While the picture here is from one of my favorite military satire sites, it, like most effective PSYOP, is based on truth. (see: https://bit.ly/3INygd3, which is also a photo source).
While the thrill of going to a darkened room with hundreds of strangers has been dampened due to COVID, there have been some exceptions. One of which has been “Top Gun: Maverick” which has topped over $1 Billion at the box office.
The lure of movies as a propaganda medium has not been lost on other countries, in particular, the People’s Republic of China. Unbeknownst to me (because I let my subscription lapse) my favorite news magazine, The Economist published a January article “How Chinese propaganda films became watchable – Patriotic blockbusters are so entertaining people willingly buy tickets” (see: https://econ.st/3zgtUIi, another photo source).
The article talks about “The Battle at Lake Changjin” became the highest-grossing film in Chinese history, and the second-highest of the year worldwide. It made over $900m, just behind “Spider-Man: No Way Home”. You can watch the official trailer on YouTube at: https://bit.ly/3IXQnNy (another photo source) You can read a review in the British publication the Guardian at: https://bit.ly/3aUN50Y
I found it very interesting to learn that the film was especially popular among Young Chinese. This contrasts with Top Gun where the majority of viewers were over 35. (see: https://bit.ly/3v17JDm)
Stepping back, it would appear that the PRC is well aware its target audience. Clearly, their goal is to attract the younger citizen who is perhaps more disenchanted with the Chinese heavy surveillance efforts and potential censorship of internet news and other sites regarded as damaging to the Party and government.
Once upon a time, in World War II, one scholarly source summed up Hollywood’s role “During World War II, Hollywood produced films that acted as propaganda, increased military recruitment rates, assisted in military training, and boosted the morale of American soldiers and civilians alike, easily making cinema the most important form of popular media in the war effort.” (see: https://bit.ly/3B4pTYG)
The Office of War Information was created due to the need for offensive influence operations and under the pressure of World War II. Given the nature, resources and pressure created by Russia and other disinformation efforts – is it time to consider an Office of Disinformation Control?
Reader comments encouraged.
3 comments:
Advisory Subcommittee Says ‘No Need’ for Homeland Security’s Disinformation Board
July 19, 2022 01:14 PM ET
The board has been fraught with controversy since it was announced a few months ago.
he Department of Homeland Security’s Disinformation Governance Board is on life support following an interim report Monday issued by a Homeland Security Advisory Council subcommittee stating there was “no need” for the body.
The Disinformation Governance Board, launched by DHS in late April to counter misinformation, was “paused” by DHS in mid-May after weeks of criticism and cries of government overreach from Republican lawmakers. On the same day, the board’s chief, disinformation and extremism expert Nina Jankowicz, resigned following threats of physical violence against her.
“We have now had briefings on the relevant disinformation-related activities of the Department. We are not ready, as of yet, to provide recommendations on the Department’s most effective approach to disinformation threats, including commitments to increase transparency and protect civil rights, civil liberties and privacy,” the council subcommittee’s interim recommendation states. “However, at this point, we have concluded that there is no need for a Disinformation Governance Board.”
Full story at: https://bit.ly/3AZ1OCC
Of course there seems to be some interesting secondary effects from the highly successful movie:
Top Gun Signals New Shift Toward Not Kowtowing to Chinese Content Censorship
Peter Suciu / Jul 27, 2022
Intelligence top gun hollywood china
Tom Cruise is once again a “Top Gun” at the international box office this summer thanks to his appearance in Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to the hit 1986 film. Despite being delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the film had already crossed the $1 billion market in ticket sales last month, and has shown little signs of slowing down.
https://news.clearancejobs.com/2022/07/27/top-gun-signals-new-shift-toward-not-kowtowing-to-chinese-content-censorship/?_hsmi=220976941&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--9L8_74pMP_5Pex5_jYTi9jDBlrT3sVv_U2UFuGHmDRbxTvAGj0CY5tnkKPu0IgcvixcXEpMGBEvHup9gxZKrTDO5vSA
It fits the China policy when most viewers are young adolescents. When you see the youtube movie about the dangers of tiktok it clearly demonstrates in China they have a different algorithm showing different tiktoks than outside China where we mostly see half-naked, stupid, funny, music videos. Not in China. China's youth is being prepared for dominating the world
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