Democrats turn to Hollywood for messaging help

[Virginiá]

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/11/democratic-campaign-messaging-hollywood-637364

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I don't think it's a bad idea, but they still have to work with talent that is actually talented. It's not like Hollywood doesn't churn out decent amounts of crap too. So I guess we'll see!

[GlobeSoc]

Stupid, but could work. I don't think this is a freedom move, but I'm not going to say that it's a horrible move for now either.

[YE]

Can Hollywood appeal to the people the Democrats won over 10 years ago? I have my doubts.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The problem isn't the messaging, the problem is the content.

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

It's going to be really hard for democrats to get their message out before 2020.

I don't think Hollywood can be of any help to dems. In fact, I think it hurts them a bit.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

They've been doing this for decades now. It's not been the most successful strategy.

[Lord Admirale]

This is the exact opposite of what we need.

[KingSweden]

Isn’t this basically what Frank Luntz spent 1994 doing?

[Progressive Pessimist]

Isn’t this basically what Frank Luntz spent 1994 doing?

It certainly worked for the GOP.

[kyc0705]

They've been doing this for decades now. It's not been the most successful strategy.

I know a few publicists and producers who work in Hollywood, and I can verify that some of these people wouldn't know how to sell you water in the middle of the desert.

[dead0man]

so let me get this straight, politicians who don't understand those morons that are forced to live in that weird place between New York and LA (because nobody would live there on purpose....gross) have reached out to the only people who know less about fly over country for help?

On the other hand, Trump is a moron and still managed to play millions of them like a fiddle...so maybe they'v got a chance talking down to the rubes.

[Adam Griffin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rijpU5yD55I

[Young Conservative]

Yeah that’ll definitely help with their elitism and coastal image.....honestly, it’s like the National Democratic establishment WANTS to lose.

[Rookie Yinzer]

Yeah that’ll definitely help with their elitism and coastal image.....honestly, it’s like the National Democratic establishment WANTS to lose.

[JA]

Yeah that’ll definitely help with their elitism and coastal image.....honestly, it’s like the National Democratic establishment WANTS to lose.

As if Republicans care what their elite do.

[Associate Justice PiT]

Yeah that’ll definitely help with their elitism and coastal image.....honestly, it’s like the National Democratic establishment WANTS to lose.

     Given that Hollywood is firmly identified with the cultural elite that has alienated many people from the Democratic Party, it does seem like an astoundingly bad idea. A little besides the point, but I would rather move away from lending credence from what actors, musicians, and athletes think about politics, regardless of their political persuasions.

[Adam Griffin]

Yeah that’ll definitely help with their elitism and coastal image.....honestly, it’s like the National Democratic establishment WANTS to lose.

     Given that Hollywood is firmly identified with the cultural elite that has alienated many people from the Democratic Party, it does seem like an astoundingly bad idea. A little besides the point, but I would rather move away from lending credence from what actors, musicians, and athletes think about politics, regardless of their political persuasions.

It should be obvious where I stand on the broader issue, but this is one point I'll never understand. It's not as if each ad opens with "Hollywood Jews and Gays Are Responsible for Drafting This Message"; it's one thing to produce ads with celebrities in them (it's a joke, feeds said narrative and doesn't work), but collaborating with those who have a solid understanding of media isn't taboo. They have unique insight into producing effective media.

More than anything, Democrats need to learn how to draft the right messages on their own - and that revolves around actually speaking to a wide swath of regular people (including many who may not fall under the current umbrella of two-dimensional identity pitches, upon which the party currently and heavily relies). Then they can take their feedback to Hollywood and let them devise the right pitch, production and framing. It's not as if wide swathes of Real America™ don't veg out nightly in front of Hollywood-produced material.

[dead0man]

Right, they're at home, wanting to be entertained, not preached to about the evils of Monsanto and guns.

[Reaganfan]

[Person Man]

You know, it makes objective sense that you go to the world's best communicators to get better communication skills. However, the brand and style of Hollywood is unpopular, especially amongst those whom Democrats are trying to reach.

There could arguably be a difference between activism and the actual technical aspects which are lacking.

[DrScholl]

I don't think most people are getting the point. All some of you see is Hollywood and immediately go into manic mode thinking that someone is plotting to destroy mom's apple pie and the heartland. The person in the White House is there now because he was on television so let's not pretend that Republicans don't utilize celebrities when necessary. California's last Republican Governor was an actor. To get new voters on the books it takes using known entities to get those people to register and to vote. And as far as the Midwest goes we are already seeing that it has seen seismic shifts through special elections toward Democrats, so it's not as if Democrats have had to do much to reverse fortunes there.

[Virginiá]

I don't think most people are getting the point. All some of you see is Hollywood and immediately go into manic mode thinking that someone is plotting to destroy mom's apple pie and the heartland. The person in the White House is there now because he was on television so let's not pretend that Republicans don't utilize celebrities when necessary. California's last Republican Governor was an actor. To get new voters on the books it takes using known entities to get those people to register and to vote. And as far as the Midwest goes we are already seeing that it has seen seismic shifts through special elections toward Democrats, so it's not as if Democrats have had to do much to reverse fortunes there.

Some of the responses here seem like they are based 100% on the thread subject vs actually reading the article. For example, I bet Reaganfan saw the title, selected and prepared the best meme he could muster and posted away without so much as skimming the article and thinking about it for a second.

There is nothing inherently wrong about going to the movie/television industry to get help with their messaging. If they get help from the right people, it could be very useful to Democrats. There are a lot of talented people in Hollywood that are exceedingly effective in this. Lots of untalented hacks too, but still, point is the same.

[MarkD]

Robert DeNiro already demonstrated one idea for a simple message.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

You guys have learned absolutely nothing from 2016 haven't you?

[KingSweden]

Yeah that’ll definitely help with their elitism and coastal image.....honestly, it’s like the National Democratic establishment WANTS to lose.

     Given that Hollywood is firmly identified with the cultural elite that has alienated many people from the Democratic Party, it does seem like an astoundingly bad idea. A little besides the point, but I would rather move away from lending credence from what actors, musicians, and athletes think about politics, regardless of their political persuasions.

It should be obvious where I stand on the broader issue, but this is one point I'll never understand. It's not as if each ad opens with "Hollywood Jews and Gays Are Responsible for Drafting This Message"; it's one thing to produce ads with celebrities in them (it's a joke, feeds said narrative and doesn't work), but collaborating with those who have a solid understanding of media isn't taboo. They have unique insight into producing effective media.

More than anything, Democrats need to learn how to draft the right messages on their own - and that revolves around actually speaking to a wide swath of regular people (including many who may not fall under the current umbrella of two-dimensional identity pitches, upon which the party currently and heavily relies). Then they can take their feedback to Hollywood and let them devise the right pitch, production and framing. It's not as if wide swathes of Real America™ don't veg out nightly in front of Hollywood-produced material.

This is the only really worthwhile post on this subject so far.