Hollywood stars including Amy Schumer, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo released an open letter on Monday demanding that movies and TV shows lead by example when it comes to firearms. She is also signed by famous producers like JJ Abrams (Lost), Shonda Rhimes (Bridgerton) and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. She responds to the massacre of 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school in late May and a previous deadly shooting in Buffalo.
“Cultural attitudes regarding smoking, drinking and driving, seatbelt use, and marriage equality have all evolved in part through the influence of movies and television. It’s time to start with the dangers of guns“, says this letter distributed by Brady Campaign, an association calling for stricter regulation of firearms in the United States.
“We’re not asking everyone to stop showing guns on screen. We call on screenwriters, directors and producers to pay attention to gun violence shown on screen and to promote gun safety“, continue the signatories.
The films could, for example, show the characters in the process of locking the safety catch of their weapon. Teams might also try to find an alternative to guns in certain scenes without “undermine the integrity of the story“.
Noting that the death toll from firearms has recently surpassed that of motor vehicle accidents among young Americans, the open letter asks industry professionals to “limit scenes with both children and weapons“.
A total of 4,368 American children and adolescents under the age of twenty were killed by firearms in 2020, according to official statistics.
More than 200 Hollywood celebrities, including Jimmy Kimmel, Judd Apatow or Adam McKay, signed the letter. They point out that while guns are ubiquitous in shows and movies around the world, “only America has such an epidemic of violence“.”The blame lies with lax gun laws, backed by politicians who are more concerned with staying in power than saving lives.“, they write.”We didn’t create the problem but we want to help solve it.”