The Lies That Blind (Review of a novel about Hollywood Conservatives)

Mens News Daily ^ | Septemner 8, 2004 | Michael P. Tremoglie

[Vision Thing]

The English critic and author G. K. Chesterton once wrote, “Literature is a luxury, fiction is a necessity.”

Unfortunately, it is a necessity lacking in modern American conservatism. However, necessity being the mother of invention, and conservatives being rather innovative people, conservative authors are developing methods to bring their novels to market because they are all but banned from the publishing industry. (Contrary to what the term conservative would lead one to believe they have been very resourceful and innovative in communicating their idea via new or anachronistic venues such as the Internet and talk radio.)

Ironically, Daniel W. Schroder’s 'The Lies That Blind” addresses this issue of the prohibition of conservative concepts by the mainstream media. This is the second novel by Schroder about the society of Hollywood and its discrimination against conservatives. This book continues the saga of a businessman and his friends who acquire a movie studio and attempt to exist in the bizarre, hedonistic, and patently liberal, ideological world of modern Hollywood.

Tom Brantley and his friends are business people who acquire a movie studio called Classic Studios. The book chronicles their trials and tribulations trying to make movies portraying conservative ideals - thereby contradicting the reigning sentiment in Hollywood. The Hollywood elite resent this intrusion by these outsiders not only because they are outsiders but because their ideas are anathema to the beliefs and value system of the movie making establishment.

Brantley and company are rebels with a cause.

The book’s theme of the “ Conservatives/Republicans need not apply” attitude of Hollywood is not new. Indeed, the cable channel, American Movie Classics ( AMC), will present an original documentary about the alienation of conservatives and/or Republicans in Hollywood titled, Rated R Republicans in Hollywood, in a couple of weeks. Film critic Michael Medved also wrote a book in 1922 Hollywood versus America, which mentioned the antipathy of Hollywood for the American bourgeoisie.

While the estrangement of Hollywood’s conservatives has been broached before this is the first time a novel has been written about this. What makes Schroder’s approach unique is that he presents a fictionalized account of the everyday stresses encountered by a Hollywood conservative. Schroder, like Medved, enunciates the abnormal values of an industry that helps communicate values. He examines the taboo subjects of the morality, immorality, and amorality of the entertainment industry executives and entertainers.

This saga concerns the efforts of the Hollywood establishment as they try to eliminate Brantley whose movies are a success. However, they are successful movies exploring and promulgating a morality and values that use to be standard fare in Hollywood and today are only presented by a few moviemakers and relegated to the cable channels of ABC Family, Disney, Turner Classic Movies, and AMC.

As Medved as stated repeatedly on his talk radio program, these movies are successful financially, yet they are dismal culturally speaking – at least to Hollywood’s culture. Schroder takes this theme and plots not how Hollywood banishes conservative values to a cultural ghetto, instead he tells how Hollywood wants to eliminate conservative values entirely.

Schroder self-published this book because he probably could not locate a publishing house that would be willing to furnish him with an editor and staff, and market it for him. Culturally conservative fiction does not have a place on bookstore shelves – yet. (Bookstores and publishers are doing what they can to prevent conservative nonfiction from being published despite the fact that many are bestsellers. Ask Ann Coulter if you think this is not true.)

Certainly, Schroder’s newness as an author and his lack of an editor is apparent in this book. This is not a condemnation. John Grisham’s first novel was also self-published and while good – one can tell the difference between it and his later works.

'The Lies That Blind” is entertaining and insightful. It is at the vanguard of a new genre – conservative fiction. However, there is a market for conservative fiction. Just as early talk radio programs and cable news stations revealed that there was a market for conservative news, this new author, Danny Schroder, will reveal there is a market for conservative fiction. A market waiting for an Ailes and a Murdoch.

It's available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble on line, and Target on line, as well as Authorhouse. www.liesthatblind.com, will alow you to buy it through Authorhouse.

[IronJack]

Two words: Regnery Publishing.

[Vision Thing]

Yeah, I'm surprised this guy didn't send a proposal to Regnery. I'm sure Regnery wouldn't mind expanding into Conservative fiction.

[atomicpossum]

Film critic Michael Medved also wrote a book in 1922 Hollywood versus America

Damn. How OLD is Medved? :-)

[Vision Thing]

The original article is chockfull of typos, but I didn't want to correct them for the post here on FR.

By the way, I don't think Hollywood was much of a force back in 1922.

[flashbunny]

"Film critic Michael Medved also wrote a book in 1922 Hollywood versus America, which mentioned the antipathy of Hollywood for the American bourgeoisie. "

Michael medved sure has held up well for 100 years old...

[Vision Thing]

Yup, and it's nice that he took up conservative causes at such a young age. :-)

[L.N. Smithee]

Film critic Michael Medved also wrote a book in 1922 Hollywood versus America, which mentioned the antipathy of Hollywood for the American bourgeoisie.

Actually, Medved's Hollywood vs. America was published in 1992. Everything I had been mumbling to myself about the way Hollywood didn't treat traditional values with respect was published in the book. I came to the bookstore with a wad of cash earmarked for another book, but when I picked up Hollywood vs. America, I felt like I owed it to Medved to purchase it out of sheer gratitude.