Where have you gone Elmer Gantry?

Where have you gone Elmer Gantry? August 25, 2016

Does liberalism have an Elmer Gantry nowadays?  I’m just curious.  Is there a movie in recent years, a Pulitzer prize winning novel, journalistic series or an Emmy award winning television show that exposes the seedy underside of liberalism?  Of liberal movements or ideals?  Something that drags into the spotlight hypocrisy in the LGBT movement?  Corruption in the Civil Rights movement?  The ugly influences of Socialism in modern economies?  The negative results of our modern sexual norms?  Are there any Oscar winning movies that attack the worst elements of modern feminism, abortion rights, or atheism?  And that, in doing so, receives mainstream accolades and celebration from our best and brightest?

I’m just curious.  I don’t read every book, watch every movie, and I don’t have much time for television.  Maybe there are.  Maybe there are various versions of Elmer Gantry aimed at modern liberalism that are popular, award winning and required reading in our schools, and I’ve just missed them.  Maybe American journalism, the publishing industry, colleges and universities, television and the film industry really do have their liberal versions of Elmer Gantry.  If so, I’d love to take a look just to see how they play out.  What do they look like?

This came to my mind as I read this story.  I remember growing up being taught how those books and movies and songs that challenged the status quo, the popular movements, the latest ideals embraced by our societal elites were the bright lights of history.  Those who wrote the books, plays, movies, songs and articles were the heroes of the ages.  So just curious.  Since I was always told how important it was to have those brave non-conformists speaking out to the power brokers of the day, I wondered who is doing it now who hasn’t been relegated to some partisan, biased source of no particular worth.  Not saying there aren’t any, just want to find out where to look.


Browse Our Archives