Hollywood stars released an open letter on Monday (June 13) demanding that movies and TV shows lead by example when it comes to firearms. She’s signed by famous producers like J.J. Abrams (“Lost”), Shonda Rhimes (“Bridgerton”) and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. More than 200 Hollywood celebrities, including Jimmy Kimmel, Judd Apatow or Mark Ruffalo, signed the letter.
“Cultural attitudes about smoking, drinking and driving, seatbelt use, and marriage equality have all evolved in part through the influence of movies and television. It’s time to start with the dangers of guns,” says this letter released by the Brady Campaign, an association calling for stricter gun regulations in the United States.
“We’re not asking everyone to stop showing guns on screen. We call on screenwriters, directors and producers to pay attention to gun violence shown on screen and to promote gun safety,” the signatories continue.
Show “right moves” on screen
The films could, for example, show the characters in the process of locking the safety catch of their weapon. Teams could also try to find an alternative to guns in certain scenes without “harming the integrity of the narrative”. Noting that the number of gun deaths has recently surpassed that of motor vehicle accidents among young Americans, the open letter asks industry professionals to “limit scenes that feature both children and weapons.”
A total of 4,368 American children and adolescents under the age of 20 were killed by firearms in 2020, according to official statistics. They point out that while guns are ubiquitous in shows and movies around the world, “only America has such an epidemic of violence.”
“The blame lies with lax gun laws, backed by political figures who are more concerned with staying in power than saving lives,” they write. “We didn’t create the problem but we want to help solve it. »
