Escapism is the word many think about (or some variant of the word, surely) when they hear the words “movie”, “telelevision shows”, “anime”, “cartoons”, etc. While these mentioned content were primarily created for entertainment purposes, many forget that they have global outreach and hence have the potential to “change the world”.
And it is these kinds of art we will be touching on today. True there are way more than 7 films and tv shows that have influenced societies and in some cases, the world, and hence we are splitting them into parts. Here is our “first” 7 films and tv shows that influenced society:
America’s Most Wanted (1988-2012)
No matter what people think of this show, this Television programme has helped capture over 1100 criminals during its 24 year run on TV. ‘America’s Most Wanted’ tapped into the audience’s fascination with true crime and got hundreds of Americans “participating” by providing police tips, where quite a lot of them were legitimate. The show was also extremely instrumental in getting Elisabeth Smart rescued along with 30 other kidnapped children.
The show ended back in 2012 with a two hour special which aired on Saturday, April 21st, 2012. Fox has announced plans to revive the series back in January and is reportedly looking for a new host.
Philadelphia (1993)
This film comes at a time when HIV/AIDS epidemic was causing widespread panic which were exacerbated by main stream media who was targeting homosexuals – gay men in particular. Even in 1993, where people were uncomfortable to discuss these issues in public, the movie played a major role in garnering empathy from the American people for both people from the gay community and those suffering from AIDS, which then went on to have a butterfly effect around the globe.
AIDS is still an issue faced by the gay community today, but there is more awareness and ‘Philadelphia’ helped people to shift their way of thinking. The movie is available on demand on YouTube.
A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness (2015)
This 2015 Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy documentary gives a raw account of one of the few “lucky” young women in Pakistan who survived the honor killing her father and uncle. The film crashed the international stage with a huge boom, to much international acclaim and it even won the Academy Award for Documentary Short Subject. The influence of the film was so great that the then Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced that he would work towards changing the law on honour killings. This documentary is available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1968)
Yes that’s right, ‘Star Trek: The Original Series’ influenced the viewers on a very touchy subject matter (at the time). The show featured the first interracial kiss on screen which was shared between Captain Kirk and Lt. Uhura, portrayed by William Shatner and Nichelle Nicols. This addressed the social stance of many in America about interracial couples and opened a dialogue for discussion among many. This sci-fi series can be seen on Netflix.
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
This docu-drama literally saved the life of an innocent man. In 1988, film director Errol Morris recreated the entire Randall Dale Adams case on screen – a famous trial about a man sentenced to death. As the movie progresses, it becomes evident that Adams is innocent, convicted by corrupt cops and men with their own agenda.
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005-2012)
This surprising food series by the late Anthony Bourdain revolutionized the pursuit for good food. Bourdain fearlessly went to war-torn Lebanon in search of food. And in doing so, he showed the viewers, a country filled with ordinary people like us, who are living their lives just as we do. Bourdain coined a brilliant term “gastrodiplomacy” – a form of diplomacy that uses food to bring people together (which we can wholeheartedly get behind). The television series is streaming in India on Voot.
Haikyuu!! (2014 – Ongoing)
Now let’s end this series on a slight up-lifting note. ‘Haikyuu!!’ is a sports anime about volleyball. Normally this would be just another sports anime lost among the other brilliant works, but the anime came at a time when the sport was dying at highschool level in Japan. The country which was close to triple digits in world ranking before 2012, has got a massive following from their countrymen due to this anime and it has influenced many highschoolers to take up the sport. The anime has been credited to be one of the biggest influences among many Japanese volleyball players and has created a new wave of resurgence for the sport which is now said to be having a global butterfly effect. Stream this series on Netflix.
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