WASHINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - [red]The White House left open the possibility on Thursday that its top political strategist might encourage Hollywood studio executives to tailor their story lines to help the United States in its war on terrorism. [/red]    Karl Rove, the Texan political strategist widely viewed as the architect of Bush's presidential victory, plans to meet about 40 film and television studio chiefs in Beverly Hills on Sunday to reach out to the entertainment industry.    

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters that Rove would brief executives from DreamWorks, AOL Time Warner Inc's [`AOL] cable TV channel HBO, Viacom Inc's [`VIA] Showtime, and other companies about the themes the government itself is emphasizing, including tolerance, courage, and patriotism.    Following the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, which U.S. officials accuse Osama bin Laden of masterminding, the United States on Oct. 7 began bombing Afghanistan, which is believed to be sheltering the Saudi-born militant.    

The United States has struggled to convey to Muslims around the world that it has no quarrel with Islam, and U.S. President George W. Bush has called for tolerance at home after a series of attacks on people of Asian and Middle Eastern descent.    "The White House will share with the entertainment community the themes that are being communicated here and abroad: tolerance, courage, patriotism," the spokesman said.    [red]"Participants are likely going to discuss any future actions that could be undertaken by the entertainment industry,"[/red] he added.    

Noting that many industries around the country had asked what they could do to help the war effort, Fleischer said one way Hollywood could contribute might be to produce public service announcements, known as PSAs.    Past PSAs have discouraged children from taken drugs and sought to dissuade people from driving drunk.    While saying it was up to Hollywood to decide the content of its movies and TV programs, when asked repeatedly [b][red]Fleischer declined to rule out the possibility that the White House might seek to influence story lines. [/b][/red]    "You have to let the people take place. I think many people in Hollywood have their own ideas about how to be helpful." he said. "It's important to hear what Hollywood has on its mind. These are judgments that Hollywood makes. These are their movies. These are their TV shows." ((Washington newsroom 202 898-8300, fax 202 898 8383, email [email protected])) Thu Nov  8 17:21:15 2001 -GMT- pnac (nN08330929) = 1 17:21

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[shock] ... what's next? book burnings?

I knew I shouldn't have given the jar with Goebbels' head inside to the nice man in the dark suit.

So we've got what, Farenheit 451 and 1984 coming true at the same time?

SO what?? They did the same thing a few years back with the 'War on Drugs' by effectively giving over $1 billion to networks for running anti-drug spots and writing anti-drug themes into their show story lines.

My response to the Bush administration is... who gives a flying f*ck what the inflated creampuffs in Hollywood think. It's not like they are multi-disciplinarian, intellectuals out there. They know how to market... that is all.

there are only two realities that exist: fact and fiction.

weeks ago, most on this board agreed that government intervention into the truth that we receive was OK. ie: the censorship of OBL's telecasts. it was justified by our fear of "hidden messages" in his demeaner and words.

now, we say "who cares" what happens in hollywood, its only a bunch of liberal lunk-heads who peddle fiction that most of us don't need anyway.

so, if we give the govs the go-ahead to control our facts, AND our fiction, then what is left? i believe that a free society is based on choice. if there are no choices, no truth, no lies, no nothing unless the feds approve it, then what do we have?

who cares? I DO. i personally don't want gov intervention in every facet of my life, do you? it bugs me that some people wouldn't know a fledgling totalitarian regime even if it fell out of the sky, landed on their faces and started to wiggle!

ye of too much faith, wake up! your rights are being taken, even as you "bleat" your approval!