Editing Out Hollywood
by Paul M. Weyrich

Conservatives know our "mainstream" entertainment industry is seriously off course. It often purposely derides the values essential to the maintenance of a strong, stable and virtuous society. Instead it serves, in effect, as the nation's publicist for unhealthy and unwise lifestyles that only serve to make our society weaker, more selfish and morally bankrupt. This industry is in headlong pursuit of young audiences, placing the interests of unchaste youth above the needs of a more mature market that has come to realize the virtues of more traditional lifestyles.

Not every Hollywood film is morally bankrupt but when you consider the fare in total, you can see exactly what I mean. How rare is a film that can be enjoyed by all members of the family, one that carries a thoughtful message and reflects the virtues shared by observant Christians and Jews?

For every film that exemplifies Judeo-Christian values, mainstream Hollywood produces many more that tear down our values. The socially irresponsible industry places making millions in box office receipts over helping to reinforce the essential moral values. They show us that crime is to be glorified. Sex without the commitment of marriage is fine. Homosexuality and other "alternative" lifestyles are to be embraced. Gone are the days of the Hays Moral Code.

Thus, when an idea is advanced to give parents more choice over what their children actually watch, helping them to clean up Hollywood's dirtier fare, you would think that it would be welcomed by an industry whose leading members are so adamant in promoting "choice" when it comes to abortion. No. Not this time. Not this choice. Then the industry balks. However, its day of reckoning may arrive soon, particularly if the social conservatives of our country speak out.

Rep. Lamar Smith, (R-TX) has introduced H.R. 4586 -- the Family Movie Act.

What Rep. Smith's bill would legalize the use of technology, such as that made by ClearPlay, that Hollywood tastemakers passionately dislike. ClearPlay is a DVD that enables parents to be censors of Hollywood movies by allowing them to block out the excessive violence, sex, and filthy language from movies. Speaking on behalf of the industry, Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), whose district includes North Hollywood, has declared, "Congress should not give companies the right to alter, distort, and mutilate creative works, or sell otherwise infringing products that do functionally the same thing."

All the technology does is permit self-editing of a movie. No real altering of the movie occurs. Family News in Focus' Steve Jordahl interviewed Marybeth Peters, the register of copyrights at the U.S. Copyright Office, who said there would be no copyright violation because no actual changes are made to the product.

Rep. Smith argued in the House Judiciary Committee that the issue is not about "one company or one technology. It has always been about the ultimate rights of parents to limit the profanity, sex, and violence that their children are exposed to in the privacy of their own home... No one can argue with a straight face that it should be against the law to skip over a few pages or even entire chapters of a book. So, too, it should not be illegal to skip over a few words or scenes in a movie."

Smith's legislation carried the day 18-9 in committee, it remains to be seen whether there will be a vote when Congress returns in September... before adjourning for the fall campaigns.

Whatever happens, the demand to allow parents more control over what their children watch is not going away. Hollywood can waste their time fighting this proposal and technology, or they can wise up to the fact that there are millions of parents who want something different than what Hollywood's cultural czars command you must buy. Technology such as ClearPlay provides parents with more power over what they will allow to be watched in their homes. If Hollywood will not take it upon itself to clean up its product, then they should at least allow parents to do so. If they won't try to make money by offering cleaner versions of their products, then my vote is to let technology such as ClearPlay do so. As a grandfather, I may be only one man speaking my mind, but something tells me that I am far from being the only one who feels this way.

Paul M. Weyrich is Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation.