for members of the Writers Guild to help them produce scripts that portray the agency in a favorable light. I don’t necessarily see that as nefarious, but the level of engagement is striking, surely more than many people would guess.
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Your statement proves how little you understand about how TV shows are produced. When they involve real life entities in fictional storylines, they consult with professionals in those entities. It is done to attempt to make the fictional story realistic and not some fantasy of made up gobbledygook.
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Your “evidence” has nothing to do with “full creative control” of ANY TV program.
“I believe government and media decision makers use the conference to collaborate.”
And your evidence for that is? And to collaborate on what?
You seem very much to be a conspiracy theorist without a theory.
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You seem very much to be a name caller without a point.
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Name caller? You mean like, uh, simpleminded?
You seem to beleive and state a lot of bizarre things without evidence.
America is dead.
The Constitional experiment has failed.
The government has full creative control of TV programs.
Government and media leaders secretly collaborate. (To do what?)
Covid infections are NOT dangerous and deadly.
etc.
etc.
etc.
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What is bizarre about this post?
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The general idea that the government collaborates with TV to do something – we can’t say what – nefarious.
Sure, J. Edgar Hoover did what he did about the portrayal of the FBI and ever since the beginning of the movies the DOD and its antecedents cooperated with producers and even made assets available to aid their productions. So what? as you might say. What is happening now that is more sinister?
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RE: “So what? as you might say. What is happening now that is more sinister?”
The premise of the post, as stated, is: “I think many people don’t appreciate the level of historical cooperation between government in Washington D.C. and the entertainment industry in Hollywood. ”
I never said the cooperation was sinister. I am not responsible for the fanciful conclusions you leap to.
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So now you are offended at being called a conspiracy theorist? It is what you do and who you are.
And his point is pretty clear. But your mirrors are too fogged up with the steam of crappy hot takes you just can’t see it.
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“I never said the cooperation was sinister.”
No you did not say that.
I guess the line you drew from J. Edgar Hoover manipulating TV programming to the present day where you say “similar arrangements still exist and are more sophisticated than ever.” fooled me. And those secret confabs at the Sun Valley Conference – just kicking around story ideas, I suppose.
But, I cannot help but wonder – if there is nothing sinister being suggested in the claimed government involvement in the media, what was the point of your post? Please share.
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RE: “But, I cannot help but wonder – if there is nothing sinister being suggested in the claimed government involvement in the media, what was the point of your post? Please share.”
The point: I recently came across the story of J.Edgar Hoover’s direct control over the TV show “The F.B.I.” and thought it was interesting.
I also happen to believe that collusions of the sort raise ethical and constitutional issues.
And again, as stated in the post: I think many people don’t appreciate the level of historical cooperation between government in Washington D.C. and the entertainment industry in Hollywood.
The posted story and others I linked to in response to your challenge strongly substantiate the premise.
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I don’t know about “full” control, but this kind of thing absolutely still exists. Any action movie that includes military hardware (which is to say most of them now) has DoD input on the script and final cut. They’ll let you use their [our] gear in exchange for making sure the story is favorable to them.
Also, all the over-the-top patriotism and troop worship during football season is just the DoD paying the NFL millions per season for advertising.
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Input? Sure. But final cut? That seems a stretch. Any evidence?
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http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/7/29/hollywood-and-thepentagonarelationshipofmutualexploitation.html
I know some will take issue with an article from Al Jazeera so I’ll try to find others. I remember reading something a few years ago, but don’t remember where.
You may recall there was a hullabaloo over Zero Dark Thirty and whether the Obama DoD had shared potentially classified material with writers. The CIA was directly involved with ZDT and the film’s portrayal of torture as being instrumental to the OBL raid.
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Actually Al Jazeera has had some excellent reporting over the years.
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Of course. But, you know, scary Arabic name.
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You mean like “socialism” when it is realy social democracy?
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I have no problem with any of the factual reporting about past cooperation on movie projects and the give and-take documented.
What I said was a stretch was the term “final cut” and none of these examples amount to that. “Final cut” is a very sensitive matter in movie-making and would not be given up easily or secretly. A director whose oeuvre was cut up by a DoD propagandist would raise holy Hell. IMHO.
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I guess I don’t mean literally “final cut” as in they get to do all the post production editing, etc. But if they feel a scene doesn’t portray the military favorably, the scene gets cut or re written.
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Well, I am sure that what you say about the military role in some productions is accurate. However, there are many Hollywood productions that do not portray the military or our security services in anything like a favorable light so I find the idea of some sort overarching conspiracy or collaboration at Sun Valley to put rose colored glasses on the public very, very unlikely.
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I don’t mean all movies/shows. But if you seek out equipment or expertise or consulting, the script has to be approved.
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RE: “I remember reading something a few years ago, but don’t remember where.”
You might be thinking of the Salon item I linked to above:
https://www.salon.com/2013/02/28/is_hollywood_secretly_in_bed_with_the_cia_partner/
It discusses ZDT and a number of other fairly recent movies and TV shows.
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Top Gun definitely comes to mind.
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In sort of a mirror of the US’ three-letter organizations, I also remember reading that studios will coordinate with the Chinese government. China is a massive market so the studios won’t release anything that portrays China unfavorably, knowing it won’t get past the censors. It’s like what we see with the NBA.
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