Analysis Of The Numbers Don T Lie: Politics Is Ruining The Entertainment Industry

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The two sources that I chose are "The numbers don't Lie: Politics is Ruining the entertainment industry" by Noah Peterson which was published in the Washington Examiner and "Hollywood has always been Political. And it Hasn’t Always Been Liberal." by Kathryn Cramer Brownell which was published in The Washington Post. "The numbers don't lie: Politics is ruining the entertainment industry" by Noah Peterson argues that leftist politics is ruining the entertainment industry. The author cites examples, such as Rolling Stone magazine, to prove a drop in their viewership due to political articles. He also mentions the 69th Emmy Awards - where speeches targeted Trump - which he argues caused ratings to decline. He further attempts to prove his claim …show more content…

To improve the credibility and logic of his article - Peterson pulls statistics from Bloomberg Businessweek that show that Rolling Stone Magazine had a 10 percent drop in newsstand sales and a 28 percent drop in online traffic - in order to prove the magazine’s declining popularity. Despite being unable to access the article he referenced due to a paywall, I was able to find an article that is similar to the article Peterson is referencing (https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/09/18/551760994/rolling-stone-magazine-is-put-up-for-sale) and confirms this part of his research. He also draws statistics from TickPick, Ticket City, and Neilson company to prove the decline of ticket sales in the NFL. However, excluding the NFL claim, I feel that Peterson does not provide enough statistical evidence or correlational research to back up his claims - which ultimately damages the credibility of his …show more content…

And it hasn’t always been liberal,” relies more on historical evidence and analysis to support her argument that politics has always been a part of the entertainment industry. Brownell provides examples of political activism in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s as well as the promotion of capitalism and conservative politics within entertainment. For instance, she mentions Harry Belafonte’s importance in spreading the message of civil rights as well as Charlie Chaplin's pro-labor films. She also cites Merle Haggard’s conservative anthems and relationship with Nixon as well as the fact that Fred Grandy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sonny Bono all became GOP elected officials. This use of evidence increases the credibility of Brownell's argument. Her article gains further credibility as she is an associate professor of history at Purdue University and the author of "Showbiz Politics: Hollywood in American Political Life," whereas Peterson's personal credibility is not cited. In this, I feel that her material is more in-depth, credible, and sensical than