Gun Control Organizations in the Movies

It’s no secret that organs of the US federal government (notably the military and CIA) have used Hollywood to influence the population. Whether it’s been convincing the public to buy war bonds or portraying the Soviets as the worldwide “Bad Guys,” movies have done a great job of conditioning the American collective consciousness.

Now, the gun control lobby is turning to Hollywood to push their own agenda. Specifically, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has connected with several industry bigwigs at the White House to plan how firearms will be presented on screen. Here’s how it breaks down.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence Safety Pledge

After the Uvalde school shooting, members of the Brady Center gathered more than 300 members of the movie industry together to sign an open letter. There are definitely some industry bigwigs on the list, including Jimmy Kimmel, Shonda Rhimes, and Mark Ruffalo. In it, these industry insiders vowed to change how they would portray guns in three ways:

• Show scenes of “responsible gun ownership.”
• Have discussions with a film’s staff about how to portray guns during pre-production.
• Limit scenes involving children and guns.

A year later, in April 2023, they organized a meeting at the White House with other members of the movie industry. At the meeting, members of the Brady Campaign discussed how to portray guns in movies with more industry insiders. That included major TV actors like Adrian Brody from The O.C. and Piper Perabo of Yellowstone and Covert Affairs fame.

Brady has done more than just talk to Hollywood, though. They’ve already put this plan into action. Last week, several sources published news stories about how writers for the TV show SWAT have already implemented the Brady Campaign’s suggestions.

What is the Brady Campaign?

The Brady Center is one of the oldest gun control organizations in the US. It was founded as the “National Council to Control Handguns” in 1974. The organization changed its name after White House Press Secretary Jim Brady was injured during the 1981 assassination attempt on president Ronald Regan. It continues to push an anti-gun agenda until the present day.

Final Thoughts

If you’re like me, chances are movies were one of the ways you first became interested in firearms. Films like the Terminator, Lethal Weapon, Red Dawn, and a slew of others helped shape my views on firearms. 

While this may not seem like a big deal on the surface – after all, storing a gun where children or criminals can’t access it is a good idea – it signifies an uncomfortable shift in how nonprofits are trying to influence our opinions from behind the scenes. We’ll see how this plays out.