No abstract

No abstract

This article investigates how "war-speak" is incorporated into both sports media coverage and athletic rituals. It posits that while the militarization of American sporting events may help to comfort a nation in crisis and afford the Armed Forces a valuable recruitment tool, it simultaneously encourages a coercive patriotism that is morally problematic for many athletes and fans, especially during wartime. Likewise, although the use of war metaphors in sports media coverage provides exciting and dramatic language for players and sportscasters, it also devalues the war experience by trivializing its horrors and helps to sell the concept of war as sport.

How the Pentagon Shapes andCensors the Movies -a book that examines the relationship between Hollywood and Phil Strub, the Pentagon's Special Assistant for Entertainment Media. In the book, Robb criticizes both Hollywood and the Pentagon for collaborating on entertainment projects. He believes the relationship infringes on first amendment rights to free speech since producers allow Strub to censor scripts that depict the military unfavorably in exchange for access to the Pentagon's expensive tanks, helicopters, submarines and personnel.But the Pentagon is not the only US government agency that works with Hollywood. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service, the National Institute of Health and the Department of Homeland Security are just a few bureaus that hire entertainment industry liaisons, and some have worked with Hollywood for over 50 years. In comparison with other government agencies the CIA was late in establishing an entertainment liaison post, as it did not develop the position until 1995 when it hired former covert officer Chase Brandon. Brandon's work at the CIA led to film credits in Enemy of the State, The Recruit, Sum of All Fears and In the Company of Spies, as well as in television programs such as JAG, Alias and The Agency.Brandon retired from the agency roughly one year ago and now works as an independent consultant to Hollywood. Paul Barry (also a former covert officer) succeeded Brandon in 2007. In the interview that follows, Barry discusses his new position, the problem with the CIA's public image, and the ways he hopes to use Hollywood to fix it. He also shares his thoughts on recent spy films including Charlie Wilson's War and The Good Shepherd, as well as on the criticisms put forth by Robb on the issue of censorship.Outside of Robb's focus on the Pentagon, little academic attention has been paid to the current relationship between Hollywood and government agencies, but this relationship seems particularly important in a post-9/11 world, when American government agencies are more aggressively using the media to shape public support for their policies in an age of sharp criticism. (Indeed, the New York Times reported in April 2008 that the Pentagon gives special privileges to news program's military analysts who also have ties to military contractors and are invested in the very war policies they are asked to assess on air [see Barstow, 2008].

No abstract