The Great Lie: ‘Americanism’ Doesn’t Sell Overseas

If you think the national news media is biased, spend some time rummaging through the world of entertainment news.

Today’s L.A. Times piece about the marketing of “G.I. Joe” has an especially priceless whopper:

"Yet overseas, where big action films often earn 60% or more of their ticket sales, rah-rah American sentiment doesn’t play well."

The Great Lie told by Leftist Hollywood and the media who shill for them is that in order to make money the likes and dislikes of an “international” audience must be considered, and international audiences loathe Americanism.

Let’s see how that’s working out with some overseas numbers for a few “big action films.”

To excuse the stripping of Superman’s Americanism (and masculinity), a lot of fanfare was made over the need for “Superman Returns” to appeal to the foreign box office, and yet the film bombed both here and abroad, making only $191 million overseas.

Compare that to the international box-office for Sam Raimi’s ”Spider-Man” trilogy, which never shied from its hero’s unique Americanism or an iconic shot of the stars and stripes:

Spider-Man: $418 million [ *-all]
Spider-Man II: $410 million
Spider-Man III: $554 million

Here’s the international box-office for some “big action” films from the last fifteen years unafraid, and in some cases proud, of their Americanism:

National Treasure: $174 million
National Treasure II: $237 million
Pearl Harbor: $251 million
Armageddon: $352 million
Independence Day: $511 million
I Am Legend: $329 million
Hancock: $396 million

At best, Leftists can argue “pro rah-rah” is a box-office wash outside the states, but “anti-rah-rah” has zero appeal to international audiences, and yet Hollywood refuses to stop making them.

Here are the overseas numbers for those with so-called “bankable” stars attached:

Lions for Lambs: $43 million
In the Valley of Elah: $22 million
Rendition: $17 million
Stop-Loss: $291 thousand
Body of Lies: $75 million
A Mighty Heart: $9 million
Grace is Gone: $887 thousand

Don’t confuse my argument here. I am not saying ”rah-rah American sentiment” does sell overseas What I’m arguing is that it’s wholly dishonest for anyone to flatly and matter-of-factly state it does not.

This myth about international box-office was created to give Hollywood a “business” excuse when they refuse to portray America in a positive light or turn Superman into a flying symbol of United Nations conflicted meterosexuality.

The unquestioning entertainment media jumps right on board because it’s yet another way for them to spread dishonest propaganda regarding America’s unpopularity overseas.

It’s a win-win - except at the box office...

[*Links to all revenue claims at source.]

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