Recruit Out of the Theaters

Can we take a moment to talk about how creepy it is that the Army is using the new 'Independence Day' movie as a recruiting tool?  I've seen a couple of the commercials and they seem normal until you get to the part where they bring in the movie as a point of emphasis.  The reason I look at it as straight up propaganda is that these movies are going to be seen by the masses.  And not just the adult masses, but kids.  Teenagers.  You know, the impressionable crowd.  Now, do they fully understand what they are seeing?  Probably not.  Are these commercials going to increase the recruit numbers of the military?  Who knows.  Hopefully not.  Because that's a shitty way to do it.

Before you start yelling and screaming about being un-American, think about all the outcries to ban or restrict violent video games because they could have a direct impact on younger people.  You remember the when the Grand Theft Auto games were being released and how some thought that the game content could lead to violent outbursts?  Or all the first person shooter games, same thought and principle.  So how is this any different?  I don't see stories about parents storming the FCC about the army trying to recruit their kids through movie theaters.  If you think this is a bit of a reach, think back to when 'Fight Club' came out.  How many stories did we see about people starting basement or backyard fight clubs?

I know, I know, this is a sci-fi action movie.  There probably won't be a spike in army recruitment.  I'm way overthinking it.  And besides, how would that sound in the recruitment office? 

'Why the army?' 
'Well, I was going to go to college, but after I saw the new Independence Day movie, I knew the army was for me.'
'So, you don't have a family tradition or love of your country?'
'Nope.  It was the movie.  Definitely.'
*whispers* 'Dammit.'
'What?'
'Nothing.  Sign here.'

Below is the only commercial I can find, but there is another that was just put out a couple of weeks ago talking about how the people in the movie learned what they learned from the army for their roles in the movie.  You know, the actors.  Everything they learned for the movie they picked up from the army.  So if you want to be a cool actor in a blockbuster summer movie*, JOIN THE ARMY!

*as soon as you finish basic training and your deployment to the Middle East which we have been dragged into and can't seem to find our way to escape.  But, you know, as soon as you're done with that, you can be a cool actor in a blockbuster summer movie