Episode 33: This Film has Been Modified to Meet Imperial Demands with Tom Secker

In the Context of Empire

Jon and Matt were joined by Tom Secker to speak about an aspect of imperialism that often flies under the radar, while being essential to the functioning of the empire. This episode focuses on the propaganda spread though movies and television shows that is crucial for the expansion of the warfare state. Films and shows may seem benign but often serve to manufacture societal consent and tolerance for imperial violence. Tom is an expert on the perverse influence that the US national security state has over popular entertainment. He is the author of National Security Cinema: The Shocking New Evidence of Government Control in Hollywood, and the host of Clandestime podcast. He has a new documentary coming out, Theatres of Command. All of Tom's work can be found at Spyculture.com

Discussed in this Episode:

- Tom's background and interest in propaganda

- The various ways and scale that the Pentagon and CIA influence movie and television production (hint.. it's not about money!)

- The unexpected genres that there is still a Pentagon presence; IE in the script of Pitch Perfect 3

- The tragically comical cases of Jurassic Park 3, Contact, and other strange cases of Pentagon messaging in films

- The consequences producers face for not accepting Pentagon/CIA assistance

- The measurable extreme success of nat. sec. propaganda through films/shows.

- How to enjoy movies and shows without falling victim to imperial propaganda

Our Work:

Read our "In the Context of Empire" blog with corresponding and expanded posts to this content!

Social Media: Twitter- @Mattylongruns.