Picture our television shows and movies swept clean of any element that “disrespects history.” According the Chinese government, which apparently is trying to make historical scholars out of its populace, shows and movies shouldn’t include elements of time travel lest they change the look of history.
There’s obvious hypocrisy in that statement when made by a government that won’t let its people research uprisings against it. Beyond that, hearing about this policy made us wonder what that change would look like in the U.S. Of course, we’d be bereft of such high-brow concepts as driving cars at insane speeds toward town halls and having Terminators appearing naked in little energy balls on LA streets.
But beyond that, we can think of countless other instances in which writers have “disrespected history” by trying to spice it up to entice viewers to watch something they otherwise may not. Have you ever watched “The Tudors”?
As dismayed as we are when we see blatant sensationalizing of history a la “The Kennedys,” we understand the artistic license allowed to writers making shows or film. This is their view of history, even if that means turning it into a soap opera. Such a presentation may interest more people in learning about the time period and people portrayed. As for the time travel, that helps put the viewer in the midst of the story and given era. We’re not saying “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” was brilliant, but we can see the appeal behind it.
And, note to China, putting embellishments on a story loosely based on real events is far less offensive than banning people from seeing the facts altogether.
