12/12/2011
Muppet propaganda?
A Fox Business TV host stirred up a controversy with a charge on his show that the new Muppets movie is pushing a "liberal agenda" on children because the villain in the movie is an oil executive. The Chicago Sun-Times called the idea that the Muppets are being used as a liberal brainwashing tool is completely "bonkers," adding that the movie's producer is Disney, "one of the most profitable and admired corporate names in the history of civilization."
■Class discussion: Find newspaper reviews of "The Muppets." Do any of the reviewers call the move propaganda? What other characters have been accused of propagandizing to children? Both liberals and conservatives have accused Hollywood of political bias. Find newspaper reports about these accusations. Who complains the most? Are any of the accusations valid? Why?