Mass Media Marketing of Militarism

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Abstract This paper looks at the marketing of war through mass media as opposed to the “true” “real” bloody and often without rules war that is “true war”. Mass media marketing of militarism comes in an array of different avenues. Some of the most popular television shows, movies, and novels of all time have dealt with some aspect of militarism. As if war was like the movie Stealth, Iron Man or GiJoe or possibly the television show Star Trek, Babylon 5, even Star Wars for example; what about war as portrayed in a supposedly historical rendition of a world long gone such as those represented in cowboy movies, ancient epics, in which a brave soul must battle against impossible odds to save a loved one. What they have in common is the fact that they are all about peace and the processes of battle that must be endured in order to obtain peace. These epics and movies are not a realistic “tell” of war and military but are in many Americans minds the actual reality they like to believe to keep war clean. We must not blame our citizens for this unrealistic view on war as our media -- news, movies, commercials and propaganda -- promotes this, non-bloody, futuristic vision of airpower and exact war; yet we all know that peace does not come without war and mass media and Hollywood knows that “violence” sells. Mass Media and Militarism, the Art of Marketing War Mass media marketing of militarism comes in an array of different avenues. Some of the most popular television shows, movies, and novels of all time have dealt with some aspect of militarism. As if war was like the television show Star Trek, or it can be a supposedly historical rendition of a world long gone such as those represented in cowboy movies, ancient epics, in which a brave soul must battle against impossible odds to save a loved one. What they have in common is the fact that they are all
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