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Many of those who settled into the red-cushioned seats at their go-to movie theaters in 2022, armed with buttered popcorn or slushies, would have been met with an ad for the U.S. Air Force between movie trailers for upcoming blockbusters<\/span>.<\/span> In came the droning of a fighter jet and a cinematic shot of it swooping around mountaintops and through arid plains spotted with cacti. The advertisement barely<\/span> shows any faces under the helmets<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>possibly to encourage viewers to imagine themselves in the cockpit.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The command to \u201caim high\u201d lingers on the screen at the end of the ad, followed by the URL of the Air Force website.<\/span><\/p>\n The recruitment advertisement played in theaters at the same time as<\/span>\u00a0\u201c<\/span>Top Gun: Maverick,\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the sequel to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>one of the most successful military movies in American cinematic history.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201c<\/span>Top Gun: Maverick\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>lived up to its predecessor\u2019s success, making nearly<\/span> $1.5 billion<\/span>\u00a0in the box office worldwide and securing its place as the highest-grossing film of Tom Cruise\u2019s career.<\/span><\/p>\n The franchise belongs to a broader genre that is the male version of the \u2018chick flick,\u2019<\/span> or as journalist Gloria Steinem called it: the<\/span>\u00a0\u201cprick flick<\/span>.\u201d<\/span> These movies tend to glorify violence, specifically<\/span> in the context of a war<\/span>, and are a Hollywood staple. Other examples include<\/span> \u201c<\/span>Saving Private Ryan,<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u201cCaptain America: Civil War\u201d<\/span>\u00a0or<\/span>\u00a0\u201cFire Birds\u201d<\/span>\u00a0\u2014<\/span> as well as virtually any Tom Cruise movie.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s no surprise that Hollywood produces hundreds of war movies, especially considering how many Americans have served and fought over the generations; the depicted events are pertinent to many citizens.<\/span> What distinguishes \u201cTop Gun\u201d from the rest is its close work with<\/span> the Pentagon<\/span>\u00a0as a recruiting tool.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Defense has a<\/span> Community Engagement Office<\/span>\u00a0which, according to the website, \u201csupports studios and production companies in the production of scripted and unscripted films, television shows, and video games.\u201d<\/span> In the case of \u201cTop Gun: Maverick,\u201d they exchanged use of their F-18 aircrafts and other military gear for artistic and script control<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0The original \u201cTop Gun\u201d was also \u201cintimately guided\u201d by the U.S. Navy, according to Roger Stahl at the Los Angeles Times.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>After further research, researchers involved with the LA Times unearthed documents proving the Department of Defense\u2019s direct control of over 2,500 American movies and TV shows.<\/span><\/p>\n Unsurprisingly<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0many are unhappy with the editorial presence of the U.S. military and the entertainment industry\u2019s apparen<\/span>t<\/span>\u00a0operation as its propaganda machine<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0T<\/span>he most exciting (or upsetting) part is that it works<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Over the course of the year following the original release of<\/span>\u00a0\u201cTop Gun\u201d<\/span>, military recruitment rates increased by 500%.<\/span><\/p>\n Not only did \u201cTop Gun\u201d present a glamorized version of service in the American military, but it sometimes presented a false on<\/span>e.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In the franchise, there exist trophies and pilot rankings, which were completely fabricated and served to aid the triumphant arc of the story, making the military look much more appealing<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>In fact, the movie is so overtly supportive of the American military that future \u201cFull Metal Jacket\u201d star Matthew Modine declined the role of Maverick because of his pacifist views, believing that it would serve as a massive tool of recruitment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So the franchise\u2019s role as a tool of recruitment and close involvement with<\/span>\u00a0the Pentagon i<\/span>s no secret, but the question its existence poses is a crucial one: What happens when we mix entertainment and military recruitment?<\/span><\/p>\n The \u201cTop Gun\u201d franchise is operating within the<\/span> military-entertainment complex<\/span>, which is a term that essentially summarizes the economic and creative role of the Department of Defense in entertainment production<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0The complex makes it so that portraying the U.S. military in a positive light is a financial decisio<\/span>n<\/span>,<\/span> essentially rigging the field so that moviemakers are inclined to make pro-American war films. This is, of course, not limited to just film and television<\/span>;<\/span> \u201cCall of Duty\u201d is an excellent example of the complex\u2019s presence in the video game industry<\/span>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n W<\/span>hen parents complain that video games make their children more inclined toward violence<\/span>,<\/span> it may not be a complete exaggeration, since these entertainment forces have historically boosted military recruitment.<\/span><\/p>\n While the military-entertainment complex and franchises like \u201cTop Gun\u201d are undeniable successes in terms of recruitment rates, it may be worth considering their impact. What does it mean to bombard viewers with Air Force ads in a relaxed, virtual entertainment setting \u2014 where all violence appears on screen, many moons away from the viewer? What messages of heroism and sacrifice do we send to children, especially young boys? The truth is that \u2014 for better or for worse \u2014 joining the Navy or the Air Force will not transform you into Tom Cruise.<\/span><\/p>\n The most famous line of the original movie, now a cultural touchstone, is Maverick\u2019s statement that he<\/span>\u00a0\u201cfeel[s]<\/span> the need \u2026 the need for speed.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Maybe we should be asking ourselves whether that \u2018speed\u2019 is dangerous, and who exactly is telling viewers that they \u2018need\u2019 it.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n