‘Run Hide Don’t Fight?’ – How to Lose the Culture Wars
Reaction to Daily Wire's latest film suggests self-inflicted wounds
Conservatives have long blasted (and rightfully so) Hollywood for being a silo of Leftist ideology.
The culture war has been something those on the Right for decades have avoided participating in. However, following the draconian COVID-19 lockdowns, the mass censorship of any right-leaning voice on social media and the Biden administration’s targeting of political opponents, conservative and independent voices rose up.
This came in the form of YouTube channels like Nerdrotic and The Critical Drinker. The censorship of The Babylon Bee led a domino effect that may have resulted in Elon Musk buying Twitter, taking hold of a once Leftist powerhouse of a social media platform.
This also coaxed the conservative news site The Daily Wire to get into the entertainment business. That helped create a parallel economy where conservative voices and topics, as well as cancelled Hollywood actors and actresses, have a space to perform.
Recently, the Daily Wire released the film “Run Hide Fight: Infidels.” The film involves a college campus taken hostage by radical Islamic terrorists and features former Marvel Studios star Jonathan Majors.
The actor’s role isn’t sizable. It’s more akin to Chuck Norris’s part in the 1992 film “Sidekicks.”
The Left predictably melted down after “infidels'” release. That was to be expected. What was shocking was the lack of coverage on the Right.
Such conservative sites that seem to provide no coverage included Breitbart News, The Blaze, The Post Millennial and RedState.
Other conservatives criticized not just the film itself, which is always welcome, but its overtly political nature. (At least they addressed the film in the first place)
Just like President Donald Trump was to a Republican party that was on the outs in 2015, don’t be shocked when someone decides to symbolically “punch back.”
You don’t have to like The Daily Wire’s film simply because it’s from the Right. But if we want to enter the conversation, we must be willing to have one.
A great example of those who are willing to have a discussion with not only the right side of the aisle, but also to alternatives to Hollywood, is the YouTube channel Film Threat. Co-host Chris Gore and Alan Ng provide a space where filmmakers outside the Hollywood system are given a platform to promote their films.
Gore and Ng provide insightful discussions, as well as provide an opportunity for viewers (and perhaps future filmmakers) to ask questions to the filmmakers and actors of the film being promoted.
Mocking Hollywood for its endless woke content is rightfully deserved, but we need to also find space to promote an alternative. The country perhaps is too polarized for Hollywood to change, so finding and discussing other avenues of entertainment is of upmost importance.
Christopher Shafer is an Emmy-winning video editor and award-winning screenwriter. He is a native Floridian who grew up in the South Florida area and now resides in New England. Please follow him on Instagram @savedbyzero11.