Most of us would agree that Hollywood doesn’t offer strong messages about morality.
Today’s movies often promote and glorify sexual immorality, violence, selfishness, and even abortion.
But these dangerous messages are no accident as Planned Parenthood recently admitted.
In fact, it’s actually their “secret weapon.”
Planned Parenthood is known for its strong pro-abortion stance and its growing political presence.
But the organization also had its fingers in at least 150 of the most recent Hollywood productions, according to Caren Spruch.
Spruch is Planned Parenthood’s Director of Arts and Entertainment Engagement.
She’s the organization’s “woman in Hollywood,” and a large part of her job is advising film studios on how to include abortion propaganda in their productions.
In decades past, film producers weren’t interested in referencing abortion in their scripts.
“Nobody used to call me,” Spruch admitted. “I would be watching TV and going to the movies and figuring out who I thought might be open to including these story lines.”
But Spruch and Planned Parenthood knew that in order to influence the nationwide dialogue around abortion, they would have to force their way into Hollywood writing rooms.
Spruch began her work in Hollywood by advising the film Obvious Child, a romantic comedy about a young woman who decides to have an abortion on Valentine’s Day. The film sent a strong pro-abortion message and featured Planned Parenthood clinics and propaganda.
Gillian Robespierre, the writer and director of Obvious Child, said of Spruch’s work, “It’s really wonderful. She’s like Planned Parenthood’s secret weapon.”
Spruch called Obvious Child “the one that changed the world,” claiming that it set a new a standard for abortion-centric plot lines.
Since then, Spruch has worked behind the scenes as a “script doctor” on dozens of major films and TV shows, including brand-new releases like Shrill. Spruch has made contacts throughout the film industry and studios now seek her out for advice on abortion-centered plotlines.
“Now I have a couple of repeat clients,” Spruch boasted. “Now people call me.”
Spruch and Planned Parenthood know that popular culture – and the film industry in particular – have the power to change people’s opinions.
“A lot of people learn about sexual and reproductive health care through pop culture and entertainment programs,” said Melanie Roussell Newman, a representative of Planned Parenthood.
She continued, “We’ve seen pop culture change views around LGBTQ issues, for example, and pop culture has the power to challenge abortion stigma, too.”
Planned Parenthood is trying to leverage the power of pop culture to spread its abortion agenda wherever it can.
Spruch also pushes Hollywood screenwriters, directors, and producers to include storylines about birth control and sexually transmitted diseases, and her presence has become “increasingly welcome” in film studios.
It’s certainly unsettling to think about the power Hollywood has given to Planned Parenthood in incorporating these kinds of plot lines in widely seen and critically acclaimed films.
Thankfully, Planned Parenthood isn’t the only organization hoping to use pop culture to start conversations and influence the nation’s policies.
The Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion organization, touted the recent success of Unplanned, a film about one Planned Parenthood clinic director’s journey to the pro-life movement.
“Pro-life sentiment is on the rise,” said Mallory Quigley, a representative from the Susan B. Anthony List. “The overwhelming majority of Americans, especially young people, disagree with the extreme agenda of taxpayer-funded abortion on demand through birth and even infanticide.”
Even though Planned Parenthood has financed and shaped many films in recent years, Quigley is confident that the organization’s propaganda isn’t as powerful as it hopes.
“The abortion industry’s grip on Hollywood is well-known, but what might be surprising is how soundly their propaganda has failed to move Americans’ minds and hearts,” Quigley said. “Americans are tired of pro-abortion elites telling them what to think and value.”
Other pro-life organizations are adopting a cultural-focused approach to outreach as well.
“You can’t just change laws; you have to change culture, and young people are the drivers of culture,” said Kristan Hawkins, a representative of Students for Life of America.
Pray for the work of these organizations as they try to counter Planned Parenthood’s messages in the movie industry.
It’s a challenge to bring the pro-life message to a culture shaped by Hollywood’s deceptions, but it’s a worthy cause.
