Ethics and Film

Ethics and Film By Alex Shumate

Since the beginning of storytelling on film, movies have caused many ethical debates and discussion from viewers. Movies in its highest art form have the power to persuade or enlighten a viewer on a plethora of ethical topics in the world we live in. In addition, movies also have the power to evoke strong emotions from a viewer in relation to the ethical content. Movies don’t just focus on one specific ethical topic. Many movies have presented the viewer with several different ethical dilemmas.



One example I can think of is the satire comedy “Tropic Thunder” that came out last summer. “Tropic Thunder” is a movie that is a spoof on the film industry. More specifically, it is making a joke on actors who obtain roles simply just to win acting awards. In the film, Robert Downey Jr’s character is obsessed with winning awards for his acting. In order to obtain another acting award, his character (who is white) decides to play the role of a black man and undergo surgery (similar to blackface) to look the part. In an article at dailybreeze.com, it was reported that many people were not as offended by that as they were offended by the use of the word “retard” in the film. Timothy Shriver, Special Olympics chairman and chief executive officer, was one of the several protesters who were against the film for its use of this word



In a Poynter article, Ellen Heltzel sat down to discuss some issues with screenwriter Joe Eszterhas. Eszterhas has been given the reputation as a man who pumps up the level of sex and violence in movies. One of the films he has written is “Basic Instinct,” a film that is well known for revealing Sharon Stone’s genitalia. Ironically, Eszterhas does not believe sex scenes or violent scenes influence a person’s behavior, but the glamorization of smoking in films does. Eszterhas has a full campaign against the glamorization of smoking in films that he has been pushing. More can be read about his campaign here.



Movies can even bring about ethical decisions in regards to religion. An example of this is “The Magdalene Sisters.” This film is about three Dublin girls who become slaves in the Magdalene Laundries, which were established by the Catholic Church. According to an article at Religion & Ethics newsweekly, the Catholic Church is not too pleased with the film. The Vatican condemned it as a “rancorous provocation.” In relation to religion, the topic of gay marriage is also a popular ethical topic in films. Just recently the film “Milk” sparked continuing debates about the legalization of gay marriage. MTV news published an article that talks about how the 70s biopic film is extremely relevant especially in comparison with the passing of Proposition 8 in California.



My point in using all these examples is that there are wide ranges of ethical topics that are used in film. As movies continue to get made, ethical discussions will be used in a movie that corresponds with the time period we are living in. More importantly, these examples show that people’s opinions on ethical topics vary depending on whom you talk to. As I strive to make my short film for my project, I plan on providing my main character with ethical dilemmas. My character will be having lots of internal conflict, as he must make a decision to do what’s right in relation to the lesser of two evils. I don’t know if the audience who watches the short film will agree or disagree with the decision the character makes. I just hope it causes people to think.

Ethics & Music Videos

Ethics & Music Videos by John Lenox Cope

The image to the right is from a music video entitled "Lessons Learned" by Matt and Kim [FADER Label, Popfrenzy Records]. The newly released video is certainly not the first to consist of full nudity, but it is a current example that highlights the issue of ethics and music videos. Though the video is edited for broadcast, it still most likely offends certain people.

Music Videos have caused controversy since their introduction. Whether it be due to violence, drug use, sexuality, or offensive language, music videos have never shied away from pushing limits. Most of the literature concerning ethics in music videos has centered around the portrayal of stereotypes. Steven Seidman published an article titled, "An Investigation of Sex-Role Stereotyping in Music Videos" which was published in the Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media in 1992. This is one of many articles published concerning stereotyping in music videos.

Even though fairly little has been written specifically about ethics concerning music videos, it is still common to hear or read complaints about certain music videos via the news. On May 9, 2008, CBC published an article about the 10 most controversial music videos of all time. The videos were chosen based on their violent, sexual, or otherwise objectionable content. Most people probably would not be surprised to see Madonna and Marilyn Manson's videos on this list, but Michael Jackson and Duran Duran have also stirred up controversies with their videos.

I recently attended the South By Southwest Music Festival and Conference in Austin, TX. One of the performers I was able to catch was Amanda Palmer of The Dresden Dolls. She spoke about the video for her single "Oasis" and how it was refused by MTV and NME. The video was refused "due to it making light of rape, religion and abortion." Strangeglue.com posted an article about the video/song and its controversies. I personally find it interesting that certain videos are refused while others that include graphic violence, sexuality, or drug use are aired with little hesitation. It would be interesting to see if the the video and song would receive the same treatment if they were recorded by a more notable artist.

It's impossible to discuss music videos and ethics without discussing YouTube. This is a popular source for many people to watch music videos today. In March the BBC posted an article detailing the blocking of music videos from YouTube. YouTube blames increasing licensing fees for the blocking of the music videos. The idea of licensing and royalties for music videos is a complicated subject but it can't be ignored when discussing ethics. As popular networks like MTV and VH1 show less and less music videos, the internet has become a popular place to view such media. As with other media content, piracy and illegal viewing of music videos has become a concern. Some record labels and artists fear they are losing money due to this trend. With this in mind, Univeral Records and YouTube announced plans for a new music video site.

When I direct a music video for my graduate project, I will keep in mind all of the ethical controversies that surround this particular artform. I don't plan on pushing the boundaries too much with this project, but it is still important to study the role of ethics in relations to music videos.