What do the TV shows "Sesame Street" and "Friends" have in common? They both push a left-wing agenda, according to conservative author Ben Shapiro.
Shapiro's new book "Primetime Propaganda" makes the case that television executives, writers and producers use Hollywood and their positions to push a liberal political point of view.
The book is based on 39 taped interviews that he will gradually release during the next three weeks and in which many TV executives admit there is a dominating left-wing presence in their industry.
Some of the big names in TV interviewed include "Friends" co-created Marta Kauffman, who said when she cast Candace Gingrich-Jones, half-sister of Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as the minister of a lesbian wedding, "There was a bit of (a middle finger) in it to the right wing." Other remarks include Susan Harris, the creator of "The Golden Girls," referring to conservatives as "idiots" with "medieval minds," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
On top of admitting to their own agendas, the videos show TV bigwigs admitting the prevalent liberal presence in television.
David Shore, creator of "House," told Shapiro "there is an assumption in this town that everybody is on the left side of the spectrum, and that the few people on the right, I think people look at them somewhat aghast, and I'm sure it doesn't help them," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Shapiro targets "Sesame Street" as another liberal offender, citing an interview with one of the show's creators and incidents where the show attacked news groups. The author referenced an incident where a character on the show said, "From now on I am watching 'Pox' News. Now there is a trashy news show," according to the Huffington Post.
Jaime Weinman of Maclean's Magazine thinks the liberal slant is a good thing. Weinman said without attitudes and beliefs television would be boring, and trying to leave them out doesn't really work.
The book brings a sigh of relief to conservatives who speak out against the alleged liberal Hollywood.
Kurt Schlichter, a writer for the blog Big Hollywood, said Shapiro's book provides the needed proof to close the case of a liberal Hollywood in a recent post.
"As Ben documents, the industry has always been a very small community of like-minded individuals who dwell not only within the physical confines of the same LA/NYC world but, equally importantly, share the same world view," Schlichter said.
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