Americans fiercely defend the right to privacy, yet we open our homes, our lives, and our minds to a constant barrage of messages from television and film. This book helps us analyze the impact of these media on us and our children. The author deals with basic questions such as: Are we being manipulated? Why do films often reflect the worst in our culture? How does American cinema treat religion? What are the limitations of film, the dangers? What does film do well? How does political ideology affect film-making?

Billingsley takes us inside the Hollywood mindset that produces todays popular films and TV programs. He shows that a small group of people virtually controls their content. Far more liberal than the general public, these media managers promote an outlook critical of the United States, religion, morality, and traditional values. Billingsley asserts that modern film has had a devastating impact on the human imagination and on society as a whole. He offers guidelines we can use to critique what we see and hear, and thus be able to interact creatively with these powerful media.