The Brainwashing of My Dad (2015)

Jen Senko, a documentary filmmaker, looks at the rise of right-wing media through the lens of her WWII vet father who changed from a life-long, nonpolitical Democrat to an angry, right-wing... See full summary »

Director:

Jen Senko

Writers:

Melodie Bryant, Jen Senko

Stars:

Eric Boehlert, David Brock, Noam Chomsky

2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Eric Boehlert	...	Self
David Brock	...	Self
Noam Chomsky	...	Self
Jeff Cohen	...	Self
Claire Conner	...	Self
Thom Hartmann	...	Self
Edward S. Herman	...	Self
Frank Luntz	...	Self
Matthew Modine	...	Narrator
Carol Wallin	...	Self
Johnny Williams	...	Self

Storyline

Jen Senko, a documentary filmmaker, looks at the rise of right-wing media through the lens of her WWII vet father who changed from a life-long, nonpolitical Democrat to an angry, right-wing fanatic after his discovery of talk radio on a lengthened commute to work. In trying to understand how this happened, she not only finds this to be a phenomenon, but also uncovers some of the forces behind it: a plan by Roger Ailes under Nixon to create a media for the GOP; the Lewis Powell Memo, urging business leaders to influence institutions of public opinion - especially the universities - the media and the courts; and under Reagan, the dismantling of the Fairness Doctrine - all of which helped to change the entire country's direction and culture, misinformed millions, divided families and even the country itself.

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Plot Keywords:

corporate media | right wing radio | conservative radio | vast right wing conspiracy | mainstream media | 

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Taglines:

The shocking truth behind the right-wing media machine that changed a father -- and the nation

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Genres:

Documentary

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User Reviews

Thoughtful and compassionate

I came across this on Amazon Prime. I thought that this documentary was informative, thoughtful and compassionate whilst exploring the creation of the fierce and angry media machine that supports the right wing political machine. It shows the triumph of capital over humanitarian values through the lens of the writer/director's personal family struggle; it shows the toll on her family and others simply and clearly.

I think someone called the machine's proponents "faeces-chuckers" at one point - this elicited a childish giggle from me but it was also a beautifully illustrative example as their stuff sticks, even when patently nonsense or false.

I kept hearing about how strange Fox news is but, as I am in the UK, I was unaware just how uninformative their 'news' actually is. It was really eye-opening (eye-popping even) learning how the process of 'brainwashing' works and its payoffs. It was fascinating and has deepened my understanding of how people become so heartless and why they think that this is a good thing.

Bringing what I watched up to date, it is a bit scary thinking that Fox News want to bring this extreme brand of disinformation to the UK - as if the Express and the Mail aren't bad enough already.

I am also appalled to think that President Trump insists in his tweets that Fox is his main form of 'news'; this does not bode well for the either the US or us in the rest of the world.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 March 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Brainwashing of My Dad

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,028

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,028

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinco Dedos Peliculas

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color