Mr. Dole Goes to Hollywood Again

Pardon Bob Dole for the equivocal tone of his second sortie against Hollywood, the front line in the contemporary cultural war. That the presidential hopeful found it no easier now than last year to gain solid political footing on the movies-and-society issue speaks less to his campaigning ability than to the deep ambivalence most Americans feel about popular culture and morality.

Dole, the presumed Republican candidate, spoke Tuesday to an audience of about 200 at 20th Century Fox Studios. The address was billed as a “sequel” to his finger-wagger last year on the evil wrought by violent movies, depictions of gratuitous sex and rap music. Last year’s speech won public praise for its strong, stern tone, but some saw Dole as silly for lambasting movies he hadn’t seen and exhorting studio executives and moviegoers to just say no to the latest blow-’em-up blockbuster.

This year, Dole was more careful. On Monday, he saw “Independence Day”--one of the year’s biggest hits, a science-fiction thriller about an invasion by space aliens--and pronounced it “a good movie.” Yes, it is violent, Dole said in his speech Tuesday, but the violence is in the service of “patriotism and humankind at its best.” Compare the box office of “Independence Day,” Dole said, with that of “Striptease,” which features nudity and has drawn far fewer viewers. Those short ticket lines, the Kansan said, demonstrate that “most of the public wants something better.”

Perhaps. But, alas, perhaps not. This summer’s lineup features an array of blood-and-guts and sexually explicit movies. Some do emphasize redeeming social values like patriotism or family. But others offer nothing more than two hours of dazzling chills and thrills. And, as the lines at movie houses nationwide attest, that’s just fine with most Americans.

Yes, “give us art worthy of our lives,” as Dole said. But also give us aliens, a fast-paced story and sexy stars .J.J. and please pass the popcorn.