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Hijacking Catastrophe The film will move beyond the substance of policy and ideology to examine how the Bush Administration has used 9/11 and the war on terrorism to sell the American people on a radical and controversial neo-conservative agenda. It will focus specifically on how the administration has deflected attention away from the substance of its policies by tapping into a virtual storehouse of masculine archetypes and American mythology – an archive with deep roots in the American imagination and deep connections to popular American definitions of nationalism, patriotism, and what it means to be “presidential”. In doing so, the film will explore how the administration has used this masculine imagery and rhetoric to advance the larger ideological aims of the right-wing establishment – tapping into a warrior ethos of rugged individualism to justify and sell harsh responses to social and economic instability here and abroad. This analysis aims to anticipate what is almost certain to be the political strategy of Bush’s political consultants during the 2004 campaign: the continued and accelerating use of anxiety-producing rhetoric; of imagery and language designed to offer comfort in the form of traditional masculine strength and power; and of tactics designed to feminize and question the strength of those who question the wisdom of current policy. The documentary will explore the cultural power of these political tactics: their anti-democratic potential to shut down critical thinking and debate, and their capacity to manufacture consent to policies that often work against popular mainstream interests. For further information about this film, please contact: Sut Jhally, Executive Producer | tel 413.584.8500 ext. 2301 For further information about supporting the production and distribution of this film, please contact: Adi Bemak, Development Director | tel 413.584.8500 ext. 2111 http://www.mediaed.org/hijacking/hijacking_catastrophe/# video
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