In the last 10 years alone, I could fill a wall with marks on how many times I've heard someone in the entertainment industry say "All art is political." I don't mean just the movie industry either. Everything from books to video games has been infected with this idea that to create is to make a political statement.
If you're like me, you're a fan of The Critical Drinker on YouTube, a man who I truly think gets it about the cultural landscape and how deeply it affects the world. In a recent video, he commented on this very statement from Hollywood about all art being political, and he said something that I've said myself in the past.
Art is not political, and any political art is propaganda. Instead, art reflects something far deeper. A statement about virtues, morality, and commentary surrounding the deeper meaning of life.
Drinker notes that the only people who tend to say this with their chest are those who need art to reflect their politics because they can't stand to see any others represented. He's not wrong, but I'd add that this is the only time they can actually see their bubbled viewpoints represented in a way that makes their ideological stances seem both normal and good.
Reality, however, says otherwise. Their ideas have been tried and tested in so many different ways, and they always crumble and fail spectacularly. Be it personal lives being destroyed by the self-important but self-destructive ideas behind living "my truth" to the nation-destroying ideas behind socialism and identity politics. The only time these concepts work is in the controlled environment of a Hollywood set with just the right lighting, camera angles, and script. Even then, the creation so often fails because it doesn't resonate with the real world.
Again, reality always has its way.
But that doesn't mean art is meaningless. Drinker concludes by saying that often, art is just meant to entertain. Nothing more. Again, he's not wrong, but even in those moments where you're looking to escape, you're looking for meaning of some kind. Any work of art, no matter how silly and mindless, always includes something that activates a part of you.
Take "Star Wars," for instance. The original trilogy is a masterclass of escapism. You're taken to a galaxy far, far away with space wizards and laser swords, massive ships, and plucky heroes.
Yet, underneath that is a real commentary about good and evil, courage in the face of impossible odds, and even — dare I say — trust in forces you cannot see or hear but know will help everything work out in the end.
"The Lord of the Rings" follows a lot of these same beats. A world away from our own, it gives us a tale that means something more than various races going on an adventure to stop evil.
Even comedies that seem ridiculous on the surface have commentary about deeper concepts and values. Does skin color actually dictate character? "Blazing Saddles" has a lot to say about that. "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" is a fun commentary on the value of selflessness and determination. Even "Kingsman" is an action comedy about the importance of duty and service to a greater cause.
The point is that the art we tend to enjoy the most tends to give us encouragement for values that we consider to be not just good, but selfless. To fight against evil despite overwhelming odds, to give something of ourselves so that others might live in peace, and to practice some form of moral behavior that elevates ourselves and our fellow man.
To be clear, these ideas can be presented in a whole host of ways, and can even be questioned or reframed, but the deeper ideas are always present in some capacity. For instance, the movie "The Joker" questioned where the line of villainy truly begins and ends, and how it blurs into heroism, leaving the viewer to decide for themselves where that line is.
You can lace political elements into art, but these elements nearly always revolve around these deeper ideas. The video game industry, for instance, is almost hardcoded to have these concepts presented in the most creative ways because it requires player interaction. A person is forced to participate in actions that sometimes show consequences that the player didn't intend or even want.
Art is not political, and I'd say it's even deeper than cultural. Entertainment — at least good entertainment — talks to a deeper part of you that, if done correctly, can change your entire outlook, confirm a bias, or reinforce a tradition or virtue. It can lighten a load or make you assume a burden. It can appeal to your better angels, and in some cases, make you an even worse devil.
But it always revolves around these deeper questions.
This is why the "everything is political" idea pervasive throughout the entertainment industry feels so hollow. It's because it is. It's passing over the deeper meaning of art in the hopes that you'll buy their shallow ideas.
