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[email protected] | www.mediaed.org Militainment, Inc. Militarism & Pop Culture Transcript CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION DR. ROGER STAHL: In 2003 a new word was introduced into the English language: Militainment. We now consume war in much the same way we consume any other mode of entertainment. This has become a prominent feature of American life in the 20th Century. The blending of war an entertainment is not necessarily a new phenomenon. What is new is the massive collaboration between the Pentagon and the entertainment industries. In addition, the scope of militainment has grown rapidly. The television war has now invaded popular culture on multiple fronts including sports, toys, video games, film, reality TV and more. How has war taken its place as a form of entertainment? The answer to this question has powerful implications for who we are and the world we inhabit. Join me as we map the terrain of this new entertaining war. This is Militainment, Inc. TV REPORTER, [FOX News Clip]: If TV ran the free world… TV doesn’t run the world? (laughter) PETER JENNINGS [ABC News Clip]: The country’s most popular basketball tournament is scheduled to begin and the Academy Awards are scheduled for Sunday, so what will the organizers and the networks do? Here’s ABC’s Dean Reynolds... CHAPTER 2: SPECTACLE DR. ROGER STAHL: Culturally, we’ve reached a point where war blends seamlessly into the entertainment landscape. So we gather to watch the war in the same way as we gather to watch the Oscars or a large sporting event.