Top 10 Times Movies Affected the Real World
#10: Reese's Pieces Sales Skyrocket
Top 10 Reese Witherspoon Performances
“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982) In the original script of Spielberg’s classic sci-fi film, protagonist Elliot uses M&Ms to lure the lost alien out of hiding. However, M&M’s parent company Mars didn’t give them the okay, and the team instead turned to Hershey - the owners of Reese’s Pieces. There was some trepidation, because at the time, Reese’s Pieces were a relatively new snack, and reportedly not faring well compared to their competitor. But it paid off. A People Magazine article at the time reported that sales of the candy tripled within two weeks of the film's release. Hershey jumped on the success, with multiple ad campaigns, calling the sweets “E.T. 's Favorite Candy.” So maybe keep some around, just in case an alien shows up in your backyard.
#9: Underground Fight Club Culture Becomes Popular
“Fight Club” (1999) David Fincher’s controversial film about masculinity, identity, and rage, struck a chord with many men who empathized with Edward Norton’s unnamed protagonist. Unfortunately, the lesson that some men took was that they should start their own underground fighting rings. Stories emerged from high schools about students setting up brutal matches, and newspapers advised parents to monitor cell phones and diaries. But it wasn’t only teens - programmers in Silicon valley, and students at Princeton were also found to have fought each other in private matches. One teen was suspected of setting off a bomb in Manhattan - attempting to emulate the bombing in the film. He also had his own fight club. So perhaps we should talk about fight club, after all.
#8: Wine Tourism Sees Sales Affected
“Sideways” (2004) Alexander Payne’s dramedy about middle-aged malaise in Wine Country won its fair share of acclaim- including the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. But its effect was less predictable…on Wine Tourists. During the film, Paul Giamatti’s Miles, an oenophile, talks about his preference in wine, praising the quality of Pinot Noir, but rages about the mediocre Merlot. Several post-Sideways studies showed that in both American and British wine markets, the sales of Pinot Noir rose substantially. Though some outlets claimed that Merlot sales plummeted, studies argued that the film had less of an effect on Merlot - only decreasing sales by 2%, compared to the 16% increase of Pinot. Meanwhile, Alexander Payne brought a whole new meaning to Film Noir.
#7: Anarchist Hackers Take Symbolism & Lines From the Film
“V for Vendetta” (2005) In 2008, the Church of Scientology found themselves locked in a publicity battle… with what appeared to be a loose collective of internet users. During protests of the church’s perceived overreach, members of this new group - referred to as Anonymous - knew they needed a symbol for their movement. And at the time, the best available symbol was in costume shops across the world - the Guy Fawkes mask worn by the titular anarchist in the film “V for Vendetta.” The costume piece was evocative, and the anti-fascist themes of the film resonated with the up-and-coming hacktivist group, and now the mask is just as associated with Anonymous as it is with the original film itself. Not surprising, since the original comic was written by an anarchist.
#6: Bambi’s Mom’s Sacrifice Was Not in Vain
Top 5 Fun Facts About Bambi
“Bambi” (1942) People most widely remember Disney’s animated classic about a deer in the woods from a scene early on - the scene where a hunter kills Bambi’s mother. Following the film’s release, deer hunting decreased by about 50%, and the film even gave rise to the “Bambi Effect” - which is when people find empathy in cuter animals rather than uglier ones. Even Paul McCartney of the Beatles said that his interest in animal rights came after watching the film. Bambi came out over 80 years ago, and still hunters credit it with the public’s affection for deer, which some cite as a public and ecological hazard. They might not be wrong, but it’s incredibly difficult to argue with those powerful moments of animation.
#5: A Movie Influenced the Abolition of the Death Penalty in Poland
“A Short Film About Killing” (1988) The Polish movie “A Short Film About Killing” indicted the state in a unique way. In the late 80s, when the Soviet Union and its totalitarian allies were teetering on the brink of collapse, this movie portrayed the use of state violence as a self-perpetuating evil that serves no ends. The film was heavily influenced by public death penalty trials and the regimes in Eastern Europe that silenced dissent with violence. And after the movie was released in Poland, another decisive voice was added to the anti-death penalty movement in the country. They swiftly suspended the death penalty, and since 1988, the year that “A Short Film About Killing” was released, they haven’t executed a single prisoner.
#4: KKK Sees an Increase in Enrollment
Top 10 Times Movies Predicted Future Events
“The Birth of a Nation” (1915) What is considered by many to be the first narrative motion picture “The Birth of a Nation” was also the first feature film screened at the white house. Originally titled “The Clansman,” the movie glorifies the terrorist Klu Klux Klan and even portrays the lynching of a black man as a heroic act. Before “The Birth of a Nation,” the KKK’s contemporary popularity had waned, almost to complete obscurity, but the film led to the formation of the Second Klan, which saw a surge in popularity that would last for the next 30 years. At its peak in the 20s, the second KKK had almost 5 million members. Following declining membership once again, the Second Klan would later be defeated by Superman in a radio serial that began airing in the mid-40s.
#3: UK Parliament Legalizes Acts Between People of the Same Gender
“Victim” (1961) In the mid-20th century, intimate acts between people of the same gender were a crime punishable by chemical castration in the UK. The film Victim, released in 1961, introduced a unique protagonist into this climate. He was a lawyer who hadn’t made his sexuality public, standing up to a blackmailing ring. And though the film hinges upon him covering up being gay, it was the first commercial British film to portray a protagonist of this sexuality in a compassionate way, casting the finger of judgment against anti-gay sentiment. Though banned from American cinemas for openly discussing this sexual orientation, the film today is seen as beginning a mainstream conversation about gay rights in the UK. Only six years later, Parliament legalized consensual and private activity between people aged 21 and over, and though they had a long way to go, a movie helped them get to the starting line.
#2: Beach Attendance Takes a Dive
“Jaws” (1975) When Steven Spielberg’s killer shark film first hit cinemas, it was June of ‘75. People were ready for a summer spent by the beach. Over a decade before, Hitchcock’s “Psycho” terrified people of showers, but “Jaws” did the same… for swimming in the ocean. Beach attendance dropped, and some scientists argue that the film raised a generation of people afraid of sharks - since shark attacks are incredibly rare in the wild. The film also led to an increase in shark hunting, as wannabe-Quints saw Sharks as evil movie monsters rather than animals. Spielberg has expressed regret over that effect. But inarguably, the film did make swimmers feel like vulnerable snacks in open water, thereby frustrating beach-mayors all around the country.
#1: Congress Re-Opens the JFK Investigation
“JFK” (1991) Following what’s arguably the most infamous political assassination of all time, movies were bound to follow. Almost 30 years after the murder, Oliver Stone’s JFK broke down the official narrative behind the Kennedy Assassination, giving credence to conspiracy theories in a sleek Hollywood package. The movie was so persuasive in arguing the magic bullet theory that Congress passed the “President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act” a year after the film’s release. It formed a committee to consolidate every single piece of evidence and correspondence related to JFK’s assassination in one place, to be publicly reviewed and available. As of 2022, according to the government, 97% of about 5 million classified files have been revealed to the public… and a big part of that is thanks to the power of cinema.
