Hollywood is a word used to refer to certain aspects of the American visual media, notably the motion picture and television, no matter where in the United States or under whose auspices the films or programs may actually be made. Hollywood had been a major world influence for most of this century, ever since films started being made in the real Hollywood after about 1915. "Hollywood" as a term has long referred to the American film in the world community, and today television has become the second major influence to come under that general rubric. Television started as a New York phenomenon, but as it shifted from live television to film, production also shifted largely to Hollywood. When there is a perception of something harmful, tasteless, socially detrimental, or simply trite in the media, Hollywood is blamed. This has been happening most recently with reference to congressional claims that television is too violent and that "Hollywood" should do something about it before the government does. Clearly many believe that Hollywood as a concept affects Americans in a direct way, and presumably affects those in other countries as well to the degree that they are inundated with American films and programs. The French certainly believe this and work hard to bolster the French industry and to reduce the influence of Hollywood. Is Hollywood still alive and still influencing the world, or is this only the bugaboo held up whenever someone gets nervous about something in the media?
Television is a pervasive element in American society today and is seen as having a great deal of influence, even an excessive amount of influence, especially over the young. Television as a medium was developed by companies that were active in network radio, and the television system was patterned after that of radio. This included the system of sponsorship and advertising. By the end of the first full decade of television broadcasting, however, it ...