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Hollywood version of blacklisting

Posted March. 21, 2017 07:11,   

Updated March. 21, 2017 07:16

한국어

Arnold Schoenberg, a Jewish composer who brought innovation in the 20th century music, worked in Germany. As soon as Hitler grabbed power in 1933, he left for the U.S. Back then, Jews and left-wing artists were oppressed. The Nazi Germany blacklisted Bertolt Brecht, a playwright leaning toward Marxism, and burned all of his books. After wandering in other countries, he sought asylum in the U.S. in 1941. Unfortunately. he was blacklisted again in Hollywood due to McCarthyism.

The "artist blacklist" scandal was a hot topic of debate in Korea for a while. Former Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Cho Yoon-sun was held in custody because of the allegation that she created a list of artists who criticized the administration to prevent financial support to them. Hollywood now has the same suspicion. In a talk show, actor Tim Allen compared being a conservative in Hollywood towards 1930s Germany.

Those who hate each other might get assimilated. Tim Allen bashed Hollywood liberals and their intolerant elitism. He pointed out that those who criticize Trump for being not caring for the socially marginalized are hypocrites persecuting a minority in Hollywood. The Los Angeles Times said that some 2,500 conservative actors and actresses have been stigmatized for supporting the Republicans and disadvantaged in opportunities since the launch of the Trump administration.

There is one thing in common between the artist blacklist of the former Park Geun-hye administration and the blacklist in Hollywood: blacklisting is not a matter of ideology but power. It is worrisome that the incoming administration of Korea might wield power with a clandestine blacklist based on what it learned from the previous administration. Both all blacklists – regardless of whether they forces people to subject to power or persecute individuals who do not agree with a group’s needs -- are dangerous signs undermining democracy.