The Red Placebo: Confessions of a Former Conspiracy Dabbler
June 6, 2013 at 2:31 pm | Posted in Political | Leave a commentTags: Film, Movies, The Matrix, David Icke, science fiction, Alex Jones, Alice Walker, Conspiracy, Conspiracy Theory, The Red Pill
by Walter Hudson – PJ Media – June 6, 2013
The Matrix may have inspired an entire generation of conspiracists. We sometimes forget the impact of a particular moment in our popular culture. The success of The Matrix was that no one saw it coming. Though the concept of virtual reality and computer simulations had long been weaved throughout science fiction, the Wachowski brother’s uniquely plausible presentation captured the mainstream imagination.
The allure of the red pill, of knowing a terrible truth and boasting an esoteric righteousness from the knowing, haunted many moviegoers long after the credits rolled. The film’s imagery and lexicon went on to permeate the various truther movements which gained popularity in the following decade.
Often portrayed as heroic, innocent, kooky, or haphazardly correct, conspiracists are actually dangerous. After all, what we accept to be accurate knowledge informs both our actions and our emotional responses. By refusing to accept plain facts and insisting upon indulging unsubstantiated fantasy, conspiracists in effect become willful psychotics, consciously rejecting reality.
Putting the War into the ‘War on Terror’
May 23, 2013 at 11:12 pm | Posted in Pajamas Media | Leave a commentTags: Criminals, Evil, Geek Culture, islam, Islam. Video Games, jihad, Movies, Nazism, Second World War, Terrorism, Terrorists, Videogames, Villains, Walter Hudson, War, War on Terror, World War II
by Walter Hudson – PJ Media – May 23, 2013
Our grandfathers ran around as children playing cowboys and Indians. Our fathers played cops and robbers. In the digital age, we have video game iterations of the same dichotomy like Counter-Strike, a classic and frequently remade title featuring frantic objective-based gunplay between terrorists and the counterforces employed to stop them.
A mainstay of masculine entertainment, the terrorist stands in place of the generic black hatted villain of yesteryear, all but tying damsels to railroad tracks. As antagonists go, terrorists come readymade, requiring little to no explanation for their menace. They hail from somewhere exotic, believe something bizarre, and destroy as a means to their chosen end. Often, we don’t even care what fuels their violence so long as we get to shoot back. As I think back on terrorist films I’ve watched multiple times, like True Lies or Air Force One, I couldn’t tell you exactly why the bad guys were bad or what they hoped to accomplish. It didn’t really matter. They were there to rally our hate and earn a satisfying death at the hands of our hero.
The Gospel from Planet X: Why Aliens Ignite the Imagination
May 16, 2013 at 11:06 pm | Posted in Pajamas Media | Leave a commentTags: Alternative Energy, Capitalism, Conspiracy Theories, Environmental, Futurism, Geek Culture, Movies, religion, science fiction, Videogames
by Walter Hudson – PJ Media – May 16, 2013
Editor’s Note:
Check out Walter’s previous articles in this ongoing series Thursday mornings exploring video games, cultural villains, and American values at PJ Lifestyle. From May 2: “Beating Back the Nazi “Sickness” and last week: What Zombies Teach Us About Human Nature. And also see Walter’s A Reason For Faith series, reprinted last week here. In these four articles Walter begins to formalize his task of synthesizing the Judeo-Christian tradition with Ayn Rand’s Objectivism and Tea Party activism. - DMS
In one of the most vivid dreams I can recall, I witnessed the landing of a plainly alien spaceship. It came lucidly, dancing on the edge of wakefulness, informed by enough of my rousing consciousness that it felt particularly real. I remember the feeling that my feet were glued to the ground, that I couldn’t move if I wanted to, not on account of some external force, but due to an overwhelming sense of awe and anticipation. The one thought dominating my mind: everything is about to change.
Though it was only a dream, I retain the memory as vividly as though it were of an actual experience and believe I will respond similarly if ever confronted by a true interplanetary delegation. Something about that kind of moment, when the veil lifts upon an existential mystery, produces an irresistible thrill. Perhaps that tops the list of reasons why our popular culture remains ever fascinated by the prospect of extraterrestrial life.
The Conservative Counter-Culture: NRB Interviews Bill Whittle, Andrew Klavan, and Dana Loesch
March 2, 2011 at 1:00 pm | Posted in NewsRealBlog | Leave a commentTags: bill whittle, Conservatism, Culture, Dana Loesch, Film, Hollywood, Joe Hicks, Klavan, Movies, music, NewsReal Blog, pjtv, The Concession Stand
by Walter Hudson, contributed to David Horowitz’s NewsReal Blog
Dana Loesch shatters conservative stereotypes.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the best idea always won the day? Unfortunately, it often doesn’t. The best idea, poorly presented, is easily passed over.
Conservatives aren’t known for our presentation. We’re still talking about Ronald Reagan, and looking for the next Great Communicator. But even if we find him or her, that means we’re averaging one every thirty or forty years. That’s not a winning track record.
We must each become great communicators in our own right. The way to do so is to set aside our great ideas for a moment, and start focusing on telling better stories. Reagan excelled at this because of his background in Hollywood, where tales are spun with a focus upon building an audience.
PJTV’s Bill Whittle and Andrew Klavan share that background. They also share the sound conservative ideals which must be transmuted through effective presentation. We caught up with them and Joe Hicks after the three delivered a powerful symposium at the Tea Party Patriots American Policy Summit.
Does a Lack of Black Oscar Nominees Reveal Hollywood’s Racism?
October 5, 2010 at 6:30 am | Posted in NewsRealBlog | Leave a commentTags: African American, black, Film, Hollywood, L.A. Times, Movies, NewsReal Blog, Oscars, Patrick Goldstein, Racism, Studio Executives, The Concession Stand
by Walter Scott Hudson, contributed to NewsReal Blog
I deplore racism. Fortunately, for the vast majority of my life, I have rarely encountered it. Regarded as black in spite of a mixed heritage, I have lived among peers of all races without much fuss.
Only since becoming a political animal, and openly expressing my conservative views, have I encountered the specter of race-based ire. You may or may not be surprised to learn it’s been entirely from the Left.
It is the Left who regards my blackness as a disability which requires their aid to withstand. It is the Left who puts blacks in a place subordinate to their white peers. It is the Left which dictates how blacks ought to act, what we ought to say, and how we ought to think.
The Left’s racial condescension is unconscionable, made more so by its sincerity. Without the slightest sense of irony, leftists regard themselves as transcendent for exhibiting the “empathy” required to “understand” how difficult it is to not be them.
Audiences Reject Robert Rodriguez’s Anti-American “Machete,” Film Critic Wonders Why
September 15, 2010 at 1:29 am | Posted in NewsRealBlog | 1 CommentTags: Christian Toto, Culture War, Film, Hollywood, illegal immigration, Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, Michelle Rodriguez, Movies, NewsReal Blog, Robert Deniro, Robert Rodriguez, The Concession Stand
by Walter Scott Hudson, contributed to NewsReal Blog
If you’re anything like me, the time you devote to entertainment is an investment. You work a day job. Maybe you have one or two part-time gigs on the side. You have a family and a home to attend to, chores to do, errands to run. Maybe you’re involved in a community group, a sports team, a social club. What little time you have left over is valuable and, if you’re going to spend it entertaining yourself, your choice of how is made with care.
So, here’s a suggestion. After you’ve ground your way through a hard day’s work, ran to the store, picked up the kids here to drop them there, etc., how about going to to see a film where you and every institution and value you hold dear is mocked and demonized over the course of 105 minutes of gratuitous violence?
What’s that? You’ll pass? Why? What’s wrong with you? Continue Reading Audiences Reject Robert Rodriguez’s Anti-American “Machete,” Film Critic Wonders Why…
“Inception” Sets a New Standard for Filmmaking
July 18, 2010 at 11:07 pm | Posted in NewsRealBlog | Leave a commentTags: Christopher Nolan, Ellen Page, Film, Hollywood, Inception, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Movies, The Concession Stand, The Matrix
Movie trailers are an art form all their own. Common is the trailer which tells a film’s entire story, leaving you with no compelling reason to see the film. Worse are jumbles of random clips which misrepresent the end product. Effective trailers provide the audience with a sample of the experience they can expect without spoiling the payoff.
The initial teaser for the first Matrix film offered a glimpse into its world without explaining it. Audiences sampled titillating visuals with just enough dialog to suggest a story without revealing it. The tagline “What is the Matrix?” placed the viewer in precisely the same position as the film’s protagonist, unsure of their experience, but drawn down the rabbit hole.
Continue Reading “Inception” Sets a New Standard for Filmmaking…
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