Hollywood vs. America: The Explosive Bestseller that Shows How—and Why—the Entertainment Industry has Broken Faith with Its Audience

Michael Medved examines why popular culture appears hostile to values held by most Americans, arguing that the entertainment industry attacks religion, glorifies brutality, undermines the family, and derides patriotism. He contends that Hollywood has broken faith with its audience by creating movies, television, and music that worsen serious social problems including teenage pregnancies and street violence. Medved argues that the entertainment business pursues its own ideological agenda rather than providing what audiences actually want. He notes that viewership for feature films and network television has declined significantly, and that large numbers of Americans report dissatisfaction with popular culture quality. According to Medved, Hollywood ignores and assaults the values of ordinary American families, following a self-destructive agenda harmful to both the nation and the industry itself. The book includes chapters addressing specific topics: attacks on religion, addiction to violence, promotion of promiscuity, use of foul language, and other recurring themes in popular culture. Medved presents evidence of these messages' real-world impact on society and children. He also traces how Hollywood arrived at its current crisis and describes efforts within and outside the industry to restore restraint to mass entertainment media.